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Put me in the game!’: Terence Crawford reacts to Canelo’s win over Berlanga

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Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez

Terence Crawford is still angling for a fight with Canelo Alvarez.

Terence Crawford was ringside for Canelo Alvarez’s win over Edgar Berlanga tonight, and though his dream fight seems unlikely, he’s not given up on it just yet.

“Put me in the game, coach!” Crawford posted on social media, still angling for a bout with Canelo, which has been repeatedly shot down by Alvarez himself.

Terence Crawford

JUST IN: Canelo Alvarez rolls past Edgar Berlanga in one-sided decision

Canelo has most notably said that fights he does will happen on his terms, not on those of Turki Alalshikh, who attempted to make Crawford’s dream a reality with a big money offer.

Crawford is a current titlist at 154 lbs, while Canelo fights, of course, at 168, and because of that he feels that he would not get any credit for beating Crawford if the fight were to actually happen.

But you can’t blame “Bud” for continuing to hope, because it would potentially be an enormous amount of money for both sides.

Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KO) dropped Berlanga (22-1, 17 KO) and won a wide decision, but Berlanga got some credit from fellow fighters for his display of toughness.

“Edgar will learn a lot from this fight,” said Jamel Herring. “Nothing to be ashamed of.”

In a really thought-out bit of insight, Devin Haney declared that Berlanga is “not a hoe.”

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Terence Crawford will never fight again and Canelo Alvarez is the ‘only way’ he returns

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Terence Crawford Canelo Alvare

Terence Crawford is only interested in fighting Canelo Alvarez, according to Eddie Hearn.

‘Bud’ could become the first three-weight undisputed champion of the four-belt era if he can unify all the major sanctioning body belts in his new division of super-welterweight, but seems more interested in other goals.

Crawford previously reigned supreme over the super-lightweight and welterweight divisions and opened his account at super-welterweight last month by snatching the WBA belt from Israil Madrimov.

He's trying to stay friends with him," Terence Crawford calls out Eddie Hearn for saying Canelo Alvarez helped promote his fight

JUST IN: Daniel Dubois shuts down Anthony Joshua claim before world title fight

He has now been handed the opportunity to take two steps closer to making boxing history after the WBO ordered their champion Sebastian Fundora – who is also in possession of the WBC title – to make a mandatory defence against Crawford.

However, Hearn doesn’t believe legacy motivates the Baltimore banger anymore.

The Matchroom boxing chief insists money is his main driving force now and anticipates Crawford will hang up his gloves unless he can land a lucrative showdown with Canelo next.

“I don’t think Terence Crawford will fight again,” Hearn told talkSPORT.com.

“Because I think he’s made really solid money in the last couple of fights.

“And I don’t think he wants to fight Vergil Ortiz, I don’t think he wants to fight Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.

“I think the only way Crawford will fight again is against Canelo Alvarez.

“Because he’s got used to that pay bracket and I don’t think that pay bracket exists anymore outside of Canelo Alvarez.”

Canelo vs Crawford was at the top of HE Turki Alalshikh’s boxing wishlist at the start of the year.

However, a breakdown in communication prompted the Saudi boxing chief to retract his approach and release a lengthy statement, during which he accused Canelo of being afraid of fighting David Benavidez and Crawford.

Bridges have been rebuilt between the pair since and the fight looks a lot more plausible than it once did, although Crawford will have to wait for Canelo’s clash with Edgar Berlanga on September 14 to play out.

Crawford could box Fundora in the meantime or even surging welterweight/super-welterweight contenders Vergil Ortiz or Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis, although Hearn thinks this is highly unlikely.

“The problem is when you’ve made that kind of money, to drop down and fight a young contender [would earn less],” he added.

“I think he probably looks at the Israil Madrimov fight and goes, ‘Blimey.’ Not that he got away with it, but could he could’ve lost it all there.

“He probably thinks in his mind that he’ll fight again, but I wouldn’t be surprised if he didn’t.

“They’re so inactive as well, really the plan for Crawford was to fight in February. And I don’t see that happening.

“He should be, really, if he wants to continue in the sport, but I think he’s happy to sit out until the end of next year.

“He’ll be just waiting and then if the Canelo fight comes up, great.

“In his mind, something will come up, but I don’t think he’s rushing to get back to training camp to fight Vergil Ortiz or Jaron ‘Boots’ Ennis.”

