Junior Middleweight

Brian Rose gets a shot at redemption on Saturday night when he faces Carson Jones for a second time.

The duo's first meeting ended in rather controversial circumstances, with Jones forcing the referee to step in and wave off the contest in the opening round.

Now Rose—who was not happy with the timing of the stoppage—has the chance to avenge that defeat.

The bout is the chief support act for the clash between Luke Campbell and Tommy Coyle in Hull, England. 

When: Saturday, August 1 at 9 p.m. BST

Where: KC Lightstream Stadium, Hull, England

TV: Sky Sports (UK)

Live stream: SkyGo (UK, subscription required)

Must-win rematch

As odd as it may seem considering the result, Rose (26-3-1, 8 KOs) actually made a promising start in the first fight with Jones.

He wobbled his opponent in the opening stages, before the tables were turned by a right hand from the American. 

Referee Ian John-Lewis saw Jones pouring on the pressure and decided to step in, much to the obvious annoyance of Rose, who was fighting in his hometown of Blackpool, England.

However, the Lion now admits the official wasn't at fault for the defeat, per Sky Sports: 

I do think that last fight was stopped a little early but I don't blame the ref anymore.

I blame myself for getting caught with that shot. The way I acted afterwards was a little bit out of order but I am sure people will understand my frustration.

I've had 30 fights now but I shouldn't be stopped in the first round in my hometown, where all my friends have bought tickets but like I say, I am not going to dwell on the past.

The 30-year-old has fought once before for a world title, losing to WBO light middleweight champion Demetrius Andrade in New York last June.

If he wants another crack at a major belt, he cannot afford to suffer a third defeat in four outings.

He has been successful already at domestic level and is unlikely to want to drop back down again, making the bout with Jones a make-or-break fight at this stage of his career.

On the road again

Jones (37-10-3, 27 KOs) is becoming a familiar face to British boxing fans.

He is perhaps best known for pushing Kell Brook to the brink in 2012, losing a majority decision against the reigning IBF welterweight champion.

The 28-year-old was stopped by Brook when they met again a year later, though he doesn't believe Rose has the power to force a stoppage, telling Matchroom Boxing: 

My daughter punches harder than he does. He caught me and I was a little stunned, but not hurt. I always start slow.

He doesn’t have big punching power so he wasn’t going to be able to finish me off, but I knew I had to jump on him early when I hurt him in order to catch him when he was wobbling.

If it was stopped early then it was stopped early for me too because I would have knocked his head off in the rest of the round.

Whether the stoppage in the first fight was correctly timed or not, there is no disputing the fact that Jones wobbled his rival.

He has already demonstrated he carries enough power to hurt Rose, while travelling to England will not phase him one bit.

While his rival has put his future on the line by taking the rematch, Jones has nothing to lose. That makes him a dangerous prospect.

Prediction

Rose's career is at a crossroads—lose to Jones for a second time and it is tough to see where he goes next.

The outcome, though, could depend on Jones' approach. If he is in shape and in the mood, it will be another tough night for the Englishman.

There is so much riding on the outcome for Rose that it is easy to see the pressure getting to him. The manner of the last defeat must still hold a few scars, too.

If this bout is over inside six rounds, Jones will be the winner. Make it into the second half, and certainly if it reaches the final bell, and Rose will have avenged that Valentine's Day massacre he suffered last year.

The next Premier Boxing Champions card will take place in Chicago at the UIC Pavilion. The main event will feature WBA super welterweight champion Erislandy Lara (20-2-2, 12 KO) defending his title against Delvin Rodriguez (28-7-4, 16 KO). Lara and Rodriguez's clash has a lot to live up to. The last time the Pavilion hosted a PBC event was April 24.   

The main event on that night was one of the better fights to take place thus far in 2015. Badou Jack won the WBC super middleweight crown by majority decision over Anthony Dirrell. Fight fans can only hope they get to see a scrap on par with that one Friday night.

When: Friday, June 12 at 9 p.m. ET

Where: UIC Pavilion in Chicago

TV: Spike

Last Time Out

Lara

In December 2014, Lara rebounded from the first legitimate loss of his career (the defeat by Paul Williams in July 2011 was a travesty) to Canelo Alvarez with a unanimous-decision win over Ishe Smith. Lara's slick boxing was too much for the professional but awkward and slow Smith. 

