Canelo Alvarez has reached an agreement for a four-fight contract with Riyadh Season, utilizing ongoing speculation surrounding a matchup with Jake Paul to secure a more lucrative deal.
Turki Alalshikh, who heads Riyadh Season and the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia, announced this news via social media on Thursday.
Alalshikh declared, “Don’t mess with the lion,” to which Alvarez quickly responded with enthusiasm, saying, “Let’s go brother.”

The inaugural fight of this new agreement is set for May in Riyadh, and there is potential for Terence Crawford, the long-time welterweight champion, to be Alvarez’s second opponent.
Crawford expressed his eagerness on social media, stating, “I’m waiting on Canelo in September,” and added, “going to shock the world in Riyadh Season!”
According to reports from Ring Magazine, a bout involving Crawford is tentatively scheduled for September in Las Vegas at the Allegiant Stadium, home of the Raiders.

Alvarez has long been a dominant force in boxing, continuing to top the charts as its biggest financial draw. The 34-year-old super middleweight champion has skillfully utilized the possibility of a novelty fight against Paul to negotiate a significant commitment from Saudi Arabia, a nation that has consistently injected substantial funds into the sport in recent years.

In a theoretical matchup, Alvarez would be heavily favored to defeat Paul, the YouTube sensation turned successful combat sports competitor, who has fought various mixed martial artists and even took on a 58-year-old Mike Tyson.
Instead, Alvarez seems to be redirecting his focus toward a clash with Crawford later this year, although Crawford will need to ascend two weight classes for the bout.

The last time Alvarez stepped into the ring was in September, where he secured a victory over Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas, bringing his record to an impressive 62 wins, 2 losses, and 2 draws, along with 39 of those victories coming by way of knockout.