Please! Another head-scratcher? Fans are dog-tired. Their hopes barely survived a storm. Jake Paul‘s name against Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez sank many a heart. But thanks to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh and his team, the Terence Crawford fight caught a second wind. Clarity on ‘Canelo’s Cinco de Mayo outing quelled emotional turbulence. But what is this now? HE Alalshikh has thrown a curveball.

With names including Terence Crawford appearing on a vote button, the Riyadh Season head has sought opinions on ‘Canelo’s next fight. But wasn’t that all sorted out, at least for this year? William Scull for May, then Crawford for September? If it is for next year’s fixture, then Crawford’s name doesn’t make any sense, eh! Nevertheless, when it came to opining their thoughts, fans didn’t flinch. Going full steam, they made their choice clear: ‘El Bandera Roja.’

Let’s begin with the first shocker. “🦁 Canelo vs _____ 🥊 Who should the lion fight next?” asked HE Turki Alalshikh. Names of Saul Alvarez’s potential opponents featured on a subsequent tweet. They included Terence Crawford, David Benavidez, Dmitry Bivol, and Hamzah Sheeraz.

A few suggested Jake Paul’s name. Then, echoing a familiar sentiment, some opined that Terence Crawford would overwhelm ‘Canelo.’ But to most, if not all, it was David Benavidez who mattered the most. Take for instance this fan; mincing no words, they said, “The only correct answer here is David Benavidez.”

Any surprises? Among the big names featuring against him, perhaps the one that matches ‘Canelo’ in weight and maybe legacy remains that of David Benavidez. He was, after all, the Mexican icon’s WBC mandatory challenger for a while. What’s the point in asking a 154-pound Crawford to scale up two divisions and fight?

All fights lead to Canelo Alvarez

But genuinely, is there any way the fight between Saul Alvarez and David Benavidez will ever see the light of day? The Phoenix-born ‘Mexican Monster’ hinted at a workaround. With the win over David Morrell, he is poised to face the winner of the upcoming Artur Beterbiev-Dmitry Bivol rematch. Let’s say if Bivol wins, which incidentally remains Benavidez’s preference as well. So if he defeats the Kazakhstan-born former world champion, then that’s akin to a moral victory for Benavidez. After all, the win over ‘Canelo’ Alvarez remains the crowning glory of Bivol’s career.

But it’s not as easy as it sounds. Reports suggest that if Bivol wins, then there could be a trilogy match with Beterbiev. When Mike Coppinger highlighted the conundrum, HE Turki Alalshikh acknowledged the intricacies involved. Additionally, ‘Canelo’s been harboring the Bivol rematch, he added. Sharing that David Benavidez will be present in Riyadh this weekend, the GEA head could only hope that the ‘Canelo’-Benavidez matchup turns up for good one day.

“I hope one day I can convince Canelo to have Benavidez,” he said. Coppinger acknowledged, but like for many, a puzzle seemingly perturbed him. “Is that bigger than Crawford, do you think, or what is bigger?” he asked. HE Alalshikh made it clear – the fight with Terence Crawford is an altogether different game.

What do you make of HE Turki Alalshikh’s move seeking votes for the Canelo fights?