Call it buyer’s remorse, or setting a new standard, but Saudi Arabia boxing financier Turki Alalshikh has disseminated a new edict that he does not want “Tom and Jerry” fights where boxers are running from the action.
Clearly a response to the elusive tactics former two-division champion Devin Haney engaged in to defeat Jose Ramirez on the scorecards May 2 in Times Square along with the backpedaling Cuba’s William Scull employed in losing to Canelo Alvarez one night later in Saudi Arabia, Alalshikh made his comments in urging participation from fighters interested in boxing on the September 13 Alvarez-Terence Crawford undercard in Las Vegas.
Among the invited are bantamweight champion Junto Nakatani, unbeaten super-middleweight contender Christian Mbilli and WBO lightweight title fighter Abdullah Mason.
“It’s a nice thing to hear – action-packed fights … can he really pull it off,” 2024 trainer of the year Robert Garcia said on Thursday’s episode of ProBoxTV’s “BoxingScene Today.”
Garcia’s point raised the reminder that elusive three-division and lightweight champion Shakur Stevenson is one of the headliners of Alalshikh’s July 12 card in New York.
Stevenson is two fights removed from one of the sport’s most disappointing showings, his 2023 victory over Edwin De Los Santos.
“There is a difference between running and boxing. Turki saw enough of it with Haney and William Scull. That was running,” analyst Paulie Malignaggi said. “But Floyd Mayweather boxed, and Shakur is the same thing. He will move, but he will walk you down in spots. That’s boxing.
“As long as there’s an understanding between running and boxing, I’m fine with it. Turki Alalshikh is tired of people taking advantage of his generous pay days … and [he’s] saying, ‘I’m not paying for this crap again.
“That’s on him that he bought Scull-Canelo when everyone knew it was a joke of a fight.”
Alalshikh clearly has the financial power to un-invite those he judges as runners, but as he found out in both his Times Square and May 3 Saudi Arabia cards, it can be difficult to guarantee all-action bouts in the matchmaking.
Malignaggi reminded how ProBoxTV employs a philosophy of “no runners, no holders,” and still can’t guarantee the action won’t occasionally swoon during some cards.
“This is a pendulum swing. Turki Alalshikh is listening to the fans [disappointed by his May shows]. Now he comes with this,” former 140lbs champion and ProBoxTV analyst Chris Algieri said.
Algieri said he isn’t fond of the notion of promoters pushing for entertainment and not considering “the nuances of the sport.
“[Dmitry] Bivol and [Artur] Beterbiev weren’t fighting to be exciting and that fight was awesome,” Algieri said.
Algieri excuses Haney for how he fought, considering he was returning from three knockdowns in his April 2024 no-contest versus Ryan Garcia, and dealing with a power puncher in former unified 140lbs champion Ramirez.
“I don’t think that’s the new Devin Haney,” Algieri said. “[Alalshikh’s message is] ‘We want the best fights and want guys to go for it – be a warrior, to a degree.’”
Like the ProBoxTV cards, Malignaggi said Alalshikh’s push follows that of ProBoxTV head Garry Jonas: “You set the standard and increase the likeliness.”
