On September 13, boxing fans will witness one of the most anticipated fights of the year. The showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford will not go unnoticed and through controversial statements, the preview of a duel that could mark the year for the boxing world is already heating up.
The first press conference for the fight was recently held in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, and the boxers did not hold back. Both Canelo and Crawford challenged each other and delivered statements that caused a great stir in public opinion and even generated responses from other sides.
Canelo Alvarez’s confidence was clear from the start. When asked if a loss to Crawford could damage his brand, the Mexican replied confidently: “He’s not going to beat me. Don’t worry about that. I think this fight is going to go down in the boxing history books, for sure. That’s for sure,” explained Canelo, who quickly received a response from his opponent.
“Of course, those belts are coming with me. They’re coming home with me, I’m telling you right now. And there’s nothing you’re going to be able to do about it on fight night,” Clawford replied to Canelo. The war of words quickly escalated, with Canelo Alvarez issuing a warning, even mentioning the powerful Turki Alalshikh: “I know Turki is in your corner. But look, it’s going to be very difficult. He’s going to be very angry that day, believe me.” Crawford’s response was equally blunt: “You’ll see that I’m different,” to which Canelo replied: “You’re nothing different.”
Oscar De La Hoya’s statements
In the midst of this crossfire, Oscar De La Hoya, who promoted Canelo under Golden Boy Promotions from 2010 to 2020, was quick to join the debate. The relationship between De La Hoya and Canelo, marked by professional disagreements and personal tensions that culminated in a legal battle and their eventual separation, remains tense
Watching the video of the exchange on Instagram, De La Hoya asked his own probing questions: “Can Crawford teach and do what Mayweather did to Canelo? Or will two weight divisions at 150 pounds be too much for Crawford..?” This last question is key, as Crawford will be moving up two categories for this mega fight.
But De La Hoya’s criticism was not limited to sports analysis. In his “Clap Back Thursday” video, the “Golden Boy” directly attacked the scheduling of the fight. He questioned the decision to have the Canelo-Crawford fight broadcast on Netflix during the day, accusing that it was “just to accommodate the UFC card later that day on another channel”. De La Hoya did not hesitate to ask: “Don’t they care about the fans or the ratings?” and he quipped that UFC, with “a bunch of fighters nobody knows, will be in prime time”.
The response of the authorities
The response was swift. During the press conference, General Entertainment Authority (GEA) Chairman Turki Alalshikh responded to De La Hoya’s criticism with sarcasm. “I decided with Dana White to have breakfast at the MGM at 10 a.m. Then we’ll go to the arena to have the fights quickly, and we’ll go to dinner,” he said, completely dismissing his critic’s concerns. Alalshikh concluded bluntly: “Oscar De La Hoya is wasting my time.”
There is no doubt that the fight is heating up from all sides and this only makes it even more attractive. Canelo and Crawford will have the last word to see who gets the win in one of the hottest and most anticipated fights for boxing fans.
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