It’s understandable. Given its scale, the despair would be widespread. It’s not every day that one gets an opportunity to see two pound-for-pound best boxers in the world settling for a momentous clash.
For a little while, it appeared that the fight between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez was a done deal. But bad tidings weren’t far. It became clear – the September clash between the two former undisputed kings has been scrapped.
New developments have been unfolding. Perhaps the most prominent being a potential Cinco de Mayo matchup between Canelo Alvarez and Jake Paul. However, a few reports suggest it may not be all over with the Canelo-Crawford duel. Hopes received a major boost when fans came across a few cryptic messages from HE Turki Alalshikh, Alvarez, and later, Crawford. So fans can keep their fingers crossed. There’s power in faith. Given the nitty-gritty of the interaction, their patience might be rewarded with some good news.
JUST IN: “It’ll Shock The World”: Terence Crawford Officially Announces Who He Will Fight Next
“Don’t mess with the lion 🦁… 4 fights for Canelo with Riyadh Season … ” wrote HE Turki Alalshikh. The two sides even appear to have reached an agreement. Using the laws of the jungle as a metaphor, the Riyadh Season head emphasized that strong, confident people don’t worry about what insignificant people think of them. The real challenge isn’t the environment or the circumstances, but the powerful individual within it, HE Alalshikh added further.
Canelo Alvarez couldn’t have disagreed with the powerful message. The Nebraskan southpaw appeared a bit more circumspect. “I’m waiting on Canelo in September and going to shock the world in Riyadh Season!” he said.
The Ring magazine updated a few details about the Canelo-Riyadh Season deal. “Turki Alalshikh has revealed a four-fight deal between Canelo Alvarez and Riyadh Season is done. Alalshikh has also shared that the first fight will be held in Riyadh in May,” read the esteemed publication’s post.
‼️ Turki Alalshikh has revealed a four-fight deal between Canelo Alvarez and Riyadh Season is done. Alalshikh has also shared that the first fight will be held in Riyadh in May.
🥊 The Ring has learned of the following plan:
🇸🇦 Fight in Riyadh in May
🇺🇸 Big fight in Las Vegas… pic.twitter.com/9OUxdqxdLg— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) February 7, 2025
As it laid out further details about the matchups that extend up to October 2026, perhaps the one that must have caught the maximum attention would have been the second fixture. It was clearly mentioned. “Big fight in Las Vegas vs. Terence Crawford in September.” So the fight is still on the table.
Given the overall confusion, one could take some help from Mike Coppinger‘s tweet. Shedding light on what may have transpired, the boxing insider shared that Canelo vs. Jake Paul was nearly confirmed, but not quite done. However, “Canelo Alvarez has instead closed a four-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh and Riyadh Season to salvage the Terence Crawford mega fight in September.”
But what happens to Jake Paul? ‘The Problem Child’ may have already fired the opening shot! According to Coppinger, for the May fixture, two options – Jermall Charlo and Bruno Surace – are currently being looked at. Then after the Crawford epic, for the two remaining bouts potentially scheduled for 2026, Alvarez may begin with a rematch against Dmitry Bivol. Later he could pick either Hamzah Sheeraz or even Chris Eubank Jr.
So fans need not lose heart. As much as they take delight in fixed schedules, the phase preceding the fights may often appear chaotic and often boring.