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[VIDEO] ‘Scary power’ – Anthony Joshua posts terrifying POV of what Daniel Dubois will see on fight night

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Anthony Joshua

Anthony Joshua looks to be in sensational shape ahead of his upcoming clash with Daniel Dubois.

The heavyweight titans are set to duke it out on September 21 at Wembley Stadium for the IBF title.

Oleksandr Usyk was previously in possession of the red and gold strap.

JUST IN: “Genius” Floyd Mayweather Leaves Joe Rogan in Awe With ‘Trick’ to Making Millions of Dollars After Retirement

 

However, he vacated the title in order to pursue a rematch with Tyson Fury in December.

As a result, Dubois has been elevated from ‘interim’ to full world champion and will make the first defence of his title against the Watford powerhouse this summer.

Joshua is leaving no stone unturned in preparation for the fight and recently posted a frightening point-of-view video of him hammering the pads.

AJ captioned the video: “In an industry where respect is earnt and not given”, while his followers were amazed by the two-time world champion’s power.

Reacting to the video, one fan wrote: “That hurt even through Twitter!”

Another tweeted: “Damn!! Those sound like pain.”

A third commented: “Great to see this. I almost feel the punches.”

Meanwhile, a fourth supporter added: “I feel like I just got knocked out, multiple times.”

And somebody else remarked: “Scary power.”

Joshua vs Dubois is on track to break the British boxing attendance record next month.

Fury vs Dillian Whyte currently tops the list with 94,000 punters attending their Wembley Stadium clash after a special dispensation was granted by the local authority.

Joshua and Dubois have already sold 90,000 tickets, but Saudi boxing chief HE Turki Alalshikh and promoters Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren don’t intend to stop there.

The chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority recently had a request granted to extend the capacity to 96,000, which would surpass Fury and Whyte’s crowd.

The additional 6,000 tickets are set to go on sale on Friday at noon UK time – and are expected to fly off the shelves.

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Andy Ruiz Jr vanishes with future in doubt after Jarrell Miller draw

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Andy Ruiz Jr  Jarrell Mille

Andy Ruiz Jr faces another career delay after sickening injury 

Andy Ruiz Jr. has stepped back from the limelight after suffering a hand injury during his controversial draw with Jarrell Miller.

Unlike his opponent, Ruiz hasn’t been seen on social media since the fight that was co-featured on the Terence Crawford vs Israil Madrimov card. His Excellency Turki Alalshikh put the event together to get the Riyadh Season name into the United States domain, with one eye on making another massive heavyweight fight for the winner.

Andy Ruiz and Jarrell Miller fight to 12-round majority draw - The Ring

JUST IN: Canelo Alvarez: I’m not saying Terence Crawford fight can’t happen

However, it wasn’t to be as Ruiz and Miller drew following a twelve-round battle. Two scores read 114-114, but Robert Hoyle’s 116-112 effort in favor of Miller was seen by many as closer to the truth.

As Miller takes the plaudits and declares himself a moral victor, Ruiz has gone off the radar amid attempts to fix his grotesque hand ailment. Ruiz has been fleeting in and out of the sport since losing his world heavyweight title to Anthony Joshua in December 2019, and the ex-unified champion’s future has again been questioned.

After his loss, Ruiz immediately referenced the hand but stated his desire to have a second fight with Miller to see a winner finally. Those intentions may not be able to be honored for months, if ever, due to the apparent severity of Ruiz’s hand, by his own judgment.

“I hurt my hand, and you can see the bone right here. It bothered me a lot from that fifth round where I kept hitting him in the head,” said Ruiz. “He’s a strong mother******. He keeps coming forward and forward. Let’s run it again. I think it was close. It was crazy, man. I haven’t fought in two years, but let’s do a rematch.”

He added, “It’s pretty exhausting when you’ve got a 300lb man coming towards me. Throwing and throwing. I think I did pretty good after not fighting in two years.”

Ruiz has given fans zero updates since then.

Given recuperation and Ruiz’s usual timeouts, that two-year absence could turn into one fight in three years [not for the first time]. By then, the Mexican-American will be pushing 36. ‘The Destroyer’ will have wasted his best years outside the ropes.

Another world title shot could prove impossible unless Ruiz can again get serious about boxing.

In contrast, Miller is willing to move to Saudi Arabia to persuade Turki Alalshikh to bankroll his retirement run. The ‘Big Baby’ has only a few years left at the top. The New Yorker wants Alalshikh to make him a permanent part of Riyadh Season.

