Title: Top 16 Boxing Champions Sealing Fight Deals with Turki Alalshikh
The sphere of boxers affiliated with Turki Alalshikh is growing at a steady pace. On January 14th, according to Ring Magazine, owned by Alalshikh himself, negotiations were underway and imminent agreements were being finalized for 16 top-tier boxers, including:
- Canelo Alvarez
- Anthony Joshua
- Terence Crawford
- Naoya Inoue
- Ryan Garcia
- Devin Haney
- Shakur Stevenson
- Teofimo Lopez
- Jai Opetaia
- Chris Eubank Jr.
- Conor Benn
- Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz
- William Zepeda
- Martin Bakole
- Anthony Yarde
- Adam Azim
These upcoming collaborations and events will incorporate the SNK fighting video game, "Fatal Fury: City of Wolves." Although specific pairings haven't been disclosed for all 16 boxers, Turki Alalshikh confirmed the highly anticipated showdown between Conor Benn and Chris Eubank Jr., scheduled to take place in April at London's arena.
Rumors abound concerning a potential match between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford, slated for September. Canelo is expected to face William Scull during May while dealing with high expectations to emerge victorious. A subsequent encounter with Crawford would be a significant pay-per-view brawl.
The specifics remain unclear regarding whether Crawford will have a warm-up bout before squaring off against Canelo, given the weight disparity between the two. Devin Haney opted to drop his lawsuit against Ryan Garcia, aiming to facilitate a substantial rematch. Anthony Joshua has expressed a desire to enter the ring against Tyson Fury in 2025; however, Fury announced his retirement, causing a shakeup in Joshua's plans.
Could Joshua secure a matchup with Martin Bakole, the power-hitting Congolese heavyweight who triumphed over Jared Anderson in 2024? Naoya Inoue is set to face Ye Joon Kim later this month, which seems to tie into this list due to his next assignment. Naoya's rematch with Isaac "Pitbull" Cruz presents a possibility; however, Cruz would have to descend to the 130-pound super featherweight class for them to engage in a competition.
Jai Opetaia has expressed interest in challenging Oleksandr Usyk in the heavyweight division, but the only genuine opponent in this list for him would be Anthony Yarde, who remains a light heavyweight. In comparison, many prefer to see Opetaia compete against Gilberto Ramirez in an unification bout.
The prospect of Teofimo Lopez versus Adam Azim seems plausible, even though Azim has a February 1 contest scheduled against Sergey Lipinets. Lastly, the anticipated clash between Shakur Stevenson and William Zepeda has been an ongoing discussion, with Stevenson expected to defeat Floyd Schofield in February before a likely match with Zepeda around late 2025.
Some of these proposed battles will materialize, while others may not. Regardless, the excitement surrounding potential clashes between these influential fighters leaves fans eager for action.
Anthony Joshua's next fight might be against the power-hitting Congolese heavyweight, Martin Bakole, given Fury's retirement. The highly anticipated fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford is rumored for September, with Canelo expected to face William Scull beforehand. Devin Haney is aiming to arrange a rematch with Ryan Garcia after dropping his lawsuit.
