Billy Joe Saunders ‘close’ to agreeing deal for Canelo Alvarez fight with date revealed, according to Eddie Hearn

Eddie Hearn has declared that a deal for Canelo Alvarez vs Billy Joe Saunders is 'close' to being agreed.

The super-middleweights previously agreed terms to meet last May, but the pandemic ruined these plans.

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They were unable to resurrect a deal for later in 2020 and so both men instead returned in separate fights in December.

Canelo secured his free agency and teamed up with Eddie Hearn for the Callum Smith fight, which he won to claim the WBA and WBC super-middleweight world titles.

Two weeks prior, Saunders defended his WBO super-middleweight title by defeating Martin Murray.

Now, the Mexican is hoping to get his WBC mandatory Avni Yildirim out of the way on February 27, before pursuing the other belts in his weight division.

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It was previously reported that Hearn is on the verge of sealing a two-fight deal with Canelo to stage the Yildirim fight and then potentially Saunders on May 8.

The latter bout will only be finalised if Billy Joe agrees terms.

Regarding this, Hearn told : "The path is really clear for Billy Joe Saunders to fight Canelo Alvarez.

"We've just got to try and agree a deal with him to do that.

"We are at a stage now where we don't have the guarantees of the major gates and a lot of fighters are taking less money.

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"That's not really a conversation that you enjoy having with Billy Joe Saunders.

"He feels that he can win the fight, but he also wants to be rewarded for the fight, I understand.

"So we've got to try and reach a deal with him, which we're close to doing.

"He really needs that fight too, but he's not just gonna take it by any means necessary.

"But if Billy believes he wins that fight, which I believe he thinks he does, and I think he's got a great shot in the fight, then he needs to take the opportunity.

"Hopefully we can get him over the line for that fight on Cinco de Mayo weekend."