Turki Calls Off Fight That Wasn’t Happening Anyway. Bye-Bye Canelo vs. Crawford

Well, Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority has decided that he’s not going to make the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford fight that really wasn’t on the table, anyway

On a similar note, I’ve decided that I won’t be dating Shakira.

Late Monday night, after self-importantly kicking around the highlights on his boxing wish list, the wannabe dictator of boxing issued this statement via 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.
Additionally, I will support making fights for Boots, Haney, Shakur, Ortiz, Anderson, Benavidez, Zepeda and more, regarding Tim Tszyu, there’s something unclear with the communications from his team with our team, so I believe I will reconsider his situation.

And for the rest of the world, definitely, I am focusing on Riyadh Season card, wembley edition 21st of September (AJ vs. Dubois) and depending on the results and the results of Riyadh Season’s opening card (Bivol vs. Beterbiev) on the 12th of October, I will build the card for the rematch of Fury vs. Usyk on the 21st of December and another big card on the first quarter of 2025. Stay tuned.”

So, not only is Canelo off the table, but so is Tim Tszyu for, maybe, not responding to “His Excellency’s” gracious calls to be subjugated with proper haste?

Whatever the case, the apparent end of the line of Canelo-Crawford fight talk comes following no talks beyond Turki semi-ultimatums online. It also comes shortly after Crawford’s debut at 154 lbs. on Saturday, which proved to be less than dominant versus Israil Madrimov.

Despite some people believing that Crawford might actually stand a chance against Canelo– this writer included– the bout smelled of a cash-out for the soon-to-be 37-year-old native of Omaha, Nebraska.

Alalshikh, who has adopted Crawford as his own special project and poured money on him as a “Global Ambassador” to the Saudis’ Riyadh Season commercialization, had been calling for the Canelo-Crawford for a while. He was almost dismissive in his tone at times.

“I will give Canelo what I think is a fair price,” Alalshikh told ESPN earlier this month. “If he accepts it, he deals directly with me to finish the deal. I don’t want anyone in the middle. I guaranteed Crawford a big fight, I want Canelo for Crawford and Crawford wants Canelo. But if Canelo is crazy [with his financial demands] I will still guarantee Crawford any fight he wants.”

This past Saturday, in his first excruciatingly self-celebratory Saudi-sponsored event in America at BMO stadium in Los Angeles, he copped the same attitude.

“I give him the offer,” he said during the pay-per-view telecast. “If he’s smart, he will accept it.”

It didn’t take much mental acuity to see that approach moving on Canelo like a shot underneath the cup.

Alvarez, who has established himself as the cock of the revenue walk in the boxing world, will not be dictated to, especially for a fight he didn’t even seem too eager to explore in the first place.

“I have nothing to gain and everything to lose,” the Mexican cash cow said back in February, when asked about a Crawford bout. “If I beat him everyone will say he was too small.”

And, despite recent comments saying that he’d be willing to make the fight for the right price, it seems pretty clear that the “right” price was maybe too steep, even for oil-rich kingdoms.

In an interview with ESPN Deportes, Alvarez was asked if that price was $100 million and he didn’t hesitate with a response.

“A little more…a little more,” the undisputed super middleweight champ answered.

Crawford can now move on to more realistic bouts at junior middleweight and, maybe, focus on fully unifying his third straight division– a feat that would be historically much more significant than merely being competitive against Canelo in a big-ticket PPV.

Canelo will move on to curb stomping Edgar Berlanga this September 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Turki Alalshikh, meanwhile, can get back to wannabe-shadow ruling the sport and aggressively disregarding those who won’t bow in deference to him.