Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez

BOXING

Canelo Alvarez Finally Reveals The Real Reason He Refuses To Fight David Benavidez

By Admin January 23, 2025

A fight between Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez and David Benavidez looks further away than ever.

Benavidez, the youngest super-middleweight champion in history, looked to win back a world title by fighting to a mandatory spot for Canelo, who has largely dominated the division since moving up in 2018.

Despite winning the WBC Interim belt, Benavidez failed to force the fight, with Canelo saying he ‘brings nothing to the table’ and slapping a $200 million price tag on the bout.

READ: Terence Crawford Made to Swallow Bitter Pill Over Canelo Alvarez Fight Conditions

In order to push forward in his campaign, Benavidez has now moved up to light-heavyweight and looks unlikely to drop back down. Though Alvarez has fought twice in that division, a jump up to face Benavidez looks unlikely for now. Why?

Speaking to The Ring Magazine, the unified super-middleweight champ was asked if ‘disrespect’ from Benavidez factored into his decision not to pursue the fight.

“Yeah. You know, at this point I fight with everybody, with champions, with all the best. When somebody approach you like that, and call you out like that, you don’t need to give them money. Like I say, I can do whatever I want. I just don’t like the way he approaches taking the fight.”

Benavidez calling Canelo ‘a f***ing pussy’ in his latest interview won’t help matters.

In contrast, the Mexican superstar believes Terence Crawford, who is now reported to be very close to landing the bout, has called him out in the correct way.

“He’s wanted the fight and being respectful. ‘I want Canelo.’ He’s saying nothing bad about me.”

Canelo did not rule out facing Benavidez in the future.

“You never know. Maybe someday I wake up and I say I want to beat this guy.”

For now, though, he appears to be closing in on announcing a fight against Crawford for later this year. The American will have to move up two divisions from his last outing for the pleasure.

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BOXING

Turki Alalshikh lines up next fights for Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and Francis Ngannou

By Admin December 4, 2024

Turki Alalshikh is continuing to line up prospective opponents for two of the fight game’s greatest stars, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, and Francis Ngannou.

Canelo has been a pound-for-pound stalwart for years, and remains the clear No.1 fighter in the super middleweight division. He is yet to fight in Saudi Arabia, or under a Riyadh Season umbrella, but Alalshikh has spoken warmly of the boxer, and is steadfast in his belief regarding whom the Mexican bruiser should box next.

Ngannou, meanwhile, has fought three times under Alalshikh’s remit due to his two-fight swing in boxing, in which he floored Tyson Fury in a shocking scene but lost to the heavyweight via narrow decision. Anthony Joshua then knocked Ngannou out in two rounds, before the the former UFC champion returned to the cage and destroyed Renan Ferreira in a PFL Super-Fight. All three fights took place in Saudi Arabia.

JUST IN: ‘He Has A Little Health Issue’ – Terence Crawford Suffers An Injury

Alalshikh has long regarded Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford as the ideal opponent to fight Canelo, yet has faced resistance as Alvarez focused on his September opponent Edgar Berlanga, whom he beat by decision.

With his ruthless thrashing of Errol Spence Jr. last year, Crawford secured one of the most significant wins of boxing’s modern era, and followed the knockout with a decision win over Israil Madrimov atop a Riyadh Season-sponsored card in Los Angeles that GIVEMESPORT attended in August. Alalshikh remains interested in Crawford, and, during an interview Tuesday on DAZN, spoke of his desire to see the American fight Canelo.

“I don’t know anyone now from the Canelo team, and I don’t have any connection, but if he’s hearing me, we are ready to discuss. But I want to discuss [with] him directly, without anyone in the middle.”

Canelo & Terence Crawford’s pro boxing records (as of 3/12/24)
	Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez	Terence Crawford
Fights	66	41
Wins	62 (39 by KO)	41 (31 by KO)
Losses	2	0
Draws	2	0

In the same interview, Alalshikh discussed Ngannou’s possible future, and said that, if the PFL champion were to return to a boxing ring rather than an MMA cage, then he’d like to see the Cameroon slugger compete against America’s thunderous puncher Deontay Wilder.

