A fascination with heavyweight contenders appears to exist in Saudi Arabia. However, the question remains: can the not-so-heavyweight Canelo Alvarez captivate them despite his smaller stature? The appeal of Canelo lies in the eyes of the American spectators who’ve been hoping for a showdown between him and Anthony Joshua.
Saudi Arabia might consider Canelo Alvarez beneficial in terms of attracting U.S. audiences, and not purely British fans. Tyson Fury and Anthony Joshua are applauded by Brits while Saudi Arabia hosts them, yet they aren’t as well received on American soil.
Americans perceive Joshua as a manufactured champion who’d be a constant underdog if his promoter, Eddie Hearn, hadn’t selected easy opponents for him following consecutive losses to Oleksandr Usyk. The audience appeal for a Canelo vs. David Benavidez match is high, and Saudi Arabia possesses the financial ability to accommodate the $150-200 million requisition by Alvarez for such a bout.
Boxing analyst Paulie Malignaggi has pointed out to Probox TV, “The Saudis love the heavyweight division. No star shines brighter in boxing than Canelo. They already possess AJ. Can they secure the other boxing giant, Canelo, and herald him into Saudi Arabia? It remains a possibility.”
If the Saudis aren’t concerned about an American viewership, persisting with British heavyweights and overlooking American stars like Canelo would be their strategy. In this case, domestic markets could decline, but they could afford it.
In contrast, if they continue to overlook the growing demand for the 135, 140, and 168-lb categories, they would likely alienate U.S. spectators who seem more interested in these divisions than in the heavyweight category. Malignaggi notes, “They are ready to finance and flaunt the weight classes they love, which seems like a large ego push.”
Canelo might not fit their physical specifications, but his international fame is unrivaled. If they aren’t concerned about adjusting Pay-Per-View timings for U.S. audiences or wasting money, excluding Canelo from their events may not bother them. This could risk alienating the Americans who don’t show interest in Fury and Joshua.
The revitalization of heavyweight boxing through their strategies is a possibility, argues Chris Algieri. But would they want a revolution only in the heavyweight division or in all boxing? On the contrary, if they don’t mind fighters losing, they could simply be setting up losing matches, implying a high-risk mentality rather than a renaissance.
As Malignaggi sums up, “They don’t care if guys lose. They’re setting up losers.” Is this a renaissance for heavyweight boxing or just their calculated sweepstakes-based gambit?