“I’m definitely heartbroken with the result [of the Ruiz fight], but I know in my life I’ve never had anything easy. Warriors don’t quit. Everything will come to light. They can rob you, they can steal from you, they can lie to you, but Allah sees all,” said Miller.

He added, “Brother Turki said what needed to be said. He has seen it for himself who won that fight [with Ruiz]. I’m a free agent. Free at last. I have no dealings with Dimitry Salita or his promotional company whatsoever. I’m packing my bags. It’s time to move to Saudi,” he concluded.

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Canelo Alvarez: I’m not saying Terence Crawford fight can’t happen

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Canelo Alvarez Terence Crawford

The WBO’s order for its junior middleweight titleholder Sebastian Fundora to fight interim 154-pound and four-division champion Terence Crawford might appear to be a straightforward request, but it’s anything but.

In a conversation with BoxingScene minutes after the order came down, Fundora promoter Sampson Lewkowicz said he is convinced the 30-day deadline to strike a deal is actually less than a 15-day deadline because Lewkowicz is convinced Crawford still has thoughts of fighting Saul “Canelo” Alvarez.

Fellow four-division champion Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) has a Sept. 14 three-belt super-middleweight title defense against unbeaten Edgar Berlanga to get through, and Lewkowicz speculates Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) will only turn to Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KOs) if he feels his chance to land that lucrative showdown is dead.

Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez

READ: Terence Crawford’s Quest: Proving Greatness or Chasing Canelo?

“I’m waiting on an offer now, and I’m certain one will not come until after the 14th,” Lewkowicz said. “I’d like to find out right now if [Crawford’s] going to fight for the money or the titles. I believe he wants the money.

“[Crawford] will do everything he can to fight Canelo, and [his team] will not call me until after the fight.”

Asked Wednesday about the Crawford-Fundora fight being ordered, Alvarez told BoxingScene he has not participated in any conversations about a Crawford fight since expressing his disinterest in doing so at his Los Angeles news conference earlier this month.

He stopped short of saying the WBO order means an Alvarez-Crawford fight is dead.

“I don’t think so,” Alvarez said. “I’m not saying that fight can’t happen. That order doesn’t matter.”

Waiting for Alvarez-Berlanga to be complete would give the Crawford-Fundora sides less than two weeks to strike a deal before the purse-bid process is triggered. Or Crawford could just walk away from it all to either maintain his hope for Alvarez, to fight someone else or perhaps retire.

There is deep skepticism in the industry over whether the Fundora-Crawford ever happens.

Lewkowicz, however, warms the conversation by saying this following Crawford’s narrow Aug. 3 victory by unanimous decision over former World Boxing Association 154-pound titleholder Israil Madrimov. Winning the final two rounds on all three scorecards decided the outcome in Crawford’s favor after he failed to back or hurt the younger Uzbekistan fighter.

“[Crawford] is 37 years old, and Sebastian Fundora will kick his fucking ass,” Lewkowicz said. “If [Crawford] fights the way he fought [Aug. 3], he has no shot – he will get knocked out by Fundora.”

Lewkowicz said he retains hope the bout will happen, adding, “if the price is right … .”

While Crawford’s career path is now apparently being handled by his attorney, Harrison Whitman – at the same time he is being backed financially by Saudi Arabia’s Turki Alalshikh – Fundora fights for Lewkowicz and under Al Haymon’s Premier Boxing Champions banner.

Lewkowicz is fond of keeping the proposed fight in the U.S., and PBC offers dates throughout November and December – in Las Vegas and Los Angeles, respectively – while Alalshikh has a Dec. 21 card scheduled in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, headlined by the unified heavyweight champion between champion Oleksandr Usyk and Tyson Fury.

“Those are two different numbers,” Lewkowicz said of Fundora’s escalated price for venturing to the oil-rich nation. “We are willing to face him.”

Asked how Fundora responded to the WBO order, Lewkowicz said, “He doesn’t give a shit. He’ll fight anybody.”

Lewkowicz spent several minutes after the order talking to WBO President Francisco “Paco” Valcarcel, first disputing that Crawford qualifies as a WBO “super champion” who is entitled to a far greater purse split as the WBO interim junior middleweight champion than Fundora deserves as a unified (WBO-WBC) full champion.

