Canelo Álvarez vs Osleys Iglesias?
(January 4th) Recent reports and social media discussion have linked Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez to a potential bout with unbeaten Cuban contender Osleys Iglesias for the vacant IBF super middleweight title. While the headlines generated significant interest, a closer review of the situation shows that no such fight is currently scheduled or agreed upon.
Following Terence Crawford’s victory over Canelo at super middleweight and his subsequent retirement, the IBF title at 168 pounds became vacant. Osleys Iglesias, who holds a 14–0 record with 13 knockouts, is ranked No. 1 by the IBF and became the mandatory contender for the vacant belt.
As part of standard procedure, the IBF contacted top-ranked fighters to assess availability for a possible vacant-title bout. On paper, this process placed Iglesias alongside Álvarez, who was ranked No. 3 by the IBF at the time, with the No. 2 position unoccupied.
Confusion arose when Iglesias’ promotional team publicly stated that the IBF had “officially ordered” a fight between Iglesias and Álvarez. That claim was widely repeated across boxing media and social platforms, creating the impression that negotiations were underway or that a bout was imminent.
Subsequent clarification from boxing reporters indicated that the IBF’s action was not a formal fight order or purse bid, but rather an availability check — a preliminary step required when exploring options for a vacant title.
Canelo is currently recovering from arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow following his loss to Crawford. His camp has indicated that he will not be ready to return to the ring until approximately September 2026. Due to that timeline, Álvarez’s team informed the IBF that he was unavailable to participate in a vacant-title fight.
As a result, the IBF moved on to other ranked contenders to determine Iglesias’ next opponent.
Iglesias recently strengthened his position as the IBF’s top contender with a stoppage victory over Vladimir Shishkin. With Álvarez unavailable, Iglesias is now expected to face another highly ranked IBF contender as the sanctioning body works to crown a new super middleweight champion.
While the IBF briefly explored a potential matchup between Canelo Álvarez and Osleys Iglesias as part of its standard process for filling a vacant title, no contract, date, or venue was ever secured. Álvarez has declined the opportunity due to injury recovery, and there is currently no fight between the two in development.
For now, the rumored matchup stands as a case of procedural movement being mistaken for a finalized plan — a reminder of how quickly speculation can outpace confirmed boxing news.
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