Lara had a 10-point edge on two of the judges' cards and a six-point advantage on the other.

Rodriguez

It's been more than a year since Rodriguez has been in the ring. In his last bout, he fought to a draw with 38-year-old journeyman Joachim Alcine. It wasn't an impressive performance considering Rodriguez was obliterated in his previous fight against Miguel Cotto.

There are serious questions about how much the 35-year-old Dominican has left in the tank.

What's At Stake

Lara

From the looks of the trunks Lara will wear for the fight, per this tweet, he is ready for war.

Perhaps he needs to be. The knock on Lara is somewhat similar to the criticism levied against fellow Cuban and former amateur standout Guillermo Rigondeaux. Many fans find their styles boring. When Lara has attempted to fight a more crowd-pleasing style, he's gotten himself into trouble.

Against Alfredo Angulo in June 2013, Lara was dropped twice before he broke the orbital bone over Angulo's right eye and forced the rugged Mexican to submit with a grotesque facial injury. When Lara boxed and moved in that fight, Angulo had nothing for him. Lara got hurt when he got off his toes and tried to trade.

In some ways, Lara is damned if he boxes and damned if he slugs. He doesn't possess the persona necessary to be an attraction with a pure boxing style, and the slugger role doesn't complement his skills.

Against Rodriguez, he'll have an opportunity to take some chances, and he needs to score an impressive knockout win. At 32 years old, Lara is no longer a young prospect. He needs to gain some serious buzz, and fast.

Rodriguez

No one really expects Rodriguez to win. Per Odds Shark, he's a 16-1 underdog. In that sense, he's playing with house money; but in reality, he's at a crossroads in his career. Another loss would officially make him a fighter just hanging on for a paycheck and taking beatings in the process.

He needs to at least have a respectable showing so that he can be taken seriously.

Who Wins?

Barring some sort of miracle, Lara wins this fight pretty easily. Alex McClintock of Queensberry Rules said this about the matchup:

"I think the best we can hope for is for Lara to take advantage of the talent gap and put on an impressive and entertaining performance that keeps his name in the mix with the genuine contenders at junior middleweight."

I couldn't agree more. The only question is: Will Lara open up in search of a spectacular finish or be content to pitch a virtual shutout and win a boring unanimous decision?

I'm betting he goes for the gusto in hopes of attracting a bigger fight and payday the next time out.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

James Kirkland wasn't ready.

He came out looking to take the fight to Saul "Canelo" Alvarez from the opening bell, but Alvarez proved you have to balance the brutality with skills and fundamentals to be most effective.

On Saturday night from Minute Maid Park in Houston, Canelo scored a sensational knockout over Kirkland in the third round of their short, but action-packed, bout. In case you missed it, here's a look at the punch that put Kirkland away, per HBO Boxing on Twitter:

While Canelo might have been momentarily taken aback by Kirkland's aggression in the first minute of the fight, he quickly flipped the switch and showed himself to be the superior fighter.

A combination found its mark on the hard-charging Kirkland's chin and sent him down in the first round. Kirkland was badly hurt in the sequence. While he made it through the round, he hadn't totally regained his faculties into the second round.

Canelo had expended a good amount of energy trying to get Kirkland out of there in the first round, so he backed off of his opponent knowing he'd have a plethora of opportunities to finish shortly thereafter.

It was clear from the Compubox numbers that Kirkland was simply target practice for Canelo.

HBO analyst Roy Jones Jr. compared this bout to the Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao bout from last week.

In the third round, Kirkland seemed to look to go back on the offensive. He started to have some brief success, but he got caught with a well-placed counter uppercut that put him down to a knee. He wasn't hurt as badly as he was in the first round, because he quickly picked up the referee's count.

Kirkland rose to his feet at the count of seven, but he wouldn't be there for long.

Moments later, Canelo feinted to the body with his left jab and came over the top with a smashing overhand right that had Kirkland out before his body hit the canvas. That's the type of performance that sets the 24-year-old Mexican superstar up to become the new pay-per-view king once Mayweather has hung up the gloves.

It seams clear that the best fights for Canelo will be at middleweight. There's no one of note at 154 pounds for him to face—especially on HBO's side of the boxing landscape.

