Report: Ryota Murata emerges as preferred opponent for Canelo
Canelo Alvarez's preferred opponent for his forthcoming fight is Ryota Murata, sources told Mike Coppinger of The Athletic.
The bout between Alvarez and Murata will potentially take place in Japan on May 3 but will be aired in North America on prime time May 2 on DAZN.
Billy Joe Saunders was an early candidate for Alvarez's next opponent and still remains an option along with Callum Smith, Coppinger added. However, Murata is seen as a better marketing option for DAZN in Japan.
Alvarez, 29, is 53-1 with two draws and 36 knockouts. This would be Alvarez's first fight since Nov. 2, 2019, when the Mexican defeated Sergey Kovalev by way of KO to become a four-division world champion, moving up two weight classes to claim the WBO light heavyweight belt.
The 34-year-old Murata is 16-2 with 13 KOs and currently holds the WBA middleweight belt, most recently defending the title on Dec. 23, 2019, in a fifth-round TKO of Steven Butler.