Valcarcel clarified that Crawford retains his “super” distinction because he carried it up to the 154-pound division after standing as an undisputed 140-pound and welterweight champion.

Lewkowicz said he proceeded to point out to Valcarcel that Fundora always pays sanctioning bodies the full 3 percent of his entire purse money, and not the shortened 3 percent of a smaller guaranteed (non-pay-per-view) purse that he suspects Crawford has paid.

“We always pay the full,” Lewkowicz said. “It’s honorable.”

That point is being raised as Lewkowicz seeks a greater percentage of the specified purse split the WBO can designate for the bout.

“It can’t be 80-20 [in Crawford’s favor],” Lewkowicz said. “How can [Crawford] ask for [purse split] favors when he’s [shorted] the sanctioning bodies?”

For now, Lewkowicz said he’s unclear whom he’ll negotiate with.

“[Whitman] called me once. Now, we’re ready to face [Crawford], so I hope he calls me again,” Lewkowicz said. “But I’m not expecting a call until after Sept. 14.

“I’m a nice guy, but I’m not naive. I have 30 years in this business. So we’ll see. … [Crawford] doesn’t care about the titles. He only wants the money.”

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Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois could break Tyson Fury record as bid made for heavyweight fight

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Anthony Joshua vs Daniel Dubois

Anthony Joshua’s fight with Daniel Dubois could be about to break a British attendance record.

Joshua will take on Dubois in a huge heavyweight scrap for the IBF world title on September 21 at Wembley Stadium, with over 90,000 fans watching on after the event sold out last week.

Previously in 2021, the heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Dillian Whyte set the British boxing attendance record with 94,000 attending the clash after special dispensation was granted by the local authority.

Tyson Fury

JUST IN: “It’s criminal Joshua and Fury never faced each other – I don’t see it happening now”

AJ and ‘Dynamite’ were set to fight in front of 90,000 fans, but Saudi boxing chief HE Turki Alalshikh alongside Eddie Hearn and Frank Warren are not done selling tickets just yet.

The Middle East fight maker has revealed a request has been made to extend the capacity.

He wrote on social media: “We have submitted a request to increase the capacity at Wembley Stadium for the highly anticipated Joshua vs Dubois fight at #RiyadhSeasonCard Wembley Edition.

“We are aiming to set a record for the largest boxing attendance in the history of Wembley Stadium.”

It would be a monumental achievement and could push the attendance up to 95,000 or more to ensure it breaks the record.

The request will be subject to security checks and clearances from the local authorities, and will need to be approved before more tickets can go on sale.

Fury entertained a 94,000 record crowd in an epic 2021 event

It already promises to be a stacked event, with a jam-packed undercard featuring Joshua Buatsi and Liam Smith set to come before the hotly-anticipated main-event.

Liam Gallagher will also perform on the night, which came before the news that he has settled his differences with brother Noel and legendary band Oasis will be back on tour in 2025.

Some huge boxing events have headlined the national stadium since it has been rebuilt including the famous rematch between Carl Froch and George Groves which set the record originally with 80,000 spectators.

Joshua himself has even fought at Wembley since that famous clash, with his two clashes against Wladimir Klitschko and Alexander Povetkin on the hallowed turf surpassing Froch’s record before Fury vs Whyte took the throne.

It promises to be a huge occasion inside and outside of the ring, particularly for Joshua who has the opportunity to become a three-time world champion.

He will go in as a favourite given his recent form under new trainer Ben Davison, having won his last two fights over Otto Wallin and Francis Ngannou with devastating stoppages.

A huge clash with Tyson Fury could be on the table in 2025 if he wins, and the ‘Gypsy King’ is able to get revenge over Oleksandr Usyk in December.

And Fury himself wants to return to Wembley to face AJ in his final bow.

He said earlier this year: “Styles make fights and my style for him [Joshua] is kryptonite.

“I’ve always said AJ is built to measure for me and just because he knocked out that guy, it’s not the same.

“He couldn’t on any of those right hands on Usyk, a way smaller and lighter man. Boxing is a very difficult game. It’s changing all the time.

“When I’ve got through with the rabbit [Usyk] then we go down for AJ. And that’s the fight of Britain.

“Hopefully we do one fight in Saudi Arabia and one fight at Wembley. A showdown forever, a sign-out for the GK.”

