Mexican boxing icon Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has confirmed the date and venue for his next fight, with Saudi Arabia set to host the global star later this year.
Alvarez will return to the ring on September 12 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, according to an announcement made jointly by Turki Alalshikh and the boxer in a video shared on The Ring magazine’s social media platforms. His opponent is yet to be named.
Turki Alalshikh, Chairman of Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority and owner of The Ring, described the bout as a major global event. He revealed that the fight will headline the first-ever promotion under Canelo Promotions, themed “Mexico Against the World.” The event will feature fighters from Alvarez’s stable taking on international opponents, with Canelo himself competing in the main event for a world title.
Alvarez, 35, from Guadalajara, Mexico, is expected to make his comeback almost a year after his last outing, with the bout scheduled for the weekend leading up to Mexico’s Independence Day celebrations.
The former four-division world champion and one-time pound-for-pound king has been on a break following elbow surgery and his unanimous decision defeat to American star Terence Crawford on September 13 in Las Vegas.
With a professional record of 63 wins, three defeats and two draws, including 39 knockouts, Alvarez has indicated he intends to continue boxing for as long as his body allows him to cope with the demands of top-level training.
Although Alvarez has the contractual option to seek a rematch with Crawford, that possibility appears unlikely for now. Crawford, 38, a five-division world champion from Omaha, Nebraska, announced his retirement from boxing on December 16 after what he described as a career-defining victory.
For now, attention turns to Riyadh, where fans around the world — including boxing followers in Ghana — await the announcement of who will step into the ring with Canelo for what is being billed as one of the year’s biggest fights.
