Canelo Alvarez, boxing’s biggest star, is a free agent.
The 30-year old has come to an agreement, per ESPN, with his now former management team Goldenboy promotions and the streaming service DAZN for his instant release from previously agreed deals. It brings an end to a long-running issue between the parties.
“In my capacity as manager and coach of Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez, I allow myself to communicate to the boxing community and to all our fans that as of today, November 6, our fighter becomes a free agent, so we are ready to continue his career,” Alvarez’ manager Salvador Reynoso said in a statement.
“All this time we have been working very hard in the gym with a lot of responsibility and discipline, to be in great physical shape and ready to fight this year, and so it will be. Soon we will be announcing the date, rival and venue, we will return stronger than never to continue growing and to continue showing that Mexican boxing is the best.”
For the unaware, Alvarez had filed a legal suit against both Goldenboy and DAZN, after streaming service wanted to pay him half for fights they deemed unsuitable opponents for his hefty fee.
Alvarez had signed a deal with DAZN to become the highest-paid boxer in the world in 2018, reported at the time to be a 5-year, 11-fight deal worth $365 million. That relationship eventually fell apart after Alvarez seemed uninterested in a third match-up with rival Gennady Golovkin, and DAZN became frustrated with the calibre of foe Alvarez preferred.
Now, it seems the Mexican superstar is ready to test the waters by himself.