Chris Eubank Jr. has been added to the mix for superstar Canelo Alvarez’s next fight in September.
According to Salvador Rodriguez, Eubank Jr. is now the favorite to be the next opponent for Canelo (61-2-2, 39 KO). If the former IBO super middleweight champion Eubank Jr. (33-3, 24 KOs) gets the slot, he’ll move up from the 160-lb division to face Alvarez.
“The British Chris Eubank Jr. joined the list of possible rivals for Canelo and is now the favorite to close an agreement,” said Salvador Rodriguez of ESPN Knockout on X.
Why Eubank Jr.?
WBA mandatory Edgar Berlanga and former two-division world champion Jermall Charlo had been the two fighters that were recently mentioned as potential opponents under consideration by Canelo and his manager/trainer Eddy Reynoso for his next fight on September 14th or two to three weeks later.
Choosing Eubank Jr. would work well for Canelo because it would please the UK boxing fans, and it wouldn’t upset the U.S public as much as it would if he selects Berlanga or Jermall as his next opponent. Eubank Jr. would be picking the least poison of the bunch.
Concerns about Other Contenders
Canelo needs a tune-up opponent that will prepare him for Terence Crawford, and Eubank Jr. is about as good as it gets to serve that purpose. Berlanga wouldn’t work because he’s a regular run-of-the-mill slugger with limited boxing skills and would likely fall apart as soon as Canelo turns up the heat on him.
In the case of Jermall Charlo, Canelo would be taking a risk by using him as his next opponent because the 34-year-old might not make it through training camp without some issue, causing him to pull out. Canelo can’t afford that.
Eubank Jr.’s Recent Performances
The 34-year-old Eubank Jr. is coming off a tenth-round knockout win over former WBO junior middleweight champion Liam Smith in their rematch on September 2nd, 2023, at the Manchester Arena in Manchester, England.
In Euhank Jr’s previous fight, he was upset by Smith, suffering a shock fourth-round knockout defeat on January 21, 2023. Many fans attribute that defeat to Eubank Jr. being overconfident, not giving the heavy-handed Smith the respect he deserved by fighting with his back against the ropes and getting shelled to the canvas.
Eubank Jr. took Smith more seriously in their rematch and dominated the fight, breaking him down slowly to score a knockout in the tenth. Smith did appear weight drained, and it’s unclear how much that affected his performance on the night.
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