Canelo Alvarez is reportedly close to finalizing deal to fight Chris Eubank Jr., surprising twist for the Mexican

Canelo Alvarez was rumored to be negotiating a deal to fight either Edgar Berlanga or Jermall Charlo next. But a shocking revelation by ESPN's Salvador Rodriguez has seen Chris Eubank Jr. leapfrog both Berlanga and Charlo, with 'NextGen' now the front runner to fight Alvarez next.

Eubank Jr. currently fights at middleweight, but since his two bouts with Liam Smith in 2023, the Brit has discussed a potential move to super middleweight, where the Mexican currently reigns supreme as the undisputed champion.

Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez most recently defended his 168-pound world titles against a surging prospect, and fellow countryman, Jaime Munguia. The pair met in the squared circle on May 4, where the title challenger was knocked down for the first time in his career, and handed his career first defeat via unanimous decision.

ESPN boxing journalist Rodriguez recently took to X and reported the following:

"The British [Chris Eubank Jr.] joined the list of possible rivals for [Canelo Alvarez] and is now the favorite to close the agreement. He was a world middleweight champion and has a record of 33-3 with 24 KOs. He has just knocked out Liam Smith, a former victim of [Alvarez], in revenge."

See Salvador Rodriguez's post below:

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Turki Alalshikh eager to schedule Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford by 2025

Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford both find themselves in the pound-for-pound rankings of many boxing pundits and fans.

With Alvarez the undisputed super middleweight world champion, and 'Bud' the first male boxer to achieve undisputed world titles in two weight classes, the pair are two of the biggest stars in the sport.

Following Crawford's history-making victory over Errol Spence Jr. in July, 2023, he called for a clash with the Mexican monster. But the interest was not returned by Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez, who cited the size difference between them as the main detraction.

But Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority Chairman, has shared his keenness to schedule a Alvarez-Crawford clash. Alalshikh has been responsible for several of boxing's biggest fights since 2023, including Tyson Fury vs. Francis Ngannou.

Alalshikh was recently interviewed by Ariel Helwani on The MMA Hour, where he said:

"I am working on [Canelo vs. Crawford]. I want this fight. We are thinking to do it in America because we want it huge, [in a] big stadium and a big pay-per-view. We want to do it tat the end of the year or the beginning of [next] year."

Watch Turki Alalshikh discuss Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford below: