MMA analyst Luke Thomas offered his commentary on the uncertain status of Canelo Alvarez’s planned match in Saudi Arabia. In a recent video, Thomas questioned the boxer’s genuine interest in competing there amid widespread event cancellations throughout the region.
“I don’t believe that Canelo wants to go through with it at all,” Thomas stated. “Every event has been canceled there. Financial events, tennis events, tons of other sports and entertainment events, all supposed to take place during the course of October. They’ve all been canceled.”
Thomas highlighted the logistical challenges facing anyone attempting to travel to the kingdom.
“You can’t even get a flight there from the United States, I think, until the 25th of October. It’s not even available,” he explained. “So even if they’re able to get it, you have to get it under cover of night on a private jet, on a private runway somewhere. Who’s going to come see this?”
The combat sports analyst pointed to security issues affecting Saudi Arabia.
“I don’t know if you all have seen this, but Saudi Arabia is getting their [ ] kicked by the Houthis. Getting all their stuff rocked in every possible way, literally and figuratively,” Thomas said.
He questioned the wisdom of proceeding under such circumstances.
“So why would you even put on this event? You don’t have people who can go. It’s a security threat to get people in and out of the country, if that’s even possible. God only knows what kind of security threat it is to have an event there in this kind of a way at this time. It’s dangerous as anything to do this.”
Thomas noted that international warnings have been issued. “World governments, including ours, are telling people you should probably not go there. Not a good idea,” he said.
Thomas presented what he believes is the actual dynamic at play between Canelo and Saudi organizers.
“The prevailing theory out there is that if Canelo withdraws, the Saudis don’t owe him his guarantee. But if the Saudis withdraw, then they’ll owe Canelo his guarantee,” he explained. “And I think Canelo’s kind of waiting for the Saudis to withdraw so he can make some money.”
He acknowledged uncertainty about how the situation will resolve.
“How long that game of chicken will last and who will ultimately blink, your guess is certainly as good as mine,” Thomas said. “But I don’t believe for two seconds he wants to go there.”
Thomas reserved particular scorn for boxing sanctioning body officials who have publicly supported proceeding with the event. He referenced comments from Mauricio Sulaiman, head of the WBC who discussed the organization’s potential presence at the fight.
“Look at how they make themselves to be in public, in service of something that they know is manifestly idiotic,” Thomas said. “Look at what the money did to them. They can say whatever they want. Oh, I’m begging for donations on YouTube. Yeah, I am. And I feel so much better about that than whatever the hell you’re doing over there trying to pretend this is noble, trying to pretend that this is some kind of show of solidarity.”
He continued his critique with pointed language. “You all look so incredibly, not really weak and pathetic. You look foolish. In trying to uphold some kind of this fictitious pursuit of appearance, everything looks great. There’s nothing wrong. We’re going to go through this full steam ahead. You look so incredibly dumb.”
Thomas placed the situation within a larger context of Saudi investment in combat sports. “Look at how they will make themselves look ridiculous. All to protect their [ ] to Saudi money,” he said. “They’ll say inane things. They’re doing things no other sector, including in sports and entertainment, but beyond that as well. None of them are putting themselves at the same kind of risk, even proposed risk.”
Thomas concluded with a grim assessment of combat sports’ trajectory. “Combat sports is gonna get everything it deserves. It’s going to get everything it deserves. Because when there was a chance to stop powerful people from messing it up, everyone got in line and was like, how can I get some too? And now you all look ridiculous.”
He added that he finds a certain satisfaction in watching the situation unfold.
“I’m actually kind of enjoying it to be honest, just to watch them…. Just like clowning themselves.”
Thomas maintained his position that neither Canelo nor his team actually want to proceed. “I don’t think that’s what Canelo is really doing from a motivation standpoint. I think Canelo and his team are smart enough to know there’s no way they’re going to get on a plane to go to Riyadh,” he said.
