Canelo Alvarez open to Terence Crawford, Jake Paul fights, business with Turki Alalshikh

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez faced the assembled media on Thursday for the first time since September, when he scored a knockdown and a unanimous decision win against Edgar Berlanga.

Alvarez, 62-2-2 (39 KOs), was front and center at a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Chula Vista, California, for the grand opening of El Pastor Del Rica, a new Mexican restaurant.

Aside from revealing that Alvarez’s favorite choice on the menu is the tacos al pastor, the super middleweight king provided updates on how he’ll move about his career in 2025.

When Alvarez was asked if he would entertain a much-discussed clash against Terence Crawford, the Mexican star told a group of reporters, “Now, I’m working on other things. Now, I’m enjoying my family. I’m not talking about boxing yet. So maybe in January we’re going to start doing that.”

Alvarez was also asked to share his current position working with Turki Alalshikh, chairman of the General Entertainment Authority in Saudi Arabia.

“I never say no to business,” said Alvarez. “So if it’s business for me, I’m open to talk, no matter what.”

It appears Alvarez’s statement would similarly apply to a potential fight with Jake Paul, who is fresh off a lucrative meeting with Mike Tyson.

“I feel sad about what I saw from Mike Tyson because, at his age and everything, he can’t do that kind of stuff,” said Alvarez. “But, you know, it’s business for them. It’s fine, whatever. … I thought about [getting revenge for Tyson] when I saw the fight, when I saw the injustice. But we’ll see. I’m in my thing.”

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer and broadcast reporter whose work has appeared on ESPN, Fox Sports, USA Today, The Guardian, Newsweek, Men’s Health, NFL.com, Los Angeles Times, Philadelphia Inquirer, Ring Magazine and more. He has been writing for BoxingScene since 2018. Manouk is a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.