WBC junior middleweight titleholder Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has informed RingTV.com that he has directed Golden Boy officials during a meeting in the company’s Los Angeles office on Thursday to launch an all-out effort to make his next fight on May 5 against either Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto or Sergio Martinez.

“Yesterday, we had a meeting with the people at Golden Boy Promotions, and we agreed to fight on May 5, and it’s going to be against Maravilla Martinez, Miguel Cotto or Floyd Mayweather, in that order,” said Alvarez, who is coming off last month’s Showtime-televised, fifth-round knockout of Josesito Lopez, through translator Ramiro Gonzalez.

“Mayweather, Cotto or Maravilla, or Cotto, Mayweather, Maravilla, or Mayweather, Marivilla, Cotto either way. But I want to fight on May 5. That is what was on the table yesterday with Golden Boy.”

Alvarez said that he has asked Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer and company president Oscar De La Hoya to reach out to Martinez’s promoter, Lou DiBella, Mayweather himself or his advisor, Al Haymon, as well as Cotto’s legal advisor, Gaby Penagaricano.

“All I did is put out there on the table the fights that I wanted, and it’s up to Oscar and Richard,” said Alvarez. “They have to call Lou DiBella, Gaby Penagaricano, and they have to call Al Haymon for Mayweather. But my wish, and what I told them, is that I’m ready to fight either of those three fighters.”

Alvarez said that Schaefer, De La Hoya, Golden Boy matchmaker Eric Gomez and his own handlers and co-trainers, Chepo and Eddie Reynoso, were present at the meeting.

“I’m not going to fight in December. I’m going to fight in May. May and September [Mexican Independence Day Weekend] will be my dates, because I’m a Mexican, and those are the dates that I want,” said Alvarez, who is 41-0-1 with 30 knockouts.

“So right now, it’s up to Richard, and it’s up to Oscar with whom they have to deal. But they know, without a doubt, that I want one of those three names. I’m ready for those guys and that’s it.”

Alvarez, 22, said the step up is not a reaction to talk that he has not faced top-notch competition.

“This is not a reaction to the criticism. This is just because I feel that I am ready for these guys. I’m ready for those big names, and I’m ready for those big fights, and I know that and I just feel inside of myself that I’m ready. I can not wait for other fights,” said Alvarez.

“These are the fights that I’ve wanted. I don’t care and I don’t pay attention to the criticism, because in boxing, like I’ve said before, people can say this and say that. This is all from me. It’s my own wish to fight those guys, and my promoter has the right to get it done and to make those fights, which are the best fights for me.”

The match up attracted 1.04 million viewers for the live telecast, surpassing Bernard Hopkins’ majority draw with light heavyweight Jean Pascal in December of 2010 for the highest viewership.

In addition, Alvarez-Lopez, contested on Mexican Independence Day weekend, drew the largest Hispanic audience for an individual bout on Showtime, surpassing Brandon Rios’ 10th-round stoppage of Miguel Acosta in February of last year.

Also, the evening’s average viewership ranked as the highest Showtime boxing telecast of the year, and the second-highest average viewership on the network since 2007.

Alvarez said that beating Mayweather, Martinez or Cotto would help him to achieve his goal of being considered among the sport’s best fighters, pound-for-pound, and not just among its most popular.

“I want to be the best, not just one of the best. That’s why I am choosing to fight one of those guys. So by fighting one of those guys, I want to test myself and to prove who Canelo is. I am very grateful and humbled that my Mexican fans supported me and backed me up during the fight with Lopez at the MGM Grand Arena on Sept. 15,” said Alvarez.

“I’m very happy, and that’s why I’m fighting for them. I always put forth all of my best effort, regardless of who my opponent is. No matter who my opponent is, I’m always going to fight for those people, and for those fans. I will always do it for them.”

Photo, Getty Images

Photos by Naoki Fukuda

Photo by Tom Casino, Showtime

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]