It may take some time for the news to fully sink in. The highly anticipated Terence Crawford–Canelo Alvarez showdown has been scrapped. Just a few days ago, fans were on the edge of their seats. Reports surfaced suggesting Alvarez and Crawford had seemingly agreed to a September face-off. Now, it’s hard to imagine what must be running through their minds. Talks of a potential clash between these two pound-for-pound greats have been circulating for over a year.

After he became the first two-division undisputed champion among men, Crawford made it clear – he wanted the Mexican superstar as his next opponent. Unfazed by the callout, Alvarez nevertheless stuck to his usual pattern of title defenses. As 2024 drew to a close, fans witnessed a much-publicized fallout between Alvarez and HE Turki Alalshikh. Reports suggest Alvarez’s demand for a hefty payout to fight Crawford as a probable cause. But things shifted as the new year began. A London meeting between Alvarez and HE Alalshikh ended on a positive note. It accelerated progress toward an agreement – until everything abruptly fell apart. So, what caused this sudden reversal? While no definitive details have emerged, several factors might offer some clues.

Differences over pay

From the outset, Canelo Alvarez made it clear: for a fight carrying such high risks, he expected a significant payday. Despite downplaying Terence Crawford’s resume, Alvarez’s financial expectations remained sky-high. But how much are we talking about? Crawford and several sources hinted at a figure of around $150 million. Following the latest round of talks, boxing enthusiast Ray Jackson echoed this sentiment, stating, “Canelo Alvarez is getting $150M guarantee to fight Crawford 👀😳💰.”

While this figure hasn’t been officially confirmed, boxing insider Rick Glaser suggested Alvarez may have priced himself out of the fight. “There are always limits to what one will pay,” Glaser commented, “and @Turki_alalshikh is no different than any other shrewd businessman. There’s a limit to what something is worth.” He went on to accuse Alvarez of ‘ducking’ both David Benavidez and now Terence Crawford.

Weight differences

Weight disparity has been another major sticking point among critics of the Canelo-Crawford matchup. Before moving up to light welterweight, Crawford was separated from Alvarez by three weight classes. To close the gap and make the fight more compelling, the Nebraskan southpaw moved up to 154 pounds, facing Israil Madrimov.

However, Crawford was stretched to the limit in that bout, fueling doubts about whether moving up further would be a sound decision. Jermell Charlo‘s experience serves as a cautionary tale: after moving up two weight classes to challenge Alvarez, he was thoroughly outclassed, reinforcing the age-old adage, “There’s a reason weight classes exist.” Olympic silver medalist and former world champion Amir Khan knows this too well. Having suffered knockout losses to both Alvarez and Crawford, he developed a nuanced perspective.

“When you start putting weight on and you go up a weight and you fight these guys like Canelo…you’re going to have to spar heavier guys to get ready for that anyway, so you’re going to be taking a lot of wear and tear anyway,” he presented a scenario. But at the same time, he asked, “You’re going to have to put adding few pounds. Does he need to put that pressure on himself?”

Jake Paul fight given preference for greater payday

Adding another twist to the saga, rumors are swirling about a potential showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Jake Paul. According to an update from Dan Rafael, Alvarez and the YouTuber-turned-boxer are in talks for a possible Cinco de Mayo fight. For many fans, this isn’t a complete surprise. ‘The Problem Child’ has long called out the ‘face of boxing,’ with his latest jab coming after the November 15 Mike Tyson fight, where Paul hinted at a cruiserweight clash with Alvarez during a post-fight interview.

Though nothing is confirmed, a fight between a pound-for-pound great and the superstar of influencer boxing would undoubtedly draw massive attention. But one has to wonder: could Alvarez realistically take on two mega-fights in a single year? Even for someone like HE Turki Alalshikh, it might not make financial sense.

Benavidez fight finally happening

Meanwhile, David Benavidez appears to be positioning himself for a marquee fight. Speaking with Ariel Helwani, ‘The Mexican Monster’ confirmed he was in talks with Riyadh Season organizers to plan his next move. After outboxing David Morrell in a title eliminator, Benavidez now awaits the outcome of the Artur Beterbiev–Dmitry Bivol rematch. He admitted he’d prefer to face Bivol. Perhaps a victory over the Russian – who previously defeated Alvarez – could potentially pave the way for a long-awaited bout with the Mexican icon.

Sharing his thoughts on social media, Dan Canobbio remarked, “Canelo Alvarez isn’t the easiest person to negotiate with. He has his long, or he had a beef with Turki before they were pictured together just last month.”

Canobbio speculated that while Crawford is known to be a tough negotiator, he likely wouldn’t push too hard this time, recognizing that even being considered for a fight with Canelo Alvarez – clearly the bigger star – was a huge opportunity. “Did this come down to Turki and Canelo not seeing eye to eye? Does it come down to Canelo saying, I don’t want to fight”? I don’t want to fight Crawford. I got nothing to gain. That’s what he said for a while?” Canobbio asked.

As the boxing world waits for clarity, many questions remain unanswered. Fans can only hope that, in time, the real reasons behind the fight’s collapse will come to light.

Which of these reasons do you believe led to the cancellation of the Canelo-Crawford fight?