Canelo-Crawford will stream on Netflix; no extra fee for subscribers
Alalshikh also firms up Sept. 13 at venue to be announced in Las Vegas with Dana White leading the promotion of the mega fight
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The much-anticipated showdown between undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and fellow four-division champion Terence Crawford, who is moving up two weight divisions to challenge him in the year’s biggest fight, won’t cost viewers a pay-per-view fee like mega bouts typically do.
Instead, the fight will stream live globally on Netflix on Sept. 13 from a venue in Las Vegas to be announced with no surcharge for its 300 million or so subscribers, organizer Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi Arabian power broker, announced on Tuesday, confirming what Fight Freaks Unite reported was the likely scenario.
Netflix had long been discussed as a landing spot for the fight but there had also been the possibility of it being on pay-per-view. Ultimately, the deal got done and Netflix will stream its third boxing event.
Netflix scored blockbuster viewership for its stream of the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson heavyweight fight on Nov. 15 and on July 11 it will stream an all-female card headlined by the third fight between undisputed junior welterweight champion Katie Taylor and Amanda Serrano, whose second fight was a big hit on the Paul-Tyson undercard.
Alalshikh initially announced the expected fight on May 3 in the ring in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, immediately after Alvarez outpointed William Scull to re-unify the super middleweight division and become the undisputed champion for the second time. Crawford joined them in the ring and faced off with Alvarez.
Alalshikh said the fight would take place on Sept. 12 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, but a couple of weeks later he said it would be Sept. 13 and added cities such as Los Angeles and New York the list of potential hosts. But now he has firmed up the Sept. 13 date, which is the Saturday night of Mexican Independence Day weekend, one of Alvarez’s traditional fight dates, and Las Vegas as the location.
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“On Sept. 13, Canelo and Crawford, two legends of boxing, will finally compete against each other in the fight of the century,” said Alalshikh, who is also chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, president of the Saudi Boxing Federation and owner of Ring magazine.
Also, Alalshikh said UFC president and CEO Dana White would promote the fight under the banner of the yet-to-be named boxing company created by TKO, which is the parent company of WWE and UFC. WWE has close ties to Netflix with which it has a billion dollar deal.
“Alongside Dana White and SELA, we will deliver something truly incredible in Las Vegas for fans around the world to enjoy through Netflix,” Alalshikh said.
Days after the bout was announced last month Alalshikh said White would promote the bout but then recently said it would be promoted by Riyadh Season and SELA, which is a subsidiary of Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund, and did not mention White or TKO.
Whatever the issues may have been they were ironed out and White will promote the event.
“Turki wants to make the biggest fights that the fans want to see in boxing and this is right up my alley,” White said. “Are you kidding me that the first boxing fight I’m going to get to promote is Canelo versus Crawford? It’s literally a once in a lifetime fight. Live on Saturday, September 13, streaming globally on Netflix, two of the greatest boxers in the sport will meet in a historic fight from Las Vegas.”
The venue was not announced but, according to sources involved in the event, Allegiant Stadium, the 70,000-seat home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, remains the likely host.
The UNLV football team currently has a game against Idaho State scheduled for Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium but a deal is being discussed under which the university would be compensated to switch the game to a different date or site and make the stadium available for the fight.
“I’m super happy to be making history again and this time on a Riyadh Season card that will be broadcast on Netflix,” Alvarez said. “On Sept. 13, I’m ready to show once again that I am the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”
Before the bout, Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs), 34, of Mexico, and Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), 37, of Omaha, Nebraska, will take part in a three-city media tour. It will begin on June 20 at Baker Alshidy Theatre in Riyadh. On June 22, they will be in New York at the Fanatics Fest at the Jacob Javits Convention Center. And they will conclude the tour on June 27 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“My perfect record speaks for itself,” Crawford said. “I am the best fighter in the world and no matter the opponent or weight class I have always come out on top. On Sept. 13, my hand will be raised once again as the world watches greatness.”
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Photo: Turki Alalshikh
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I agree Crawford wins what a great win to be on Netflix so many can see it let’s hope it is a great fight boxing needs it
I want a contest. not an older less active welterweight fighting a super middleweight/light heavyweight. Would you want to see Canelo fight Usyk or Fury.