Boxing
Oscar De La Hoya predicts Canelo's next move... and it's not a Terence Crawford rematch
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Oscar De La Hoya has suggested that Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will look to face a "soft opponent" in his comeback fight following defeat by Terence Crawford, but is not convinced boxing's kingmaker, Turki Alalshikh, will let him.
In September, Canelo fell to the third defeat of his two-decade long professional career against Crawford, losing his undisputed status at super middleweight.
The Mexican, now 63-3-2 (39 KOs), signed a four-fight deal with Riyadh Season ahead of his contest with William Scull in May 2025, meaning he has two contracted bouts remaining.
Neither Canelo nor Crawford have made much noise about a potential rematch, and De La Hoya believes the Mexican is unlikely to pursue a second bout.
Speaking on The Ariel Helwani show, De La Hoya said: “I think Canelo is going to try and pick a soft opponent for his next fight.
"Given the fact that he has such a lucrative contract with Turki (Alalshikh), I don’t think Turki is going to let him. I don’t think Turki will allow him to fight a softie, because there is a lot of money being paid out to Canelo.”
De La Hoya formerly served as Canelo's promoter, although the pair's relationship soured towards the end of their partnership in 2020. Their paths have crossed a few times since, leading to multiple exchanging of jabs and digs.
Alalshikh had previously hoped for Canelo to headline a card in Saudi Arabia in the first few months of 2026, only for Alvarez to undergo elbow surgery and delay plans. A symbol of national pride in his native homeland, Canelo frequently plans fights for the nearest weekends to two dates - Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day, national holidays in Mexico on May 5 and September 16, respectively.
Whilst Canelo will have no shortage of suitors, Alalshikh will likely suggest his own opponents, with The Ring magazine owner a fan of British super middleweight Hamzah Sheeraz.
Golden Boy Promotions chief De La Hoya continued: “So Turki is gonna demand his money’s worth. He’s going to demand fighting the very best.
“I like Turki, because he understands the best versus the best.”
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