Talks have restarted for Chris Eubank Jr to fight Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez.
After securing an impressive revenge win over Liam Smith last year, Eubank Jr returned to action this month with a stoppage victory over Kamil Szeremeta.
He is now looking for big-name opponents and Canelo is one of his targets.
“That fight can absolutely happen within the next year,” Eubank Jr told Sky Sports. “He doesn’t have the pool of fighters available – there aren’t names left that fight fans want to see.
“After [David] Benavidez, there are no other guys. Maybe [Artur] Beterbiev and [Dmitry] Bivol but they are not in his weight class and he probably wouldn’t go up for those guys.
“Me and Canelo would be a hell of a build-up. Two very different personalities, very different background. That would be a lot of fun. It will be a lot of fun.”
A fight with Alvarez has been discussed before and Ben Shalom, Eubank Jr’s promoter, revealed those talks have restarted.
Once Conor Benn has his boxing licence restored he would also be an option for Eubank Jr. Benn is currently under provisional suspension for an anti-doping violation.
“For me the two fights for me are Canelo and Conor Benn. We’ve already started small conversations around the Canelo fight,” Shalom told Sky Sports.
“Obviously that [Canelo fight] was close last time. I believe that’s a fight that interests Canelo. You can imagine the press conference in the UK and the US, it would be absolutely huge.
“I think Canelo needs dance partners but he also needs stars. I don’t think his last couple of opponents have been the biggest stars and Chris Eubank Jr’s certainly a big star.
“If he’s ever going to fight in the UK, that’s the fight and that would sell out Wembley Stadium. That’s No 1 on the list for me.”
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Benn invaded the ring after Eubank Jr’s impressive victory over Szeremeta and vowed to stop him within three rounds!
Canelo is one of the most established champions in boxing, who has only lost in recent years to Dmitry Bivol, outside of his natural weight class up at light-heavy. But Eubank Jr believes he can rattle the Mexican great.
“Nobody gets under my skin. Everybody has tried, everybody has failed,” Eubank Jr said.
“He likes things to go smoothly, he doesn’t like the trash-talk or the disrespect. You can’t give any edge, you have to win each and every fight before the real fight but nobody is better at mind games and mental edges than me.”
At an advanced stage of his own career, Eubank Jr still believes he can become one of the biggest names in British boxing in his own right.
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Eubank Jr strode to the ring to his usual Dr Dre theme tune and vaulted the ropes in Riyadh
“It is hard to compete with heavyweights, they have famously been the pinnacle and in [Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury] you have two successful guys and huge characters. But they have kind of had their time,” he said.
“So if I do what I am supposed to do and what I am capable of in these next few fights, I absolutely believe there is a strong chance I could become the face of boxing, British boxing especially.”