John Locher/Associated Press

Updates from Tuesday, Sept. 30

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated passed along confirmation from Oscar De La Hoya of the fight between Canelo Alvarez and Joshua Clottey:

Original Text

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will reportedly take on veteran Joshua Clottey in his next bout, slated for December.

Chris Mannix of Sports Illustrated reported the news on Monday and weighed in on the fight:

Alvarez, 24, is far younger and fresher than Clottey (37 in October, per BoxRec.com), and he will have a major edge in this bout. Since his majority decision defeat to Floyd Mayweather in September 2013, Canelo has fared well, winning his next two fights against Alfredo Angulo (TKO) and Erislandy Lara (split decision).

The latter, most recent encounter with Lara didn't come easy. Alvarez showed improved technical prowess after getting picked apart by Mayweather, refusing to let Lara get away.

After the split-decision victory was secured on July 12, Alvarez weighed in on his efforts, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael:

I came to fight. I didn't come to run. You don't win by running. You win by hitting. He definitely has a great jab but you don't win a fight like that by running. [...] I wanted to leave a good taste in the mouth of my fans, so I came to fight. Lara didn't come to fight. He's a great boxer, I respect him. But he has to throw more [effective] punches.

Clottey is more experienced in years and has battled the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto. Even with those losses on his resume, "The Grand Master" still boasts a 38-4 record with one no contest.

Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports analyzed the prospective Alvarez-Clottey clash:

Losing this one would be a significant setback for Alvarez, who's still seeking to position himself as the next truly big pay-per-view draw. To come out flat in this matchup would be detrimental to that cause, so he would behoove himself, his brand and future in the ring with a dominant performance.

Those who suggest Alvarez has built his professional fighting record of 44-1-1 with poor opponents will be vocal about this reported scheduled showdown with Clottey. However, as Mannix suggests, it opens up the possibility for another big chance for Alvarez to prove himself with bigger stakes on the line in future fights.