Not content with closing out 2018 merely with a win over Gennady Golovkin and the WBA and WBC middleweight belts to his name, in a bizarre turn of events it has been confirmed that Canelo Alvarez will challenge Rocky Fielding for the Liverpudlian’s WBA Super Middleweight Championship, with the date set for December 15th at Madison Square Garden.
The news comes as a shock to the boxing world, having been announced seemingly out of nowhere via Twitter by Fielding, his promoter Eddie Hearn as well as Canelo himself.
Con mucha emoción les anuncio mi siguiente pelea. Próximo 15 de diciembre en el MSG de New York. Tomando un gran reto más en mi carrera y representando al wbc como campeón de las 160 lbs ahora pelearé por el título mundial por las 168 lbs vs Rocky Fielding actual campeón wba!🥊🥊 pic.twitter.com/h86E4xHDvF
— Canelo Alvarez (@Canelo) October 5, 2018
Unlikely opponent Fielding picked up his WBA ‘Regular’ trinket back in July, defeating pre-fight favourite Tyron Zeuge away from home in Offenburg via a 5th round TKO.
Seemingly acknowledging the the near-unbelievable announcement, Fielding took to Twitter to say he was “Living the dream … From Salford Sports Centre to Madison Sq Garden (sic)”.
The fight affords Canelo – not long off his own title-winning exploits at middleweight in his close and contested majority decision victory versus Golovkin last month – the opportunity to win a form of world title at a third weight class, and potentially opens the door for an also unexpected clash with the WBA’s ‘Super’ champion at 168 pounds in Callum Smith in the near future.
