'Let's do it Cinco de Mayo': Canelo agrees to long-awaited rematch with Golovkin for May 2018

According to Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez, Canelo Alvarez has agreed to a rematch with middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin for 5 May, 2018 — the Mexican holiday of Cinco de Mayo.

The two middleweight fighters collided in their much-awaited title fight encounter on 16 September in a boxing bout that did not disappoint.

The verdict of the judges soured what was a remarkable 12-round fight though, as the contest was decided as a split-decision draw, with many in the combat world picking Golovkin as the winner.

Talks for a rematch in 2018 on Cinco de Mayo were immediate as many felt it was best to capitalise on the momentum and attention that such a fight received.

However, negotiations had stalled, with Golovkin's promoter Tom Loeffler stating that if a rematch was not finalised by December, the sequel would not happen in May.

However, Gomez, who claimed earlier this month that Canelo will be presented with all the details and will make a decision, now says the Mexican has agreed to a fight.

"We had been thinking about doing it sooner, maybe March," Gomez said, as quoted on BoxingScene.

"We had some other ideas but now 'Canelo' came back and said, 'Let's do it Cinco de Mayo.'"

As for where the rematch will take place, there are many options with Golovkin's camp preferring not to do it in Las Vegas again due to the judges, although they would still be fine with fighting in Sin City.

"The venue is up in the air," Gomez added. "Jerry Jones (owner of the Dallas Cowboys and AT&T Stadium) came back and wants to meet with us."

"Madison Square Garden wants to meet with us. They've told us, 'Look, we're serious, we really want the rematch, we want an opportunity to meet.' We're going to give them an opportunity to sit down and meet with them."

Regardless of all the options, Gomez admits it is hard to compete with Vegas, currently the fight capital of the world.

"Yes, it's hard to compete with Vegas," Gomez explained. "The amenities in Vegas are unmatched around the world."

"There's so many amenities and there's a reason why these high rollers come in and you charge bigger ticket prices — but that's because of the amenities. How many suites do they have in Vegas? The entertainment, the restaurants, the gambling, everything."