By Ken Hissner: Featuring the third meeting of WBA, WBC, WBO and IBF super middleweight champion Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, 58-2-2 (39), of Mexico and the super middleweight champion IBF and WBA Gennadiy “GGG’ Golovkin, 42-2-1 (37), of Kazakhstan, finally coming to an end four years after what should have been “What about Canelo and GGG now?”
Alvarez said he has a wrist injury from the Caleb “Sweethhands” Plant fight in November 2021; he needs surgery and time off until May or September 2023.
The WBC Super Middleweight Silver champion and No. 1 contender is Pavel Silyagin, 11-0 (5), of Russia, who has not fought outside of Russia as a professional. The former IBF Plant champion, 21-1 (12), is No. 2. David Benavidez, 26-0 (23), and any Canelo from Mexico claims he won’t fight.
While Golovkin is listed as the WBA World Super Champion, Cuban Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara, 28-3-3 (16), of Houston, Texas, is listed as the WBA World Champion. A match between the two is a possibility.
WBC middleweight champion Jermall “Hit Man” Charlo, 32-0 (22), has said he will vacate and move up to super middleweight. The WBC silver middleweight champion is Hamzah Sheeraz, 16-0 (12), of Great Britain. The WBC’s top middleweight contender is Carlos Adames, 21-1 (16), of the Dominican Republic. Number 2 is former WBO light middleweight champion Jaime Munguia, 40-0 (32), of Mexico. Adames and Munguia may be fighting for the vacant title if Charlo vacates it.
IBF Latino super middleweight champion Cuban William “El Indomable” Scull, 19-0 (9), of Argentina, who has been fighting outside of Germany, is the IBF’s number one contender.
The WBO International Super Middleweight Champion is Zach Parker, 22-0 (16), from the United Kingdom. He and former WBO middleweight champion Demetrius “Boo Boo” Andrade, 31-0 (22), of Providence, RI, are slated for the vacant interim WBO super middleweight title.
The WBA’s No. 1 super middleweight contender is Aidos Yerbossynuly, 15-0 (10), of Kazakhstan.
The WBA’s No. 1 middleweight contender is Michael Zerafa, 27-4 (16), of Australia.
The IBF No. 1 middleweight is Esquiva Falcao, 30-0 (20), from Brazil.
The interim WBO middleweight champion is 2016 Olympian Zhanibek Alimkhanuly, 12-0 (8), of Kazakhstan.
Golovkin holds the WBA and IBF titles, so defending his WBA title is likely to be against Zerafa, and defending the IBF title is likely to be against Falcao.
