Turki Alalshikh says he will not be held hostage by Canelo Alvarez’s demands as talks over a Terence Crawford fight remain in the background.
Alvarez will box Edgar Berlangaon September 14 during Mexican Independence Day. The news meant Canelo vs. David Benavidez was off the table, as the Mexican Monster moved up to 175 pounds. Canelo demanded $150-200 million to fight Benavidez, which never came as the Saudis were not interested in putting up those numbers. Canelo’s decision to fight Berlanga on September 14 also got Turki’s attention.
It will clash with UFC 306, which has been labelled Riyadh Season Noche UFC due to the Saudis sponsoring it. The UFC is likely to get more ratings as it is the first fight at The Sphere. In addition, the headline event of Sean O’Malley vs. Merab Dvalishvili is much more competitive than Canelo’s fight. Alalshikh had plenty to say about Canelo moving forward.
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“I’ll give Canelo what I think is a fair price. If he accepts it, he deals directly with me to finish the deal. We will eat him…I guaranteed Crawford a big fight. I want Canelo for Crawford, and Crawford wants Canelo. But if Canelo is crazy [asking for too much money], I will still guarantee Crawford any fight he wants,” Turki Alalshikh said
Canelo’s decision not to face his IBF mandatory William Scull means he is no longer undisputed. The Mexican’s ability to secure a larger purse will be impacted somewhat since he is not undisputed. With Canelo recognizing he is at the latter end of his career, there is a clear plan to take the least risky fights for the most money. He has already won titles in four-weight classes and will go down as a future Hall of Famer.
Aside from Benavidez, Canelo beat the toughest boxer of his era three times when he took on GGG. That was a perfect response to getting beat by Floyd Mayweather, who is one of the best of all time. While the Dmitry Bivol defeat was a setback, Canelo’s CV spans over 60 fights, showing he has faced all kinds of opponents. A Crawford fight is the last likely big bout he can take. His other options are too risky.
David Morrell Jr. may see his long-term future at 175 instead of 168, which is a risky fight regardless, as he is a knockout artist. Christian Mbilli is another knockout artist who has called out Alvarez. If Canelo did not pursue the Benavidez fight, facing Morell or Mbilli for less money makes no sense.
Alvarez was initially against the idea of fighting Crawford, saying he gets no credit for beating a 147 fighter. But if the money is a fight, Alvarez could be swayed. Crawford’s trainer, Brian McIntyre, expects his fighter to beat Canelo.
“Canelo has been in the game long enough to know what he’s doing… If [Crawford] does get Canelo right after the Madrimov fight, [Canelo] might just be in a little bit of trouble. Because [Crawford] has got that rhythm, he’s into that rhythm, into his groove. It’s a good thing for Terence,” Bomac stated
‼️ His Excellency Turki Alalshikh has confirmed that he intends to make Canelo Alvarez an official offer for the Terence Crawford fight next: “I will give Canelo what I think is a fair price. If he accepts it, he deals directly with me to finish the deal. I don't want anyone in… pic.twitter.com/vf6agOrI4W
— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) July 27, 2024
