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BOXING RUMOUR: GGG REPORTEDLY OFFERED THE CRAWFORD FIGHT

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Gennady Golovkin Terence Crawford

Gennady Golovkin has reportedly been offered a fight against Terence Crawford for next year in Saudi Arabia.

GGG has not boxed since losing to Canelo Alvarez in 2022. That capped off their trilogy as Golovkin was arguably deprived of a historic win in their first bout, which was declared a draw. Since then, Golovkin has been weighing up his future. The Khazak admitted that he has not officially retired and will return if the right fight presents itself. This has created the narrative that Golovkin would return for a mega purse now that he is 42, as a world title is unlikely. A fight in Saudi Arabia would do that.

READ: Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford given lifeline as Turki Alalshikh reveals message from Mexican superstar

“I’m not retired. I never announced my retirement, and it’s not my nature to announce things like that. I think to me, life is moments, and if an opportunity arises or something comes up, yes, we might see Gennady Golovkin in the ring again,” Golovkin said

Crawford had been chasing a fight with Canelo. That would require him to move up two weight classes to chase Canelo’s WBA, WBC and WBO belts. Alvarez has shown a reluctance to take the fight. He reacted negatively to the Saudis contacting him about that fight, saying he was not overlooking Edgar Berlanga ahead of their bout on September 14. Reports also suggested that Crawford could retire if he does not get the Canelo fight.

“I don’t think Crawford will fight anyone except Canelo. We [will] give him an offer for [Vergil] Ortiz, [but] I don’t know if he’ll take it or not. We have an agreement to do [a] big fight for Ortiz if Crawford doesn’t take the fight. I don’t think Crawford will fight anyone except Canelo,” Turki Alalshikh said 

GGG would be an alternative. He is a big name, even at the latter end of his career. It also allows Crawford to challenge himself against a 160/168-pounder. If he comes through that, it would tell fans much about whether he could deal with Canelo. But that is a very risky fight. Fighters have shown previously that weight classes are important.

Kell Brook jumped up two weight classes from 147 to face GGG. It was not the best move for his career, as Brook was stopped. He broke his orbital bone as the former IBF Welterweight Champion was no longer the same fighter. There is a risk that Crawford could bite off more than he could chew and ruin his legacy. He is undefeated as a two-weight undisputed champion.

He has also won titles in four weight classes, making him a future ‘Hall of Famer.’ However, since Crawford is 36, he is in the latter stages of his career. There will not be many opportunities to secure big paydays with the Saudis’ help. Taking on bigger and riskier fights will help him do that. If a Canelo fight cannot be made, then a GGG bout may be the next best thing.

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BOXING

Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury: Turki Alalshikh gives clear answer on whether fight will happen if ‘Gypsy King’ loses to Oleksandr Usyk

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Anthony Joshua Tyson Fury

Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury is still one of the most hotly anticipated fights in boxing.

Fans have been clambering to see the contest for several years and it appears both men are now on the cusp of finally sharing the ring together.

If Joshua can beat Daniel Dubois on September 21 and Fury can exact his revenge over Oleksandr Usyk on December 21, then Saudi boxing chief HE Turki Alalshikh has always insisted they will fight each other next.

Anthony Joshua vs Tyson Fury

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“Joshua if he wins, he will wait for the result of Tyson and Usyk, this is the big fight and everyone will wait for it,” HE Alalshikh told Charlie Parsons via an X Space.

“If Tyson wins then that means we must see Joshua vs Tyson. One of the biggest fights in boxing,all the people want to see it.”

What wasn’t as clear was what would happen if one of them fell to defeat.

Clarifying Saudi Arabia’s stance on the fight if that scenario were to play out, HE Alalshikh added: “I will tell you the clear answers.

“Even if they lost before it doesn’t mean everyone doesn’t want to see it.

“First of all if Usyk wins then he deserves to choose a big fight and this will be his right, right?

“If he chooses Joshua and Joshua accepts then we want to do this fight but still at the same time we want to see Tyson vs Joshua.

“Let’s see what Tyson will do on this night and whether he will give us on December 21 a great fight then for sure we want to see him against Joshua.

“This would be huge for the fans and for boxing.”

Clearly, it is dependent on the manner in which they lose.

A devastating defeat that doesn’t offer much in terms of redeeming qualities may spell the end of the much-anticipated all-British showdown altogether.

But a tight and competitive loss wouldn’t dim interest too much.

Providing both men win their next fights then their showdown will likely be for all four major sanctioning body belts.

Usyk defeated Fury via split decision in May to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion of the four-belt era.

However, he vacated the IBF strap to pursue his rematch with Fury.