“I need to sit with Wilder [for] two minutes to see his condition.” said Alalshikh.

“I can catch it from two minutes [and check] if he’s ready or not [to fight]. I don’t want to waste time and money anymore. I need to check first if he’s still got it.”

Francis Ngannou & Deontay Wilder’s pro boxing records (as of 3/12/24)
	Francis Ngannou	Deontay Wilder
Fights	2	48
Wins	0	43 (42 by KO)
Losses	2	4
Draws	0	1

Alternatively, Ngannou could remain in MMA. Should he continue winning in that sport, then a cross-promoted bout involving UFC GOAT Jon Jones will always carry intrigue, as could PFL fights against the likes of Rico Verhoeven.

“Francis will come to me in December,” Alalshikh said, referencing the December 21 rematch between heavyweight fighters Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury. It is during that fight week when Alalshikh will talk to Ngannou about “a lot of business” they have to discuss “together.”

“Yes, I have on the table two options for Francis — one in MMA and one in boxing I want to discuss with [Ngannou]. The MMA [fight], you know all the time, my answer is we want to do the biggest things.”

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BOXING

Jake Paul’s Next Opponent May Be 54-Win Former Champ Who Fought Canelo

By Admin November 27, 2024

Jake Paul‘s next opponent could be former middleweight champion Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.

The son of the legendary Julio Cesar Chavez revealed that a meeting has been set this week with Paul’s camp.

“It’s an option, we’re looking into it,” Chavez told TUDN in Mexico. “Let’s see, this week I have a meeting. I’d be interested in fighting a champion, but fighting Jake Paul for the fame and the media would put me in a position to fight against others. I’m not looking for it, it’s been presented. It’s not concrete, but let’s see what happens.”

READ: Daniel Dubois to defend IBF heavyweight belt in February – and not against Anthony Joshua

The 38-year-old former boxing champion holds a 54-6-1 record with 34 wins via knockout.

Chavez Jr. dethroned Sebastian Zbik in 2011 to capture his first WBC middleweight title. He defended the belt three times before losing to Sergio Martinez in 2012 for the unified WBC and The Ring middleweight championship.

In 2017, he lasted 12 rounds against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez but lost via unanimous decision.

Now at the tailend of his career, Chavez Jr. fought two former UFC fighters in his last two fights with contrasting results. He lost to former UFC middleweight champion Anderson Silva via split decision in 2021. Then he defeated Uriah Hall by unanimous decision in the Paul-Mike Perry undercard in July.

Former UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton “Rampage” Jackson has called out Paul for mocking Conor McGregor.

“Yo Jake Paul, watch how you talk to MMA royalty. I’ll fight you in MMA. No weight class for no pay. That’s a great deal. But I bet YOU won’t. Stop disrespecting people in my [expletive] sport, homie. Fighting [ Mike] Tyson was your last straw. Go back to boxing wrestlers,” Jackson wrote in a post on X.

Jackson, 46, held a 38-14 record in his colorful MMA career, winning 20 by knockouts, four by submission, and 14 via decision. He captured the UFC light heavyweight title with a first-round stoppage of Hall of Famer Chuck Liddell in 2007. He also won the Bellator Season 10 light heavyweight championship and unified the UFC light heavyweight championship and the Pride FC middleweight championship.

Jackson was irked when Paul mocked McGregor following his unanimous decision win over Tyson, the 58-year-old boxing legend.

“Dear Conor, I know you told my team you would fight me at 170lbs. That’s never happening. But let’s run it in MMA. No weight class. Just like how it used to be done. But you won’t,” Paul wrote on X.

Alvarez is not ruling out a potential mega-fight with Paul but on one condition.

It just won’t happen while he is the WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight champion.

“When I’m done with boxing, why not?” Alvarez said on Full Send Podcast. “Maybe, maybe I’ll do it.”

