By Daniele D’Alessio
CANELO Alvarez and Gervonta Davis are two of the biggest pound-for-pound superstars, yet neither have worked with Turki Alalshikh.
Just over two months remain until the one-year anniversary of Riyadh Season in boxing. Ever since Tyson Fury fought Francis Ngannou in the ‘Battle of the Baddest’ on October 28, 2023, Saudi’s grip on the sport has tightened like an Olympian clinging to a gold medal. To many, the involvement of his excellency has revolutionised professional boxing.
The best fighting the best, undercards infused with 50-50 matchups, and some of the most popular boxers competing regularly – life was injected into a struggling niche.
One where hardcore fans got the occasional ‘big fight’ yet were often left frustrated with the business of boxing preventing or delaying numerous super bouts from happening. Meanwhile, casual fans sometimes struggled to fully invest in shows with boxers they were not aware of, besides no compelling narratives or rivalries.
Furthermore, despite the majority of Riyadh Season taking place in the Middle East, Turki put together a stacked card on US soil with Terence Crawford, Andy Ruiz and Jarrell Miller all featuring on August 3. Then, on September 21, Anthony Joshua faces Daniel Dubois for the IBF Heavyworld title at Wembley Stadium as part of Riyadh Season.
Indeed, some would argue the Saudi’s involvement is slowly turning boxing into the UFC. Although instead of Dana White as the sole leading figure, you have Turki along with leading promoters such as Eddie Hearn, Frank Warren, Oscar De La Hoya, and Bob Arum. And rather than all fights being shown on ESPN in the US and TNT Sports in the UK, everything is broadcast on DAZN worldwide.
But unlike the UFC, being a cash cow gives you the freedom to do whatever business you choose. Anthony Joshua is a bit of an anomaly due to having a career-long contract with Matchroom. But with his status alone he could work with any promoter or broadcaster while negotiating the exact purse for a given fight.
In fact, there’s only one person who earns more than Joshua inside a boxing ring and that’s Canelo. After leaving Golden Boy and De La Hoya in 2020 to become a free agent, Canelo has been like a monkey swinging from tree to tree, always looking for the best fruit. It doesn’t matter what branches he breaks, there’s always another route for him because of the commercial value he provides.
However, last week we saw a power struggle in the boxing kingdom. Turki was open about potentially matching Canelo against Terence Crawford until the American moved up to 154 lbs and did just enough to beat Israil Madrimov to become a four-division world champion. After announcing his newfound disinterest in Canelo-Crawford, the Mexican superstar basically told Turki he was the boss and negotiations would be done on his terms.
Turki Alalshikh (Mark Robinson Matchroom Boxing)
Suddenly, the boxing fraternity saw the first signs of animosity from his excellency, who bit back by claiming Canelo is not interested in tough fights since suffering a convincing loss to Dmitry Bivol in 2022. And stated the former pound-for-pound king is scared to face Crawford and David Benavidez.
Following several successful cards featuring elite fighters, Turki has become accustomed to putting together the bouts he and the majority of fans want to see. This includes Tyson Fury vs Oleksandr Usyk which birthed the first undisputed heavyweight champion since Lennox Lewis in 1999. Plus, one of this year’s most highly anticipated contests between Artur Beterbiev and Dmitry Bivol for all the belts at 175 lbs on October 12.
Turki entered the boxing realm to bring an end to the politics, successfully uniting former arch-enemies Hearn and Warren. Yet his recent online spat with Canelo may show he doesn’t possess all the power and he might need to play second fiddle to a couple of boxers at the very top.
From the outside, Canelo only needs Turki for one fight – Benavidez. An opponent the Guadalajara native has openly asked for $200 million to share the ring with and a figure no other promoter can supply. Notwithstanding, if Canelo decides to try and capture a world title in a fifth-weight division like cruiserweight, it’s possible he would want some extra compensation from the Saudis.
As for Davis, he once said that Turki needed to send two Ferraris for him to compete in the Middle East. His excellency retorted back with the offer of two gloves instead. Tank is not on the same commercial level as Canelo, yet this was another example of a cash cow refusing to adhere to Turki’s suggestions.
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – JUNE 15: WBA lightweight champion Gervonta Davis poses with referee Harvey Dock after defeating Frank Martin in a title defense at MGM Grand Garden Arena on June 15, 2024 in Las Vegas, Nevada. Davis retained his title with an eighth-round knockout. (Photo by Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
Davis doesn’t swing from branch to branch like Canelo, yet he’s a bee with access to a lot of honey in the form of the PBC. The Baltimore puncher is one of the biggest stars in America and after being the main event in his last ten fights, Davis is making millions of dollars. The Davis-Garcia bout broke PPV records by amassing over $100 million in revenue.
So, similar to Canelo, Davis may only need to work with his excellency if he wants additional compensation for a particularly risky fight. Shakur Stevenson is seen as the toughest available opponent for Tank. Time will tell if Davis gets the Saudis involved to make it happen.
To sum up, Turki Alalshikh has undoubtedly made a positive impact on boxing. Nevertheless, those benefiting the most from his excellency’s involvement are arguably boxers who weren’t previously getting the life-changing purses and career-defining opportunities. One example is Martin Bakole, who captured his best win against Jared Anderson and is likely to feature on more Riyadh Season cards.
Yet for Canelo and Davis, who have the luxury of picking any opponent they want while still generating huge purses, Riyadh season might remain separate from them. However, the more everyone works together in boxing, the more memorable nights there will be for fans.
