Well, almost a year has passed and the fight never happened. There was a lot of talk but in the end nothing came of it. Canelo beat Berlanga in 2024, it wasn’t the most spectacular fight but a win is a win, and Crawford took apart Spence and is now the undisputed champ at welterweight.
And you know why the Canelo vs Crawford fight never happened? Because the Saudis dropped a suitcase full of cash and said, ‘Bro, here’s Skull, go fight him.’ Meanwhile, they probably told Crawford, ‘Sit tight, maybe something will happen in September’. At this point the main boxing promoter isn’t PBC or Top Rank, it’s Saudi Arabia.
It would be great if athletes had more autonomy in their choices and couldn’t just be bought out like this. This was a fight a lot of people were waiting for. But in modern sports money talks. If you want to be backed by a clothing brand or even a Saudi fund, your team needs to work on your image for years, build the right connections and push PR. But there is another option which is turning to gamb ling company sponsorships.
On one hand it might seem unethical. But on the other it gives athletes more autonomy. And honestly these sponsorships bring in more money and fewer risks compared to deals with clothing brands. For example, I saw on another forum that some legal casinos, like the ones listed here, finance sports events in their countries.
Again there are ethical concerns but let’s be real, athletes no matter the sport are now extremely dependent on their media image and the messages they put out. One wrong comment and their deal with Nike or Adidas is gone. Honestly I would like to see that change. Sports should be about skill, endurance and competition, not about who said the wrong thing and doesn’t fit the perfect ambassador profile.