Alvarez clarified it still could happen before he retires from the sport.

“Yeah [when I’m done competing at the top],” Alvarez said. “I think it’s good because what happens is there are other people who never watch boxing or they don’t know anything about boxing, [and] they want to watch Jake Paul because he brings fans from another world, right? That’s good because everybody [gets to] enjoy it. Maybe [I’ll fight Jake Paul in the future]. Maybe.”

Paul has repeatedly challenged Alvarez in the past, and most recently after he beat Mike Tyson via an eight-round unanimous decision on November 15.

“Canelo needs me, so I’m not even going to try and call him out,” Paul said in the post-fight interview with MMA journalist Ariel Helwani. “He knows he wants a payday. So, he knows where the money man is at.”

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BOXING

‘keep ducking me, and not fighting me’: David Benavidez states that Canelo can avoid him if he wants

By Admin November 23, 2024

In a recent interview with ESPN, David Benavidez shared his goals in professional boxing and his desire to face the best fighters.

Known as “The Red Flag,” Benavidez highlighted his commitment to sporting excellence and his determination to leave a legacy comparable to the greatest legends in boxing.

Benavidez made it clear that his primary motivation isn’t money but accomplishments.

JUST IN: [VIDEO] Usyk Tells Fury: ‘You Never Hurt Me’ During Roundtable Discussion

“When I was a little kid, I had made a promise to myself that I was gonna go up against the best fighters and I was gonna beat the best fighters,” Benavidez declared.

The two-time super middleweight world champion expressed admiration for iconic figures like Oscar De La Hoya, Julio César Chávez, Roy Jones Jr., and Marco Antonio Barrera.

According to David Benavidez in his interview with ESPN, his goal is for his career to be remembered on the same level as these legendary boxers.

When asked about a potential fight with Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, Benavidez adopted a firm tone.

“I think I’ve shown my worth. Everybody knows that the fight versus me and Canelo would definitely be a sellout. If Canelo doesn’t ever want to fight me, then I don’t need to fight him. I really don’t care,” Benavidez stated.

At the same time, Benavidez emphasized that he’s not willing to wait indefinitely for Canelo.

“If he wants to keep ducking me, and not fighting me, and showing the world that he only cares about money and not about fighting the best fighters in the world, then he can do whatever he wants,” Benavidez expressed.

“I don’t care about Canelo. All I care about is my career. I care about staying in my lane and beating the best fighters in the world. And that’s how it’s always gonna be,” Benavidez affirmed.

Despite his stance, David Benavidez acknowledged the public’s interest in a fight between the two.

“Obviously, that’s a fight that we all want. It would be a great fight for the fans. But you know what I mean? At the end of the day, if he don’t want [it], I can’t force that man to fight me,” Benavidez said.

The boxer expressed his desire to remain dominant in the ring, emphasizing that his goal doesn’t hinge on a specific matchup.

“I’m gonna just keep winning, keep being dominant and, you know, making my own lane from here on out,” Benavidez concluded.

At just 27 years old, David Benavidez continues to position himself as one of the most promising talents in professional boxing.

Although a fight with Canelo remains uncertain, Benavidez remains focused on his goal of becoming a boxing legend.

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BOXING

[VIDEO] “I WANT TO BEAT THIS GUY…”: CHRIS EUBANK JR WANTS CANELO ALVAREZ ‘WITHIN THE NEXT 12 MONTHS’

By Admin September 2, 2024

Middleweight contender Chris Eubank Jr says he is targeting “mega fights” with Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez and long-time rival Conor Benn over the next 12 months.

Eubank (33-3-0 24 KO) will end more than one year of inactivity when he returns to the ring to fight Kamil Szeremeta (25-2-2 8 KO) on October 14 on the undercard of the undisputed light-heavyweight fight between Artur Beterbiev and Dimitrii Bivol in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

The British fighter’s last bout was in September last year when he avenged his fourth-round stoppage loss to domestic rival Liam Smith by knocking out the Liverpudlian in the 10th round of the rematch.

