Light heavyweight world titleholder Eleider “Storm” Alvarez has joined the Top Rank stable.
The company on Thursday announced that it has entered into a multiyear agreement with Yvon Michel, Alvarez’s longtime promoter, to co-promote Alvarez.
The first bout of the deal will be Alvarez’s rematch with former world titlist Sergey Kovalev in the main event of Top Rank’s previously announced card on Feb. 2 (ESPN/ESPN Deportes, 10 p.m. ET, ESPN+, 12 a.m. ET) at the Ford Center at the Star — the training facility of the Dallas Cowboys — in Frisco, Texas.
“I am really proud of this agreement. I am thankful to (Michel) for always believing in me. I am also grateful that Top Rank and ESPN demonstrate trust and confidence in my talent,” Alvarez said. “I can’t wait to show the world that I am a great champion.”
Alvarez was trailing on all three scorecards when he rallied to score three knockdowns in the seventh round for an upset knockout victory against Kovalev to win the 175-pound belt on Aug. 4 in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Kovalev (32-3-1, 28 KOs) quickly exercised his contractual right to an immediate rematch and his promoter, Main Events, made a deal with Top Rank to place the bout on an ESPN card when HBO, Kovalev’s longtime television home, passed on the fight and eventually ended it’s boxing involvement earlier this month.
“The world discovered Eleider Alvarez last August in Atlantic City, with his speed, athleticism, strength and stamina. Soon, his personality will transcend his WBO title and the world will discover he has all it takes to be a great star,” Michel said. “We are very happy to join Top Rank’s team in Alvarez’s quest for fame and achievement.”
Top Rank chairman Bob Arum has been looking to sign top fighters now that the company has dozens of ESPN dates to fill. He said he was pleased to iron out a deal with Michel to work with Alvarez.
“Eleider Alvarez showed he had the heart of a true champion when he came back to knock out Sergey Kovalev,” Arum said. “We look forward to working with Yvon Michel and his team to bring Eleider the biggest and best fights, which starts Feb. 2 with the Kovalev rematch.”
Alvarez (24-0, 12 KOs), 34, a 2008 Olympian for his native Colombia, has boxed out of Montreal throughout his pro career. He also owns wins against Quebec stars Jean Pascal, a former light heavyweight world champion, and Lucian Bute, a former super middleweight titleholder, as well as longtime light heavyweight contender Isaac Chilemba.
Alvarez’s signing with Top Rank puts into play the likelihood of an eventual title unification with the Top Rank-promoted light heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk (16-0, 13 KOs), 31, of Russia, who won a sanctioning body title and the lineal championship by knocking out Adonis Stevenson in the 11th round on Dec. 1.
Another potential opponent for Alvarez down the road is super middleweight world titleholder Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez, who is also with Top Rank. Ramirez (39-0, 25 KOs), 27, a southpaw from Mexico, won a majority decision over Jesse Hart in their rematch on Dec. 14 to retain his belt for the fifth time and then said afterward that he planned to move up to the light heavyweight division.