Dana White’s big foray into the boxing world will begin this September with one of the biggest fights in recent memory.
Even a record-breakingly drab win over William Scull on Saturday night couldn’t dampen the appetite for Canelo Alvarez’s next move. It was expected that the event was little more than a curtain raiser for the true biggest fight in boxing.
And boxing supremo Turki Alalshikh didn’t disappoint as he delivered a face-off between the undisputed super-middleweight champion and his two-weight undisputed champion Terence Crawford in Riyadh after the fight.
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Dana White to launch TKO Boxing with Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford
After the initial face-off and date announcement for Alvarez v Crawford, Turki Alalshikh took to X to announce further details. Dana White wasn’t mentioned during the awkward in-ring segment, but the event was confirmed to be the launch of TKO Boxing in the aftermath.
“We will deliver the fight of the century with @RiyadhSeason on Sept. 12 at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium,” Alalshikh wrote. “The legend @Canelo defends his @ringmagazine title vs. the great @terencecrawford.
“TV platform will be announced soon with big surprise. My brother @danawhite will promote this first TKO boxing event with me. It will be something crazy.”
The TV platform he is alluding to is believed by industry insiders to be Netflix, who have previously worked on Jake Paul vs Mike Tyson. They air the TKO Group’s WWE events worldwide, and are about to have their second boxing event with Katie Taylor vs Amanda Serrano 3 on July 11 in New York.
Terence Crawford opens up about Canelo Alvarez fight
Following a disappointing decision win for Alvarez, Crawford made his way into the ring to face off with his fellow undisputed champion. The pair waited for a Ring Magazine belt to be presented before sharing an intense moment that sent boxing fans into a frenzy.
Speaking with Seconds Out after the fight, Crawford said: “Canelo is the face of boxing, he is the best fight for Terence Crawford out there and the biggest fight for Terence Crawford out there. So that’s why Terence Crawford wants to take the opportunity to share the ring with another great.
“September 12 we are all going to see if the weight makes a difference or not… One fight at a time… I don’t [think Canelo has slipped as a fighter], William was just doing a good job moving a lot and neutralizing his power punches.
“If you watch the styles that beat him, they didn’t move a lot. They moved a little bit but not as much as William Scull.”