"I want to fight both Charlo brothers... Spence and Gennadiy Golovkin" - Erislandy Lara on next fight
Erislandy Lara has stated that he is open to fighting one of the Charlo brothers, Errol Spence Jr. or Gennady Golovkin next. He would also not rule out a fight against Danny Garcia or Keith Thurman.
Lara is coming off a spectacular victory against Gary O'Sullivan which took place last Saturday at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn. The Cuban stopped O'Sullivan in the eighth round to retain his WBA Middleweight Championship.
Now, at the age of 39, 'The American Dream' is looking for a lucrative fight to cement his legacy and end his career on a high. Erislandy Lara controversially lost to Canelo Alvarez back in 2014 after many believed he outboxed the pound-for-pound superstar and deserved the victory.
Here's what Lara said in an interview with Boxing Scene:
“I want to fight both Charlo brothers, either one, as well as I would love to welcome Danny Garcia to his new weight class at some form of a catchweight. If Keith Thurman wants to fight the best, I am very open to doing a catchweight bout with him too."
He added:
"Errol Spence and Gennady Golovkin are two names I would love to fight as well. I know I am one of the best fighters in the world."
Lara: I Want To Fight Both Charlos, GGG - Thurman or Garcia at Catch-Weight dlvr.it/SRZD7D https://t.co/LOaOlHuLsX
Who will Erislandy Lara fight next?
Erislandy Lara fights in the same division as Jermall Charlo. The American is set to defend his WBC Middleweight Championship against against Maciej Sulecki on June 18. If 'Hitman' comes through this test, a unification bout against Lara could be made in late 2022 or early 2023.
Meanwhile, Jermell Charlo recently became undisputed at 154 lbs after defeating Brian Castano back on May 15. It remains to be seen if he will defend his belts at Light Middleweight or choose to move up to 160 lbs.
Spence, on the other hand, is looking to become undisputed at welterweight by scheduling a fight against Terence Crawford this year. However, 'The Truth' has stated that he would like to move up in weight in the future so a bout against Lara is plausible down the line.
Gennady Golovkin will face Canelo Alvarez in a trilogy bout on September 17 so there is no chance Lara will fight 'GGG' next. Regardless of the Kazahks results against Alvarez, he will keep his belts at middleweight which may lead to him defending his belts in 2023.
Finally, Danny Garcia and Keith Thurman are currently campaigning at 147 pounds. Hence, if Lara is to fight either, it will be at a catchweight. Neither have a fight scheduled and time will tell whether one of them decides to take a risk and challenge Erislandy Lara for his middleweight belt.