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oscar de la hoya Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez would like to face a “soft opponent” in his comeback fight after defeat to Terence Crawford It has been suggested, but boxing’s kingmaker is not convinced, turkish alalsikhWill let him go.
In September, Canelo suffered the third defeat of his two-decade-long professional career against Crawford, and lost his undisputed status at super middleweight.
The Mexican, now 63-3-2 (39 KOs), signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season ahead of his contest with William Schull in May 2025, meaning he has two contracted bouts remaining.
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Neither Canelo nor Crawford have made much noise about a possible rematch and De La Hoya believes the Mexican is unlikely to make a second bout.
Speaking on the Ariel Helwani Show, De La Hoya said: “I think Canelo is going to try to pick a softer opponent for his next fight.
“Given the fact that he has such a lucrative contract with Turkey (Alalshikh), I don’t think Turkey will let him do it. I don’t think Turkey will allow him to fight a soft guy, because Canelo is being paid a lot of money.”
De La Hoya previously served as Canelo’s promoter, however the pair’s relationship soured at the end of their partnership in 2020.
Alalshaikh previously expected Canelo to headline a card in Saudi Arabia in the first few months of 2026, only for Alvarez to undergo elbow surgery and delay the plans. A symbol of national pride in his native homeland, Canelo often plans fights for the weekend closest to two dates – Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day, national holidays in Mexico on May 5 and September 16, respectively.
While Canelo will have no shortage of contenders, Alalshaikh would likely suggest his opponents are fans of British super middleweight Hamza Sheeraz, the owner of The Ring magazine.
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De La Hoya, head of Golden Boy Promotions, continued: “So Türkiye is going to demand his money. He’s going to demand to fight the best.
“I like Türkiye, because he understands the best versus the best.”
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