Notebook: Canelo to Crawford: 'You’re nothing different'
Site official for the big fight; Wilder interview; Surace speaks out on Munguia's failed test; Rivera to headline; Quick hits; Show and tell
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One day after undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and fellow four-division champion Terence Crawford shared a lavish and friendly dinner with Turki Alalshikh they turned to business on Friday.
They kicked off their three-city international media tour at Baker Alshidy Theatre in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, with the typical confidence in victory that these two all-time greats have always displayed.
“He’s not gonna beat me. Don’t worry about it,” Alvarez boasted when asked whether his brand would be damaged by losing to a man coming up two weight divisions — 14 pounds — to challenge for his title when they meet in the year’s biggest fight on Sept.13 (Netflix) at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
Crawford, who was sitting several feet away at his table across the stage, quickly responded as they got into a respectful back and forth.
“For sure them belts are coming with me,” Crawford promised. “They coming home with me, I’m telling you.
“You can see it, but it’s going to be difficult for you,” Alvarez said.
“I’m taking them and there ain’t nothing you’ll be able to do about it come fight night,” said Crawford, who is bidding to become the first male boxer to be a three-division undisputed champion in the multi-belt era, having previously fully unified at welterweight and junior welterweight.
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Alvarez, who is going into the second fight of a four-fight deal with Saudi Arabia’s Alalshikh, said he thought Alalshikh would be rooting for Crawford, who is also going into the second bout of his association with Alalshikh.
“I know Turki is in your corner but look, it’s gonna be very difficult,” Alvarez said. “(Alalshikh is) gonna be so mad that day, believe me.”
Crawford, who will end an 13-month layoff since he moved up to junior middleweight and narrowly outpointed Israil Madrimov to win the WBA belt last August, shot back, “You’ll see. I’m different than all the other ones.”
That prompted Alvarez to crack, “I see you. You don’t look different. You’re nothing different.”
Although Crawford is the underdog, he insisted he would take care of business in his biggest fight.
“I’m always gonna rise on the big occasion. I always did in my whole career,” he said. “This is my moment and I’m not letting Canelo take it away from me. Simple as that.”
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), 37, of Omaha, Nebraska, is the one who spent months calling out a disinterested Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs), 34, of Mexico, until Alalshikh made him an offer he apparently couldn’t refuse.
Crawford explained his reason for why he has been so set on tangling with Alvarez, who is coming off an extremely lackluster performance in a unanimous decision over William Scull on May 3 in Riyadh to re-unify the 168-pound division and become the undisputed champion for the second time.
“I called Canelo out because he’s the last great fighter (from the previous era) — Floyd (Mayweather), (Manny) Pacquiao, (Oscar) De La Hoya,” Crawford said. “We both came up in that era and he was right there with those fighters and he got the chance to fight Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather, (Sergey) Kovalev, GGG (Gennadiy Golovkin) and I wasn’t able to get those mega fights.
“So this is my mega fight. This is my moment and that’s the reason I want to fight an all-time great like Canelo.”
The tour will continue on Sunday in New York at the Fanatics Fest at the Jacob Javits Convention Center and conclude June 27 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Canelo-Crawford at Allegiant
Earlier in the week, it was announced that Alvarez-Crawford will indeed take place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
When Alalshikh initially announced the fight in May in the ring with the fighters facing off with each other following Alvarez’s decision win over William Scull to once against fully unify the 168-pound division, the bout was announced for Sept.12 at the 70,000-seat stadium, which is home to the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders and the UNLV football team.
However, over the next few weeks, the date was switched to Sept. 13, Netflix was announced as the broadcaster, and Alalshikh said the fight might move to another city. Then last week he firmed up Sept. 13 and made it official that it would take place in Las Vegas but did not name the venue.
The UNLV football team had a game against Idaho State scheduled for Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium but behind the scenes the sides were working out a deal for the university to be compensated to switch the game to a different date or site in order to make the stadium available for the fight. The card will be the first boxing event to be hosted by the stadium.
Deontay Wilder interview
If you missed the recent podcast episode that included my one-on-one interview with former longtime WBC heavyweight titlist Deontay Wilder ahead of his comeback from a year layoff as he tries to shake off two losses in a row when he fights Tyrrell Herndon on June 27 (PPV.COM, 9 p.m. ET), we broke it out separately and you can watch the video here and also please subscribe to the YouTube channel. New shows every Thursday and Sunday night (and occasional special episodes like this one).
Surace speaks out
After super middleweight contender Jaime Munguia confirmed this week that his B sample also tested positive for exogenous origin of testosterone, a banned substance, related to a decision win over Bruno Surace in their rematch on May 3 on the Canelo Alvarez-William Scull undercard in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, Surace spoke out about the situation.
