The promoter of Chris Eubank Jr believes the chances of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez taking on his charge in September are at “50/50”. Ben Shalom, who recently added Eubank Jr to his burgeoning stable at Boxxer, said that negotiations with the Mexican superstar are ongoing, with Las Vegas the likeliest city to play host.
Eubank’s name was a surprise addition to the Canelo sweepstakes. Edgar Berlanga was long presumed to be the opponent who would face the world super-middleweight champion in September. The Briton, a perennial middleweight contender, has not competed at 168lbs since February 2019 but remains one of the most marketable fighters in Europe and has long courted the idea of taking on Alvarez, 61-2-2 (39 KOs).
At 34 years old, the 33-3 (24 KOs) Eubank is aware that time is not on his side when it comes to achieving all he set out to when he turned professional in 2011.
“I think he knows it’s now or never [to fight] a lot of the names that have been talked about throughout his career,” Shalom told BoxingScene. “He also wants world titles. It’s good to get someone at that stage of their career, with their name built, ready for the big fights. He’s a realist and he knows that the next 18 months to two years are where all his big fights need to happen.”
It is understood that the ball is in Eubank’s court. “As usual, it comes down to money,” Shalom explained regarding the Canelo negotiations. “Chris has a certain expectation for a fight like that; he’s earned a huge amount during his career, and he’s got other big fights being offered to him but it’s definitely a fight that he wants. Negotiations are ongoing but it all comes down to whether it makes financial sense for him.”
Financial sense, when contextualized with the earning power of Canelo, can be difficult to attain. Since Alvarez unofficially became the biggest star in boxing following Floyd Mayweather’s retirement in 2017, he’s dominated at the negotiating table.
“I think anyone that fights Canelo knows that, whether that’s [David] Benavidez or anyone else that’s been talked about,” Shalom said. “But I think for Chris, he’s such a big name in the UK, every time he fights he generates interest and money. As a promoter all you can do, sometimes, is get the deal on the table and present it. Ultimately it comes down to the fighter and whether, financially, it works for him.”
What are the chances of Canelo-Eubank Jr occurring in September?
“I’d say 50/50,” Shalom said. “Like I say, he has a lot of options, and if I’m honest it’s not down to the Canelo side, it’s more Chris – and rightfully so. There’s a certain amount he’s used to earning and he wants to get what he deserves from a fight against someone like Canelo.”
Should an agreement be reached, it’s understood that the bout will take place in Vegas and not the UK, as has been rumoured. “We have talked about [staging the fight in the UK],” Shalom revealed. “The difficulty we’ve had with that one is that with the ‘AJ’ [versus Daniel Dubois] card on September 21 it’s hard to envision another stadium card a week either side of that. That’s been the main barrier. I think Canelo knows that if he’s to box in the UK, which he is attracted to for the sake of his legacy, then Eubank is the only opponent who could generate the sort of numbers that he’d want and the spectacle he’d want. That is ongoing and being talked about, but the initial offer has all been around Las Vegas in September.”
Should Canelo not come next for Eubank the “immediate goal” is a world title at middleweight. But one man not on the agenda is the fighter linked most frequently to Eubank in recent years.
“There are no discussions around Conor Benn,” Shalom confirmed.
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