Canelo Alvarez vacates WBC middleweight title

Apparently, deadline pressure doesn’t sit well with Canelo Alvarez.

With a May 23 date looming to get a deal done for a megafight with Gennady Golovkin or risk going to a purse bid, Alvarez announced Wednesday he was vacating his World Boxing Council middleweight title.

Golovkin, the WBC’s interim champion, moved up to full champion status, the organization announced. He already holds the 160-pound world title with the World Boxing Association and International Boxing Federation.

In a statement released by Golden Boy Promotions, Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 knockouts) said: “After much consideration, today I instructed my team at Golden Boy Promotions to continue negotiating a fight with Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and to finalize a deal as quickly as possible. I also informed the WBC that I will vacate its title.

“For the entirety of my career, I have taken the fights that no one wanted because I fear no man. Never has that been more true than today. I will fight ‘GGG,’ and I will beat ‘GGG,’ but I will not be forced into the ring by artificial deadlines. I am hopeful that by putting aside this ticking clock, the two teams can now negotiate this fight, and ‘GGG’ and I can get in the ring as soon as possible and give the fans the fight they want to see.”

Golden Boy CEO Oscar De La Hoya issued a statement supporting Alvarez: “There is no denying that Canelo is the biggest star in the sport of boxing. He is eager to get in the ring with ‘GGG’ to show the world that he is also the best pound-for-pound fighter in the sport. But we won’t negotiate under a forced deadline.

“Now that the WBC title is off the table, I am hopeful that ‘GGG’ and his promoter, K2 Promotions, will come to the table in good faith and get this deal done.”

Alvarez, 25, won the title Nov. 21 when he defeated Miguel Cotto at Mandalay Bay, then retained it by stopping Amir Khan in the sixth round May 7 at T-Mobile Arena. Both bouts were fought at a catchweight of 155 pounds.

The 34-year-old Golovkin (35-0, 32 KOs) has insisted Alvarez fight him at 160 pounds. But Golovkin’s promoter, Tom Loeffler, said he still thinks the fight can be made.

“Everything is negotiable,” Loeffler said. “I think they wanted more time after fighting Khan. The negotiations were going very well, and they made it clear they still want the fight, and if there’s any way we can make it, we certainly will.”

Loeffler said Golovkin will fight someone in September.

“It’s hard to speculate whether it happens (with Alvarez) in September or next year,” Loeffler said. “But Gennady will stay on his schedule, and he’ll fight in September.”

Contact Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913. Follow on Twitter: @stevecarprj.