Canelo ordered to defend IBF belt against Derevyanchenko

[Ruthless-RKO]

Middleweight world champion Canelo Alvarez is not getting much time to enjoy his unanimous decision victory over Daniel Jacobs in their world title unification fight that took place on May 4 in Las Vegas.

On Wednesday, less than two weeks after the fight, the IBF, whose belt Alvarez won from Jacobs to add to his two titles, ordered Alvarez to next make a mandatory defense against No. 1 challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko.

In a letter sent via email to Robert Diaz of Golden Boy Promotions, Alvarez's promoter, the IBF informed the company and Alvarez that the mandatory title defense is "due on or before Aug. 4" and gave them contact information for Derevyanchenko promoter Lou DiBella to begin talks.

"Negotiations should commence immediately and be concluded by June 15, 2019," the IBF wrote.

If the camps don't make a deal by the deadline, the IBF will order a purse bid with the highest bidder gaining promotional control of the fight.

It is unclear what Alvarez, who has yet to receive his belt from the IBF, will do next, but he will not fight on or before Aug. 4. He might be able to get an extension from the IBF, but Alvarez's next fight is penciled in for Sept. 14, the weekend of Mexican Independence Day on which he usually fights.

"It's really surprising and unfortunate that we didn't get a congratulations letter [from the IBF] like we would in the past," Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez told ESPN. "We will be meeting with Canelo in the next week or so to see what he would like to do."

"Now that the IBF has ordered immediate negotiations between the two sides, I will sit down with Sergiy, [adviser] Al Haymon and Lou DiBella next week and talk about the best course of action," Keith Connolly, Derevyanchenko's manager, told ESPN.

[Ruthless-RKO]

This is where the IBF get praised but then criticised at the same time. Derev only just fought for the IBF belt, how is he mando so quick?

IBF didn’t even congratulate Canelo and haven’t even given him his own belt.

I guess that’s the IBF belt vacated.

But then I don’t mind this match up.

[Enlightened-One]

GGG preferred to vacate his IBF championship rather than facing Derevyanchenko.

The Ukraine then lost his bout against Jacobs for the vacant IBF title.

Canelo beats Jacobs to capture the IBF title.

Alvarez will either be forced to vacate or will be stripped of his IBF title, because a bout between himself and someone who deservedly tasted defeat to his most recent opponent is unsellable.

This means there’ll be no motivation for Canelo to consider facing Andrade or Derevyanchenko to unify the 160lbs titles.

The IBF have a track-record of making wrong decisions like this, because they stripped Tyson Fury of his championship shortly after he captured it from Wladimir Klitschko and it seems they’re intent on doing the same thing with Canelo.

The IBF should have done what they agreed to do with Anthony Joshua, by taking turns with the other governing bodies for their mandatory title defences, but instead they’re applying their rules inconsistently to the detriment of Canelo.

[KiwiRider]

IBF salivating at the % cut from a Canelo fight
Pushed too hard, too soon, with a BS mandatory.
Canelo laughs, drops the belt in the skip bin and moves on.

Well, that's how I see it playing out.

[SenorPipino]

IBF salivating at the % cut from a Canelo fight
Pushed too hard, too soon, with a BS mandatory.
Canelo laughs, drops the belt in the skip bin and moves on.

Well, that's how I see it playing out.

Could happen that way.

Maybe Canelo squeezes Derevyenchenko in for December.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Could happen that way.

Maybe Canelo squeezes Derevyenchenko in for December.

Don’t see why.

[SenorPipino]

Don’t see why.

Canelo seems to have interest in December fights.

Last year it was Fielding. A couple years back he was on target to fight Saunders that month before sustaining an injury.

It won't happen if he decides to dump the IBF title. But if Canelo considers it valuable (he wants to become the first undisputed Mexican middleweight champion) he might schedule an unexpected defense apart from his usual May/September fights.

[kbackup408]

The IBF must be the worst world strap to have in boxing - one win over Culcay and you are mandatory!!

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo seems to have interest in December fights.

Sorry mate, I was meant to write “don’t see why not”.

I’m well aware Canelo wanted to fight after he beat Liam Smith but he broke his hand or something. Then GGG was gonna take his HBO date, but couldn’t come to terms with Jacobs.

[Ruthless-RKO]

The IBF must be the worst world strap to have in boxing - one win over Culcay and you are mandatory!!

You might praise them for enforcing mandatories. But then you gotta think, half of their mandatories are always crap names that don’t deserve. Guys like Jo Dan, Kevin Bizier, Dom Wade etc.

They have had some good names too mind you (Spence).

[Ruthless-RKO]

To be specific, on or before Aug. 4, and negotiations should “commence immediately and be concluded by June 15, 2019,” the IBF wrote.

Oh-kayyy….

That’s roughly the response Team Golden Boy had when that note came, said Eric Gomez, an executive over there. He was surprised, he said, to get that word, because the IBF “didn’t send a note congratulating Canelo. The WBC, and Mauricio Sulaimain, reached out, and the WBA did too. But nothing from the IBF.”