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‘It’s criminal Joshua and Fury never faced each other – I don’t see it happening now’

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Anthony Joshua Tyson Fury

Ricky Hatton has slammed Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua for failing to step into the ring together – saying it’s ‘criminal’ the fight never happened when the boxers were in their prime

Ricky Hatton has slammed the failure of Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua to fight as “criminal”.

The Hitman has hit out at the two British heavyweight superstars for as of yet not putting on the show that the public want in the ring. Hatton also made his concerns clear about repercussions from Fury and Joshua’s scheduled bouts against Oleksandr Usyk in December and Daniel Dubois in September.

🚨 Ricky Hatton gives honest assessment on potential Tyson Fury vs Anthony Joshua clash

READ: Canelo’s Unfinished Business: A Rematch with Bivol

Hatton admitted that Fury looks past his prime following his performance against Usyk and previously against Francis Ngannou. “It depends on the next performances. Tyson didn’t look great against Oleksandr Usyk,” Hatton told Action Network.

“Don’t get me wrong it was a good fight, I’m being a little bit unfair there because fighters like Usyk only come along every now and again, he’s exceptional.

“But he wasn’t great against Francis Ngannou, I think he would agree with me on that one. We’re all starting to think has Tyson got too many miles on the clock now? It seems to be the case after the last couple of fights.”

The former light-welterweight world champion admitted he fears that both fighters’ best days are behind them, saying it’s “criminal” the two Britons didn’t fight years ago.

“I’m looking forward to seeing what happens in this one. But I don’t see the fight happening now, I think we’ve lost our chance and it was criminal it didn’t happen a few years ago when they were both in their prime,” Hatton continued.

“But I said I think Anthony Joshua beats Daniel Dubois and Tyson Fury has a good chance of beating Oleksandr Usyk if he tweaks a few little things, so it is capable of happening but I just hope we haven’t lost our chance.

“That’s the biggest fight in boxing and certainly British boxing history. If somehow Daniel Dubois ends up winning or Tyson doesn’t win and they don’t end up fighting each other then I think boxing has f***** up.

“It’s heavyweight boxing and the apple cart can get upset with one punch in boxing and then there’s rematch clauses. Sometimes the fights that we want don’t seem to happen but Tyson has a good chance of beating Usyk and I fancy AJ to come through the Dubois fight.

“But I’m more confident of Joshua winning his next fight rather than Tyson. It would be criminal if that fight doesn’t happen. Let’s have our fingers crossed as boxing fans.”

Hatton lauded Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalshikh for his impact on the sport and for hosting some of the biggest fights in recent years. “(What) Turki Alalshikh has done for boxing (is incredible). He’s brought all the big fights together and for everyone to work together which is really good for boxing,” he said.

However, Hatton continued that a Fury and Joshua showdown should not be taken away from the British crowd, he added: “As much as I think our fight fans would appreciate what Turki Alalshikh has done for our sport, as British boxing fans if AJ and Tyson come through, please tell me we’re not expecting Fury and Joshua to fight in Saudi?

“I’m not being disrespectful to Turki Alalshikh, he’s been what our sport has needed.

“No disrespect to them but certain fights need to be in the United States and certain fights need to be in the UK. I’m not saying you can’t have the fights in Saudi but certain fights like AJ and Tyson Fury can only be in one place.”

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

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Terence Crawford Vergil Ortiz Jr

Vergil Ortiz Jr says his victory over Serhii Bohachuk has given him the belief that he is the best fighter in the super-welterweight division and that he welcomes the opportunity to fight Terence Crawford.

Ortiz (22-0-0 21 KO) defeated Bohachuk (24-2-0 23 KO) earlier this month in Las Vegas via a contentious split decision following a thrilling Fight of the Year contender. The win, which Ortiz secured despite two knockdowns, saw the Texan claim the Ukrainian’s WBC interim belt to put him in contention for his first world title shot.

It was also the first time Ortiz had been taken the distance, and by winning the championship rounds that proved vital to the result, the 26-year-old said he gained a huge amount of experience about his skill and endurance.

READ; Floyd Mayweather “Living a GTA Life” as the Boxing Legend Pulls up in Mexico with a ‘Bulletproof Tank’

“It really boosts my confidence because I know I can be in that type of fight,” Ortiz said in an interview with BoxingScene. “I’m not always going to be in that kind of fight … but this shows I’m always going to have it the energy to do what I need to do, and it can be there in the 12th round.