JUST IN: ‘FURY CAN BEAT USYK THREE TIMES IN ONE NIGHT’ – FURY BACKED TO KNOCK OUT USYK

“I want to get back into the swing of things and make these mega fights over the next 12 months,” Eubank Jr told the BBC Radio 5 Live Boxing podcast.

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Eubank had been in negotiations to fight unified super-middleweight champion Canelo next, but the Mexican opted for Edgar Berlanga, whom he fights in Las Vegas on September 14. The 34-year-old insists he didn’t back out of the opportunity to challenge Alvarez but would rather get some fights under his belt before taking on the pound-for-pound superstar.

“There were discussions, but we couldn’t come to terms on the business side of things. I’ve been out of the ring for 12 months – I wasn’t looking to fight Canelo for a payday,” he said. “I want to beat this guy. Get me some nice solid fights over the next six months and then I’ll take him out in May.”

Benn, on the other hand, represents a different target for Eubank. The pair were booked to fight in October 2022, taking a family rivalry into a new generation following the epic wars contested by fathers Nigel Benn and Chris Eubank Sr at the start of the 1990s (Eubank won the first before the rematch was drawn).

With Benn a natural welterweight and Eubank a middleweight, the bout was agreed at a 157lb catchweight – a weight that Eubank tortured himself to make despite health warnings from his famous father.

Three days before the fight, it was revealed that Benn had failed a drug test and while both fighters were happy to proceed as Benn had yet to receive a provisional suspension, the British Boxing Board of Control refused to license the bout and it was canceled.

While Benn has spent much of the past three years challenging his various suspensions and the fight does not appear close, Eubank said the “chapter is not closed”, but warned his rival that any leverage he might have once had is gone.

“I imagine it’s going to happen in the next 12 months. As soon as he gets his license back and his career back on track, that fight will happen,” Eubank Jr said. “[Benn] has no say in anything now. He’s lost all his privileges. You can’t fail a drug test and come back and say ‘I still want weight clauses and rehydration clauses’.

“Now you take what you get. Now you’re the bad guy. “Now it’s not just about how our dads fought. Now we have our own beef. We have our own story. We have our own history.”

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BOXING

‘Don’t Become The New Canelo’: Former World Champion Urges Gervonta Davis to “Fight The Best”:

By Admin August 23, 2024

Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez is an accomplished champion but one legend of the sport hopes that Gervonta Davis does things differently in the remainder of his career.

Baltimore banger Davis has held the WBA lightweight title since 2023 and before that was the regular title holder from 2019. He has also held the IBF and WBA super featherweight world titles and the WBA Regular Super-Lightweight, belt but has been rather inactive in the last couple of years.

He has fought just twice, once against Ryan Garcia last April and again against Frank Martin in July, winning both by stoppage.

JUST IN: [VIDEO] ‘I FEEL LIKE I’M THE BEST IN THIS DIVISION’: VERGIL ORTIZ READY FOR TERENCE CRAWFORD

The other main man in the lightweight division right now is Shakur Stevenson, the WBC champion who many want to see fight ‘Tank’.

However, he has just announced that he will instead defend his title against Joe Cordina on the undercard of Dmitry Bivol versus Artur Beterbiev on October 12.

This has upset former champion turned pundit Paulie Malignaggi, who told Pro Box TV that he doesn’t understand why Davis and Stevenson haven’t pushed for a unification fight and compares it to Canelo who, in his view, is too picky with his opponents.

“I hope Davis doesn’t become the new Canelo. I hope that he goes and makes this fight, we want to see the best fight the best, the champions fight one another. This is what we have in the lightweight division. In the Canelo situation he has all the belts so the avoidance of the top contenders is extra annoying in that case. But in this situation, we could have champion versus champion and it’s bona fide the best in the division. Cordina is solid but he’s coming off a loss.”

Davis is slated for a November return with an opponent yet to be announced.

