Almost immediately after Canelo Alvarez defeated Daniel Jacobs, Oscar De La Hoya has some names in mind for Alvarez's next opponent.
In the post-fight press conference that took place immediately after Alvarez's win over Jacobs on DAZN, De La Hoya spoke on what's next for the new unified WBA "Super," WBC and IBF middleweight champion. Although Alvarez holds three of the four major titles at 160 pounds, De La Hoya has opened the possibility of Alvarez going to either 168 or 175 pounds in the future, even as soon as his next fight, which could take place in September.
"Canelo has many options as you know. There's nobody that he doesn't want to face, but he has many options and that's the wonderful part about being the man in the sport of boxing. It's that everyone wants to fight him, whether it's at 175, whether it's at 160 or 168, he has many challenges. There's one thing about Canelo that he never shies away from and that is a challenge," De La Hoya said.
According to De La Hoya, Alvarez wants to become the undisputed middleweight champion, which means he has one title to collect and that is the WBO belt currently being held by Demetrius Andrade. When asked if Andrade is the next man in line to face Alvarez, De La Hoya did say that he is one of several names that are being considered, but picking the right opponent for Alvarez depends on a number of circumstances.
So if Alvarez doesn't fight Andrade next fight, then what are some other names the Mexican star can face next? De La Hoya said a third fight against Golovkin is in play as well as a return to super middleweight and face WBA "Super" champion Callum Smith or even go as far up as light heavyweight and face WBO champion Sergey Kovalev. De La Hoya did not disclosed which name is more likely to face Alvarez next, but did reiterate that Alvarez is not afraid of any challenge.
"I'm not saying [Andrade] is a top contender for [Canelo's] next fight. Canelo's wishes has always been to unify all the belts, but there's different scenarios that can take place. You remember the days in which a fighter loses a world title and you have to work your way back up. A Golovkin is knocking on Canelo's door. He was right here knocking on his door. Demetrius Andrade is right here watching Canelo and he's knocking on his door. Smith is knocking on his door. Kovalev is knocking on his door. We want to create the right scenario. First thing is first, he has to rest up and then we'll huddle up and make decisions as a team. But one thing about Canelo is that he never shies away from a challenge. That's for sure," De La Hoya said.
The full press conference can be seen in the video at the top of the page.
