NEW YORK: There was a packed crowd at Jevits Center, New York, on Sunday for the second leg of the global media tour to promote the blockbuster Riyadh Season fight between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence “Bud” Crawford, the two best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, on Sept. 13 in Las Vegas.
Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority and president of the Saudi Boxing Federation, addressed the crowd after being introduced by legendary ring announcer Michael Buffer.
UFC CEO Dana White then stepped up to oversee the press conference for the undisputed super middleweight title bout, which has been billed as “Once in a Lifetime.”
White announced that the performance bonus for the fight, which will be broadcast exclusively live on Netflix, will be “over six figures,” before staging an intense face-off which led to Canelo and Crawford having to be separated by their teams.
Speaking at the press conference, reigning champion Canelo said: “He (Crawford) is one of the great fighters in the last years, obviously that is why he is a champion.
“My brother, Turki Alalshikh, thank you so much for this fight, we are here and I think it is a good fight for the fans.”
In response, Crawford, an unbeaten four-division and two-weight undisputed champion, said: “I’m hunting him. That’s it. I’m hunting everything that he has got, and I am going to take it come Sept. 13th.
“I am very confident. This is my time.”
The global media tour will conclude on Friday, June 27, in Las Vegas.