“I feel the need to speak up about recent revelations regarding Jaime Munguia’s doping,” Surace posted on social media in comments translated from French. “First of all, I want to remind you that Munguia is a boxer I’ve long admired. He’s a (former WBO junior middleweight) champion, a warrior, someone who made a mark on our sport. When I gave him this revenge after my win in Tijuana, it wasn’t a simple choice: it was a walk of truth. I didn’t want people to say I was lucky, it was an accident. I wanted to prove, once and for all, that I earned my place with my fists, my heart, and my work
“During the whole preparation, I have put my life on the side. With my team we worked like never before. We locked in this mission with total determination. Every day, every session, every pain had meaning: showing up 100% against one of the biggest names in boxing. … Even if the truth always comes out, that’s not the outcome I came here for. That's not why I sacrificed everything. I can’t rejoice in this situation because there’s nothing to celebrate in it. It’s sad for our sport. It is unfair to those who practice it with integrity. And it’s painful for those who fight cleanly, honestly.
“How I feel today is great disappointment but also an even stronger desire to keep fighting for myself, for my team, for everyone who believes in fair boxing. We are now waiting for a sanction on the level of my disappointment to be passed by the competent authorities and I stand ready more than ever for what's next.”
Munguia (45-2, 35 KOs), 28, of Mexico, who denied knowingly taking a banned substance, faces the probability of the fight result being changed to a no contest as well as a suspension from the British Boxing Board of Control, which was the regulator in charge of the event. Munguia’s A sample came back positive on May 29 and he elected to also have his B sample tested.
Munguia outpointed Surace 117-111, 117-111 and 116-112 in an immediate rematch from Dec. 14, when Surace (26-1-2, 5 KOs), 26, an unknown fighter with no credible wins, was the hand-picked opponent for a hometown fight for Munguia in Tijuana. Surace, who was dropped in the second round and losing badly, landed a clean right hand on the chin that knocked out the 50-1 favorite Munguia in the sixth round for the consensus 2024 upset of the year, after which Munguia invoked his contractual right to an immediate rematch.
Rivera headlines MVP show
Flyweight up-and-comer Yankiel Rivera, who signed last month with Most Valuable Promotions after his contract with Matchroom Boxing expired, will headline in his first fight of the new deal.
Rivera (7-0, 3 KOs), 27, a 2020 Puerto Rican Olympian, will fight Angelino Cordova for the vacant WBA interim flyweight title on Aug. 23 (DAZN) at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida, MVP announced on Friday.
Kenshiro Teraji is the unified WBC/WBA flyweight champion and active, so the WBA is once again going against its established policy of no longer creating additional world titles in the same division.
“I remember Angelino from the amateurs, although our paths never crossed,” Rivera said. “Angelino is an extraordinary fighter who has all my respect. I’m training accordingly, and it’ll be an honor to share the ring with him and fight for that belt. You can be sure of one thing, I’ve been preparing for this moment since I first put a pair of gloves. The belt and the opponent I’m facing only fuel my hunger for working hard and win.”
Cordova (19-0-1, 12 KOs), 29, of Venezuela, had his highest profile bout in March 2024 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, where he challenged then-WBC flyweight titlist Julio Cesar Martinez on the Tim Tszyu-Sebastian Fundora undercard.
Cordova lost a majority decision in an action-packed battle but the Nevada State Athletic Commission later changed the result to no contest when Martinez tested positive for banned diuretics and masking agents. Cordova won his only fight since.
Also on the card, junior welterweight Jamaine Ortiz (19-2-1, 9 KOs), 29, of Worcester, Massachusetts, will face Steve Claggett (39-8-2, 27 KOs), 36, of Canada, in a 10-rounder. Both of them lost decisions challenging lineal/WBO champion Teofimo Lopez in 2024.
BetUS Boxing Show
If you missed the BetUS Boxing Show live at 1 p.m. ET on Thursday (we’ll be back at the usual time next Friday) please check out the replay (and also subscribe to the YouTube channel). We previewed and picked two Saturday fights: WBC interim flyweight titlist Galal Yafai’s defense against Francisco Rodriguez in the Matchroom Boxing headliner on DAZN in Birmingham, England, and middleweight Vito Mielnicki Jr. against Kamil Gardzielik in the Top Rank main event on ESPN+ in Newark, New Jersey. We also took viewer questions and comments and discussed the latest boxing news! Please check out the show here:
Quick hits
Weights from Birmingham, England, for the Matchroom Boxing card on Saturday (DAZN, 2 p.m. ET): Galal Yafai 111.6 pounds, Francisco Rodriguez 111.1 (for Yafai’s WBC interim flyweight title); Conah Walker 146.8, Liam Taylor 146.7 (for Walker’s British welterweight title); Peter McGrail 121.9, Ionut Baluta 121.9; Pat Brown 209.6, Ivan Duka 206.7; Tiah Mai Ayton 119.9, Sara Orszagi 117.6; Aaron Bowen 164.1, Mykola Vovk, 163.5; Giorgio Visioli 133, Elias Duguet 132.5; Ibraheem Sulaimaan 132.4, Brian Phillips 132.8; Hamza Uddin 115.7, Leandro Jose Blanc 114.9.
