With the Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo fight just a few days away, speculation among fans is running wild. Previously, Oscar De La Hoya had laid down his fight plan for Charlo to defeat Alvarez. De La Hoya’s plan indicated in order to secure a win against ‘Cinnamon,’ Charlo has to mirror Dmitry Bivol. However, De La Hoya is not alone in giving ‘Mell’ valuable advice before the upcoming bout.

Canelo and Bivol met in the ring last year in May, with Bivol’s WBA Super Light Heavyweight title on the line. Bivol took down Canelo in a very close match, marking it the second loss in Canelo’s record. However, circumstances are totally different in Charlo’s case. Charlo is moving up weight divisions to fight Canelo. Whereas in Bivol’s case, Canelo had to move up weight divisions. So, Charlo might have to consider a different approach, and Oscar’s old rival has one ready.

Old rival has a new strategy for Jermell Charlo

In an interview with Fight Hub TV, Bernard Hopkins gave clear-cut instructions to Charlo. The former world champion claimed Charlo has to avoid punches while comparing blows from both fighters to gunshots and the bout to a gunfight. He further explained, “One guy [Charlo] has a smaller caliber, the other guy [Canelo] has a big caliber, right?” He then added both fighters would be up close during the fight, so the bigger guy has a better shot.

Hopkins analyzed that the fighter who fails to keep up with the pace in terms of footwork, shots, and overall skills will start taking risks. Hopkins then explained Canelo has to miss his punches, and Charlo can do that by dodging all of Canelo’s punches. “Means that he got to be throwing punches to kill you, and you are doing enough to Matador to the bull.” However, regardless of the outcome, WBC has announced Canelo’s next opponent.

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The next mandatory opponent for Canelo

It’s not even the fight week for the Canelo vs. Charlo fight. But WBC has announced the mandatory challenger for Canelo in a recent interview with Gambeling.com. Mauricio Sulaiman claimed if Canelo wants to remain the undisputed super Middleweight champion, Canelo has to beat this fighter. Who is the opponent?

The opponent, according to Mauricio Sulaiman, is David Benavidez. The fight has to happen in the first half of 2024. Benavidez is a 27-year-old American fighter with 27 matches under his belt. He is undefeated and good enough to take down Caleb Plant in his last bout. If not Canelo, boxing fans will rejoice with the new update.

Also Read: “TKO Sounds More…”: With Weeks Left In Jermell Charlo Fight, Canelo Alvarez’s Teammate Makes Stern Prediction

With the fight a mere handful of days away, the boxing world is getting ready to witness the epic showdown. But we want to know about your opinion. Who do you think will win, Canelo or Charlo?

Watch This Story: Everything We Know So Far About Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo