Newly-crowned IBF junior middleweight Cornelius Bundrage has called out former junior middleweight titlist Canelo Alvarez, saying, among other things, that the Mexican star “was scared to fight me when I was under Golden Boy.”

“When I was under Golden Boy, Oscar De La Hoya would watch me really closely,” said Bundrage, referring to Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya, who promotes Alvarez. “I mean, he had his eyes locked on me and said, ‘Oh, no, Canelo, he’s not ready for that.'”

But De La Hoya has a message for Bundrage: “Wait in line.”

“It’s just that with Bundrage, nobody’s shutting the door on him,” said De La Hoya of Bundrage, during an interview with RingTV.com. “I’m obviously going to look at the fact that he has a title but he just has to wait in line. That’s the bottom line. That’s basically it.”

The 41-year-old Bundrage (34-5, 19 knockouts) scored knockdowns in the first and 10th rounds on the way to dethroning Carlos Molina as IBF titleholder on Saturday, doing so in Molina’s native Mexico, where he believes he has won over Mexican fans.

Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) was last in action for a split-decision over Erislandy Lara in July that had followed a 10th-round stoppage of Alfredo Angulo in March. Alvarez, 24, pulled out of scheduled Dec. 6 fight with Joshua Clottey due to an ankle injury but plans to return to the ring on the Mexican holiday weekend of Cinco de Mayo in May.

De La Hoya has stated that a potential bout between Alvarez and RING middleweight champion Miguel Cotto of Puerto Rico “would be huge,” certainly bigger than Alvarez-Bundrage.

“Bundrage is not a consideration for May. Will Canelo fight him? Will consider him? Canelo is considering everybody who is a champion and who has a title at 154,” said De La Hoya of Alvarez, who has left Showtime for a long-term commitment to HBO. “Look, it’s like I said, wherever the champion goes, everybody wants to follow him. So everybody wants to fight Canelo. That’s the bottom line. But he just has to wait in line.”