Canelo Alvarez-Gennady Golovkin deal ‘very close,’ executive says

The president of Canelo Alvarez’s promotional company said Monday that talks to stage a rematch against Gennady Golovkin in May are “very close” to a conclusion.

Eric Gomez told The Times by text message Monday morning that he has only “a few items left to discuss with” Golovkin promoter Tom Loeffler to seal the deal.

“He’s traveling now, waiting for a reply,” Gomez, the president of Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions, told The Times.

Loeffler told The Times last week that he was hopeful a deal could be reached by the end of this week.

One of the possible snags to striking the deal was the outcome of Saturday night’s World Boxing Organization middleweight title defense by England’s Billy Joe Saunders against Golden Boy fighter and former International Boxing Federation champion David Lemieux of Canada.

But Lemieux was trounced via unanimous decision and Saunders, even though he’s called for a bout against Mexico’s most popular fighter, won’t be able to generate the revenue for Alvarez that Golovkin will.

In September, former two-division champion Alvarez and unbeaten, three-belt middleweight champion Golovkin fought to an entertaining draw at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

“Our main goal is the rematch, not thinking of Saunders,” Gomez said.