Weights from Newark, New Jersey, for the Top Rank card on Saturday (ESPN+, 5:30 p.m. ET): Vito Mielnicki Jr. 159.5 pounds, Kamil Gardzielik 159.5; Jahi Tucker 160, Lorenzo Simpson 159.5; Damian Knyba 254.5, Marcin Siwy 244; Brandun Lee 143, Elias Araujo 142; Dwyke Flemmings Jr. 154, Demian Fernandez 154; Norman Neely 249.5, James Willis 262.5; Arjan Iseni 175, Kaine Tomlinson Jr. 175; Muadh Abdus-Salaam 144, Roberto Cantos 145.5; Kahshad Eliott 154, Titus Ashe 153; Jamar Talley 197.5, Kurt Fleming 204.5; Lisandra Contreras 121, Montana Weems 122.
The boxing promotional entity owned by TKO Group Holdings, also the parent company of UFC and WWE, that was recently created, now has a name. The company UFC boss Dana White will use to promote the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford event as well as a series of boxing cards as part of a deal with Turki Alalshikh and the Saudi Arabian government announced in March, will be called Zuffa Boxing, White said this week. The company had been referred to simply as “TKO Boxing” since the announcement of its creation but that was just a place holder until the formal name was unveiled. Zuffa is a name familiar to combat sports fans. It was the name of the company used by brothers Frank and Lorenzo Fertitta and White when they bought UFC in 2001.
The IBF this week ordered a heavyweight title eliminator between No. 3 Efe Ajagba (20-1-1, 14 KOs), 31, a Nigeria native fighting out of Stafford, Texas, and No. 4 Frank Sanchez (25-1, 18 KOs), 32, a Cuba native based in Miami, its highest-ranked available contenders. Should the bout happen the winner would be the IBF mandatory challenger for the winner of the undisputed title fight between Oleksandr Usyk and Daniel Dubois on July 19. Ajagba-Sanchez would be a rematch of when Sanchez handed Ajagba his only loss, a decision in October 2021 on the Tyson Fury-Deontay Wilder III undercard. Ajagba is coming off a May 3 draw with Martin Bakole. Sanchez shook off a seventh-round knockout loss to Agit Kabayel in February for a low-level third-round KO of 18-24 Ramon Olivas in February.
Former heavyweight title challenger Hughie Fury (30-3, 17 KOs), 30, of England, who is a cousin of former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury, will face Michael Pirotton (10-1, 4 KOs), 28, of Belgium, in an eight-rounder in the co-feature of the card headlined by the vacant European light heavyweight title bout between Shakan Pitters and Brad Rea on June 28 (DAZN) at Connexin Live Arena in Hull, England, GBM announced. “I’m on the title trail,” Fury said. “If you follow heavyweight boxing you’ll know Michael Pirotton is a dangerous young heavyweight. He’s making a bold move by coming after me, which I quite admire. He’s got nothing to lose and everything to gain.”
Show and tell
Boxing in the 1980s was largely dominated by the nine-fight round robin of bouts between Hall of Famers Sugar Ray Leonard, Thomas Hearns, Roberto Duran and Marvin Hagler. Leonard was the biggest star but each of the possible bouts among them happened. Each was a huge event and they produced several classic fights in world title bouts from welterweight to super middleweight. Leonard had won the WBC welterweight title by 15th-round knockout of fellow great Wilfred Benitez and was 27-0 going into his second defense against Duran (71-1 at the time), the legendary former lightweight champion, who had moved up in weight several fights earlier.
They met at Olympic Stadium in Montreal, Canada, where Leonard won the 1976 Olympic gold medal, in the first of what became known as the “Four Kings” series of bouts. They kicked off the series with the first fight of their eventual trilogy in an all-time classic battle of brilliant boxing and rough balls-to-the-wall in fighting before a crowd of 46,317. In the end, the brawler Duran better imposed his style on the slicker Leonard and won the ferocious battle in an upset 15-round decision — 148-147, 146-144 and 145-144 — to claim the title and a championship in a second division. The epic fight took place on June 20, 1980 — 45 years ago on Friday. Here are both versions of the program (one in English, one in French) and a mint full ticket in my collection.
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Photos: Canelo-Crawford: Riyadh Season; Surace: Leigh Dawney/Queensberry Promotions; Rivera: Melina Pizano/ Matchroom Boxing; Yafai-Rodriguez: Mark Robinson/Matchroom Boxing; Mielnicki-Gardzielik: Mikey Williams/Top Rank
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TKO has quickly gotten a reputation for gouging the WWE fans on ticket prices. HE Turki and Dana White had better not make the same mistake with Canelo/Crawford. Or else they’ll be lucky to even “Paper” the crowd. One, Vegas is super expensive as is right now. Two, no one outside of the Boxing Bubble really cares about Bud Crawford. He’s aloof and uncharismatic. His non existent PPV sales as the “A” side are the repeated truth. Three, ICE is harassing and locking up anyone that looks like Canelo’s fan base. Four, Netflix may be great for eyeballs on the sport. But its ease of use, also could hurt ticket purchases. I’m going to Vegas for that weekend. But if at no point are ticket prices reasonable. I’ll enjoy Canelo/Crawford from the best seat in the house, my room. BTW, Allegiant Stadium sucks for Boxing. Raiders owner Mark Davis cheaped out and didn’t install an overhead video board like the Rams or Cowboys Stadiums. You’ve been warned.