“Don’t mess with the lion,” said Alalshikh on X.
“4 fights for Canelo with Riyadh season … The deal is done.
“A lion doesn’t lose sleep over the opinion of a sheep. Fear the lion, not the jungle.”
Don’t mess with the lion 🦁… 4 fights for Canelo with Riyadh Season … The Deal is done 🥊 … A Lion 🦁 doesn’t lose sleep over opinion of a sheep 🐑… Fear the lion 🦁 not the jungle 🤷🏻♂️ pic.twitter.com/OJTaapvPfU
— TURKI ALALSHIKH (@Turki_alalshikh) February 7, 2025
Canelo will take on IBF middleweight champion William Scull in a super-middleweight unification bout for the undisputed crown on May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, then he’ll head to Las Vegas for a Cinco de Mayo clash with fellow four-weight champion Terence Crawford at Allegiant Stadium, home of the Las Vegas Raiders, in September.
Canelo will return to Riyadh in February 2026 for his third fight of the deal in a bout, with the likes of Dmitry Bivol, Hamzah Sheeraz and Chris Eubank Jr. all thought to be in the frame.
Then he’ll head back to Saudi Arabia in October 2026 for the final fight of his deal.
Turki Alalshikh details how the four-fight Riyadh Season deal with Canelo Alvarez came together.
[🎥: @espn, @MikeCoppinger] pic.twitter.com/2AglgYtW9P
— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) February 7, 2025
The deal has left Paul frustrated at losing out on the fight he’s been chasing for years. But for Canelo, four big-money fights await as he takes his skills east to Saudi Arabia for three of his next four fights.
And, if Paul’s reactions are anything to go by, it looks like he’ll be left on the outside, looking in.
