Popular champions to square off in Allegiant Stadium’s 1st boxing match

Allegiant Stadium is loudly announcing its presence on the combat sports scene.

The biggest venue available in the fight capital of the world has been announced as the host site for a boxing megabout between Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford on Sept. 12.

It will be the first boxing or UFC event held at the stadium and the first event promoted by TKO Boxing, a joint venture between the UFC’s parent company and Turki Alalshikh, the Chairman of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia. UFC president Dana White will play a major role in the promotion.

Crawford entered the ring after Alvarez’s pedestrian unanimous-decision win over William Scull in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on Saturday night for the formal announcement of the clash for Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight (168-pound) title.

“He did what he had to do to get the job done,” Crawford said of Alvarez’s performance. “For what was in front of him.”

What’s in front of him is perhaps the most anticipated bout in boxing.

Alvarez (63-2-2, 39 knockouts), 34, from Guadalajara, Mexico, is a massively popular four-division world champion.

Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs), 37, from Omaha, Nebraska, is also a popular four-division world champion. He will be moving up two weight classes to fight Alvarez.

“Everything happens for a reason and there’s a reason why I’m here,” Crawford said. “In September, I’ll show the world what greatness looks like.”

The fight should do massive business, a major reason their representatives believe the timing is right to finally host a boxing match at Allegiant Stadium.

The venue is home to the Raiders and has hosted a Super Bowl and WrestleMania.

Crawford and Alvarez will fight on a Friday night. UNLV is already slated to host Idaho State in a football game on Saturday that weekend and the Raiders’ schedule hasn’t been announced.

While the fight had clearly already been agreed to well before Alvarez stepped into the ring Saturday against Scull, his performance didn’t do much to promote the future affair.

Scull (23-1, nine KOs) has an elusive style, and Alvarez wasn’t able to do much to force the action. Both fighters received warnings for inactivity. Alvarez wasn’t in great danger of losing the bout, which set a CompuBox record with 445 total punches thrown, a low in the 40-year history of the system.

The judges favored Alvarez 115-113, 116-112 and 119-109.

“I don’t like to fight those kinds of guys,” Alvarez said. “They came to just survive to the final round. That’s why I don’t like to fight them.”

Alvarez promised a different fight at Allegiant Stadium.

“Crawford is one of the best out there, and, you know, I like to share the ring with that kind of fighter,” Alvarez said. “It’s my pleasure.”

Contact Adam Hill at ahill@reviewjournal.com. Follow @AdamHillLVRJ on X.