Eddy Reynoso expects Canelo Alvarez to enter the ring two or three times in 2027, eyeing five distinct paths according to The Ring. The lineup features a super middleweight unification, a mandatory defense against Lester Martínez, a light heavyweight clash with Willy Hutchinson, and return bouts against Terence Crawford or Dmitry Bivol.

The Ring notes that no sequence is locked in. Four specific rivals are on the table, while the unification route hinges on which 168-pound titleholder agrees to terms. That gives Canelo two clear avenues for his WBC super middleweight belt: take on Martínez for the mandatory slot, or meet a rival champion to collect more gold.

That list of five narrows down fast once reality enters the room.

WBA champion Jaime Munguía makes zero promotional or competitive sense. Canelo already dropped and thoroughly handled him in 2024, and sharing gym space only solidifies that neither man is looking across the ring at the other. With Munguía struggling to look convincing against fringe opposition like Nikita Zon, nobody is opening their wallet to see that replay.

Osleys Iglesias, the IBF belt-holder at 168, is pure poison for an aging fighter. He is big, heavy-handed, fundamentally disciplined from the Cuban school, and operates out of a sharp southpaw stance. He gives away none of the physical advantages older counterpunchers rely on to slow down the pace. Putting Canelo in with a prime, hard-hitting super middleweight who can control range with a stiff southpaw stick is precisely the kind of voluntary hazard Reynoso routinely steers clear of.

WBC light heavyweight champion Willy Hutchinson represents another completely unnecessary headache up at 175. He brings awkward angles, relentless volume, legitimate reach, and the kind of high-octane engine that drains Canelo’s low-output, single-shot style. Canelo struggled with movement and pace at light heavyweight against Dmitry Bivol in the past, and Hutchinson has the motor to exploit those exact same stamina traps without offering the massive global brand name that justifies taking the beating.

Speaking of Bivol, that ship sailed the moment the cards were read in 2022. Canelo spent years tossing out casual remarks about rematches under impossible conditions, yet never actually pushed to get back in the ring with him. Bivol completely neutralized Canelo’s offense with a disciplined high guard, clean distance control, and piercing combinations. Revisiting that fight would simply be paying to re-watch a masterclass in how to dismantle Canelo’s flat-footed rhythm.

That leaves the two names that actually make sense for the business plan:

Crawford is the cash cow and the safest big-money avenue on the board. Even coming off a defeat, Canelo knows Crawford cannot hurt him with single-shot super middleweight power. Crawford will be 39, coming off a long, comfortable layoff on the heels of his biggest career win, and has shown zero appetite to sit in the pocket and trade heavy leather. If Turki puts up the bankroll, Canelo gets maximum financial reward with zero danger of taking a devastating beatdown.

Lester Martínez is the exact type of mandatory Eddy Reynoso smiles at. He is straightforward, comes forward in predictable lines, lacks elite defensive nuance, and sits right in the pocket where Canelo can time his signature counter hooks without chasing anybody around the ring. It lets Canelo fulfill an obligation, keep a belt polished, and put on an explosive showcase for the cameras without taking real systemic punishment.

The five-man list is great for keeping headlines spinning, but Crawford for the check and Martínez for the routine defense are the only two realistic lanes on that drawing board.