Canelo Alvarez gets green light from WBC to move up to CRUISERWEIGHT and fight champ Ilunga Makabu for FIFTH title

CANELO ALVAREZ was given permission by the WBC to take on CRUISERWEIGHT champion Ilunga Mabu.

Canelo will now be able to compete for the FIVE-weight title. The announcement was made at Mexico's governing body convention.

Mauricio Sulaiman, president of WBC, stated that the "we just approved" challenge between Canelo and Junior Makabu at cruiserweight.

Canelo, 31, won belts ranging from light-middleweight to light-heavyweight.

His biggest career win was the WBO 175lb title, which he won after beating Sergey Kovalev (39), in November 2019.

However, Canelo quickly moved down to super-middleweight and has since settled in his new weight.

In just eleven months and four fights, the Mexican star became the undisputed champion.

He won over Callum Smith (31), Avni Yoldirim (30), Billy Joe Saunders (32) and Caleb Plant (29).

Canelo is currently a free agent, but talk quickly turned to the future.

Eddy Reynoso, his trainer and manager, suggested Artur Beterbiev (36), Dmitry Bivol (30), Jermall Charlo (31) and David Benavidez (24) as possible options.

However, Canelo has been able to move as high as 14st 4lb cruiserweight. This is more than TWO STONE more than Canelo’s usual fighting weight.

Makabu, 34 years old, is 28-2. British fans will remember him for his knockout loss to Tony Bellew (38), in Everton 2016.

The WBC belt was won by the Congolese boxer with victory over Michal Cieslak (32), last year.

Canelo is known for sparring heavyweights at the gym, and his coach requested that he be made a cruiserweight.

Reynoso stated via ESPN Deportes that he did a lot with heavyweights with whom he spars, which is why we asked him for the fight.

"We know [Makabu] can be strong, but Canelo is strong enough to beat him."

"Many might say it's crazy but they also said it was crazy when Canelo was the junior middleweight champion. We were looking for super middleweights, middleweights and light heavyweights.

Canelo is a man I trust. He is strong and has many great qualities. I am confident that he will win this fight."

Canelo would be joining Manny Pacquiao (42), Floyd Mayweather (44), Sugar Ray Leonard (65), and Oscar De La Hoya (48) to have won titles at least in five divisions.

Roy Jones Jr., like Canelo was the middleweight champion. He moved up to heavyweight in 2003 and beat John Ruiz (now 49) for the WBA title.

At 55 years old, the American became the first man, since 1897 England's Bob Fitzsimmons, to move from middleweight to heavyweight.

He never won a world title at cruiserweight, and his career declined after he moved from heavyweight to light-heavyweight.