Despite preparing to go up against Julio Cesar Chavez Jr next month in a highly anticipated clash, many are looking ahead in terms of what the future could hold for Saul Alvarez.

Despite this major stumbling block ahead of him, you can’t be blamed for wondering whether or not Canelo will finally meet Gennady Golovkin later this year, in a bid to prove who the better fighter is at long last.

BOLD PREDICTION

Based on the most recent update that has come out of that, it’s not good news as there’s no indication that the dangerous Kazakh will meet the red-haired Mexican anytime soon inside of a boxing ring.

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Instead, unbeaten WBO super middleweight champion Gilberto ‘Zurdo’ Ramirez looks to be next in line to take on Triple G.

Now, it looks as if we won’t know who the better fighter is, that’s despite what the rankings may suggest, but Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions has already made a huge prediction regarding the future of Canelo – he believes that by 2018, his golden boy will be the pound-for-pound best on the planet.

To do that, though, many would claim that impressive victories over both Chavez Jr as well as Golovkin need to take place, as controversial decisions may not be enough to solidify that.

However, De La Hoya doesn’t see it like that and was quick to shoot down the doubters.

POUND-FOR-POUND KING

According to Boxing News 24, he said: “I have nothing to say about the doubters.

“It has nothing to do with his last fight. Triple G fought a well-prepared [Daniel] Jacobs who did a phenomenal job, but that has nothing to do with it.

“I’ve always had a plan when Canelo was going to fight at 160 and stay at 160 and dominate the middleweight division, and the time is now. But it has nothing to do with Jacobs.

“I have to say after this year or during this year, Canelo will be the pound-for-pound king.”

Granted, Oscar is his promoter and he’s bound to say something like that, especially when it's just ahead of his next big test which could act as a confidence booster – but there are some huge names ahead of him in those rankings.

That’s not to say Canelo can never reach the top, but he’s currently in eighth place, behind Guillermo Rigondeaux, Vasyl Lomachenko and Terence Crawford.

It could actually be even tougher to crack the top four, as Roman Gonzalez could soon avenge his sole professional loss, while he’d need to fight and convincingly defeat Golovkin to leapfrog him – and the winner between Andre Ward and Sergey Kovalev in June is bound to cement their place as the king.

It’s an ambitious plan from the promoter, but it can be achieved.

That’s despite many calling for him to pit his prized asset against the unbeaten Golovkin.

Will Saul Alvarez be the pound-for-pound king by 2018? Have YOUR say in the comments section below.

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