Manny Pacquiao Still on Saul Canelo Alvarez’s Radar; Boxing Star Says Fight With Erislandy Lara is ‘Personal’

By John Santisteban | Jul 04, 2014 12:46 AM EDT

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Saul "Canelo" Alvarez has been cementing his status as one of boxing's biggest stars, and he will look to solidify his status by fighting the best boxers in the world today.

In an interview with On The Ropes Boxing Radio, Alvarez reiterated that he is really interested in facing Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather again.

Alvarez, the former light middleweight world champion, said that he will always make sure that he is fighting the best opponent to give fight fans what they are looking for.

"What I said is that I always pick the hardest opponents. The question I was asked was that I'm in the position to pick my opponents like Mayweather and Pacquiao. My answer was that I pick the most dangerous opponents because it's what the fans want to see," Alvarez said.

Alvarez is expected to have big-money fights again in the near future, but the 23-year-old Jalisco, Mexico native should win in his upcoming fight against Erislandy Lara on July 12 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Alvarez will be a heavy favorite heading into fight night and he vowed to go all out, saying that his upcoming showdown with Lara is a "personal" fight for him as he is aching to make his opponent pay for insulting him and Mexican boxing.

"It's real, for all the things that he's said, all the insults he's said to me and to Mexican boxing," Alvarez said. "I took all of that personal and this is a personal fight, I'm not playing or doing promotion. I don't talk to promote fights."

Alvarez also played down speculations suggesting that Lara could pose big problems in the upcoming fight because he is a southpaw, and Canelo has had difficulties going up against southpaws in his previous fights.

"Yes he's a southpaw, he's a dangerous fighter, he has very good boxing skills. The truth is, I adapt very well to southpaws, I've never had issues with southpaws and I hope this won't be the exception," Lara stressed.

Alvarez is coming off a 10th-round knockout win against Alfredo Angulo in March, while Lara scored a unanimous decision win against Austin Trout in December last year.

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