Will Andrade And Charlo Go To War

Although Canelo Alvarez is currently the king within the super middleweight division, he is also known for his 2 and although there are no plans to drop down just yet, these plans could change in the not-too-distant future.

Because Alvarez is in current possession of the WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, IBF, and The Ring super middleweight titles, his quest for gold is seemingly never ending and with this division now conquered, a new challenge will be required for the Mexican in 2022.

A challenge that could come from two men who are currently plying their trade within the lesser middleweight divisions and with Demetrius Andrade and Jermell Charlo making waves within their weight classes, they may soon be able to lure one of boxing’s best into the ring.

Of course, for such a plan to come good, ideally these two must first face each other and it is believed that the winner of any potential bout between the two men in question, would then be afforded the opportunity to face the 31-year-old Alvarez.

Mell has belts, but he'd cast those aside for a chance to fight Canelo, yes?

If that is to happen, there are still a number of hurdles to clear and in terms of Charlo, he will have to soon face a fighter that he failed to get the better of the first time around. One that comes in the shape of Brian Castano.

With the two meeting back in July of this year, the WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, and The Ring light middleweight titles that Charlo currently calls his own, were also put on the line with Castano’s WBO belt. That would mean the light middleweight division would be able to crown an undisputed champion and with the fight being one that was keenly anticipated, it also garnered the attention of the betting community.

With those who follow the sweet science also being privy to a wager along the way, many would have made good use of a sports bettor’s advice before the two men went to war in San Antonio, Texas. Many experts had Charlo as the favorite but knew that Costano was a live dog.

The only problem is that for those who did place a wager on the outcome of the fight, hardly any would have bet on it ending in a draw and therefore, the sportsbooks would end up being the real winners that night.

However, with a draw now in the history books for each of the two fighters, there is a sense of unfinished business between the pair and thankfully, they will have a second opportunity to become undisputed in 2022. So make sure to look for a 2 before the pair square off again early next year.

That is scheduled for February of next year and if Charlo can finally come out on top, then his path towards Canelo Alvarez suddenly becomes a whole lot shorter. Then again, defeat in a couple of months and the legendary warrior will seem so far away.

If this part of the equation is complete, then it will also need Demetrius Andrade to step up and do the business himself and although there is no fight scheduled at the time of writing, that’s not to say the 33-year-old is looking to be inactive either.

After getting the better of Irishman Jason Quigley, it meant that the WBO middleweight title stays in his possession and after completing a fifth successful defence of the title, it is not a prize he wants to give away anytime soon.

After beating five men who have tried to take his title away from him, there is perhaps a feeling that Andrade has nothing left to prove at middleweight and if a unification fight cannot be scheduled in 2022, he may have to look elsewhere for his next opponent.

Of course, that look elsewhere could well see a potential undisputed light middleweight king step up a weight class and if that is to be the case, then Andrade vs Charlo is something that could be pencilled in for mid to late 2022.

Add the carrot of facing Canelo Alvarez and you can understand why this potential fight is one that has so much appeal. While if this is to be the case, Andrade may have to decide whether to stick or twist.

Does he risk putting his WBO middleweight title on the line within the first half of next year and potentially diminish his own bargaining power or does he wait for the winner of Charlo vs Castano to be revealed in February.

Then again, there could be a plot twist in all of this and if the Argentine Castano comes out on top in Houston in a couple of months, then the plans of potentially all the middleweight sub-classes will be thrown into an element of disarray.

That though is the beauty of boxing, in that the best laid plans have a habit of changing in one single punch and with the light middleweight bragging rights up for grabs in no time at all, it will be interesting to see what the subsequent fallout will be.