Chris Eubank Jr or Conor Benn could land a mega showdown with Canelo Alvarez if they win in their grudge fight.
That is according to Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh, who has plotted a sensational route to a fight with the pound-for-pound superstar Alvarez in 2026.
Eubank Jr and Benn will meet in an all-British bitter grudge match at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on April 26.
The stakes couldn’t be higher with the pair looking to defend their fathers’ legacies, given Nigel and Chris Sr met in two high-profile fights in 1990 and 1993.
But incredibly, Alalshikh has raised the stakes further by suggesting the victor will be thrust into a showdown with Alvarez, which could land early in 2026.
He told Sky Sports: “Whoever is the winner, we are working in the future to have him fight against Canelo.
“If Eubank wins, he will have the chance to do Canelo at the beginning of 2026.
“We have two big conferences, one in Manchester on Tuesday, and one in London on Thursday, it will be huge.
“And I think it will be a great fight. And also the undercard is strong.
“The result of this fight and the undercard will impact the future of our cards.”
Alvarez recently signed a four-fight deal with Alalshikh.
The first of the four outings will come against William Scull in an undisputed clash in May, in which he is an overwhelming favourite.
He will then take on Terence Crawford in September in a huge undisputed clash at 168lbs in Las Vegas, a blockbuster between two pound-for-pound greats.
If he wins again, a route is clearly being mapped out for Eubank Jr or Benn to make the step-up to meet Alvarez.
Eubank Jr has regularly fought at super-middleweight, and even held talks with the Mexican last year over a title clash.
But they broke down and he instead fought Kamil Szeremeta in a tune-up fight to prepare for his upcoming tilt with Benn.
His rival is naturally a welterweight, so it would be a monumental step-up of around 21lbs to face Alvarez.
Although ‘The Destroyer’ will already meet Eubank Jr at the middleweight limit of 160lbs.
It is a hotly anticipated fight and now the pair will know that a win could propel their name into new stardom, and into an immediate mega-money fight.
And Benn’s promoter Eddie Hearn is training like never before to settle the scores in London.
He told talkSPORT: “Honestly, I’ve never seen anyone train like Conor Benn.
“We live in an age where they like to document their work. Conor Benn is training like a man possessed.
“I think Chris Eubank’s on the beach at the minute. He hits pads for about 30 seconds and then puts it out on Instagram.
“Conor Benn’s so wound up. He ain’t gonna listen to me.
“When they get face-to-face, all bets are off, anything can happen.
“The reality is, when they come face-to-face next week, Conor Benn wants it on sight now, not April 26th. He’s ready to go.”
