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Mike Coppinger
Canelo Alvarez, boxing’s top star, and Terence Crawford are in the process of finalizing a deal for a Sept. 13 super middleweight championship fight in Las Vegas, sources told ESPN.
Crawford, who moved up to 154 pounds from 147 in August in a title-winning effort vs. Israil Madrimov, will jump two more weight classes to the 168-pound limit for the bout. There won’t be any catchweight or rehydration clause attached to the fight, sources said.
Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, is organizing the fight. He also organized Crawford’s most recent bout. There are no signed contracts yet, sources said.
Before Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KOs) moves onto a planned Mexican Independence Day showdown with Crawford, Canelo will defend his three 168-pound titles on Cinco De Mayo weekend. Alvarez could fight William Scull, who grabbed the title stripped from Canelo last year, on May 3 in Las Vegas, sources said. A victory over Scull would once again crown Alvarez undisputed champion.
Mexico’s Alvarez, 34, still holds the WBA, WBC and WBO titles at 168 pounds. The future Hall of Famer is ESPN’s No. 5 pound-for-pound boxer. In 2024, Alvarez scored decision wins over Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga. Canelo has knocked down each of his past four opponents in decision wins.
Alvarez has won five fights since a decision defeat to Dmitry Bivol in May 2022 at 175 pounds. His only previous loss was against Floyd Mayweather in 2013 at 152 pounds.
Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) is ESPN’s No. 2 pound-for-pound boxer. Also a future Hall of Famer, the Omaha, Nebraska, native hasn’t fought more than once in a year since 2019.
His career best came in July 2023 when he scored a ninth-round TKO of Errol Spence Jr. to win the undisputed welterweight championship. Crawford, 37, won’t fight before he meets Canelo, sources said, as he builds his body up to 168 pounds from 154.
Crawford, ESPN’s No. 1 boxer at 154 pounds, is a four-division champion. Alvarez is also a four-division champion.