The whole boxing world is buzzing over the upcoming Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford blockbuster clash. Not only because it is one of the biggest fights of the era, but also because young boxers have a chance to feature on the undercard, thanks to His Excellency Turki Alalshikh, who has publicly called on young and exciting prospects to send in their names. Alalshikh and Dana White are doing everything to make the mega event more accessible and interesting. So, as soon as they secured a global streaming deal with Netflix, the race was on for boxers to feature on the card, with many already sending in their training clips. A few days ago, the GEA chairman strongly reaffirmed his commitment, revealing that six more prelim slots remain open. And now it seems like he’s chosen an undefeated rising star to fill one of them.

On Monday, the GEA chairman took to his ‘X’ to announce his pick. He uploaded a picture of the 8-0 British flyweight prospect Mikie Tallon, with the caption reading, “I want to see this fighter on the undercard of Canelo vs Crawford.” With the Saudi Royal making his intentions perfectly clear, it was just a matter of how soon Tallon would respond. After all, the chance to compete before 65,000 live fans and a 300 million Netflix viewership, on the undercard of a Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford fight, is far from ordinary. As expected, Tallon responded pretty quickly, sharing a heartfelt video, thanking Turki Alalshikh for his consideration.

“Thanks for the tweet this morning, His Excellency. Hopefully, see you soon and see you in Vegas. I won’t let you down,” the 20-year-old Mikie Tallon said in an extremely humble and grateful tone. For the Liverpool native, this will be the biggest fight of his career on the grandest stage you can imagine. To think that he is getting such an opportunity in just the second year of his professional career is massive. Even if a handful of Netflix subscribers worldwide tune in for the undercard, that’s a million more eyes that will see him.

Furthermore, with White and His Excellency doing everything to make the event as big as possible, every eye will be on the event. Who knows, a solid performance here can earn Tallon a career-changing contract in the new TKO boxing league, if that works.

Tallon faces no real risk in this fight, but White and Alalshikh must tread carefully. Canelo-Crawford marks Netflix’s second boxing venture, following the controversial Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson event. Despite drawing 108 million live viewers, that showcase fell short of expectations, leaving fans skeptical. Not to forget the constant hang-ups and lags with the stream that made the experience bitter for most. Tyson’s son, however, assures that those issues will be addressed by September 13th.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford: The Real Test Of Netflix

Netflix’s arrival in the world of the squared circle was far from smooth. Despite recording historic viewership, the streaming was a car crash. From constant glitches to device hang-ups, the shortcomings were endless. However, Dana White and HE Turki Alalshikh, with their desire to make the mega event accessible to everyone, went with Netflix anyway.

Now, they have to deliver. After all, another dodgy event and the streaming giants might be out of the boxing scene for good. However, Amir J.Tyson, who was part of Netflix’s live broadcast team during Paul vs. Tyson and has confirmed his presence on September 13, assured fans that all will be fine.

A few weeks ago, he uploaded an Instagram story, hyping up the Canelo Alvarez-Terence Crawford bout. He wrote, “Happy I’m apart of the Netflix team which is and always will be the best and biggest platform on earth and their endeavors. #blessedandthankful🙏🏾,” dismissing the uneasiness amongst fans.

Tyson Jr. believes that Netflix has learned from their shortcomings and will improve on them. Dana White echoes this, urging fans to trust in the improvements. However, boxing fans don’t forget, and will only believe it once they see it with their own eyes. So, while promoters are giving the spotlight to young talent, they must also ensure these fighters can shine on a global stage without any lag this time around.

Who do you think will fill the remaining spots on the Canelo-Crawford card?