Callum Smith wants £5m to fight Canelo Alvarez as he ’emerges as the leading candidate’ to take on the Mexican star on September 12 after Billy Joe Saunders ruled himself out
- Canelo Alvarez is actively seeking his next fight as he looks to make his return
- Callum Smith has now reportedly emerged as the front-runner to fight Alvarez
- There is growing optimism that a deal can be struck between the two fighters
Callum Smith has emerged as the front-runner to take on Canelo Alvarez on September 12, according to reports.
The Mexican is desperately looking for his next opponent as he plans his return to the ring after missing out on his fight in May because of the coronavirus crisis.
And according to The Athletic, 30-year-old Smith is now the leading candidate to battle it out with Alvarez after being offered a £4million ($5m) payday.
Callum Smith is reportedly the leading candidate to take on Canelo Alvarez on September 12
But despite being offered £4m, the super-middleweight champion has been holding out for almost £5m ($6m) for weeks to face Alvarez.
However, there is increasing optimism that a deal for the fight can be concluded, according to the reports – with Smith being Alvarez’s No 1 choice.
Smith is widely regarded as a formidable opponent for the Mexican, who was initially meant to fight Billy Joe Saunders on May 2 before the Brit ruled himself out of the rearranged September bout.
Canelo Alvarez is desperately looking to finalise plans ahead of his return to the boxing ring
Streaming platform DAZN are also reportedly pushing for the fight between Alvarez and Smith.
Alvarez knocked out Callum’s older brother, Liam, in September 2016 in a 154-pound title fight.
But Callum, who boasts tremendous power and has a record of 27-0 – including 19 knockouts – is far more widely regarded than Liam.
Billy Joe Saunders has ruled himself out of contention to fight the Mexican superstar