Those hoping to see Crawford vs. Canelo will be disappointed to learn that it’s off the list of fight Saudi power broker Turki Alalshikh is interested in promoting
Saudi Arabian boxing broker Turki Alalshikh has announced his plans for 2024-2025, and they do not include Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fighting Terence “Bud” Crawford.
In the lead-up to Crawford’s tough battle against Israil Madrimov at 154 pounds this past weekend, Alalshikh had regularly suggested Crawford vs. Canelo was the fight he was working towards. But while Crawford defeated Madrimov via decision to win the WBA junior middleweight title, he didn’t look dominant. Perhaps that has the Saudis reconsidering the 168 pound Alvarez.
“Just wrapped up an important meeting now with my team, planning for the upcoming fights that we will make for 2024-2025,” Alalshikh wrote on social media. “I decided to disregard the Canelo fight, as I don’t want it anymore. Instead, I will be focusing for the US market with bigger fights, especially for the legend Crawford.”
Canelo Alvarez thinks Terence Crawford lost his fight against Israil Madrimov
“For me I think he lost, he lost the fight or draw”
(via @DanCanobbio h/t @EverythingBoxi2) pic.twitter.com/Fd1rDBOIA6
— COMBAT SPORTS TODAY (@CSTodayNews) August 5, 2024
“Additionally, I will support making fights for Boots, Haney, Shakur, Ortiz, Anderson, Benavidez, Zepeda and more,” he added. “Regarding Tim Tszyu, there’s something unclear with the communications from his team with our team, so I believe I will reconsider his situation.”
“For the rest of the world, definitely, I am focusing on Riyadh Season card, Wembley edition 21st of September (AJ versus Dubois) and depending on the results, and the results of Riyadh Season’s opening card (Bivol versus Beterbiev) on the 12th of October, I will build the card for the rematch of Fury versus Usyk on the 21st of December and another big card on the first quarter of 2025. Stay tuned.”
No word yet on if Alalshikh will go back to the well with Francis Ngannou after “The Predator” lost his second boxing match to Anthony Joshua via second round knockout back in March.
Alalshikh revitalized the world of heavyweight boxing by finally setting up matches between many top fighters in Riyadh. The Crawford fight was the first major ‘Riyadh Season’ event to take place outside of Saudi Arabia, and it seems like there will be many more to come as Turki looks to unify a fragmented boxing scene using his hefty purse strings.