Notebook: Canelo's goal is to be undisputed super middleweight champ this year

Dirrell returns, Serrano defends, Quick hits, Show and tell

Canelo Alvarez, the pound-for-pound king and boxing’s biggest star, returns to the ring to make the first defense of his unified super middleweight world title this weekend but he has so much more planned before the end of the year.

While he faces mandatory challenger and massive underdog Avni Yildirim on Saturday night (DAZN, 7 ET) at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, where a socially distanced crowd of 15,000 spectators will be permitted, it is merely the second fight of what Alvarez hopes will be as many as five bouts between this past December and this coming December, an unheard level of activity for an elite fighter in this era.

I interviewed Alvarez at length recently and he was very clear that his goal is to become the first undisputed super middleweight champion, be it in the three- or four-belt era. He talked a lot about making history and accomplishing that goal would certainly be historical.

He unified titles at junior middleweight and middleweight but becoming undisputed champion in either division eluded him. He has a legitimate opportunity to do it at super middleweight this year.

Alvarez claimed two sanctioning body belts in a one-side rout of Callum Smith in December and if he notches the expected victory over Yildirim, his former sparring partner, the two remaining fights he would need to claim the undisputed crown at 168 pounds are within reach this spring and fall.

I wrote a story on the interview I had with Alvarez for The Ring magazine website. It was published on Tuesday. Please give it a read here: https://www.ringtv.com/618139-canelo-alvarez-sets-goal-of-becoming-undisputed-champion-at-super-middleweight/

Dirrell back after title loss

Former two-time super middleweight titlist Anthony Dirrell is looking to begin another trek toward a chance to fight for a world title.

He will fight Kyrone Davis in a WBC 168-pound semifinal eliminator in the main event of the Premier Boxing Champions card on Saturday night (Fox and Fox Deportes, 8 ET) at the Shrine Auditorium and Expo Hall in Los Angeles.

It will be Dirrell’s first action since he was stopped on cuts in the ninth round and lost his title to David Benavidez in a competitive fight on the Errol Spence Jr.-Shawn Porter undercard in September 2019.

Dirrell (33-2-1, 24 KOs), 36, of Flint, Michigan, suffered a terrible cut over his right eye in the sixth round and it got steadily worse until the fight was halted.

“I honestly thought I was winning the David Benavidez fight until I got cut. But that’s water under the bridge,” Dirrell said. “The fight happened how it was supposed to happen. He’s a true champion. Unfortunately, I got cut and I couldn’t continue to fight. But they know it was a competitive fight until then. I was basically boxing him. You have to learn how to bounce back from your losses. Right now, I’m focused on Kyrone Davis because you can’t overlook anyone in boxing. I’ve been in camp too long and I’m missing my family. I want to get to see them quickly.”

Dirrell considered retirement after the Benavidez fight but decided against it and has been training for about three months.

“I think this is the longest camp I’ve been in. Weight is not an issue. It’s coming down fairly easy. I’m just ready to go,” Dirrell said. “I thought I was fighting earlier, it got postponed and I’m fine with that. The extra time has given me more time to practice my craft and showcase it on Saturday.

“I think Davis bit off more than he can chew. He’s good but I’m in a different bracket. There’s levels to this. I’m going to go in there and display my experience, what I can do and just get him out of there.

“I feel good at 36-years-old. I feel strong. We had time to do a lot more to slowly build to where we want to be. I feel tremendous. I’m literally ready to fight right now. I’m knocking his ass out.”

Davis (15-2, 6 KOs), 26, of Wilmington, Delaware, is an unknown but has won two fights in a row against low-level opponents since losing a 10-round unanimous decision to the late Patrick Day in March 2018 on the Deontay Wilder-Luis Ortiz I undercard. Of course, he’s aiming for the upset.

“I’ve learned a lot under (trainer) Stephen ‘Breadman’ Edwards. He’s been a role model and a great teacher,” Davis said. “I’ve been doing this for a long time. I’ve been boxing since I was eight-years old. I’ve had trials and tribulations, just working hard and staying focused no matter what happened in my life. I feel like this is my moment. I’ve always dreamed of this kind of opportunity. I’m confident and I believe I’m going to be victorious.

“This is an ultimate challenge. Dirrell is a two-time world champion. He has a lot of pedigree, a lot of experience. But every dog has its day and I plan on capturing my moment.”

