Saudi money man Turki Alashikh never stops making plans, lofty plans regarding big, big fights. As of right now, as he revealed when speaking on The Ariel X Ade Show yesterday, Alashikh is plotting possible fights between Tyson Fury and Wladimir Klitschko – yes, Wladimir Klitschko – Deontay Wilder and Francis Ngannou, and Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford.
Alalshikh says it is his “dream” to see Klitschko come out of retirement and attempt to break George Foreman’s record as the oldest heavyweight champion in history, while Turki says he will be speaking with Ngannou and that he also hopes for a few minutes of Wilder’s time, this so as to find out up close and personal if Wilder “still has it.”
But the big fight Alalshikh has not given up on making is that Canelo-Crawford fight. Turki said yesterday that he very much wants to sit down and talk with Canelo, one-on-one, “without anyone in the middle.” Alalshikh also revealed how “Bud” Crawford is currently injured and will not fight again until some time after May.
“He has a small health issue, but he prefers to fight with us after May,” Turki said of Crawford. “I don’t know anyone now from the Canelo team, and I don’t have any connection, but if he’s hearing me, we are ready to discuss [a fight with Crawford]. But I want to discuss with him directly, without anyone in the middle.”
So, will Canelo reach out to Alalshikh, and if so can Turki work his money magic and persuade the Mexican superstar who calls his own shots to fight Crawford? With the kind of mega-money Alalshikh can pay, maybe Canelo will look at this fight seriously. And Canelo, the much bigger man and also the younger man, would surely feel he is capable of defeating Crawford. It’s Crawford who would be rolling the dice or, if you prefer, daring to be great if he took this fight.
Again, can Alalshikh make it happen? And while we’re at it, can Alalshikh really tempt 48 year old former heavyweight king Klitschko back into the ring, this over seven years after “Dr. Steel Hammer” last boxed?