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‘I’ll be king forever’: Edgar Berlanga on a win over Canelo Alvarez

By Admin August 19, 2024

Edgar Berlanga may laud what Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has accomplished, but he says all respect will go out the window when the two meet on Sept. 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

This isn’t to say that Berlanga (22-0, 17 KOs) is underestimating the Mexican superstar ahead of their super middleweight unification bout. But unlike prior opponents Jaime Munguia and Jermell Charlo, whom Berlanga believes were too reverent of the super middleweight king, Berlanga says he’s coming to win.

That much was apparent when the war of words began during a recent press tour to announce their Mexican Independence Day Weekend headliner, with things heating up in Los Angeles. While Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) promised an emphatic eighth-round knockout win, Berlanga, 27, vowed to utilize his ring IQ to upset the Mexican superstar.

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“I saw a maricón,” Berlanga said of their heated face-off. “And he knows he didn’t see no fear [in me]. He knows he saw himself. You know how Tony Montana says in the movie ‘Scarface,’ the eyes never lie? You never saw me looking around. I looked straight, right into his soul. I saw everything in his body. When I went to L.A. and he had 100 guys with him, and it was only five of us, I kept that same energy in his face. I don’t fear any man at all.”

Berlanga is leaving no stone unturned in his preparation for Alvarez, moving camp from New York to Colorado. The Brooklyn-born Boricua says he began training well before the fight was announced and has only increased the intensity since.

“This is the first time being away this far from home, logging and being in the mountains and stuff,” Berlanga told BoxingScene. “I just wanted to put in a little bit more. We’re facing a legend, he’s in the mountains, so that’s why I wanted to be in the mountains.

“We’re not going to find a guy that fights just like Canelo, but we got guys in the gym that have experience, the same height, that are strong and come forward and that also sort of mimic the things that he does in the ring. That’s the type of sparring [trainer Mark Farrait] is bringing in. We’re not bringing in guys who don’t listen. They got to follow what we want to do – what Canelo is going to be doing on Sept. 14.”

Berlanga has also re-enlisted the help of strength and conditioning coach Ángel “Memo” Heredia.

“This is our second fight together. He’s a great strength and conditioning coach,” said Berlanga. “He’s a great human being, too. We brought him on board my last fight. He definitely came in and helped us with a lot of strength and fine-tuned a lot of other things for my performance. I need to be explosive. It’s going well, man.”

Even so, Canelo remains a significant favorite to retain his unified 168-pound belts. Berlanga says that while Canelo is great, he isn’t invincible – and at age 34, with 65 pro fights, he is past his best.

“The jab is his kryptonite, and that’s what’s going to be in his face the whole night. A great jab,” Berlanga said. “He loads up on his punches too much. He’s not the old Canelo we saw at 154, the one who used to throw a lot of combinations. Now, the maximum number of punches he throws is maybe two – jab and a right hook, double jab and uppercut. But he’s throwing them hard because he wants to beat up on your shoulders and your arms so that later on you let your guard down and he starts hitting your face. He likes to throw a lot of good body shots as well. We’re ready for that.”

Alvarez is a significant step up for Berlanga. After winning his first 16 bouts via first-round KO, Berlanga went the distance in his subsequent five bouts before scoring a sixth-round KO over Padraig McCrory last February. A win over a legend would not only be a huge upset but perhaps the greatest win for Puerto Rico in its rivalry with Mexico.

“I’ll be a legend after I beat Canelo,” Berlanga declared. “I’ll be the king of Puerto Rico forever. Me having my first title shot for three belts versus a guy that was an undisputed Mexican legend. He’s a superstar, so if I beat him, it’s over, man. We got to walk through him on Sept. 14. I got to break his will.”

Many fight fans remain unconvinced, something Berlanga is all too aware of.

“I don’t pay any mind to people’s opinions. Just keep writing me off. I’m used to people doubting me and saying I’m going to get knocked out. That’s just going to make the victory even sweeter. That’s gonna make the celebration even bigger and that’s going to shake the whole boxing world come Sept. 14.”

