Willy Hutchinson had scarcely celebrated his victory for the vacant WBC light heavyweight championship when he caught the attention of Canelo Alvarez. As reported by Uncrowned, coach Eddy Reynoso recently listed the Scottish boxer among potential opponents for Alvarez’s planned March bout in Saudi Arabia. It marks a significant step forward for a fighter who just earned the crown by beating Joshua Buatsi.
Alternative candidates under consideration seem more logical at first glance. Hamzah Sheeraz holds strong commercial appeal in Great Britain and could comfortably make 168 pounds to face Canelo. A high-profile showdown against Terence Crawford would undoubtedly generate the highest revenue, even if the astronomical purse required from Turki Alalshikh renders it unlikely. Alternatively, IBF titleholder Osleys Iglesias presents a serious threat due to his knockout capability, albeit lacking the lucrative return of a Crawford matchup.
Choosing Hutchinson offers Alvarez a straightforward route toward acquiring another belt at 175 pounds, although Hutchinson’s display versus Buatsi demonstrated he is no simple opponent. Throughout that bout, he repeatedly altered his stance, disrupted Buatsi’s footwork, and landed precise counters as his opponent advanced. Alvarez certainly retains sufficient firepower to penalize Hutchinson should he remain inside, assuming the Mexican star can trap him against the ropes. Should Alvarez fail to do so, Hutchinson’s agility could drag him into tedious, demanding rounds of hunting for a clear target.
At the same time, Matchroom is actively urging the WBC to designate Ben Whittaker as the compulsory challenger for Hutchinson once Whittaker completes his anticipated February fight with Lyndon Arthur, Uncrowned reports. Because the organization has not made a final decision on this appeal, Hutchinson retains full freedom to explore discussions with Canelo’s camp. Taking on Canelo in Saudi Arabia this March would grant the freshly crowned champion his highest earnings to date along with worldwide exposure.
Sanctioning organizations seldom stand in the way whenever Canelo pursues a title belt. Regardless of Matchroom’s efforts to position Whittaker as the mandatory opponent following his planned February matchup with Lyndon Arthur, the WBC frequently issues special dispensations, assigns franchise honors, or permits major unification or cross-division contests to bypass standard rankings. If Eddy Reynoso and Turki Alalshikh settle on Willy Hutchinson for the March date in Riyadh, Whittaker will simply have to wait his turn.
Alvarez delivered an impressive performance when regaining his WBC super middleweight crown from Christian Mbilli on October 31, yet Mbilli’s relentless forward motion complemented Canelo’s counterpunching strengths perfectly. Hutchinson, conversely, poses an entirely different challenge.
In his November 7 contest with Joshua Buatsi, the 6-foot-1 Hutchinson utilized his height efficiently, continually shifted between orthodox and southpaw, and made Buatsi readjust his balance whenever he pressed forward. At age 36, Alvarez no longer exhibits peak foot speed, and stepping back up to the 175-pound division—where Dmitry Bivol’s reach, jab, and side-to-side motion previously troubled him—only heightens those difficulties.
A potential vulnerability for Hutchinson remains his stamina. Although he established a commanding lead early against Buatsi, his work rate dropped significantly late in the fight, allowing Buatsi to mount a comeback during round eleven. Alvarez exhibits much greater efficiency than Buatsi when closing down space and targeting the body of a fatigued foe.
Provided Hutchinson maintains his tactical focus and energetic footwork across the entire twelve rounds, he possesses all the necessary attributes to unsettle Alvarez and score a major victory, which would delay Whittaker’s opportunity at the WBC strap even further. Under those circumstances, an immediate return bout between Hutchinson and Canelo would inevitably follow.
