Showtime boxing head displeased after ‘Canelo’ Alvarez signs with HBO

Three weeks ago, the executive who runs Showtime’s boxing operation, Stephen Espinoza, said he received a proposal for a multifight, multiyear package to televise the bouts of popular Mexican fighter Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

“We accepted it,” Espinoza said. “And [Alvarez promoter] Oscar [De La Hoya] said, ‘Canelo’s going to be here for several years and we’ll fly him up for a celebratory dinner [in New York].’ ”

That meal will not be happening.

On Tuesday, De La Hoya announced the 24-year-old Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 knockouts), who starred alongside Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the highest-grossing pay-per-view fight in history in September 2013 on Showtime, is returning to HBO after a five-fight stint.

Sources close to the situation said the HBO deal will begin in December with Alvarez fighting a light-middleweight bout either Dec. 6 in Houston or Dec. 13 in San Antonio, against likely foe Joshua Clottey, with heavy-handed James Kirkland still in outside contention.

“The announcement didn’t come as any surprise to me because Oscar has talked since July about wanting to having ‘Canelo’ fight Miguel Cotto in May with HBO fighters on the undercard,” Espinoza said. “But the deceitful manner Oscar went about it … [as if] there’s no repercussions to this promise that was reneged on with a company you do business with.”

Espinoza admitted he told De La Hoya recently he wouldn’t pay a $4-million license fee for Alvarez to fight Clottey, whose reputation in big fights is marred by his 2010 performance against Manny Pacquiao in Dallas, when he covered up for the duration of the bout and was routed by decision.

Espinoza wanted Kirkland to be the foe, but said he didn’t believe his stance was a deal killer, assessing that De La Hoya wanted to chart his own course after taking back control of his company following the resignation of Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer.

“Everyone at HBO is excited to welcome back ‘Canelo’ Alvarez to the HBO family, and we can’t wait to reintroduce him to our subscribers,” Ken Hershman, president of HBO Sports, said in a statement. “ ‘Canelo’ has already established himself as one of the boxing world’s brightest stars, and we look forward to a long and mutually beneficial relationship as we embark on this new chapter together.”

Meanwhile, the jilted Espinoza, a former Golden Boy attorney who grew closer to Schaefer in recent years, said De La Hoya acted in a manner similar to the way he did in rejecting a Showtime fight versus Adonis Stevenson for light-heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins over the summer and turning to Sergey Kovalev, who fights on HBO.

“Not that different. … I didn’t get a good explanation, found out about it on Twitter,” Espinoza said. “Late last night, after it was becoming public, I got a voicemail.”

In a prepared statement, Alvarez said, “For all of my career, I have wanted to fight on HBO for one main reason. I believe it will allow more of my fans to see me in action. Today marks a huge milestone for me, and I look forward to a long and successful partnership with HBO.”

Industry sources say Alvarez generated 360,000 pay-per-view buys earlier this year against Alfredo Angulo, and around 325,000 buys vs. Erislandy Lara in July, a bout that competed against the World Cup.

“We’re proud of the work we did with ‘Canelo’ in establishing him as pay-per-view star,” Espinoza said. “I’ve heard Cotto’s fight with [Sergio] Martinez did 230,000 buys on HBO. If he thinks that’s a better route … ”

Most of Golden Boy’s other major fighters are managed by powerful Al Haymon, who has a better relationship with Showtime.

“I’m disappointed in how Golden Boy conducted these negotiations, but I’m not expecting sweeping changes after this,” Espinoza said.