Bruno Surace hopes to be chosen for Canelo Alvarez’s next fight on May 4th in Riyadh. The unbeaten #6 ranked WBO contender Surace (26-0-1, 5 KOs) is one of the two fighters being considered for Alvarez’s first fight of his newly signed 4-fight deal with Turki Al-Sheikh’s Riyadh Season. The other is former middleweight champion Jermall Charlo.
Surace, 26, pulled off a huge upset, knocking out Jaime Munguia in the sixth round on December 14th in Tijuana. That’s the only notable win on his resume, but it’s enough for him to be considered for Canelo’s next fight in three months.
The lightning-fast right hand that Surace dropped Munguia within the sixth round would give Canelo something to think about. He throws that shot so quickly that it’s hard to see, and Canelo isn’t the most difficult guy to hit nowadays. He soaked up a lot of punishment in his last fight against the inexperienced, huge 193-lb Edgar Berlanga on September 14th.
Canelo will likely choose Jermall (33-0, 22 KOs) because he is better known and more accomplished than Surace. However, using the 34-year-old Charlo would be risky because he might withdraw from the fight. It would be difficult to have faith in Jermall making it through training camp without pulling out.
Choosing Jermall would just be for his name recognition with older boxing fans who remembered him during his best years as an active fighter. It would be for superficial reasons because he’s a fossil and forgotten.
With the many younger, active fighters around Alvarez’s weight class, it would look utterly pathetic for him to select Jermall as his opponent for May 4th, but predictable. He clearly wants nothing to do with David Benavidez or David Morrell.
Canelo wanted to fight Jermall in 2023, but he chose his brother in a fight marketed as ‘undisputed vs. undisputed.’ Jermall reportedly passed on the idea of taking the fight against Canelo.
Surace & Charlo will not interest U.S. fans, who view Jermall as yesterday’s news, inactive for many years, and looked below average in his last two fights. If this were 2020, Charlo would be a great option, but not anymore.
Better options for Canelo
– Diego Pacheco
– Osleys Iglesias
– David Benavidez
– David Morrell
Bruno Surace tells ESPN: “It would be an honor to fight Canelo in Riyadh, he’s the benchmark and the face of boxing. As I’ve shown, when I step in the ring, I come to win. No matter the odds.” https://t.co/Om91e1AAG5
— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) February 7, 2025
Last Updated on 02/07/2025
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