“I already knew I could go 12 rounds. Everyone else had those doubts in their mind: ‘What happens when he goes 12 rounds? Is he going to look great?’ I saw people saying I’d get stopped, that he was going to be too much for me, that I was going to gas out. It was almost fun in there for me because I went those 12 rounds very easily and I still had a lot of energy. I could’ve gone 12 more.”

Ortiz could now be set for the biggest fight of his career against pound-for-pound star and recently-crowned WBA champion Crawford. Saudi Arabian boxing boss Turki Alalshikh agreed on the live broadcast ahead of Ortiz’s fight with Bohachuk that he would make the Crawford fight if he won. Earlier this week, Alalshikh revealed an offer has gone out to Crawford, but believes the Nebraskan “only wants Canelo” Alvarez.

“I’m more than confident I can beat everyone in the division. I feel like I’m the best in this division,” Ortiz said. “I just need the fights to show that. I’m willing to fight anyone.

“I’ve never turned a fight down. The WBO president said I did. I never turned any fight down. If they want to bring the fight with Crawford now, I would love that fight. He’s arguably the world’s (best) pound-for-pound (fighter). That’s a great fight to make.”

 

The biggest obstacle standing in the way of the bout appears to be Crawford’s apparent interest in only fighting Canelo next. The wider fascination in the mega-fight has cooled since Crawford’s victory over Israil Madrimov on August 3, which might have made him a four-weight world champion but also demonstrated that his power has not fully carried to the 154lbs division.

Climbing higher to super-middleweight to challenge unified champion Canelo – known for his power and granite chin – therefore seems a step too far in the eyes of most observers.

“(Crawford) genuinely has that big super-fight in mind and I can’t say I’m bigger than Canelo Alvarez with a straight face, for sure,” Ortiz said. “I see why Crawford wants that fight. But a fight with me is more realistic.

“I really don’t know what to think. It’s a massive jump. He wants to test himself just like I do, but … Crawford just moved up from 147. And he wants to fight Canelo at 168 … I’m not saying Crawford doesn’t have the skills to do it, but as far as me wanting to challenge Crawford, (him) wanting to challenge Canelo is a bit more unrealistic.”

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Canelo Alvarez vs David Benavidez: Benavidez will ‘run Canelo over like a train’

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Canelo Alvarez David Benavidez

Canelo Alvarez vs David Benavidez is undoubtedly one of the most hotly anticipated fights in boxing right now.

Fans are clambering to see the pair square off for super-middleweight supremacy yet Canelo has shown little urgency in getting the fight over the line.

The Mexican superstar previously suggested he would require an extortionate purse of $200million (£158m) for him to duke it out with ‘The Monster’.

David Benavidez Canelo Alvarez

READ: ‘CANELO IS LOOKING FOR EASY PICKINGS’ – CANELO TOLD TO VACATE ALL HIS BELTS

Benavidez’s promoter Sampson Lewkowicz insisted they did everything to make the fight happen in May, while his client was Canelo’s WBC mandatory at 168lbs.

But Canelo chose to face Jaime Munguia on Cinco de Mayo weekend instead.

After growing tired of waiting, Benavidez moved up to light-heavyweight and defeated Oleksandr Gvozdyk in June for the WBC ‘interim’ trinket.

The victory made him mandatory for the winner of Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol’s four-belt shootout on October 12.

A clash with Canelo now looks to be out of reach but many members of the boxing fraternity hold out hope.

Former IBF super-lightweight champion Paulie Malignaggi is not one of them though.

“I don’t care who Canelo fights if he would vacate the titles,” Malignaggi told talkSPORT’s talkBOXING podcast.

“Personally, I’ve been saying this for two years, I think David Benavidez runs him over like a train running over a car that’s stuck in the train tracks.

“I stick with that. His apprehension to fight the mandatory continuously only cements my opinion.

“I don’t think he’s gonna fight Benavidez, the only reason I wanna see him fight Benavidez is for the belts because I don’t even think it would be a good fight. I’m more excited about other things than I am about Canelo.”

For now, Canelo is set to take on Edgar Berlanga on September 14 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Providing he comes through that unscathed a super fight with Terence Crawford remains a possibility.

However, Malignaggi is even less interested in that prospect.

“I’m not crazy about it [the Terence Crawford fight],” he added. “I think Canelo is looking for easy pickings. Easy pickings later in his career.

