The September 13 showdown between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford will be hosted at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, The Ring has confirmed.
As first reported by BoxingScene, the 65,000-seater stadium was always the preference to play host but, with it set to stage a college football game between the UNLV Rebels and Idaho State Bengals on the same date, complications arose. However, a deal has been agreed that will see that fixture changed and Canelo-Crawford take its place.
The stadium, which is yet to host a boxing event since its 2020 opening, can boast 10 levels, a video screen that faces Interstate 15 and measures 275 feet, plus a retractable side that faces the Las Vegas strip. Quite the setting, then, for a super-fight that will see Crawford, 41-0 (31 KOs), jump up two weight classes to challenge Alvarez, 63-2-2 (39 KOs), the world super middleweight king. Canelo, an early 8/15 favorite, is yet to encounter defeat in the weight class and won his first belt at 168lbs in 2018.
It was confirmed last week that both Canelo and Crawford have enrolled in the VADA testing program, meaning both will be subject to random testing during the 12-week build-up to the Netflix-streamed contest.