HBO Sports has re-signed former light middleweight boxing champion Canelo Alvarez to fight on the pay TV service, the network announced Tuesday.
The popular Mexican fighter (pictured right) signed a “long term” deal with HBO as part of an agreement between his promoter Golden Boy Promotions and the pay TV service. Alvarez fought nine times on HBO beginning in 2010 before moving to rival Showtime for his past five fights. The 24-year old fighter’s Sept. 14, 2013 pay-per-view fight with Floyd Mayweather is the most lucrative PPV event in the category’s history, generating more than $150 million.
It’s unclear when Alvarez, whose record is 44-1-1, will fight on HBO. Observers, however, believe Alvarez will eventually fight middleweight champion Miguel Cotto in 2015 in a mega HBO Sports PPV event.
“Everyone at HBO is excited to welcome back Canelo Álvarez to the HBO family, and we can't wait to re-introduce him to our subscribers,” said Ken Hershman, president of HBO Sports in a statement. “At only 24-years-old, Canelo has already established himself as one of the boxing world’s brightest stars, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship as we embark on this new chapter together. We are delighted to partner with Oscar de la Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions in presenting Canelo's fights and events on our various platforms.”
