The Hottest Boxing Storylines for the Week of February 7
Canelo Alvarez vs. Amir Khan?
Where the heck did that come from?
We'll ponder the makings of a superfight as we look at the many questions surrounding the May 7 pay-per-view clash that came together out of literally nowhere between two of boxing's biggest names.
Next, we'll look at why Andre Ward still hasn't finalized his next fight, whether a title shot is coming next for Anthony Joshua, why Luis Ortiz is still without a foe and the recently announced clash between Mexican warriors Abner Mares and Fernando Montiel.
These are the hottest boxing storylines for the week!
How Did Canelo vs. Khan Become a Thing?
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The boxing world is still reeling from the sudden and unexpected announcement last week that reigning middleweight champion Canelo will defend his title May 7 on HBO pay-per-view against former junior welterweight titlist Khan.
Unlike virtually all big fights, there were no whispers or rumors surrounding this one until the contracts were signed and Oscar De La Hoya hit Twitter with the news.
The storylines are multiple, with Khan returning to work with HBO and his former promoters at Golden Boy, and Al Haymon, the reclusive uber-manager, allowing one of his premier fighters to fight away from Showtime and Premier Boxing Champions.
The fight will take place at a catchweight (or "Caneloweight," if you prefer) of 155 pounds and will be for the lineal and WBC middleweight titles.
Khan will walk into the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas as a significant underdog, largely because he's never weighed more than 147 pounds for a bout and will challenge a surging fighter who is coming off the two most impressive wins of his career.
Canelo is the heavy favorite, and he should win handily, so long as he can cope with the Brit's speed edge, but Khan deserves a ton of credit for being either gutsy or stupid. It depends on your perspective, but we'll go with the former.
He talked a big game about getting a big fight and jumped at the first one that came his way, even though most probably feel he can't and won't win.
What's the Snag for Ward vs. Barrera?
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Why, oh why, does everything with Ward need to be so difficult?
Dan Rafael of ESPN.com reported last week that a rumored deal for a fight between Ward and undefeated Cuban light heavyweight contender Sullivan Barrera is not yet done for March 26 at the Oracle Arena in Oakland, California, on HBO.
This is exactly the type of stuff that makes Ward, a phenomenal talent in the ring but a terrible marketer outside of it, a tough sell for the boxing public. He's fought just three times since winning the Super Six tournament in 2011 and has found more ways to stay out of the ring in recent years than get in it.
Maybe Ward has just lost his fire and passion for the sweet science. Or maybe he's just a guy so difficult to negotiate with that many fighters won't even bother.
There shouldn't be anything complex about making this fight happen. That negotiations have dragged on this long is a troubling sign, but it's also typical from Ward, who spent almost two years of his prime fighting against his late promoter Dan Goossen in court, losing at every step.
Ward's contract with HBO has him lined up to face light heavyweight kingpin Sergey Kovalev later in the year, but unless he starts getting some live rounds in the ring and used to his new weight division, that could be a suicide mission.
If Ward is serious, he needs to get this deal done and return to the ring.
Is a Title Shot Next for Anthony Joshua?
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Unbeaten British heavyweight super prospect Anthony Joshua may be zeroing in on a championship opportunity faster than some might have expected.
Phil D. Jay of World Boxing News (h/t ESPN) reports that representatives for Charles Martin, who recently captured the vacant IBF Heavyweight Championship stripped from real champion Tyson Fury, have reached out to the Brit's people about a showdown on April 9 in London.
Joshua already had that date on his ledger for his next fight, but as yet, no opponent has been named.
Martin's gambit is an interesting one, especially given that his title-winning effort over Vyacheslav Glazkov, by way of injury, didn't show much about his ability to be a real contender in a division suddenly brimming with talent.
You'd probably find a large segment of the boxing public who believes Martin will get knocked off the pedestal as soon as he gets back in there with a legit contender.
On the other hand, Joshua, a 2012 Olympic gold medalist, has the look of a massive star with a huge future.
Martin's promoters aren't sure if Joshua's people are ready to make the jump up in competition, but the prospect of the 26-year-old capturing heavyweight gold at this early stage of his career (and in a winnable fight) might be too much to pass up.
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What's Next for King Kong?
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Ortiz literally can't find anyone who is willing to fight him.
Steve Kim of Boxing Scene reports that the Cuban bomber will not face Alexander Dimitrenko, as reported previously, after the Ukrainian heavyweight's team requested a non-refundable advance on the purse in case their fighter got injured.
That set off red flags for Golden Boy Promotions, who elected to move on and look for a different foe.
So far, that search hasn't borne any fruit.
Ortiz last fought in December, knocking out Bryant Jennings in the seventh round of a performance that put the unbeaten slugger on the map in a big way.
Carlos Boogs of Boxing Scene reports that one potential opponent is more than interested in the fight.
Tony Thompson, a 44-year-old veteran who has twice challenged for the heavyweight title and presents a difficult style matchup for virtually anyone, says that he's not only interested in fighting Ortiz but that he'd expose him.
It's not the worst idea in the world, even though Thompson did drop his last contest, but whether or not HBO would approve him for a TV fight remains to be seen.
With the pool of options increasingly shallow, the network might not have a choice with just less than a month until fight night.
Will Mares vs. Montiel Deliver or Disappoint?
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Former champions Mares and Montiel are set to do battle on Premier Boxing Champions as part of the Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter undercard March 12 at Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.
Mares, a former featherweight champion, dropped a competitive scrap against Leo Santa Cruz in August. He looked better in that fight than in many of his recent contests, as some speculated that he was no longer the same man who had shot up the pound-for-pound ranks before his one-round knockout loss to Jhonny Gonzalez.
Montiel captured world championships at flyweight, super flyweight and bantamweight, but his run as a featherweight has been considerably less successful. He lost a world-title challenge against Lee Selby in his last outing, breaking an eight-fight win streak that largely came against uninspiring opposition.
He's clearly past his best days and is being selected here as an opponent who will both provide excitement and, barring a big upset, allow Mares to get healthy and return himself to contention for significant fights in a loaded division.
It's not the best fight, but it's not the worst either, and at the very least, it promises to be filled with action.
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