Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders to fight for special WBC Mestizo belt in addition to super middleweight titles
CANELO ALVAREZ’s super-middleweight title fight with Billy Joe Saunders will also be for the WBC Mestizo belt, the governing body has revealed.
The pair’s eagerly-anticipated 168lb unification fight will take place at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas on May 8.
And the WBC have opted to create a special ‘Mestizo’ belt for the Texas tussle.
WBC chief Mauricio Sulaiman said: “Our great champion Saul Canelo Alvarez continues his plan to unify the super middleweight division by facing the WBO champion, British boxer Billy Joe Saunders, on May 8 at the Dallas Cowboys Stadium.
“During this fight, it’s going to be where the World Boxing Council will give the world another piece of art, the beautiful Mestizo belt, made by the State of Mexico.
“As you may know, the WBC commemorates the two great Mexican dates (Cinco De Mayo in May and Mexican Independence Day in September), as the most important fights of the year are held on these dates and magnificent (title) pieces from various cultures have been created (for these fights).
“First it was the Huichol, then Chiapas, then the Mayan culture , and last year it was dedicated to the State of Mexico with the Mazahua and Otomi belts.
“As there were no fights in 2020 due to the pandemic, we agreed to dignify this entity in 2021, and very soon we will present the Mestizo (title).”
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The undefeated Saunders goes into his clash with four-weight champ Canelo as a huge underdog, although many have tipped the Brit to give his Mexican counterpart some serious trouble.
Canelo’s head coach, Eddy Reynoso, isn’t expecting an easy night at the office, saying of the WBO champ: “He is a good boxer.
“He is a tough and left-handed fighter, but we will be ready for him. I am very motivated to get a great victory.”
Welwyn warrior Saunders, 31, is confident of shocking the world and handing the hard-hitting Canelo his second professional loss.
He told talkSPORT: “I’m the seventh Brit he’s faced, he’s dealt with six of them very comfortably.
“The Brits like dancing and moving and thinking they’ve gotta run away, but I will be there for him to hit.
“I will be in range for him to hit. I’ll be setting traps, the same as he’ll be setting traps.
“I don’t think running a million miles an hour is gonna do me any justice…
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“He’s not got the best engine in the world, Canelo.
“He’s very good at what he does, extremely good at what he does, but there’s faults there.
“We’ve seen people try to run away and box him, we’ve seen people try to use the brawn, but we’ve only seen one man use his brain and that was Floyd Mayweather.
“Brain over brawn here. Brain wins this, technical thinking wins this.”