The day after the biggest fight of the year was announced, with Canelo Alvarez defending his super middleweight titles against Terence Crawford in Las Vegas on September 13, boxers from around the sport have argued their case to be included on the undercard.
The event will be streamed on Netflix, and is being promoted by TKO and Dana White, with boxer powerbroker Turki Alalshikh at the wheel. The first US press conference to promote the event takes place in New York, at Javits Center, on June 22.
“I need parts on the September card after I Knock off Kidd Austin,” Tevin Farmer wrote on X, ahead of his fight with Floyd Schofield on June 28.
Mikaela Mayer said: “Me vs Lauren Price for Undisputed since her team fumbled our July date.”
Irish middleweight contender, impressive on the Chris Eubank-Conor Benn card in victory over Liam Smith, said: “I’m ready to face Janibek, Adames, or Lara – any of the middleweight world champions. Let’s make it happen on the Canelo Vs Crawford card – let’s light up the 160lbs division. The Irish are coming.”
Alalshikh posted on social media that he wanted boxers who were coming to fight, likely in light of the tepid bouts between Devin Haney-Jose Ramirez, Ryan Garcia-Rolly Romero, and Canelo against William Scull in May.
“From this point on, I don’t want to see any more Tom and Jerry-type boxing matches where one fighter is running around the ring and the other is chasing him,” Alalshikh wrote. “We can longer (sic) support these kind of fights with Riyadh Season and The Ring. We want to support fighters who leave it all in the ring and fight with heart and pride.”
The post drew criticism from lovers of the 'sweet science', but middleweight champion Carlos Adames replied to Alalshikh’s call to arms for talent to appear on the undercard when he wrote: “In the ring, I’m always the Tom.”