In a dramatic turn of events, His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and Riyadh Season, has unveiled a groundbreaking four-bout agreement with boxing superstar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez.
“Canelo only fights real fighters,” Alalshikh told ESPN.
“Don’t mess with the lion … 4 fights for Canelo with Riyadh Season … The Deal is done … A Lion doesn’t lose sleep over opinion of a sheep… Fear the lion not the jungle,” Alalshikh declared via social media.
The announcement came through a video post where Alalshikh detailed key aspects of the comprehensive plan. The inaugural event is scheduled for May in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, marking Canelo’s debut with Riyadh Season.
The Ring magazine has confirmed that contrary to widespread media speculation, Canelo’s May appearance will not feature social media personality Jake Paul.
This revelation follows a week of unexpected developments. On Monday, The Ring reported Canelo had reached an agreement to defend his super middleweight titles against four-division world champion Terence Crawford at Las Vegas’ Allegiant Stadium. By Wednesday, that bout was cancelled, with speculation mounting about a potential Canelo-Paul matchup on May 3 in Las Vegas.
Thursday proved particularly eventful. As reports circulated about an imminent Canelo-Paul agreement, ESPN’s Mike Coppinger reported that Alalshikh had “suspended his efforts” on a three-bout arrangement between Canelo and Riyadh Season. The day concluded with Alalshikh’s surprising announcement of the four-bout deal.
The May event in Riyadh could potentially feature either Jermall Charlo or Bruno Surace, fresh from his victory over Jaime Munguia, according to Coppinger. A source familiar with the agreement reveals that September will see Canelo face Crawford in Las Vegas under the Riyadh Season banner.
February 2026 will bring Canelo back to Riyadh, with potential opponents including Dmitry Bivol in a rematch, Hamzah Sheeraz, or Chris Eubank Jr. The series concludes with a fourth Riyadh Season event in October 2026.
