LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 11: Canelo Alvarez at the Ring Magazine Awards event at the Old Royal … [+] Naval College on January 11, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Getty Images)
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The Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford fight is back on, and truthfully, it was probably never off. Meanwhile, the rumored Jake Paul vs. Canelo fight is dead—and it may have never been a serious bout.
The main parties involved—Alvarez, Crawford, and Turki Alalshikh—all took to social media on Thursday night to announce a new four-fight deal for the Mexican icon.
The new deal reinstates his September super fight with Crawford but also includes a fight in May in Saudi Arabia. The last two fights on the agreement would land in February and October 2026, and based on the money Canelo stands to earn, these could be the final four fights of his career.
LONDON, ENGLAND – JANUARY 11: Canelo Alvarez at the Ring Magazine Awards event at the Old Royal … [+] Naval College on January 11, 2025 in London, England. (Photo by Mark Robinson/Getty Images)
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According to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, Jermall Charlo and Bruno Surace are potential opponents for Canelo in May. As for Crawford, it appears he has elected to wait until September to face Canelo.
By the time that fight rolls around, Crawford will have been out of the ring for more than a year. His last fight was a hard-fought unanimous decision victory over Israil Madrimov in August 2024.
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – AUGUST 2: Terence Crawford (L), a welterweight undisputed champion, poses … [+] on the scale after his official weigh-in at LA Live on August 2, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Crawford and Madrimov will fight for the super-welterweight title on Saturday August 3, 2024 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
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Crawford likely needs time to properly add the necessary weight to move up to 168 pounds and to feel comfortable fighting 14 pounds heavier than he ever has in his career.
Paul had posted on social media that he considered himself the A-side of the negotiation. It’s unclear if that stance played a role in Canelo’s decision to pivot or if the Mexican legend used the concept of a Paul fight for leverage.
Truthfully, we may never know. In any case, the fights most boxing purists would prefer are headed our way, and Paul will need to find another option for his next fight. Keep an eye on Julio Cesar Chavez Jr.—that fight has been there for Paul for more than a year.
It would not surprise me if Canelo elects to fight Surace over Charlo. While the latter has been inactive and had a slew of issues outside the ring, he is big and physically talented. If properly motivated, he may present a stiffer challenge than Canelo would want for a tune-up fight.
I’ll never forget the problems Felix Sturm presented Oscar De La Hoya in June 2004 ahead of the Golden Boy’s clash with Bernard Hopkins. Canelo won’t want Charlo or Surace to be his Sturm.
As it is, the news shook up the boxing world early Friday morning. Here is a look at the upcoming boxing schedule through the spring.
Boxing Schedule 2025
Saturday, February 8, 2025
Derek Chisora vs. Otto Wallin
- Location: Co-Op Live Arena, Manchester, GB
- Time: 2:00 PM (ET)
Friday, February 14, 2025
WBO World Lightweight Championship: (c) Denys Berinchyk vs. Keyshawn Davis
Xander Zayas vs. Slawa Spomer
Vito Mielnicki vs. Connor Coyle
Jared Anderson vs. Marios Kollias
Abdullah Mason vs. Manuel Jaimes
- Location: The Theater at MSG, New York City, US
- Time: 8:00 PM (ET)
Saturday, February 15, 2025
Jack Catterall vs. Arnold Barboza
- Location: Co-Op Live Arena, Manchester, GB
- Time: Noon (ET)
Oscar Duarte vs. Regis Prograis
- Honda Center, Anaheim, California, US
- Time: 8 PM (ET)
Saturday, February 22, 2025
The Ring, WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF Light Heavyweight Championship: (c) Artur Beterbiev vs. Dmitry Bivol
IBF Heavyweight Championship: (c) Daniel Dubois vs. Joseph Parker
WBC Lightweight Championship (c) Shakur Stevenson vs. Floyd Schofield
WBC Middleweight Championship (c) Carlos Adames vs. Hamzah Sheeraz
Vergil Ortiz Jr. vs. Israil Madrimov
Joshua Buatsi vs. Callum Smith
Zhilei Zhang vs. Agit Kabayel
- Location: Kingdom Arena, Riyadh, SA
- Time: Noon (ET)
Monday, February 24, 2025
WBC World Bantamweight Championship: (c) Junto Nakatani vs. David Cuellar Contreras
- Location: Ariake Arena, Tokyo, JP
- Time: 2:00 AM (ET)
Saturday, March 1, 2025
WBA World Lightweight Championship: (c) Gervonta Davis vs. Lamont Roach Jr.
- Location: Barclays Center, New York City, US
- Time: 8:00 PM (ET)
Friday, March 7, 2025
The Ring Welterweight Championship: (c) Natasha Jonas vs. Lauren Price
- Location: Royal Albert Hall, London, GB
- Time: 1:00 PM (ET)
Wednesday, March 12, 2025 – 3:00 AM ET
Hordern Pavilion, Sydney, Australia
- Keith Thurman vs. Brock Jarvis
- Michael Zerafa vs. Erkan Ay
Saturday, March 15, 2025
WBA World Featherweight Championship: (c) Nick Ball vs. TJ Doheny
- Location: M&S Bank Arena, Liverpool, GB
- Time: 1:00 PM (ET)
Sunday, March 16, 2025
Callum Walsh vs. Dean Sutherland
- Location: The Theater at MSG, New York City, US
- Time: 9:00 PM (ET)
Saturday, March 29, 2025
WBO World Welterweight Championship: (c) Mikaela Mayer vs. Sandy Ryan
Bruce “Shoo Shoo” Carrington vs. Enrique Vivas
- Location: Fontainebleau, Las Vegas, Las Vegas, US
- Time: 9:00 PM (ET)
Saturday, April 12, 2025
The Ring Welterweight Championship: (c) Jaron “Boots” Ennis vs. Eimantas Stanionis
- Location: Boardwalk Hall, Atlantic City, New Jersey, US
- Time: 8:00 PM (ET)
Saturday, April 26, 2025
Chris Eubank Jr. vs. Conor Benn
Anthony Yarde vs. Lyndon Arthur
Liam Smith vs. Aaron McKenna
Chris Billam-Smith vs. Brandon Glanton
Cheavon Clarke vs. Viddal Riley
- Location: Event at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, London, GB
- Time: 12:00 PM (ET)