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“Crawford is the best-known fighter at 154″: Why does Terence Crawford have Canelo Alvarez tunnel vision?

By Admin August 18, 2024

He’s less than a month away from a grueling victory, so maybe Terence Crawford should be afforded a deeper reflection before his immediate reaction becomes written in stone.

Yet, judging by the fighter’s response relayed by Saudi Arabia’s fight maker Turki Alalshikh, Crawford is only interested in a Saul “Canelo” Alvarez bout as his 37th birthday arrives next month, and the possible pursuit of becoming an undisputed 154-pound champion is not happening.

Nebraska’s four-division champion Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) escaped with a narrow unanimous-decision victory over Uzbekistan’s Israil Madrimov Aug. 3 in Los Angeles by virtue of winning the final two rounds, as his trainer, Brian McIntyre, breathed a sigh of relief to start the post-fight news conference.

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And now that four-division champion Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has discouraged interest in fighting Crawford, Alalshikh proposed a bout against new WBC interim junior-middleweight champion Vergil Ortiz Jr., who just edged Serhii Bohachuk by majority decision Aug. 10.

Crawford, according to Alalshikh, responded that he only has interest in Alvarez.

“Crawford’s only looking for a big-money fight based on popularity, legacy,” former welterweight champion Paulie Malignaggi said on Friday’s edition of ProBox TV’s “Top Stories.”

“He realized these top 154-pound guys are no joke. He had to dig deep to pull out the win over Madrimov, and the 154-pound division is full of guys like Madrimov. He’s thinking, ‘At this stage, I didn’t build my reputation to fight these young, hungry destroyers who are salivating in hunger.’

“… I understand why he wouldn’t want to fight these other guys.”

Crawford could still achieve a significant legacy play by fighting Canelo. Not only have the pair competed as pound-for-pound kings during the past decade, Alvarez wears three super-middleweight belts as he heads to a Sept. 14 bout as a prohibitive favorite against unbeaten WBA mandatory Edgar Berlanga.

If he could win – and Crawford would be a pronounced underdog – the Nebraskan could stand as a five-division champion.

Meanwhile, the 154-pound crop includes a slew of opponents that could pose problems, including Ortiz (22-0, 21 KOs), former champion Tim Tszyu (24-1, 17 KOs) and Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs).

Crawford continues to have the option to invoke a mandatory shot at current WBO/WBC 154-pound champion Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) by the end of the year.

A boxing official familiar with that situation frowned upon that fight ever happening, given the disdain that exists between Fundora side, Premier Boxing Champions, and the occasionally prickly Crawford.

All of the top 154-pound fighters are at least seven years younger than Crawford.

“You can’t blame (Crawford), although I’m not sure that (Alvarez) fight will happen, or if Turki Alalshikh is interested in it,” Malignaggi said. “It doesn’t interest me. I like competitive fights. It allows Crawford to pad his bank account. It doesn’t do anything for me.

“I enjoy hungry fighters fighting to be the best.”

Fellow “Top Stories” analyst and former 140-pound champion Chris Algieri said Crawford has the right to be “all about the money” at this point in his career.

“He’s already the most accomplished fighter of the four-belt era,” Algieri said. “He’s been undisputed (at 140 pounds and welterweight) and was a 100 per cent knockout guy, but he goes to 154 and realizes that to try and collect these belts is not easy.”

So why not restrict the focus purely to the cash cow of the sport?

“Crawford is the best-known fighter at 154, anyway,” Malignaggi said. “Canelo might not be as hungry, either.”

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“He’s Afraid And Only Wants Easy Fights”: Turki Alalshikh Reveals Why Canelo-Crawford Collapsed

By Admin August 7, 2024

Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh has seemingly ruled out working with Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez after claiming the Mexican only likes ‘easy fights’.

Alalshikh made no secret of his desire to make the huge match-up between two time undisputed champion Terence Crawford and current super-middleweight unified champion Canelo, even announcing during the Crawford-Madrimov card that an offer had been sent to Canelo’s team.

