How were negotiations for Canelo vs Crawford handled, and what made the fight possible?

How were negotiations for Canelo vs Crawford handled, and what made the fight possible?

Making Canelo vs Crawford was a complex process that required cooperation between unlikely partners and a lot of money. The negotiations were spearheaded by His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, the chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, in partnership with Dana White, the president of the UFC (who surprisingly stepped into boxing promotion for this event). Alalshikh essentially acted as a dealmaker: he wanted to deliver the biggest fights that fans crave, and he had the financial clout of Saudi’s Riyadh Season to back it.

Reports indicate that both fighters were offered career-high paydays. Terence Crawford, who was a network/promotional free agent after his Spence fight, was lured with an enormous purse (rumored to be around $50–100 million). Canelo, already one of the highest-paid boxers, also received a massive guarantee. The money on the table overcame the usual obstacles – weight differences, rival promoters, etc. In fact, this event became a co-promotion between Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season team, Dana White’s new TKO boxing venture, and Canelo’s camp (which includes Eddie Hearn/Matchroom and Canelo’s own promotions). It’s quite extraordinary: a Saudi official and an MMA promoter teaming up to put on a boxing match at this scale.

One challenge was scheduling and venue. Early on, the fight was targeted for September 12, 2025 (aligning with Canelo’s traditional Mexican Independence Day weekend slot), and Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas was mentioned. However, coordinating around other events required flexibility – Dana White had a UFC event planned and there was a UNLV football game at Allegiant on that date. The solution: push the date to September 13 (Saturday) and secure the stadium for that night. By June 2025, Alalshikh publicly announced Las Vegas as the host city and confirmed Netflix as the global broadcaster, even as final venue details were being ironed out. (Ultimately, the stadium conflict was resolved, and Allegiant Stadium was locked in for Sept. 13.)

In summary, this fight was made possible by a perfect storm of factors: Crawford’s willingness to jump weight for legacy and payday, Canelo’s openness to unique big-money opportunities, and the involvement of new power brokers with deep pockets. Traditional hurdles like networks or promoter rivalries were bypassed thanks to Riyadh Season’s investment and Dana White’s coordination. The negotiation process was intense but efficient – once the principals were on board, formal announcements followed quickly. Essentially, money and fan demand spoke loud enough to bring two champions together. As Dana White marveled, “Are you kidding me? The first boxing fight I get to promote is Canelo vs. Crawford – a once-in-a-lifetime fight”. That enthusiasm, backed by Saudi funding, sealed the deal.

(Sources: ESPN report on Turki Alalshikh and Dana White co-promoting; details on date change and venue negotiations.)