Canelo-Golovkin III targeted for May 4

Canelo Alvarez could face Gennady Golovkin for a third time in 2019.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya revealed in an interview with ESPN 97.5 in Houston that negotiations are underway to stage a trilogy bout between Alvarez and Golovkin.

Alvarez, who handed Golovkin his first professional loss in a majority decision to unify two middleweight world titles in September 2018, is coming off a third-round knockout of Rocky Fielding in December to win a secondary 168-pound title.

Canelo is slated to return to the ring on May 4th, Cinco De Mayo weekend, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas -- the same venue that hosted their first two epic clashes.

Golovkin and Canelo fought to a controversial split draw in their first fight in September 2017. A majority of ringside observers thought Golovkin won. It was the same with the second bout, although it was a closer affair than their first meeting.

Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KO's), 36, a Kazakhstan native training out of Big Bear, California, is still a network free agent, with Al Haymon's Premier Boxing Champions, DAZN, and ESPN all showing interest in signing him. According to Boxing Scene's Keith Idec, PBC has made the strongest offer of the candidates. It has been reported that Golovkin could be paid as much as $10 million for the equivalent of a tune-up fight.

The fate of a third Canelo fight likely sits on this decision. Alvarez signed a record-breaking five-year, 11-fight, $365 million deal with new sports streaming giant DAZN in October and Golovkin inking a deal with Haymon would likely end any chance of a trilogy from happening.

Alvarez is expected to return to the middleweight division after his one-off with Fielding, but he has also said that he is open to the possibility of other bouts between 160 and 168-pounds.