Mexico's pound-for-pound star's lawsuit against Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions is ongoing; Canelo vows to end his year-long absence from the ring in 2020; he can negotiate now as a free agent; the four-weight world champion holds belts at middleweight and super-middle
Friday 6 November 2020 17:47, UK
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez claims he is a "free agent" amid a lawsuit against Golden Boy Promotions, and plans to return to the ring this year.
The Mexican superstar filed a lawsuit in September, which is ongoing, against his own promoters and broadcaster DAZN after being unable to agree terms for his next fight.
"Starting today, November 6, Canelo becomes a free agent, so we are ready to continue with his boxing career," said a statement from his trainer and manager Eddy Reynoso.
"All this time we have been working very hard in the gym with a lot of responsibility and discipline, to be in great physical shape and ready to fight this year. And it will be!"
Canelo has seen planned fights in May and September fall through.
The four-weight world champion currently holds versions of the WBC and WBA middleweight titles, and a version of the WBA super-middleweight title.
He has not fought since debuting at light-heavyweight and stopping reigning champion Sergey Kovalev.
His options for major future fights include the British duo Callum Smith and Billy Joe Saunders, who holds the WBA and WBO super-middleweight titles respectively.
Jermall Charlo, the WBC middleweight champion, is also a possibility.
Canelo's old rival Gennadiy Golovkin, the IBF middleweight champion, has no fight lined up.
Caleb Plant holds the IBF super-middleweight belt.
