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Undisputed super middleweight status is up for grabs as Canelo Alvarez (59-2-2, 35 KOs) defends four belts against challenger Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) this weekend. The fight will air on Showtime PPV at 8 p.m. ET live from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with the main event set to begin sometime after 11 p.m. ET.
The super middleweight division has been dominated by Canelo as he currently holds the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO super middleweight titles. Throughout his 16 years as a professional, his lone loss in the division came to Floyd Mayweather Jr. back in 2013. As he closes in at 60 career wins, the multi-division world champion is out to prove he’s still the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing.
Charlo also enters this bout with some championship pedigree, holding the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO light middleweight titles. Known for electric knockout potential, Charlo has won his last four fights by KO and now jumps up 14 pounds to fight at 168. This is by far the most lucrative fight of his 16-year career.
Canelo vs. Charlo purse for Saturday’s super middleweight fight
While official numbers are difficult to come by, we have a few unofficial reports to gauge exactly how much these two will earn. For starters, Canelo signed a three-fight $100 million deal with Premier Boxing Champions back in June. This bout is confirmed to be the first of the contract.
The highest purse amount Canelo has received was against Caleb Plant ($40 million) and his third bout against Gennadiy Golovkin ($45 million), according to Sportingnews. Nonetheless, according to sportspayouts, Canelo is estimated to earn $6 million guaranteed and 60% of the PPV share which could lead to $18 million for this Saturday’s showdown. However, given his contract with PBC, that estimate is likely too low. Look for Canelo to bring home closer to $25 million or $30 million for the fight.
As for Charlo, this bout is a step up in competition and a testament to his perseverance under PBC promotions. Prior to this Canelo fight, Charlo was set to defend his light middleweight titles against Tim Tszyu before suffering a hand injury. The rumored purse for him in that bout was $1.5 million, along with a 70/30 PPV split, according to Totalsportal.
After years of proving his self-worth, he now gets a headliner. For Saturday’s tilt, Charlo is estimated to earn $1.5 million guaranteed and 40% of the PPV share which could bump his total to $6 million, per sportspayouts.
The dynamic following this bout will be critical and have a direct impact on what the boxing scene looks like in 2024. We all know Terence Crawford will have his eyes on this fight and with Canelo now under PBC, do we get a dream fight between those two? Or will Canelo shift his focus toward David Benavidez? Either way, boxing fans are in for yet another heavy-hitting thriller.