For the third time in less than six months, a prize fight with significant ramifications is set to take place when Saul “Canelo” Álvarez and Jermell Charlo touch gloves in a clash of undisputed world champions Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Among the many components to the main event, this is the first matchup on the men’s side between reigning titleholders of each championship in their respective divisions in the four-belt era. Álvarez (59-2-2, 39 knockouts) owns the IBF, WBC, WBA and WBO titles at 168 pounds, while Charlo possesses the same at 154.
Álvarez, 33, is the prohibitive favorite. But the Mexican’s recent performances have fallen well short of his lofty standards, leaving one of the sport’s pound-for-pound luminaries seeking to reestablish a somewhat tarnished reputation with a second title defense in four months.
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That Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs), 33, is moving up two weight classes to fight Álvarez also adds sizzle, although his belts will not be on the line. The American instead has what he refers to as a “life-changing opportunity” in a bid to cement his standing as one of the most heralded fighters of his era.
“It’s good that people are saying I’ve lost a step,” Álvarez said. “It’s fine. I know why I didn’t look as good in my last two fights. I know why, and I’m different now. I’m preparing now for a different type of fighter. I’m 100 percent focused on this fight, then we’ll see what happens after. Everyone wants drama and for us to fight on this stage, [and] when two fighters are 100 percent focused like we are right now, it’s going to make for a great fight in the ring.”
It also figures to cap an outstanding trifecta for Showtime Sports, which is broadcasting the featured bouts of the stacked Premier Boxing Champions card that, according to organizers, will generate $20 million at the gate and many millions more through pay-per-view buys.
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In July, Showtime provided programming for Terence Crawford’s ninth-round stoppage of Errol Spence Jr. in a matchup of previously unbeaten champions that was hailed as a generational event.
Three months earlier, Gervonta “Tank” Davis stopped Ryan Garcia in the seventh round of their super lightweight bout, also at sold-out T-Mobile Arena, where gate revenue exceeded $20 million, according to organizers, and Showtime pay-per-view buys reached 1.2 million.
“I think it’s fair to say it’s the best year in Showtime’s 37-year history, certainly the best year for any network platform in decades,” Showtime Sports President Stephen Espinoza said in an interview with The Washington Post. “From a financial standpoint, put aside the two anomalies in [Floyd] Mayweather-[Manny] Pacquiao and Mayweather-[Conor] McGregor, this would be the most successful pay-per-view year that Showtime’s ever had.
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“By any metric, whether it’s the quality of the programming, the viewership, the pay-per-view performance, it is the biggest year.”
Álvarez traditionally has been a healthy gate and pay-per-view attraction, particularly against an opponent with Charlo’s résumé. The four-division champion, for instance, generated more than 1 million buys in each of his first two fights against Gennady Golovkin.
The final match of the trilogy last year, however, was roughly half that total, according to reports.
Álvarez is coming off a unanimous decision over John Ryder on May 6 in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico, in what was his first fight in eight months following surgery for torn cartilage in his left hand. Álvarez has promised he is fully healed heading into Saturday.
Charlo, meanwhile, also is coming back from an injured left hand. He fractured two bones during a sparring session shortly before Christmas last year, forcing the cancellation of his title fight against Australia’s Tim Tszyu scheduled for Jan. 28. The injury required extensive physical therapy but not surgery.
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Before a new date to face Tszyu had been finalized, Charlo accepted the Álvarez fight because it was an opportunity for a signature triumph in his career — not to mention a far more lucrative payout — despite objections from the WBO, which announced it would be stripping him of the 154-pound belt once the bell rings Saturday.
Regardless, Charlo has indicated he plans to go back to 154 pounds after this weekend, with the hope of perhaps fighting Crawford at that weight.
“Making history is everything to me,” said Charlo, who scored a 10th-round knockout in a rematch with Brian Castano in his most recent match May 14, 2022. “That’s what it’s all about. We’ll come back to these moments later in life and look back and enjoy it. Right now we’re living in the moment and continuing to turn these chapters.”
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