There is another twist to the reports of the cancelled bout between Canelo Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KO’s) and Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KO’s).
According to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, The Ring owner and Riyadh Season organizer Turki Alalshikh―who has all but been confirmed to have been heading the negotiations between the two fighters―reportedly suspended the finalizing of contracts between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford due to rumors of Alvarez fighting Jake Paul:
“[Turki Alalshikh] is suspending efforts to finalize contracts for Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford in September in the wake of Alvarez’s novelty bout with Jake Paul, sources tell ESPN,” Coppinger posted yesterday on social media.
“Alalshikh will instead look to make Crawford-“Boots” Ennis later this year. Alalshikh offered Canelo a lucrative three-fight deal that would start with the Crawford bout. Alvarez and Crawford signed term sheets after agreeing to a deal.“
Apparently, both Alvarez and Crawford had actually already agreed to fight each other, with the only phase left remaining the finalizing of the contracts which was halted by Turki Alalshikh due to concerns of the Mexican unified super middleweight (168 lbs) champion fighting Jake Paul.
The only discernible report about a Alvarez-Paul bout came from Dan Rafael who confirmed of talks between Alvarez’ team and Paul’s representatives but also claimed there were no formal negotiations in play. However, Alalshikh’s alleged suspension of the finalization of contracts for a Alvarez-Crawford bout suggest the Saudi official has had more knowledge about these reported contract talks between Alvarez and Paul.
This is further claimed by ESPN who reported before Coppinger’s earlier-referenced post that Canelo Alvarez and Jake Paul were in the midst of finalizing a May 3rd bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
If the reports of a Alvarez-Paul bout being in the making are true, it would explain Alalshikh’s decision to suspend the Alvarez-Crawford bout, indicating The Ring owner is dissatisfied with Alvarez’ choice of opponent in Jake Paul. While this supposed May 3rd would have no bearings on an eventual September fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, it does not fall in line with Alalshikh’s vision of a more competitive environment in boxing.
This would also shed light on why the Saudi official is attempting to make a Terence Crawford versus Jaron Ennis (33-0, 29 KO’s) bout later in the year according to Coppinger, with Ennis apparently considered a suitable opponent following the suspension of the Alvarez-Crawford bout; despite the options on the table for Crawford to unify the super welterweight (154 lbs) division against WBC & WBO champion Sebastian Fundora (21-1-1, 13 KO’s) and IBF 154-pound beltholder Bakhram Murtazaliev (23-0, 17 KO’s).
Notably, Ennis himself has already declared his intentions to unify the welterweight (147 lbs) division and has rejected fights against WBO super lightweight (140 lbs) champion Teofimo Lopez (21-1, 13 KO’s) and 154-pound contender Vergil Ortiz Jr. (22-0, 21 KO’s) to face Eimantas Stanionis (14-0, 9 KO’s) in April.
Whether there is any substance to any of these reports remains to be seen. A Canelo Alvarez-Jake Paul fight would be lucrative for both fighters, it is still unknown how Paul’s fight against Mike Tyson last year has affected his popularity given the fallout of the spectacle bout.
There are also doubts as to whether the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) will allow such a bout given the two fighters are on completely different levels, which might relegate the rumored contest to an exhibition match rather than a genuine professional contest.
The NSAC has had a history of strictness, as evident by their handling of Mexican fighter Julio Cesar Martinez who failed a drug test the organization conducted themselves last year and was immediately suspended after he tested positive. In comparison to another commission, the New York State Athletic Commission (NYSAC), this was a surprisingly sound and swift act given the NYSAC took weeks to suspend Ryan Garcia (24-1, 20 KO’s) when a B-sample was discovered to be positive through a Voluntary Anti-Doping Agency (VADA) test.
Despite ESPN’s report, there are doubts to its validity given Jake Paul had hinted of fighting in July rather than May, though this could be intentional misdirection on Paul’s part. The rumors of a Alvarez-Paul bout could also be a part of discrete marketing on the behalf of the Paul co-owned Most Valuable Promotions (MVP) in a bid to keep Paul’s name in the limelight, though Alalshikh’s action could suggest these reported talks hold actual weight.
The fact the finalizing of contracts between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford has been suspended rather than outright cancelled further paints a scenario of this saga being far from over, and things could still shift in the upcoming weeks for a bout in September to be officially announced.
