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Oscar De La Hoya: Canelo Alvarez vs. James Kirkland is ‘done’

Fighters Network
23
Jan

Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland have agreed to fight one another, Golden Boy President Oscar De La Hoya said. No date or site has been announced.

The fight will be televised on HBO.

“The fight is done. The fight is done. The fight is done,” De La Hoya said on Friday. “It’s the ‘Clash of The Titans.’ Canelo Alvarez is fighting James Kirkland. The fight is signed, sealed and delivered.”

“Canelo vs. Kirkland is on,” Alvarez stated on his Twitter account.



According to some reports, the fight will take place on May 2 at the Alamodome in San Antonio but that’s not necessarily the case, said De La Hoya and Michael Miller, Kirkland’s manager.

Miller is hoping the fight lands in San Antonio because Kirkland is from nearby Austin.

“James has signed, and [Golden Boy Vice President and matchmaker] Eric [Gomez] told me that Canelo has signed. The only things that are not guaranteed are the actual date and site,” Miller said. “The parties are still working on it. James is really looking forward to this. It’s a great opportunity. He’s been training hard and he can’t wait.”

Alvarez-Kirkland came to fruition in the wake of failed negotiations for a bout between RING middleweight champion Miguel Cotto and Alvarez, the No. 1-rated junior middleweight.

However, the parties can’t commit to a date because Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao are in negotiations for a May 2 bout. De La Hoya has said Canelo won’t fight on that date if Mayweather-Pacquiao is made.

“We’re finalizing the site and the date,” said De La Hoya. “In the next few days we’ll know more details but Canelo is fighting Kirkland. …

“Canelo wants Kirkland, and Kirkland wants Canelo. This will be a hell of a fight because of the styles.”

Kirkland (32-1, 28 knockouts) is coming off a sixth-round knockout of previously unbeaten Glen Tapia in December 2013. That followed a 10th-round disqualification victory over former IBF beltholder Carlos Molina the previous March.

Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) is coming off a split-decision win over Erislandy Lara on July 12.

 

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