The talk of the town is a possible brawl between Canelo Alvarez and Terrence Crawford after they sat down with His Excellency Turki Arasheh in London. Now, on paper, this fight looks fantastic – two legends with a lot of belts between them, and the kind of clash that makes fans weak in the knees. But the question is: where will it happen?

Saudi Arabia has been trying to brand themselves as the “boxing capital of the world”, like they are the new Vegas or something. But let’s be honest, putting money into a sport doesn’t mean you get its soul. Everything may be gilded in Riyadh, but where’s the atmosphere? Passion? Hardcore fans shouting from the cheap seats? Eddie Hearn didn’t buy into the idea either. he told DAZN News”, “The Canelo-Crawford fight only works for me in the United States. To be honest, I’m not sure if Canelo-Crawford is going to happen in Saudi, or at all. “

Honestly, he has a point. A fight like this isn’t just about two guys punching each other, it’s about legacy. This is a story about the crowd cheering at Madison Square Garden or T-Mobile Stadium. You wouldn’t have the same vibe in Riyadh with VIPs drinking mocktails and pretending they knew who was in the ring.

Now, let’s talk about warriors. Crawford? Man is a machine. In 2024, he defeated Israil Madrimov to become the four-weight world champion. He was at the peak of his power. Then there’s Canelo, who put in a stellar performance with wins over Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga. But as Hearn put it bluntly, “I don’t see many options for Canelo at the moment.” Translation? The fight may be intense, but it’s also the final roll of the dice for both of them.

If this fight happens – which is still a big if – it needs to be done from a place where boxing is understood. Somewhere with history, with the right fans, and not just people to take pictures on Instagram. Vegas, MSG, Wembley or even Tottenham Hotspur – the choice is yours. Anywhere, except for a soulless desert PR campaign.

So, fingers crossed this fight succeeds and gets the stage it deserves. Because boxing isn’t just about the money, it’s about the roar of the crowd, the history in the air, and everything two legends put into boxing. No amount of Saudi cash can buy that.

️ Turki Alalshikh meets Terence Crawford, just one day after meeting Canelo…

Alalshikh told The Ring exclusively: “The Ring is the bible of boxing and we’re about to see white smoke on the horizon… 2025 is going to be a crazy year in boxing, and I mean it.” pic.twitter.com/YusEW7pvdN

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) January 13, 2025