He could challenge Miguel Cotto in his next bout, or even Gennady Golovkin somewhere down the road. Both fights would be high-profile and very intriguing.

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Omar Figueroa and Ricky Burns go head-to-head in a crucial fight for both men in the super lightweight division.

Local boy Figueroa (24-0-1, 18 KO) will be making his debut at 140 pounds in his home state, and Odds Shark indicates he has 1-10 odds of prevailing at the State Farm Arena in Hidalgo, Texas.

However, Burns (37-4-1, 11 KO) can be a tricky customer. He is a two-weight world champion who is desperate to get back on track after winning just once in his last four bouts.

The question is, has the Scotsman had his day or can he rekindle his own career by handing his opponent a first loss? It will be intriguing to find out.

When: Saturday, May 9; 4 p.m. CT/5 p.m. ET/9 p.m. BST

Where: State Farm Arena, Hidalgo, Texas

TV: CBS (US), Sky Sports (UK)

Live Stream: Sky Sports (regional restrictions apply)

Home Comforts

Figueroa was last seen in action against Daniel Estrada last August, retaining his WBC lightweight title in a thrilling bout that saw the champion defy a nasty cut over his left eye.

The wound—sustained in an accidental clash of heads—became infected, per Dan Rafael of ESPN, and his inability to defend the belt led to the WBC stripping him of it.

However, the 25-year-old had already stated before his final defence that he intended to move up in weight.

With less to worry about on the scales, he now has to instead deal with the pressure of performing in front of a home crowd. His brother, Brandon, is also fighting on the same card, making it a real family affair.

Figueroa, though, was adamant at the final press conference that he would be able to cope with the weight of expectation on Saturday:

I definitely feel more pressure but the good kind of pressure. I’ve thrived on pressure my whole life. I was a pitcher for a long time. I was a closer. So I’ve been in situations where it’s bases loaded and we’re down so many runs and I’ve got to keep the game close. This is what I live for.

He also admitted to not watching any footage of his next opponent. It seems he is extremely confident of victory, and beating Burns could open the door to some money-spinning fights in the division.

Burns' Night

It is now or never for Burns, a fighter with an excellent pedigree but whose reputation has been tarnished of late.

A world champion at both super featherweight and lightweight, Rickster has taken the risk of going on the road to try to reignite a career that is in danger of reaching a dead end.

He boasts impressive victories over Michael Katsidis and Kevin Mitchell on his record, though his fourth-round stoppage of the latter in 2012 was his last real convincing performance.

A broken jaw, suffered early in the draw with Raymundo Beltran in 2013, did not help his progress, and he lost his WBO lightweight strap when Terence Crawford travelled to Glasgow, Scotland, to comfortably out-point him.

While the defeat to Crawford was hardly a shock, few expected him to come a cropper against Dejan Zlaticanin in his return. 

A move up was seen as the best route for the future, and he marked his debut at the new weight with a routine—yet far from impressive—points triumph over Alexandre Lepelley in October last year.

At 32, Burns knows a fifth professional loss at this stage of his career could be catastrophic. "I don’t want to contemplate defeat, I am not thinking about it—but there’s no doubt that I need to win this to get back on track and into more big fights," he told Sky Sports.

Prediction

Figueroa could have picked an easier opponent for his first outing in the division.

While Burns has been lacklustre of late, he will have a height (5′10″ vs. 5'7 ½") advantage. At his best, the Brit had the ability to dominate from distance, and he needs to get back to those methods that made him so successful.

If he is sluggish and allows Figueroa to get within range, however, it is tough to see how he causes an upset.

Expect the home favourite to come out on top, though it may be asking too much of him to become the first man to stop his rival.

As for the beaten Burns, expect him to contemplate retirement.

Compelling characters make boxing interesting. We have two ready to square off on Saturday night from Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas, when Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KO) takes on James "Mandingo Warrior" Kirkland (32-1, 28 KO) in what could be a knockdown, drag-out fight.

The chances this one goes the distance seem slim. Kirkland's style is one that almost guarantees a stoppage, one way or the other. He's had only three fights in his career go the scheduled distance.

Alvarez knows what he's in store for against Kirkland. Per Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times, Alvarez said: “Kirkland is very strong and dangerous, a big puncher and I’ve trained so hard I’m prepared to go the distance if I need to. Every fight for me now is dangerous and tough. That’s how I’ve prepared.”