As a result, Dubois was elevated from ‘interim’ to full IBF champion and will defend his title against Joshua, while Fury and Usyk duke it out for the WBC, WBA, and WBO belts.

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BOXING

Gervonta Davis vs Shakur Stevenson possible for Nov 2 in Vegas

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Gervonta Davis vs Shakur Stevenson

Gervonta Davis and Shakur Stevenson could be on a collision course for a massive Pay Per View showdown on November 2 in Las Vegas.

World Boxing News understands promoter Tom Brown has penciled Davis in for the date after putting a hold on the T-Mobile Arena. However, Stevenson’s participation in the blockbuster depends on several factors.

At present, Stevenson is a free agent and has been meeting with prospective collaborators, one of which is thought to be Premier Boxing Champions. The multi-weight champion is being called out publicly to sign with Oscar De La Hoya and Eddie Hearn. Still, the Davis fight is undoubtedly the most significant paycheck Stevenson can land. Whether Stevenson wants the Davis fight immediately or further down the line is the only sticking point to giving fans a vast Nevada event.

Shakur Stevenson boldly claims Gervonta Davis doesn't come close to him in one category | Marca

READ: TERENCE CRAWFORD VACATES HIS WBO 147 BELT – ‘WHAT’S NEXT?’

Stevenson has to mull over whether to join forces with Matchroom, Golden Boy, PBC, or Turki Alalshikh for his next bout, which the fans hope will be Davis now that Al Haymon has a date and venue secured.

If a deal can’t be agreed with Stevenson, Davis will be forced to look elsewhere again after Vasiliy Lomachenko initially turned down the offer. Lomachenko showed initial interest before deciding not to fight until 2025.

Davis wants to stage a huge PPV headliner in the desert to round off another successful year. Earlier in 2024, Davis spectacularly knocked out Frank Martin to secure his place as a bonafide lightweight champion following a spell as a secondary titleholder.

Facing Stevenson would allow Davis to become a unified king at 135 pounds, which was the original plan with the Lomachenko negotiations. The only other champion left would be WBO ruler Denys Berinchyk, who may be content to hold off on facing another strap holder until fellow countryman ‘Loma’ becomes available.

Lomachenko vs Berinchyk would be a massive fight for Ukraine and ensure one of their favorite sons becomes a two-belt unified champion.

Right now, without Lomachenko in the mix, the division needs a kickstart after stars Teofimo Lopez and Devin Haney moved up in weight, with Davis vs Stevenson the only fight to get over the line in the minds of the boxing public.

Las Vegas would be the perfect place to stage an event between two fighters rated in the Pound for Pound Top Ten.

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BOXING

“He Doesn’t Understand”: Soon After Feud With Canelo Alvarez, HE Turki Alalshikh Refuses to Work With Another Boxing Star

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Canelo Alvarez Turki Alalshikh

HE Turki AlalShikh is making things tick in the boxing world. He is currently the most sought-after matchmaker.

The prime architect of blockbuster events like “Queensberry vs Matchroom – 5 vs 5”, and “Ring of Fire”,is rejuvenating the boxing scene with matchups the boxing fans have been dreaming of. The shrewd businessman’s message is quite clear— get with the program, or fall by the wayside! It is quite evident that boxers and promoters have to fit into his plans rather than the other way around.

The Saudi Arabian matchmaker’s beef with Canelo Alvarez is a clear indicator that he is not here to suck up to any fighter, no matter how famous he is. Now, Australian boxing star Tim Tszyu has been added to the list of people he isn’t willing to work with. In an interview with Fight Hub TV, he unequivocally stated that he “will not work” with Tszyu. “He doesn’t understand,” HE said sternly.

Turki Alalshikh: Tim Tszyu banished by Turki Alalshikh, who declares he will not work with the Australian fighter

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Reportedly, Tim Tszyu was supposed to fight Vergil Ortiz on the Riyadh season fight card on August 3. But, a severe cut to the head suffered during his last bout against Sebastian Fundora in March this year, which hasn’t healed yet, forced him to pull out of the event. Previously, the Australian fighter stated that he was hopeful about working with the mastermind of the Riyadh season. “I’d love to work with him. “He’s all about making the big fights happen and I’m all for that. But I’ve got a team. I’ve got a professional team with me and everything is organized through that.”

However, it needs to be mentioned that HE has not stated the exact reason why he isn’t willing to work with Tsyzu. In the meantime, the 29-year-old fighter has been mandated to fight IBF junior-middleweight world champion Murtazaliev later this year.

Moving on to Turki Alalshikh’s feud with Canelo Alvarez, what exactly triggered it?

