Turki Alalshikh wants Canelo Alvarez vs. Terrance Crawford fight in late 2024/early 2025 - "Thinking to do it in America"
Saudi Arabian General Entertainment Authority Chairman Turki Alalshikh is determined to put together a super fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford. Should he be able to get it done, His Excellency is targeting the fight as a major event.
In his interview on The MMA Hour on May 15, Alalshikh told host Ariel Helwani that he is adamant about pairing Alvarez with Crawford once the 'Ring of Fire' event concludes on May 20. Alalshikh said he has big plans for the targeted fight, looking to book the superstars in a major venue in the United States to promote a "big pay-per-view."
Alalshikh said:
"I am working on [Canelo vs. Crawford]. I want this fight. We are thinking to do it in America because we want it huge [in a] big stadium and a big pay-per-view. We want to do it [either] at the end of the year or the beginning of [next] year."
While there will be several obstacles in the way during negotiations, Alalshikh noted he hopes that "nobody will get in the way" of his dream.
As of May 2024, Crawford remains at the top of the pound-for-pound rankings amongst most media sites while Alvarez, the former top pound-for-pound king, is not far behind him. Both fighters have been champions for several years, though Alvarez outweighs 'Bud' by a considerable margin.
Watch the full interview with Turki Alalshikh on The MMA Hour below:
Turki Alalshikh expresses frustration with the IBF during his pursuit of Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight
While His Excellency Turki Alalshikh attempts to put together another blockbuster matchup, the Saudi adviser admitted to feeling frustration with one major factor in his pursuit of pairing Canelo Alvarez with Terence Crawford.
On The MMA Hour, Alalshikh claimed to be "angry" with the IBF for their quick trigger in ordering champions to make mandatory title defenses.
Alalshikh said:
"I am very angry... I don't understand why the IBF [ordered a mandatory title defense for] Canelo very soon. They did it for the third time with us. They did it with [Filip Hrgovic] and we don't understand... I hope they understand this message because in the end, we don't want the fighters to [vacate] the belts."
At press time, Alalshikh has his main focus on the undisputed heavyweight title fight on May 20 featuring champions Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk. Once an undisputed king is crowned, the accomplished Chairman will attempt to construct another major boxing fight card by the end of 2024.