When: Saturday, May 9 at 9 p.m. ET

Where: Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas

TV: HBO

Live Stream: BoxNation (In UK only)

The Heir Apparent

The title of No. 1 Mexican fighter is there for Alvarez to claim. With Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. looking less legendary in every passing fight, Alvarez is in position to be the man. Because of that status, Alvarez also has the chance to become the top pay-per-view star in the sport once Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao have hung up their gloves.

After losing to Mayweather in 2013, Alvarez is looking to establish an identity in the sport. He's fought and won twice since then, but his best showing was against a clearly overmatched Alfredo Angulo in March 2014.

Is Canelo a boxer/puncher or a classic Mexican slugger?

It's unclear if the 24-year-old star from Jalisco, Mexico, even knows who he is just yet. He might not have had a career-defining bout yet in his career. Every fighter needs a signature performance; Alvarez is still searching for his own.

The Thriller

Kirkland will do his part to create something special. There isn't a more dynamic puncher in the sport than the 31-year-old from Austin, Texas.

His 84.85 percent KO rate is impressive. In his career, he's proven to have one-punch KO power and the toughness to get off the canvas and stop an opponent, as he did against Angulo in 2011. It was a Nigel Benn-like performance. Kirkland is not without flaws inside the ring and out.

His lone loss came in what was supposed to be a tuneup bout against Nobuhiro Ishida in 2011 that turned into an embarrassing first-round TKO loss. Since then, Kirkland has won five fights in a row, with none of them going the distance. However, he hasn't fought since 2013, when he stopped Glen Tapia in the sixth round.

Management changes and legal struggles have dogged Kirkland's career. He signed with rapper/boxing promoter 50 Cent in October 2013, but the only fight he's had since is the bout with Tapia. In an interview with Anson Wainwright of Ring.TV, Kirkland says the layoff was due to him turning down undesirable fights.

Previous layoffs in his career have been caused by stints in prison. Since 2003, Kirkland has been in jail twice. There's no disputing his talent, but his unpredictable behavior has stagnated his career.

On Saturday, he has an opportunity to put himself on the fast track to stardom and notoriety. If he can beat Canelo, the entire boxing world will know who James Kirkland is, and it'll be based solely on his in-ring accomplishments, not his crimes outside of it.

Follow Brian Mazique on Twitter

Ask anyone to talk about The Smiths and they might initially recall the famous British music band fronted by Morrissey.

Now, though, there is another group from the north-west of England by the same name who are hitting the right notes. The difference is, instead of using instruments, they are using their fists.

The musical version of The Smiths went their separate ways back in 1987, since when they have only got back together or court dates to sort out legal disputes over royalties.

The boxing Smiths, however, will always share a special bond. They are family, four brothers linked way beyond what happens in a ring.

Products of the well-known Rotunda ABC gym in Liverpool, Margaret's boys enjoyed success as amateurs before choosing to make the move into the professional game. 

Paul Smith is the oldest of the four at 32. He has twice taken reigning WBO super middleweight champion Arthur Abraham the distance, only to eventually lose on points.

Stephen Smith, 29, won a gold medal at the 2006 Commonwealth Games, and since joining the paid ranks, he has been crowned British super featherweight champion.

Callum Smith is the baby of the family, a 24-year-old super middleweight who has wasted little time in compiling a 15-0 record. He is ranked in the Top 10 by the WBC and IBF.

Then there is Liam Smith.

The light middleweight, also known as Beefy, has already won British and Commonwealth titles, though his pro career has been hampered by injuries.

He fought just twice last year, but he has quickly made up for lost time with an impressive start to 2015.

The 26-year-old followed up a stoppage of Robert Talarek in March with a seventh-round TKO of David Ezequiel Romero on April 18, dominating the bout at the Echo Arena in his home city.

Smith now faces a tough, albeit welcome, decision over what to do next.

He can opt to defend the British belt for a third successive time, knowing another triumph would net him the Lonsdale belt outright.

However, Smith has loftier ambitions than just settling for domestic honours.

As he explained to Michael McKenna of the Liverpool Echo before going up against Romero: “We're going to have to make a decision after this fight because maybe I'll go ahead with the Chris Carslaw fight for the British title and then I can get rid of that with no burden on my back—no regrets.”

