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Boxing: Canelo Alvarez to return against Callum Smith on December 19

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Agence France-Presse

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="https://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2018/sports/12/16/20181216-canelo-alvarez-afp.jpg"/><figcaption>Canelo Alvarez celebrates after his majority-decision win over Gennady Golovkin during their WBC/WBA middleweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena on September 15, 2018 in Las Vegas, Nevada. <em>Ethan Miller, Getty Images/AFP</em></figcaption></figure></div><p>LOS ANGELES -- Pound-for-pound king Canelo Alvarez will make his long-awaited return to the ring next month when he battles Britain&#x27;s world super-middleweight champion Callum Smith, both fighters&#x27; camps confirmed on Tuesday.</p><p>Alvarez, recognised as the holder of World Boxing Association&#x27;s middleweight &quot;super&quot; belt, has not fought since scoring an 11th-round knockout of Sergey Kovalev in a light-heavyweight duel last November.</p><p>The 30-year-old Mexican star&#x27;s return to the ring has been held up amid a dispute with promoter Oscar de la Hoya and streaming service DAZN.</p><p>Alvarez, who signed a $350 million five-year deal with DAZN in 2018, earlier this month announced he was a free agent after severing his ties with the platform and De La Hoya&#x27;s Golden Boy Promotions.</p><p>However Alvarez&#x27;s December 19 fight with Smith will be aired on the DAZN platform on a one-off basis. The exact venue is to be confirmed, but US reports said it is likely to take place in Texas.</p><p>Smith, who holds the WBA&#x27;s supermiddlweight title, is 27-0 with 19 wins by knockout.</p><p>The 30-year-old from Liverpool will be making his third defence of the title he won by knocking out George Groves in September 2018.</p><p>Like Alvarez, Smith has also spent a year out of the ring. His last fight was a hardfought unanimous decision victory over John Ryder last November.</p><p>Although unbeaten, Smith will start as the clear underdog against Alvarez, who boasts a 53-1-2 record with 36 knockouts.</p><p>Alvarez, widely regarded as the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, has lost only once in his career, a majority decision defeat to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2014.</p><div><strong>© Agence France-Presse</strong></div><figure class="op-interactive"><iframe height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/joox7xivRHY?enablejsapi=1" width="560"></iframe></figure><div class="iwantbar">Watch more in <a href="//www.iwantv.com.ph/">iWantv</a> or <a href="//tfc.tv/">TFC.tv</a></div>

<p>Canelo Alvarez will make his long-awaited return to the ring next month when he battles Britain's world super-middleweight champion Callum Smith.</p>

Canelo Alvarez will make his long-awaited return to the ring next month when he battles Britain's world super-middleweight champion Callum Smith.