Canelo Alvarez will attempt to make a 32lb rise to challenge cruiserweight world champion Ilunga Makabu next year.
The Mexican has recently become undisputed champion at super-middleweight by defeating Caleb Plant to unify all four belts for the first time in history.
And he will now seek to win a world title in a fifth weight division against Makabu after the bout was approved by the WBC.
Any meeting between the pair has been approved to take place in April or May of next year, with Alvarez plotting his return after four fights in a calendar year.
“The WBC has approved unanimously Canelo to fight for the WBC cruiserweight championship of the world,” WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman said. “This is a surprise to me but I’m sure he will continue to make history.”
Makabu is currently on a nine-fight winning streak and earned the WBC strap back in 2019 with victory against Dmitry Kudryashov.
The Congolese star is familiar to British fans having been defeated by Tony Bellew on a famous night at Goodison Park in 2016 .
He stands at 6’0 and 200lbs which is a considerably larger stature than the Mexican four-weight world champion who is 5’8 and has never fought above 175lb.
Alvarez has had a remarkable rise through the super-middleweight division, defeating Callum Smith , Avni Yildirim and Billy Joe Saunders before challenging for the undisputed title.
And after rallying to an explosive late stoppage against Plant in Las Vegas earlier this month, he has consolidated his place further as the pound-for-pound No.1 .
The 31-year-old has had a glittering career in the sport having began his career by becoming world champion at super-welterweight.
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He then moved up to middleweight where he fought in two gruelling tests against rival Gennady Golovkin.
Alvarez has also reigned as a light-heavyweight champion having defeated Sergey Kovalev back in 2019 .
He spoke after his fight with Plant about the possibility of returning to light-heavyweight which was also confirmed by his trainer Eddy Reynoso’s four-fight shortlist.
If any fight falls through against the African champion, Reynoso previously stated a four-man opponent list for his fighter next year.
“There are several boxers who are in line,” Reynoso declared to La Aficion . “[Artur] Bertebiev, [Dmitry] Bivol, [Jermall] Charlo, [David] Benavidez. We will see with whom we can reach a good negotiation.
“It’s a lot of weight, at 168 pounds we feel very good and we prepare really well.
“We put in strength and he doesn’t wear out. I think 168 [pounds] is better and we’ll see who wants to fight him at that weight.”
Photo Credit: Getty