“The fact he’s been allowed to avoid his mandatory for three years is absolutely appalling. The sanctioning bodies should be ashamed of themselves, absolutely disgraceful.

“But I think he would possibly consider Crawford, but he wants a crazy amount of money. Because he sees the kind of money Turki Alalshikh pays, and I think he’s trying to take advantage of it which has rightfully offended Turki Alalshikh.

“I’m not crazy about the fight, I think weight classes exist for a reason. Crawford has been amazing, his talent has been something that has overcome the weight class deficit, but at a certain point, you’re gonna start to see that.

“The Crawford vs Israil Madrimov fight was right there. I don’t understand why there’s this talk about Crawford and Canelo. I think if anything that fight right there should tell you he’s not able to go up that many more weight classes.

“He really had to test himself in that fight. That fight came down to the last couple of rounds if you ask me.

“Madrimov is good, you have a 154lbs division that is very, very good. I can also see why Crawford would just want to take on Canelo because Canelo is like him, he’s made a lot of money already and it’s sort of like a Hollywood type of fight where big names and brands in boxing just fight each other.

“If you fight these young, hungry guys, you’re gonna end up being really tested against guys who the world is not gonna give you credit for beating, like Madrimov. That weight class is difficult.”

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The Canelo-Crawford Superfight Is Dead: Eddie Hearn Explains Why Alvarez Lost Interest

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Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez

Sadly for boxing fans, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh couldn’t be the genie they were looking for.

In an interview, the head of Matchroom Boxing and a close partner to the Saudi Royal, Eddie Hearn, put the final nail on a potential fight between Canelo Alvarez and former undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford.

You see, the entire thing began during the Crawford vs. Israil Madrimov bout earlier this month. His Excellency went live on air to reveal he had reached out to Canelo’s team with an offer. However, in a later post, he claimed he was no longer interested in hosting such a bout. This received a response from Canelo, who claimed he really didn’t care about that fight to begin with, starting a back-and-forth with Alalshikh on social media. Still, people were hoping for a reconciliation. But after Hearn’s statement, it seems even a reconciliation won’t be of any help.

Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez Turki Alalshikh

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While appearing in an interview with Seconds Out, Hearn was asked to share his thoughts about a potential Canelo-Crawford fight after the public feud between His Excellency and Canelo Alvarez. Hearn, who has promoted some of Canelo’s fights in the past and will be part of his upcoming bout against Edgar Berlanga in the role of Berlanga’s promoter, seemed confident in his response: “No.”

He explained, “I don’t think Saul is really that interested in that fight, if I’m honest. He’s kind of made that clear. He told me that a while ago.” He then repeated what Canelo Alvarez has been saying about facing Crawford, claiming he doesn’t see any benefit in fighting someone who climbed from the 147-pound division.

Hearn even highlighted that Canelo would like to face opponents who come forward to fight, rather than Crawford who would, “box a crafty fight in that fight.” He continued, “Saul knows that and he [doesn’t] think he’d get credit for beating a 147-pounder or 154-pounder now.” Also, reflecting on the feud between Canelo and Turki Alalshikh, Hearn said, “I think you just got two very powerful people in the world of boxing that sort of wanted their own way.”

As Hearn says, the potential fight might just be in the grave, but this didn’t stop Crawford from expressing his thoughts about Canelo refusing the Saudi Royal’s deal.

Terence Crawford is calling out Canelo Alvarez for his excuses about a possible fight between them. After his win over Israil Madrimov, Crawford didn’t hold back on Canelo’s size and money issues. “It’s crazy, and it makes me laugh,” Crawford said on The Porter Way Podcast. “Canelo’s been fighting smaller guys his whole career… And I’m a threat to him and I’m a threat to his legacy.” 

Crawford also accused Canelo of being hypocritical, pointing out that the Mexican champ has fought smaller opponents before but is now demanding a huge payday for a fight with him. “If I was easy work, then you would take all that money he’s offering you,” Crawford added. Plus, Crawford wasn’t happy with Eddie Hearn’s claim that Canelo’s name was used to hype up the Crawford vs. Madrimov fight. “We didn’t have to use Canelo’s name to promote s***,” Crawford stated bluntly.

Sadly for boxing fans, who were hoping to see Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford in the ring together, it appears even His Excellency couldn’t convince the Mexican superstar to take the fight. But who knows?

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