The ball is in court of Canelo Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs). “We will sit down with Canelo in the next week, or so,” Gomez said, and plot out possibilities for next. Yes, he said, they are still aiming to fullfill a September date. “Who knows what Canelo will say,” Gomez said. Canelo might be a bit miffed at the IBF’s manners regarding this deliberation, and lack of niceties following their collection of collected fees, he allowed.

[leejonesjnr]

This seems like a strange move as on the face of it, it seems that they want the belt to become vacant and have other boxers compete for it.
As has been said a similar situation arose when Tyson Fury was stripped, however I always believed that to be because they just didn’t want him as their champion, but I he would that be the case with one of if not the sports biggest stars?

[Onetimeonly]

This seems like a strange move as on the face of it, it seems that they want the belt to become vacant and have other boxers compete for it.
As has been said a similar situation arose when Tyson Fury was stripped, however I always believed that to be because they just didn’t want him as their champion, but I he would that be the case with one of if not the sports biggest stars?

The ibf sticks to their guns.

[Thomastearns]

The ibf sticks to their guns.

They should enforce mandatories. Everyone should if they believe boxing is an actual sport as opposed to a some mere money transfer business. Yes, that's you WBC!

Besides the worst case scenario is a champion who's just sitting on the belt.

Sanctioning bodies want feeding too.

[kbackup408]

You might praise them for enforcing mandatories. But then you gotta think, half of their mandatories are always crap names that don’t deserve. Guys like Jo Dan, Kevin Bizier, Dom Wade etc.

They have had some good names too mind you (Spence).

i guess you have proven me wrong with that one Spence was helluva mandatory opponent !

[Onetimeonly]

i guess you have proven me wrong with that one Spence was helluva mandatory opponent !

Ogawa has an eliminator coming up straight off his roids suspension.

[tiny_acres]

Ogawa has an eliminator coming up straight off his roids suspension.

Great way to eliminate drug usage

[Ruthless-RKO]

Ogawa has an eliminator coming up straight off his roids suspension.

Surprised IBF still want to rank him.. and so high too.

i guess you have proven me wrong with that one Spence was helluva mandatory opponent !

He thought he was mando, but then had to fight Bundu in a final eliminator.

[jujigatame]

This is why mandatories are awful, because you can't trust ABC orgs to come up with reasonable challengers.

Does anyone in the universe wanna see Canelo fight Derevyachenko over GGG?

[DrDuke]

IBF sucks with its ordering of so-so contenders. Well, Derev is a solid boxer, but there are more interesting opportunities now. Even the 3rd Golovkin matchup.

[Ruthless-RKO]

Canelo Can Seek Exception for Next Title Defense, Per IBF

Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is free and clear to fight whomever he chooses for his next fight.

Within reason and still by sanctioning body rules, mind you.

A letter went out to both camps—Golden Boy Promotions for Mexico’s Alvarez (52-1-2, 35KOs) and promoter Lou DiBella for Derevyanchenko, who hails from Brooklyn by way of Ukraine—to begin a 30-day negotiations period for a bout that was initially due to take place on or before August 4.

That is no longer the case.

“Sergy Derevyanchenko is his mandatory. However, since he is a unified champion there is a rotation,” IBF spokesperson Jeanette Salazar clarified with BS.com on Thursday. “Alvarez also has the right to request an exception.”

The latter part gives Alvarez the freedom to pursue the opponent of his choosing for his next ring adventure.

Such practice is common among unified titlists, as is the case with Alvarez whom also holds the WBC and WBA titles in addition to the IBF and his genuine lineal championship. The timeline for mandatory title defenses under such circumstances can range anywhere from 12 to 24 months, depending on the number of belts currently in said champion's possession.

Alvarez would still have to formally file for an exception with the IBF. However, because he’s not exclusively tied to a mandatory title defense for his next fight, there remains flexibility in what the sanctioning body will grant as acceptable.

Under normal circumstances, the lone loophole around a mandatory title defense would be a unification bout—and even those are often rejected if a mandatory challenge is overdue.

[Susej_SOG]

I don't really understand why Canelo is still so important to anyone. He clearly lost multiple times to GGG and he simply receives the draw or even a win anyway?! It doesn't make sense, I rather follow the real rank 1, which is GGG.

Canelo won the rematch against GGG, and clearly... Don't matter what haters, fans or fanboys can say in internet.

That's the reality and can't change.

And Derevyachenko does not deserve a fight with Canelo.

Canelo is fighting with the best of the world, Loma and Crawford with bums like Crolla, Linares, Khan, Campbell, etc.

[jujigatame]

I don't really understand why Canelo is still so important to anyone. He clearly lost multiple times to GGG and he simply receives the draw or even a win anyway?! It doesn't make sense, I rather follow the real rank 1, which is GGG.

He's an exciting fighter who is at worst the #2 MW and probably top 5 P4P. How is that not worth following?