Álvarez says family issue delayed September bout; targets 31 October return
"Some problems in my family, so I need to fix. I'm sorry. But everything good, nothing. Okay, everyone's okay. But I always very disciplined, so very organized with my training camps. And I wasn't ready to be in the training camp. So that's why I postponed the fight because I need to attend first family and then, but all good. All good now. Ready to train. And we want to be October 31st."
About this episode
Ariel Helwani interviews Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez across fight scheduling, career plans, and boxing business. Álvarez says a family issue prevented him from entering camp for a bout previously announced for 12 September, and he is now targeting 31 October with the event expected to take place in Riyadh, though the venue is not yet decided. He also discusses the practicalities of fighting in Saudi Arabia, saying he does not want to compete at an early-morning local time again.
On his loss to Terence Crawford, Álvarez attributes his performance primarily to being mentally unfocused during fight week, while stressing he does not want to “victimize” himself. He says there was no rematch clause and calls that omission a mistake, while expressing hope that Crawford will return to boxing. Looking ahead, Álvarez indicates he may have “three or four” fights left before retiring, citing business interests outside the ring.
Álvarez addresses the boxing landscape, defending the sport against comparisons with UFC and supporting the continued role of sanctioning belts. He describes a prior misunderstanding with Saudi boxing figure Turki Alalshikh that was resolved after direct contact and a meeting in London. He also recounts discussions around a potential Jake Paul fight, alleging it was discouraged by the Saudi-aligned side, and touches on financial lessons from early-career spending mistakes.
Key takeaways
- Álvarez says a family issue led him to postpone the 12 September fight and he is now targeting 31 October.
- He expects the next bout to be in Riyadh, with the specific venue still undecided.
- He says the Crawford contract had no rematch clause and calls that decision a mistake.
- Álvarez says he has “three four more fights” left before retiring from boxing.
- He describes a relationship reset with Turki Alalshikh after a misunderstanding and a London meeting.
- Álvarez claims a Jake Paul fight was considered but discouraged by the Saudi-aligned side he later signed with.
- He says he learned early financial lessons after spending down to about $200,000 in the bank in 2013.