As with someone with the reputation of orchestrating matchups that the fans would want to see, HE Turki Alalshikh came to Canelo with the offer to fight undefeated two-time undisputed champion Terence Crawford. But, the unified super-middleweight champion flat-out refused. “He needs to do it my way, and not his way. “I respect everybody but I don’t like the way [Alalshikh] talks… I didn’t ask for this fight.” Alvarez said at the press event for his upcoming fight against Edgar Berlanga.

In response, the Saudi Arabian Royal Court adviser shut down all prospects of the Saudis arranging a Canelo event. He accused Canelo of making “easy show-only fights”, which did not fit in with his aim of “making big fights at fair prices.”

As things stand currently, the four-division champion has put an astronomical price tag of $150 million and $200 million on fights with elite contenders David Benavidez and Terence Crawford, respectively.

Clearly,  the ‘face of boxing’ Canelo wants to call the shots, but HE isn’t willing to budge.

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BOXING

Vergil Ortiz wins despite 2 knockdowns, eyes Crawford

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Vergil Ortiz Terence Crawford

Vergil Ortiz survived the first two knockdowns of his career to score a majority-decision victory over Serhii Bohachuk on Saturday night in Las Vegas.

Ortiz, who was floored in Rounds 1 and 8, prevailed via scores of 114-112, 114-112 and 113-113 in a fight of the year contender.

“I felt like I did enough,” said Ortiz, who entered the ring rated No. 5 by ESPN at junior middleweight. “I proved everyone wrong who said that I’m washed, I can’t fight at 154, I can’t go the distance. … All of it fueled me. I’m the best in the world right now, and I’m going to keep showing it.”

Vergil Ortiz Jr. Vs. Serhii Bohachuk Results, Scorecards And Reaction

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Ortiz and Bohachuk combined for 1,500-plus punches in a firefight from bell to bell that included many violent exchanges. Ukraine’s Bohachuk landed an overhand right in Round 1 that dropped Ortiz to one knee, though it was originally ruled a slip. Before the start of Round 5, instant replay was consulted, and the call was overturned in a rare instance.

Bohachuk (24-2, 23 KOs) scored another knockdown in Round 8, this time when a left hook forced Ortiz’s glove to touch the canvas. Ortiz (22-0, 21 KOs) stormed back with renewed urgency afterward and was able to stun Bohachuk. Ortiz rocked him again in the penultimate round. He won the last three rounds unanimously and the final four on two cards to pull out the victory.

“People [who] saw this fight today and who understand boxing know what happened today,” Bohachuk, 29, said in reference to the judges’ verdict. “I’m feeling great, I make two knockdowns. Come on, guys.”

The bout, which had title implications, featured non-stop punching from two heavy hitters. Ortiz landed an array of body shots, left hooks and uppercuts while Bohachuk looked to take a step back and set up power punches with his jab.

“Fight of the year, baby,” said Ortiz’s promoter, Hall of Fame boxer Oscar De La Hoya.

With the victory, Ortiz picked up the WBC interim title, which positions him for a shot against the winner of the planned December bout between Sebastian Fundora and Errol Spence. Ortiz is also now the leading contender to fight Terence Crawford, who made his 154-pound debut last week with a title win over Israil Madrimov.

Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, organized the Crawford-Madrimov event and was ringside Saturday. He said on the DAZN broadcast he is looking to match Ortiz with Crawford next.

“I’m ready for a challenge,” said Ortiz. “I think Bud [Crawford] is probably No. 1 pound for pound in the world and I wanna show that I have what it takes to beat him.”

Ortiz was set to fight former champion Tim Tszyu last week on the Crawford-Madrimov undercard before the Tszyu was forced to withdraw. The 26-year-old Texan was fighting for the third time in 2024. He finished his previous two opponents — Fredrick Lawson and Thomas Dulrome — in the first round.

Ortiz entered the fight rated No. 5 by ESPN at 154 pounds. He emerged with a cut over his left eye and a gash over the bridge of his nose.

Bohachuk is ESPN’s No. 7 junior middleweight. He entered the ring on the heels of his career-best performance, a March decision win over Brian Mendoza. Bohachuk’s previous defeat was an eighth-round TKO vs. Brandon Adams in 2021.

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BOXING

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

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Canelo Alvarez Turki Alalshikh

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.

Saudi Arabia's Turki Alalshikh Abandons Collaboration Plans with Canelo Alvarez

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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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BOXING

Canelo Alvarez Fires Back at Turki Alalshikh Over Crawford Fight Offer

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Terence Crawford Canelo Alvarez Turki Alalshikh

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.

Turki Alalshikh On Crawford vs Canelo: "I Don't Want It Anymore"

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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