However, just 48 hours later that offer had been rescinded and the man behind big time boxing in Saudi Arabia said he had now ‘disregarded’ the clash.

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“Just wrapped up an important meeting now with my team, planning for the upcoming fights that we will make for 2024-2025. 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.”

In response, Canelo said he ‘doesn’t really care’ and that the fight could only happen on his terms.

“I don’t really care about it. Look, I’m focused 100% on my fight and I don’t really care about it. They text me yesterday, is it possible to talk about that Crawford fight for February or meet yesterday here in Los Angeles with him. And I said look, I’m 100% focused on this fight and I can’t talk about other fights.

Maybe that’s why he thought about that today, because I say I’m not ready to talk about other fights. And I don’t really ask him for anything. I’m good … I’m good with what I’m doing. I don’t need that kind of thing. I’m not looking for that kind of fight. If they want the fight, okay, it’s my way not their way.”

The man behind Riyadh Season has now taken to social media to claim the four-weight world champion was wasting his time and is ‘afraid’ to fight the best ever since his loss to Dmitry Bivol.

“I heard what Canelo said that he respects me but doesn’t like the way we do business. As for him respecting me, it doesn’t matter to me if he does or not. As for the way I do business, I know why he doesn’t like it, because I only target big fights at fair prices, so of course anyone who likes easy fights won’t like that.

And I know how he feels after losing to Bivol, so he’s been looking for easier fights ever since. Also, I’m not the one who’s afraid of fighting Benavidez or Crawford.

Therefore, I knew he was wasting our time and making excuses with big amounts of money that can’t be paid. So I’m continuing my way to make big fights that serve the boxing world, and he’s on his way to making easy show-only fights.”

Alalshikh is now focusing on other big fights for Crawford with Vergil Ortiz and Jaron ‘Boot’s Ennis both at the top of the list.

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Canelo Alvarez Fires Back at Turki Alalshikh Over Crawford Fight Offer

By Admin August 7, 2024

A potential fight between Terence Crawford and Saul ‘Canelo‘ Alvarez no longer has its big-money backer.

Crawford has called for the fight since his undisputed win over Errol Spence Jr last year. This past weekend he moved up to 154 and dethroned champion Israil Madrimov and much of the pre and post-fight talk was centred around Canelo.

Despite previously being dismissive of the fight by saying he would get little credit for beating the much smaller man, the Mexican super-middleweight champion did concede that he would take it if the money was right.

READ: Canelo Alvarez Brand Terence Crawford Fight “Easy Money”, Admits David Benavidez “Is a Risk

With progress seemingly made, Riyadh Season’s Turki Alalshikh said during the Crawford-Madrimov card that he had made an official offer. Just over two days later, he performed a u-turn on social media.

“Just wrapped up an important meeting now with my team, planning for the upcoming fights that we will make for 2024-2025. 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 is diligently focused on facing undefeated Puerto Rican Edgar Berlanga next and he believes that to be the sticking point for Alalshikh.

Speaking to FightHype, the 34-year-old revealed that he was contacted for a meeting but turned it down due to his upcoming defence. He then said that, since he wasn’t the one seeking the fight out, he ‘didn’t care’ about the recent turn of events.

“I don’t really care about it. Look, I’m focused 100% on my fight and I don’t really care about it. They text me yesterday, is it possible to talk about that Crawford fight for February or meet yesterday here in Los Angeles with him. And I said look, I’m 100% focused on this fight and I can’t talk about other fights.

Maybe that’s why he thought about that today, because I say I’m not ready to talk about other fights. And I don’t really ask him for anything. I’m good … I’m good with what I’m doing. I don’t need that kind of thing. I’m not looking for that kind of fight. If they want the fight, okay, it’s my way not their way.”

Canelo defends three of the four major super-middleweight belts against Berlanga on September 14 having recently been stripped of the IBF title.

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