Comments Thread For: The Beltline: Are Canelo Alvarez, Tim Tszyu and Carl Froch the only men in boxing whose hands cannot be held?

[Theshotyoudontsee]

Turki is the Chairman of the Sports and Entertainment Commission, or whatever it's called . Riyadh Season is apparently a campaign to publicize Saudi Arabia as a tourist destination. He's also a member of the Royal Family , a Prince. From my understanding there are a bunch of them . I don't know how high Turki ranks ,but it's Prince Muhammad Bin Salman who is next in line to the throne. The money that they loose on boxing is part of the advertising budget for Riyadh Season , it's peanuts for them. They gave Jared Kushner 2 billion , like it was lint in their pockets. This boxing thing isn't even a blip in the overall budget.

The thing I don't get....no one is forcing guys to fight. They are offered big checks to fight the names the fans want. If they say no, ok. What it is doing is exposing guys who always say the money has to be right and never fight the best guys.

That is a great thing. The reason boxing is dying is because the best hardly ever the best anymore, prospects are brought up fighting garbage fighters and they hype is all bs, just a way for promoters to milk their careers as long as they can.

All this is doing is forcing boxing to make better fights. Saudi money is flowing in alot of sports. Great.

[BrankoB]

I was almost Australian. When my parents left Cuba in the early 60's ,Australia was one of the places that my father was looking at moving to. Whereabouts in Australia are you ?

I live on the Gold Coast. Have lived in Melbourne for a long time also.

[CPNUTKnockoutFreshMart]

The thing I don't get....no one is forcing guys to fight. They are offered big checks to fight the names the fans want. If they say no, ok. What it is doing is exposing guys who always say the money has to be right and never fight the best guys.

That is a great thing. The reason boxing is dying is because the best hardly ever the best anymore, prospects are brought up fighting garbage fighters and they hype is all bs, just a way for promoters to milk their careers as long as they can.

All this is doing is forcing boxing to make better fights. Saudi money is flowing in alot of sports. Great.

I agree , it's been great for boxing. Fights that we want to see are finally being made , for the most part. I also understand that some fighters don't like the heavy handed approach that Turki has had with them. I don't think that it's always about not wanting to fight the best competition. Except in Canelos case , I think it's partly both.

[niceyboo3]

So Reggie makes a thread about Canelo laughing at hand holding and it transforms to an article....

[1Eriugenus]

'Best article on this site ,on this subject in many months . If the Saudi ‘s are losing money why are they doing this ? The love of boxing ? They want full control and eventually the sport as we know it will be dead.All for a handful of good fights and Money' .

The Saudis have, essentially, unlimited money. What do they want? Sports washing. The Saudi's overall interests don't reconcile to those of boxing fans or, in fact, to anyone outside Saudi Arabia, but their short-term goal is one every boxing fan will like. They want boxing to be popular by forcing every champion to be undisputed. They certainly don't want to kill boxing, they want it thriving & healthy & based in Riyadh, not Las Vegas. If, ultimately, boxing can't unify its titles then they will ''''' off & concentrate on another sport.

[BennyBlanco]

Tank Davis has said no to the Saudis too

Like Canelo and Tszyu, some people cannot be bought. Guys like Tank, Canelo and Tszyu don't want to turn over control of their careers to a guy who is essentially fan, and who proposes ridiculous stuff like Crawford vs Benavidez at 160 lbs and schedules events during Christmas and the Olympics when viewership and awareness is way down in many markets. And a guy who throws tantrums and lashes out like a petulant child when he doesn't get exactly what he wants.

For guys like Canelo, Tszyu and Tank, independence, autonomy and self- determination are more important than a single payday. I think that's an admirable position of integrity and principle, not something to be mocked and insulted the way Turki has.

[BustedKnuckles]

One of the key things in this article is the concept of "Fuuccckkk You Money". Canelo has it and Froch presumably has it, so they can afford to be their own men and do what they like, say what they like without fear of the future. That is what gives them power to stand up and choose their own path. My question is this - how on Earth is young Tim so brave to stand up to Turki? I am assuming he does not have enough "Fuuuucccckkk You Money" and he is not in a position to not really care about his future prospects. Most likely, it seems he is relaying on Prime to support him going forward.

Maybe Tim just has plain, old-fashioned dignity and self-respect. I know it's rare these days but not completely gone.

[BrankoB]

Maybe Tim just has plain, old-fashioned dignity and self-respect. I know it's rare these days but not completely gone.

I have met very few people like that, but they do exist. You could be onto something.