There was a massive disconnect between Turki Alalshikh and Canelo Alvarez as the former attempted to negotiate a fight between the latter and Terence Crawford.
Eddie Hearn was the potential link between the two, and in a recent interview, the Matchroom promoter explained how the introduction might have gone off the rails.
“Yeah, it’s difficult because, obviously, I’m very fond of both,” Hearn explained when asked to describe the budding beef between Alvarez and Alalshikh. “I think, firstly, His Excellency has one thing on his mind: make the biggest fights that can be made in boxing. And I think he probably shares a lot of the frustration of boxing fans over the last few years. And I think what he’s bringing to the sport is extremely refreshing because he has no interest in poor fights. He has no interest in tick-over fights or warm-up fights. He just wants to make the biggest fights that can be made. So, in His Excellency’s mind, the fights that he wants to see are Canelo Alvarez against Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez against David Benavidez. I think every boxing fan in the world would share that passion and that idea that His Excellency has to make those fights.”
Hearn is correct.
You would be hard-pressed to find a single boxing fan who would have no interest in seeing Canelo challenge himself by taking on the challenge from Benavidez. The undefeated 27-year-old stands 6-foot-2 and has knocked out 24 of the 27 opponents he’s faced.
Benavidez is massive for the 168-pound weight class and probably better suited for light heavyweight in the long run, but he is currently one of the elite fighters at 168 pounds, and he has repeatedly called Canelo out. Canelo has sighted the amount of weight Benavidez rehydrates to on fight night and has been candid about the risks he sees in taking that fight.
While some frown on Canelo’s risk-reward approach, it’s understandable strategy and business acumen for a fighter who has accomplished so much in his career.
Canelo’s reluctance to fight Crawford, or his perceived reluctance, would be more head-scratching.
“He reached out to me, His Excellency, the night of the first press conference in New York, and he said to me, “I want to make Canelo-Crawford. Go and speak to Saul; let’s make this fight.” And I said, “Okay,” and I reached out to Saul and said, “Look, His Excellency wants to make this fight. I think you should go see him in Los Angeles. He’s there.” And Saul just said, “Look, I’m focused on this fight [with Edgar Berlanga]. I won’t talk about another fight until after this fight.” And I think His Excellency probably can’t understand that. I think it’s a frustration of, “No, let’s make the fight, come on.”
Here is a look at the entire conversation and a link to the interview.
Alalshikh’s significant contributions, both in terms of his work and financial backing, have led to the production of numerous boxing fights that have been well-received by fans.
This has not only earned promoters and fighters money but also enhanced the overall appeal of the sport. Still, from what we know, Alalshikh is new to the fight game. While he has been able to influence the likes of Anthony Joshua, Tyson Fury, Deontay Wilder, Oleksandr Usyk, Dmitry Bivol, Crawford, Artur Beterbiev, and others, not every fighter has been willing to drop everything to answer his call.
Because of his accomplishments, Canelo’s mental toughness and confidence make him a different beast when it comes to negotiations.
He experienced being the lower man on the totem pole when he drained himself to make 154 pounds to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013 because Money was the A-side. It appears very important to Canelo that he be treated differently and with respect.
From what we’ve heard, Canelo hasn’t felt respected in his initial dealings with Alalshikh. Even with the discord, it would be a shock if the two men didn’t work together at some point.
There is so much money on the line, and rarely do we see these opportunities pass without capitalization.
