Former WBO light heavyweight champion Eleider Alvarez is planning to continue his career, after mulling the scenario of retiring from the sport.

Back on August 22nd, Alvarez was viciously knocked out by Joe Smith at the MGM Grand's Conference Center in Las Vegas.

In the fight, Alvarez's performance was lackluster and he was losing the majority of the contest before the end came in the ninth round.

After the fight with Smith, Alvarez's head trainer, Marc Ramsay, called on his boxer to retire from the sport.

Ramsay explained that Alvarez, over the course of the last two years, was showing obvious signs of a major physical slowdown.

Alvarez (25-2, 13 KOs) has a lot of respect for his trainer and the two of them have discussed the subject of fighting in 2021.

“I spoke with him after the fight. And a week or two later, we ate together. I have a good relationship with Marc," Alvarez revealed to La Presse.

"My whole professional career, I've done it with him. I'm not criticizing him for his statements, I respected that. But I told him I honestly didn't want to end my career like this. He understands. I have a good friendship with him. It's more than just trainer and boxer, the relationship we have."

Regardless, Ramsay has not changed his mind and he does not regret his comments. But he doesn't want to let Alvarez down.

“It's kind of my duty, it was I who brought him here to Canada. We have come all this way together. I don't mind going in there with him, and at the same time it allows me to have a closer eye on the unfolding than if he were in another gym.

"We don't want to lecture him, we just want to help him get through it. We will do it together. No problem, we're a team." 

Alvarez is working harder to keep his weight in check. He reportedly showed up at the last few training camps around 215-pounds, and had to work extremely hard to get down to 175. At the moment, Alvarez is around 195, 200. He is training, but quietly, and he will continue until the end of the year.