In the same article, the names of American duo Carson Jones and Cornelius Bundrage are mentioned.

They cropped up again after the defeat of Romero, who showed tremendous courage to climb off the canvas on four occasions before the referee eventually stepped in. Box Nation, Boxing promoter Dave Coldwell and Simon Pearce added their thoughts regarding Smith's future bouts:

Jones (37-10-3, 27 KO) is no stranger to British boxing fans.

At welterweight he pushed Kell Brook to the brink of a first defeat in 2012. Then, in February of this year, he moved up a division to stun Brian Rose inside a round in Blackpool.

Bundrage, meanwhile, is the reigning IBF champion who boasts a career record of 34-5 (19 KO).

But Smith—who won the Amateur Boxing Association of England as a light welterweight back in 2007—is not too impressed by the 41-year-old from Detroit, per Glynn Evans for FrankWarren.com:

I think K9 (Bundrage) has to be the easiest route to a world title, the weakest of the four champions. I don't rate him at all.

Technically, he's very poor. Look at still photos of him and his non-punching hand dangles by his waist.

That said, he's had several good wins over good fighters like Carlos Molina, (Zaurbek) Baysangurov, Cory Spinks twice, and Sechew Powell plus he's a two time world champion. He must be better than he looks.

He's obviously very fit, super strong and he can bang a bit.

Whichever route Smith chooses to take, his future looks bright right now.

Fellow Liverpudlian Tony Bellew was certainly impressed after the victory over the outclassed Romero, judging from his Twitter account in the immediate aftermath to the one-sided contest:

Great to see my 2 Rotunda brothers @JoeSelkirk69 an @LiamBeefySmith shine tonight! Joe was classy an Beef is the most underrated kid in UK!

— Tony Bellew (@TonyBellew) April 18, 2015

Trainer Joe Gallagher admitted to Evans in an article on BoxNation that it would be impossible for him to judge who's the best of the Smiths, though he did say: "They're all outstanding kids, but Liam is possibly the most complete all-rounder."

There seems to be a friendly competition going on between the brothers to see who can be the first member of the family to go on and claim a world title.

Paul has so far come the closest, and Callum has perhaps received the most hype out of the foursome. Liam, however, is coming up fast on the rails.

Brian Rose turned 30 on Sunday, Feb. 15. It is unlikely referee Ian John-Lewis was invited to his party.

The night before his birthday, Rose (26-3-1, 8 KOs) had seen his hopes of getting another shot at a world title left in tatters by what he felt was a premature stoppage by John-Lewis.

The British boxer tried to put a brave face on things on his big day, tweeting a picture as he celebrated reaching a major milestone in his life.

His birthday cake would have tasted even sweeter had he beaten Carson Jones 37-10-3 (27 KOs) just hours earlier. Instead, he probably still had a bitter taste in his mouth following a devastating defeat.

Going into the fight against the American, the Blackpool light-middleweight admitted he could not afford to slip up, telling Bleacher Report that a loss would signal the end of the road.

After falling short in his bid to beat WBO champion Demetrius Andrade last year, Rose made it clear he had no interest in returning to either the domestic or European level.

It was win or bust when he stepped between the ropes to take on Jones—no stranger to British fans following his two clashes with Kell Brook—for the vacant WBC International title.

For the first two minutes, everything seemed to be going to plan for Rose.

The hometown hero almost exclusively flicked out jabs before catching his rival with a short right hand that stunned Jones at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool.

At that stage, it seemed the hard work done during training camp—which Rose described as “the best I’ve ever had” in the build-up—was going to pay off. The dedication and the dieting was set to result in a quick win, allowing him to move on to bigger and better things.

However, the bout turned around when Jones landed a solid right of his own during a dramatic opening round.

The blow caught Rose on the side of the head, and he was briefly wobbled. A left uppercut, followed by another right hand from Jones, saw the local boy looking unsteady on his feet again.

At that point, John-Lewis—a former fighter himself and a highly experienced referee who has been in the middle of many world-title fights—decided he had seen enough.

Rose, who had suffered prolonged punishment at the hands of Andrade before eventually being stopped in the seventh round, had little love for the hug he then received from the official on Valentine’s Day.

After just 147 seconds, the outcome the British boxer had feared the most had become a reality.

By the time the verdict was announced to a rather stunned crowd, local boy Rose was already halfway back to his dressing room.