Serrano heads home

Unified featherweight champion Amanda Serrano (39-1-1, 29 KOs), Puerto Rico born and based in Brooklyn, New York, will return to her birthplace to defend her belts against junior featherweight titlist Daniela Bermudez (29-3-3, 10 KOs), 31, of Argentina, on March 25 (NBC Sports Net, 9 p.m. ET) at the famed Plaza del Quinto Centenario in Old San Juan, where a ring will be erected in one of the most scenic locations on the island, Ring City USA announced on Wednesday, confirming a previous Fight Freaks Unite report.

Serrano, who has won world titles in a women’s record seven weight classes, has not boxed in Puerto Rico since 2017.

“(Bermudez) is an incredible fighter,” Serrano said. “It takes two real warriors to risk it all for the enjoyment and entertainment of our fans. Just as I take pride in all that I do for my Puerto Rico, Bermudez does it for Argentina. I promise this fight will be a war. Bermudez is like me – an exciting, no-nonsense fighter and we will each dedicate this fight to our countries and fans.”

Bermudez is moving up in weight aiming to win a world title in a third weight class. In 2017, she claimed the bantamweight belt vacated by Serrano, and in December she won a junior featherweight title for the second time.

“Amanda Serrano is a great boxer,” Bermudez said. “I know that she has experience, but I am in my best moment and I am working to give my best as usual. My father and trainer is the one studying her style, to draw up the bout strategy. I am confident in my preparation and my work. It is great to fight against one of the best pound-for-pound fighters. It is going to be a great fight and an honor to represent Argentina abroad.”

The card will close out Ring City’s three-show residency in Puerto Rico, where it has cards March 4, March 18 and March 25.

Quick hits

Heavyweight up-and-comer Tony Yoka (9-0, 7 KOs), 28, the 2016 Olympic super heavyweight gold medalist from France, faces Belgium native Joel Tambwe Djeko (17-2-1, 8 KOs), 31, on March 5 at H Arena in Nantes, France. While Yoka headlines, his wife, lightweight Estelle Yoka-Mossely (8-0-1, 1 KO), 28, who won Olympic lightweight gold for France in 2016, will fight Verena Kaiser (14-1, 6 KOs), 28, of Germany, in a 10-rounder on the undercard. It will be the third time in a row they have fought on the same card. The show will stream live in the United States on ESPN+, a source with knowledge of the plans told Fight Freaks Unite.

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While unified super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez’s mandatory defense against Avni Yildirim on Saturday in Miami is on DAZN it is also being carried as a pay-per-view card like his December bout with Callum Smith. DAZN on Wednesday finalized a deal for it to be carried on Dish Network, meaning the PPV is available on all major U.S. cable and satellite providers. It costs $49.99 and also includes two free months of DAZN through April 30. DAZN hopes people who buy the PPV will sample DAZN programming and stick with it. For boxing fans who do not yet subscribe it means access to several fight cards, including on March 13 (Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez-Juan Francisco Estrada II to unify junior bantamweight titles); March 20 (Vergil Ortiz Jr.-Maurice Hooker); and March 27 (the Alexander Povetkin-Dillian Whyte rematch).

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Junior welterweight Michel Rivera (19-0, 12 KOs), of the Dominican Republic, will face Anthony Raices (13-4, 11 KOs), of Puerto Rico, in an eight- or 10-round junior welterweight fight in the featured preliminary bout on the PBC card Saturday night. Prelims will air on FS1 beginning at 7 p.m. ET before shifting to Fox at 8 p.m. ET for the main card headlined by the Anthony Dirrell-Kyrone Davis super middleweight title elimination bout.

Show and tell

Since Canelo fights on Saturday how about a little rookie card action? He turned pro in 2005 and in 2011 won his first world title at junior middleweight, and soon was on his way to superstardom. But he did not get a rookie card until 2014, the year after he had been in one of the biggest grossing fights in history against Floyd Mayweather. Nonetheless, 2014 is when he made a deal with Upper Deck to appear in some of its products, resulting in his rookie coming in Goodwin Champions packs, including a base card, a card in the Goudey subset and various parallels such as minis and autographed cards. I bought a whole bunch of the various cards at the time they were issued. The non-autographed cards were super cheap — literally a dollar or two — but they have risen dramatically since. Depending on the version, they go roughly for between $50 and $125 apiece ungraded. Here is a base card — the true rookie — in my collection (and leaning against my trusty keyboard).

Alvarez photo: Ed Mulholland/Matchroom Boxing