Alvarez vacates WBC title, will next fight Golovkin

MEXICO CITY: Saul “Canelo” Alvarez says he has vacated the WBC middleweight title he retained in Las Vegas earlier this month and is now making plans to fight undefeated middleweight Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin “as quickly as possible”.

Eleven days ago, Mexican Alvarez improved his career record to 47-1 with 33 knockouts when he stopped Britain’s Amir Khan in the sixth round of their title bout at the T-Mobile Arena.

Immediately after that fight, Alvarez invited WBA and IBF champion Golovkin of Kazakhstan into the ring, fuelling the growing clamour for a clash between the two, and on Wednesday the Mexican confirmed that negotiations were under way.

“Today, I instructed my team at Golden Boy Promotions to continue negotiating a fight with Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and to finalise a deal as quickly as possible,” Alvarez, 25, said in a statement.

“I also informed the WBC that I will vacate its title. For the entirety of my career, I have taken the fights that no one wanted because I fear no man,” he added.

“Never has that been more true than today. I will fight ‘GGG’ and I will beat ‘GGG’ but I will not be forced into the ring by artificial deadlines.”