He made his feelings clear in a post-fight interview, telling Sky Sports: “I’m so annoyed at the referee’s decision, he stood in here 15 minutes before saying he’d give us both a chance if we were hurt. He didn’t give me a chance."

Rose also used his Twitter account to reveal his frustration, as well as suggesting John-Lewis had offered an apology in the immediate aftermath.

It is not the first occasion when the timing of a stoppage has been criticised. It will not be the last, either.

But it has to be remembered that boxing referees are not there just to make sure the rules are observed. They have a duty to look after the fighters, as their safety and well-being are paramount.

To that extent, they must always err on the side of caution. It is a matter of opinion, and on that night, the only opinion that mattered was the one belonging to John-Lewis.

The loss will hurt Rose, but the man nicknamed The Lion can roar again, inspired by what he perceives as an injustice against him.

The defeat doesn’t look like it will end his career. It could, however, end up defining it.

There is nothing Brian Rose would love more on Valentine’s Day this year than another win on his record.

The light middleweight (26-2-1, 8 KOs) will have home advantage when he takes on Carson Jones (36-10-3, 26 KOs) at the Winter Gardens in Blackpool on Feb. 14.

The vacant WBC International title will be on the line. More importantly for Rose, so is his career.

It is a fight that he admits he cannot afford to lose: “My aim is to become a world champion. If I get beaten along the way, and I know I won’t, then I know it is over.”

A failed challenge for the WBO world belt last year has left The Lion hungry for success.

There was no shame in losing to reigning champion Demetrius Andrade. The American has beaten all 21 opponents he has faced so far.

However, what irks Rose is that he did not perform to the best of his abilities.

He admits that he was caught like a “rabbit in the headlights” on that June night at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York.

I hold my hands up—he was the better man. But, the regret I do have is that it wasn’t me in the ring that night. Whether it could have changed the result is a different story, but I just stiffened up.

I always thought that it was a bit of a myth when fighters said they froze in the ring. I thought they used it as a bit of an excuse. Now, though, I understand.

But, rather than be deterred by the setback, Rose has instead been inspired.

He returned to the ring last October in Leeds, recording a routine first-round stoppage over Ignacio Lucero Fraga.

The 29-year-old expects a much sterner test against Jones.

The American is perhaps better known in Britain than he is in his own country, having given reigning IBF welterweight champion Kell Brook a major scare back in 2012.

Jones may have lost the rematch to Brook a year later, but Rose—who has the benefit of being a regular performer at the weight—is anticipating a tough night.

There’s no doubt he’s a good fighter. He’s strong, he likes to come forward and dig a bit.

He is moving up a weight, which could be a telling factor. I’m quite a big light middleweight myself, so I don’t think he’s going to bully me around the ring like most of the welterweights he has fought.

I can’t wait. I’ve done everything right for this camp—I would say it is the best camp I’ve ever had. I just keep getting stronger and stronger.

Rose also has the added boost of facing Jones in his own back yard.

Originally the bout had been due to take place in Manchester in January, but that bill had to be called off because Anthony Crolla—who was due to fight for a world title—was badly injured after confronting burglars.

Now Rose is boxing in Blackpool instead, and he is determined to make sure his dreams of another world-title tilt are not buried at the seaside resort.

All he really wants is a chance at redemption, adding: “When I get back to world level, all I want to deliver is a great performance. If I don’t win, if I fall short, then at least I come out of it with no regrets.”

Rob Lancaster is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report. Unless otherwise noted, all quotations in this article were obtained via interview.

Punishing sluggers Saul Alvarez and James Kirkland are set to lock horns later this year, and the ensuing violence is already simmering hotter than Canelo's cinnamon-red hair.

Originally announced via Alvarez's official Twitter account, Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya confirmed some of the details Saturday, via ESPN.com's Dan Rafael:

The scheduled 12-round bout, which will be at a contracted maximum weight of 155 pounds, likely will take place May 2 either at the Alamodome in San Antonio or the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, De La Hoya said.

De La Hoya said the fight will be live on HBO, not on pay-per-view.

This isn't the first time, however, a fight between these two men has been announced. They were set to fight in September 2012 before Kirkland pulled out with a shoulder injury.

