After mainstream (and minor stream) boxing media spent the better part of this week “reporting” on resumed talks between the teams of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Chris Eubank Jr., the story has been revealed as just a story.
“It’s totally false,” Alvarez’s trainer and manager Eddy Reynoso told Dan Rafael on Wednesday. “Eubank had his chance to fight Canelo in September and the only thing he did was complicate the negotiations. We will not touch base with him again for a future fight! Whatever I tell you is always true! I don’t like making statements but what I declare is true.”
Readers of The Boxing Tribune, of course, were not dealt this biggie-sized serving of BS. Within these pages, that Canelo-Eubank non-story of a story was treated as just what it was– a strategically placed rumor from the desk of Eubank’s promoter Ben Shalom, peddled to careless media desperate for content.
Per this writer’s report on Monday:
“Most likely, this road flare tossed out to media by Shalom is merely a way to get attention for his guy as a possible Canelo foe and to put the heat on Team Canelo a bit.”
Unfortunately, boxing fans were peddled lies as news with little-to no-context or even the slightest hint of a “but, maybe this is not entirely true…”
Per the other sites:
“Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Chris Eubank Jnr are again in talks about a potential showdown at Wembley Stadium…”
“Chris Eubank Jr vs Canelo Alvarez talks restart: ‘That fight can absolutely happen within the next year’”
“ ‘That would sell out Wembley Stadium’”: Ben Shalom begins talks to stage Canelo Alvarez vs Chris Eubank Jr.”
“Canelo Alvarez vs Chris Eubank Jr fight talks resume after previous collapse with career-first targeted for champion”
“Canelo Alvarez in talks for stunning UK debut fight at Wembley Stadium after previous bout collapsed”
Stories like Monday’s are fairly common in boxing and they’re used for any number of public relations reasons. In Shalom’s case, maybe he was trying to start buzz for Canelo-Eubank in order to encourage future talks. Maybe he was trying to create a back door to another, more questionable fight after the pretend talks “failed” with Canelo, like one against Conor Benn. Maybe he just wanted publicity. Maybe all of the above.
Whatever the case, media fell for it. They got used again and fans loyal to establishment media also got used again, wasting time buying into fake news.
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Paul Magno has over forty years of experience in and around the sport of boxing and has had his hand in everything from officiating to training. As a writer, his work has appeared on Yahoo Sports, Fox Sports, Fight Hype, Max Boxing, Boxing.com, Inside Fights, The Queensberry Rules, Overtime Heroics, Bleacher Report, and Premier Boxing Champions. He is currently the owner and managing editor or The Boxing Tribune. You can follow his Twitter/X account, @boxing_tribune, for breaking boxing news, analysis, and sometimes NSFW commentary. For Advertising, Inquiries, etc., send him an email here: paulmagno@theboxingtribune.com