Notebook: Canelo-Crawford site, broadcaster coming into focus
Heavyweight Moses Itauma to step up against Dillian Whyte; Loma vacates title, Muratalla elevated; Quick hits; Show and tell
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Since Saudi Arabian power broker Turki Alalshikh made the showdown between undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and fellow four-division champion Terence Crawford official last month, there has been uncertainty about when and where the fight would take place, who would promote it, and on which platform it will air.
At first it was announced for Sept. 12 at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, but recently Alalshikh said it would instead take place on Sept. 13, the Saturday night of Mexican Independence weekend, one of Alvarez’s traditional fight dates, but with the site in limbo.
Alalshikh also waffled on who would promote the year’s biggest fight but now there seems to be clarity after he posted to social media on Sunday that “my brother Dana (White) will promote this fight. It is the fight of Riyadh Season, and we have a deal with TKO to promote it and it will (be) the biggest fight in boxing.”
Alalshikh added that soon he would reveal details pertaining to the broadcast platform.
White, who promoted UFC 316 this past weekend in Newark, New Jersey, also said when asked about Alvarez-Crawford at the post-fight news conference that he would be promoting the fight.
The venue and broadcaster have not been finalized but sources told Fight Freaks Unite the fight likely will take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and stream on Netflix, which scored blockbuster viewership with its stream of the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson heavyweight fight on Nov. 15.
Allegiant Stadium was originally announced as the venue before Alalshikh said it wasn’t necessarily the case. Netflix’s involvement had not been announced but it was common knowledge in the industry that it was working to finalize a deal before there was some sort of issue, but that has now apparently been worked out.