He hasn't stepped foot inside the ring in more than a year for one reason (money) or another (it's the money) since beating Glen Tapia in late 2013.

So long as he pulls through this time around (which, admittedly, is no guarantee), a fight between him and Canelo promises serious action. 

It's not the Mexico vs. Puerto Rico superfight between Alvarez and Miguel Cotto that fell apart for good last week, but it will do.

Explosive

Canelo Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KO) is a boxer-puncher by trade but a seething warrior by heart. 

In his 46 professional fights, he has faced a wide array of opposition from complex southpaws (Erislandy Lara, Austin Trout) to former world and European-level champions (Shane Mosley, Ryan Rhodes).

But he's yet to square off with a real puncher of merit like Kirkland.

Familiar with The Mandingo Warrior's exciting style, De La Hoya continued to tell Rafael what he plans to name the event: "We'll probably call the fight 'Explosive,' because that is exactly what it will be."

Kirkland (32-1, 28 KO) has a penchant for violence that's been sorely missed.

His 28 knockouts include handing Joel Julio the first stoppage loss of his career and two incredible displays of power over granite-chinned brawlers Brian Vera and Alfredo Angulo.

Kirkland is a vicious southpaw who can send world-class boxers to the canvas with either hand. Two left hands knocked the swarming nightmare Carlos Molina down late in their fight, and a spectacular left uppercut-overhand right combo did the same to Vera.

All the same, Alvarez possesses his own two-fisted attack and 31 knockouts to his name. The Mexican superstar is a stinging combination puncher whom striking analyst Jack Slack described as "one of the more creative offensive fighters in the world."

When he opens fire on Kirkland, though, the Texas native will have more artillery to send back than any opponent Canelo has ever faced.

This fight has warfare written all over it.

"El Perro" Angulo

Canelo is no stranger to fighting southpaws, earning (albeit close) decision wins over "No Doubt" Trout and the slick Lara. Kirkland, never the technician those former titlists are, might be tailor-made for the more accurate-punching Mexican. And he's always been a bit chinny, especially in the early rounds.

Kirkland's infamous upset knockout loss to Nobuhiro Ishida in 2011 came in the first round. It was a pair of right crosses that felled him twice.

It's the same punch that Allen Conyers and "El Perro" Angulo dropped him with in Round 1 of their fights.

Not to be mistaken as delicate, The Mandingo Warrior lived up to his moniker to storm back to win both of those bouts, thanks in large to fine conditioning under trainer Ann Wolfe.

His scuffle against Angulo—the only common opponent between Kirkland and Canelo—was particularly thrilling.

After hitting the deck in the first minute of the fight, Kirkland managed to survive the ensuing onslaught from Angulo and even send the Mexican toppling over to the ground to close what ESPN.com and The Queensbury Rules boxing blog called the best round of 2011.

The remaining five rounds were all Kirkland, as he blasted El Perro with relentless combinations until referee Johnny Callas had no choice but to call an end to the bout.

Alvarez, too, owns a TKO over Angulo. There was no back-and-forth action in this one, though—it was a straight bludgeoning. Angulo found virtually zero success against his younger, swifter opponent.

The end came in Round 10 by way of a sky-piercing uppercut that shook Angulo so badly he seemed to freeze in time.

Destructive wins over such a case-hardened combatant are a testament to Alvarez and Kirkland's KO prowess.

Remember the Alamo

As De La Hoya mentioned, the announced contest doesn't yet have an official home. But taking the fight to San Antonio, Texas, makes too much sense to pass up. 

It would also fall in line with what Steve Kim of the Undisputed Champion Network tweeted about Golden Boy Promotions and how it should set up some big fights this year in the home of the Alamo: 

Alvarez has fought in San Antonio before. A ruckus crowd nearing 40,000 flocked to the Alamodome to see him and Trout clash in 2013. 

Growing up an hour way in Austin, Kirkland is also familiar with the Alamo City, fighting three times there—including his professional debut.

Some of the greatest fighters of all time make up the Alamodome's rich boxing history. Champions of lore like Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, Evander Holyfield, Julio Cesar Chavez and Pernell Whitaker have exhibited their gloved expertise in the stadium.

Canelo guarantees big attendance numbers just about anywhere he goes. That's especially true in San Antonio, and the surefire melee set to go down against Kirkland would be a welcome addition to the city's fistic history.