Turki Alalshikh wants a violent spectacle for this Saturday’s mega fight between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez on Netflix. During Thursday’s press conference, promoter Turki reminded the key players that he doesn’t want a “Tom and Jerry” style fight. He wants to see “blood” and “smashed faces.”
That’s the kind of fight that four-belt undisputed 168-lb champion Canelo (63-2-2, 39 KOs) prefers, and the one he’ll be trying for.
Turki’s Quest for Blood
With Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) moving up multiple weight divisions after an extended layoff of 13 months, it’s not expected that he’ll accommodate Turki’s wishes to turn the fight into one that involves broken bones, “smashed faces,” and “blood” for the masses that will be watching on Netflix. Crawford just wants to win and doesn’t care how he does it.
The Nebraska native Crawford could be retiring after this fight. So, there’s less incentive for him to go along with Turki’s wishes to turn this fight into a violent spectacle that could end badly for him. Terence, 37, knows that if he wins, he’s got an excellent chance of being offered a rematch with Canelo and a pay increase from what he’s receiving for Saturday’s fight.
Mount Rushmore in Jeopardy
Even if Canelo bitterly rejects the idea of a second fight if he’s given a controversial defeat, Crawford would likely be offered a big payday by Turki to fight someone else. He would probably draw the line if Turki wanted him to fight against David Benavidez, Dmitry Bivol, or Jaron Ennis. Those fighters could mess up Terence’s legacy by defeating him by knockout or a one-sided decision.
Crawford’s hopes of one day being on the All-time great list and the Mount Rushmore of boxing could be spoiled if he fought those talents. That’s just a small list. There are fighters at 168, 160, and 154 that could wreck Crawford’s hopeless dream of making it to the Mt. Rushmore status. For example, Canelo’s sparring partner, Yoenli Hernandez, could be kryptonite to Crawford in my view.
A Netflix Spectacle or Snorefest?
“I want to see blood, smashed faces, and broken bones,” said Turki Alalshikh during the press conference on Thursday about his expectations for the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford once-in-a-generation showdown.
You can’t blame Turki for wanting to see a violent fight between Canelo and Crawford, as this is going to be a clash that millions of people will watch on Netflix. He needs this to be an entertaining fight, and if it fails to deliver, he’s going to look bad for his decision to hand-pick Crawford. This is his creation. Turki is the one who wanted Crawford for Canelo, not the fans.
If Crawford doesn’t do his part to make it exciting, it’ll reflect badly on Turki, because he could have used his money to pick more proven fighters who have shown a history of being involved in entertaining fights. Having watched Crawford’s fights since the start of his career in 2007, he has never been a fighter considered a must-watch.
The Gold Standard of Entertainment
If the gold standard for entertainment is former middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, Crawford would be the lead standard in my view. I would have never chosen him for Canelo if it were up to me. I’d have selected a more proven fighter who is known for going to war, like David Benavidez or Artur Beterbiev. Either of those fighters would have been excellent choices to fight Canelo on Saturday.
“As I said last week, I hate Tom and Jerry’s kind of boxing. I am sure they will deliver for me, smashing face and blood. This is boxing,” said Turki.
Last Updated on 09/12/2025
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