Eddie Hearn apparently wants to take the Canelo Alvarez Show on the road.

The Matchroom head feels that the Mexican superstar, whom he promotes, has accomplished so much in his career that he may be at risk of running out of alluring challenges that can motivate him.

Alvarez, who is the undisputed champion of the 168-pound division, is coming off a decisive win over Gennadiy Golovkin in their trilogy match in September. In addition to unifying the super middleweight division, Alvarez has won a title at light heavyweight (an 11th round knockout of Sergey Kovalev in 2019), all in the past few years. The only hiccup was a decision loss to Dmitry Bivol in May in a light heavyweight title contest.  

While it may not be the next step, Hearn thinks the idea of having Alvarez fight in different countries around the world might be one avenue that could capture the Mexican’s attention. Hearn said he has not spoken to Alvarez about these plans in a concrete manner, but mentioned fights in London and Mexico City as possible destinations. Alvarez has not fought outside the United States (chiefly in Las Vegas) since 2011, when he stopped Kermit Cintron in the fifth round of a junior middleweight bout.  

“The challenge for Saul is to find him fights that actually motivate him, you know?” Hearn said on The DAZN Boxing Show. “And for me that could be boxing internationally. I don’t want to put random names out there … none of these have been discussed, but is it, I don’t know, a Chris Eubank Jr.? Or John Ryder, if he (Ryder) beats Zach Parker. He’d (Ryder) be mandatory, in London. Is it Jaime Munguia in the Azteca [Stadium] in Mexico [City]? Just different landscapes, different challenges.”

Alvarez, on paper, has several enticing, fan-friendly options at 168, but they are against opponents outside of Hearn’s orbit. Fights with super middleweights David Benavidez and David Morrell, or 160-pound champion Jermall Charlo could be possibilities. All three fighters are aligned with Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions. Alvarez has preferred to work with Hearn in his last two fights, but he did work with Haymon for his 168-pound undisputed title fight against Caleb Plant last year.

In any case, Hearn said that Alvarez’s top priority is to avenge his loss to Bivol. The Russian WBA light heavyweight champion is coming off a decisive points win over Gilberto Ramirez in Abu Dhabi last Saturday. The timeline for a potential rematch is uncertain; Alvarez is coming off surgery for his left wrist and may not be ready to enter the ring until late 2023.

“I think right now his mind is fixed on the challenge of Dmitry Bivol,” Hearn said. “That’s all that’s really in his mind ... a lot of these fighters don’t need to fight. It’s not like they’ll take whatever opportunity is presented to them. The opportunity’s got to be right. It’s got to get Saul out of the bed in the morning. It’s got to get him pumped.

"Right now the one that’s burning, giving him the fire inside, is to avenge the defeat (to Bivol). It’s pretty obvious. He’s a winner. I’m sure there are other options out there with other promoters as well.”