Turki Alalshikh said today that Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford is such a big fight that they “don’t need a big fight on the undercard” for it to do well on September 13th. It’s the same method that promoters have used for the mega-fights in the past involving stars of the past, especially ones where big purses were paid for the headliners.
Turki’s Undercard Vision
Alalshikh wants to use this opportunity for young talent to showcase themselves on the undercard for the Canelo-Crawford event on Netflix. The fighter’s manager would contact TKO Groups Holding, and a decision would be made whether they would be added to the card.
The undercard fights are designed to introduce new talent. It’s not about 50-50 fights. It has a Dana White UFC-like feel to it. That’s what he’s done with the UFC, with one good fight in the main event, and undercards with showcase fights for up-and-coming fighters.
White is promoting the Canelo-Crawford event. So, it’s understandable why the undercard is using the same model that he’s employed for years at the UFC. Some fans may like that approach while others may not. Those who have grown accustomed to seeing competitive fights on undercards may not be happy with Dana’s approach.
With the event being shown on Netflix, non-boxing fans will make up the difference from the traditional ones, who might not be excited about purchasing an event with an undercard filled with little-known prospects.
Is Canelo-Crawford Boxing’s Biggest?
It also comes down to how much fans value the Canelo vs. Crawford. Turki refers to the fight as “the biggest fight in boxing” in “the last 10 years,” but many people disagree. This fight is not seen as the biggest.
It’s two older fighters nearing the ends of their careers, coming off terrible performances against William Scull and Israil Madrimov. Crawford has been fighting only once a year since 2020, and he’s never been a draw during his career. He’s arguably less popular than fighters like Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney, and Teofimo Lopez.
Although Crawford has captured world titles in four weight classes, his resume is mediocre, and that has hurt his popularity. Crawford’s career mirrors that of Adrien ‘The Problem’ Broner, who also captured four division titles and fought lesser opposition like Bud to capture his belts. It’s unclear how long Alalshikh has been a fan of boxing. If he’s been a casual fan up until now, it makes sense why he’s so enamored with Crawford.
He sees what many naive, casual fans do when they look at Crawford’s credentials. ‘Oh gee, he’s won world titles in four weight classes. He must be great.‘ What they don’t see is that Crawford fought second-level fighters to capture those belts and to create his 41-0 record. Again, you have to be a hardcore fan to see that Crawford has a weak, plastic record and that he’s false gold. It’s smoke and mirrors with Bud.
Alalshikh’s Crawford Fight Choice
Turki likes Crawford. So, that’s why he’s fighting Canelo. It’s his preference. Normally, promoters put together fights between fighters that they know the boxing public is eager to see. In this case, this is a fight that Turki likes and not the public.
When you’ve got the money to put strange fights together, you can do anything. We saw Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury both fight former UFC heavyweight Francis Ngannou. It was a complete oddity. Now this. Canelo fighting Crawford.
They’re no longer capable of beating the top fighters in their weight classes and are only keeping their careers together through artificial means, such as careful matchmaking and avoiding the dangerous opposition that would defeat them.
For example, Canelo won’t fight David Benavidez or David Morrell. For his part, Crawford has chosen not to fight Bakhram Muratazaliev, Vergil Ortiz Jr., and Sebastian Fundora.
New Boxing Talent Platform
“This is the biggest fight in boxing and in history in the last 10 years and maybe more,” said Turki Alalshikh to the media, talking about the Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford contest on September 13th. “This is a really great opportunity for the talent in boxing. We’ll make all the undercard about talent, because we have the biggest fight.
“We don’t need a big fight on the undercard. For that, we’ll give the chance for the talent. If you think you’re ready to be on the undercard for Canelo-Crawford, come talk with us and maybe, you’ll have a chance,” said Turki.
Last Updated on 06/10/2025
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