By Ryan Burton
On August 31st Erislandy Lara (25-3-3) will face Ramon Alvarez (28-7-3) in a Premier Boxing Champions on Fox main event. The action takes place in Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Alvarez of course is the brother of WBA middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez. Lara lost a split decision to Canelo in 2014 in a fight where many felt the fight could have went either way.
For years Lara has unsuccessfully tried to get a rematch.
"I have always wanted that rematch. I am training hard for his brother but if I beat him convincingly then hopefully he wants to fight me," Lara told BoxingScene.com. "I have been asking for that rematch for 5 years. My daughter was born 5 years ago. She was a newborn when that fight took place and now she is 5 years old. Hopefully the fight can happen."
Unfortunately for Lara, a rematch against Canelo is very unlikely. The 29-year-old recently signed a 350 million dollar contract with DAZN while Lara has fought exclusively on PBC affiliated networks for several years.
However, most of the talent at 154 pounds fights under the PBC banner so Lara is still in a good position to get a big fight if he gets by Alvarez. Julian Williams, Tony Harrison, Jermell Charlo, and Brian Castaño are alignned with PBC.
"154 is the hottest division in boxing. It is still a strong division. That is why I have to be focused and train hard to be the best," Lara explained.
Even though he is getting older, Lara believes that he has a lot left in the tank. He doesn't have any plans to walk away from the sport anytime soon.
"I still feel good. I am 36-years-old and I am still fighting well. I haven't been beat up in any of my fights. I am still in good shape and I think I can fight 3 or 4 more years," Lara revealed.
2023-10-24 01:53:12
