Turki Alalshikh not only showed his face in Vegas – he entered the UFC Performance Institute as he had. Terenka “Bud” Crawford was halfway through the session, working pads and strength exercises, when the Saudi leader drove the gym.
The clip, streamly sent online, shows it plain: Alalshikh barked in Crawford mid-train, telling him “Do the work”. Not encouragement – orders. Crawford, usually quickly speaking, just nodded and moved.
When does the money talk that the warrior is listening to?
This is not a promoter hype. It is the boss who dictates the conditions. Alalshikh told Crawford that he did not finish, that he won better and the pension is not an option.
Online fans jumped on it. “Turki behaves like Crawford for him” One wrote. Another added, “Bud nods as if he hits a change.”
Without the Alalshikha portfolio, there is no Netflix scene, there is no super medium weight, without Canelo’s shot.
Undefeated inside, controlled outside: Crawford in Saudi’s embrace
Crawford is flawless at 41-0 with 31 KO, but it is at 147. Now it jumps two divisions at the world of Canelo Alvarez. Canelo 63-2-39 KO and ruled 168 without scratches.
Crawford once said “I’m fighting for history, not money.” However, here, accepting orders from a man signing checks. If they take him off, he is a four -time champion. If he succeeds, he could retire with Alalshikh to continue barking for more.
Crawford is used to being his own man, calling his own shots. This scene at the Vegas gym overturned the script: Turki Alalshikh showed it He is responsible. Speaking to Crawford, “doing work” and postponing the conversation to retirement, Alalshikh put himself as a boss, not only a supporter.
For Crawford, the compromise is clear. He gets the biggest fight in his career, a chance to shock the world at the age of 168 and close in its place among the great ones. But it has a cost – control. If he wins, he will be remembered as one of the best boxing. If he loses, some will say that he has realized and allowed Saudi money to dictate their last chapter.
Amy Kaplan is a box of boxing since she was 10 years senior, which means that she spent most of her life, explaining to people that yes, they really prefer nights of fighting at parties. Now, writing to Boxing News 24, it covers everything from the fight for the title of world champion to perspectives swinging as at the day of payment. It combines acute analysis with sarcasm, calling for boxing policy and crossing the spin with the release of the press to give fans stories that actually matter.
Roy Jones Jr believes Moses Itauma is the most “exhilarating heavyweight” since Mike Tyson, but he named one man who would perhaps derail his explosiveness.
Despite not having fought any top-level fighters, Itauma is widely regarded as a future world champion who can reign supreme for many years to come.
In this way, Itauma became a mandatory challenger to the winner of the Fabio Wardley vs. Daniel Dubois fight, which will take place on May 9 for Wardley’s WBO heavyweight world title.
However, at this point in his promising career, the precocious talent had yet to prove himself at a world-class level, and his only two notable victories were victories over the faded Dillian Whyte and the overmatched Demsey McKean.
Nevertheless, in both cases, in 2025 and 2024 respectively, Itauma finished in the first two rounds and showed his potential at the world level.
After passing the eye test, heavyweight legend Jones believes Itauma is capable of knocking out anyone in the heavyweight division except Alexander Usyk, who still holds the WBC, IBF and WBA world titles.
I’m talking to Grosvenor CasinoJones explains that Usyk’s elusiveness and experience will likely cause problems for the Briton, presenting him with a style he has never encountered before.
“Is Moses Itauma the most exhilarating heavyweight since Mike Tyson? Right now, yes, I think so. He has the explosive punching power that Mike Tyson had. If you can hit them before they hit you, most of the time you’ll knock them out.”
“That’s what Mike did. So if [Itauma] if he does this, he will knock out most heavyweights. However, in Usyk’s case, he’s a bit difficult to hit.
“Moses gives all the heavyweights a difficult time. You can’t say he beat them until you put them in front of him [him]because you haven’t actually seen it cracked yet, but it’s the only one I can see [giving] For him, Usyk is the biggest problem.”
While many consider Usyk vs. Itauma to be the most breathtaking fight in heavyweight boxing, it’s difficult to imagine the pair ever crossing paths in a competitive sense.
“I want to fight so bad to fight 😩 I feel even more now that I have the belt. CHAMPION wants to fight. SOMEONE RUNS THE SCRAP” said Ryan Garcia on X.
Ryan probably talks a lot so as not to get stuck in a mandatory defense that pays a pittance. By demanding Conor Benn or celebrity rematches, he forces the hand of his promoters.
The reality is that Ryan holds the WBC belt, but the division is currently a waiting game. If someone like Turki Alalshikh doesn’t find Benn worth the investment despite his struggles with Regis Prograis, Ryan could be in for a close fight, which he definitely doesn’t want.
If Ryan had a “fight anyone, anywhere” mentality, he wouldn’t be in this situation. “Sugar Ray Robinson” would have already signed a contract to fight the most perilous guy available to prove his point.
Ryan’s current situation is a perfect example of a player falling into the trap of his own financial expectations. Because he has such a huge fan base, he feels like he can’t make a “normal” title defense if it wasn’t a blockbuster event.
It’s telling that Ryan’s interest in Benn increased right after Benn appeared to be the one to beat against Regis Prograis on April 11. It’s a business-first attitude. He is looking for the highest payout with the least technical risk.
Rejecting Rolly Romero as an option but going after the guy whose eyes the 37-year-old Prograis just slashed, Ryan shows his hand. He wants a name he thinks he can easily beat.
Tomek Galm is a boxing journalist covering the global fight landscape since 2014, specializing in heavyweight analysis, industry trends and fighter psychology.
WBO super lightweight world champion Shakur Stevenson is a fighter that many in the sport seem to want to avoid, but there is one other world champion who is hoping to make weight and secure a matchup with the undefeated southpaw from Newark.
Stevenson was expected to return to lightweight and defend the WBC belt in 2023, but the sanctioning body stripped him of his lightweight crown due to unpaid sanctioning fees. As a result, it appears the 28-year-old will remain at 140 pounds, but if he decides to drop back down, WBC super featherweight champion O’Shaquie Foster wants to meet him there.
I’m talking to Fighting the noiseFoster said facing the pound-for-pound star after his fight with Raymond Ford next month is the “first option.”
“I’m just excited to see what’s next, when we knock him down [Ford] If we lose, we’ll have the gigantic fight that Shakur and I want, and the sky is the limit.
“This [fight with Shakur] would be the first option, but if we can’t get him, maybe a Roach-Zepeda winner.
Foster – Who and Ford will collide in Houston on Saturday, May 30, while Lamont Roach Jr and William Zepeda have been ordered to fight for the vacant WBC lightweight title that Stevenson held until February.
Meanwhile, Stevenson has also been linked with a move to welterweight, but has maintained that a rehydration clause should be included in his contract for any potential 147-pound fights.
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