Eddie Hearn realizes Canelo Alvarez can easily jump ship to a rival outfit if he cannot deliver on his star charge’s lofty requests.

Alvarez, the undisputed 168-pound champion from Mexico, has technically operated as a free agent for the past several years but has nevertheless mostly preferred to work with Hearn’s Matchroom.

Alvarez, 32, is coming off a clear points win over London’s John Ryder last week in front of more than 50,000 fans in Alvarez’s hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico. It was the sixth main event Alvarez has headlined under the Matchroom banner.

Alvarez has repeatedly insisted his next goal is to fight light heavyweight titlist Dmitry Bivol in a rematch. Alvarez lost by unanimous decision to Bivol last May in what was Alvarez’s second shot at a light heavyweight title. Hearn has penciled in Bivol-Alvarez for Sept. 16 in Las Vegas.

In a recent interview, Hearn made it clear that Alvarez will entertain other offers if his team cannot come to terms with Bivol—or a similarly appealing fight. Recently, Bivol demanded that the rematch take place at 168, for Alvarez’s belts, rather than at 175, where Bivol holds the WBA belt; Alvarez has demanded precisely the inverse, saying a fight at 168 would draw

“We’ve got the fight in September that we’re planning,” Hearn told iFL TV. “If we can’t deliver a Dmitry Bivol fight, we’ll present him with other options. If we can’t get him Dmitry Bivol or if he doesn’t like his other options, I’m sure he’ll talk to other people.

“So we have to deliver what he wants—as always. It’s not a case of Canelo, you’re fighting this person. Him and Eddy Reynoso come to me and say, ‘This is what we want you to do.’ And that instruction was clear. John Ryder and Dmitry Bivol.

“We talked in the changing room after the fight on Saturday. The instructions were exactly the same. …Ryder’s now been ticked. Now we have to try and make the Dmitry Bivol fight. Talks are ongoing.”

Previously, in 2021, Alvarez left Matchroom to work with Premier Boxing Champions on a 168-pound full title unification bout with then IBF 168-pound titlist Caleb Plant. Alvarez then returned to Matchroom in his next fight, against Bivol.     

PBC, which is headed by Al Haymon, promotes several top fighters at 168, including David Benavidez and David Morrell. Middleweight champion Jermall Charlo, another PBC client, has also hinted at a move to 168.           

Sean Nam is the author of the forthcoming book Murder on Federal Street: Tyrone Everett, the Black Mafia, and the Last Golden Age of Philadelphia Boxing