Terrence Crawford could be the next major boxing star to head to Saudi Arabia.
Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalcik appeared to tease a possible relationship between the two earlier today when he posted a photo of “Bud” on his social media with a shrugging emoji and boxing gloves. .
Crawford responded with two silence emojis, further fanning the flames.
Alarusik is currently the most powerful man in boxing and has spent the past 12 months putting up cards that would otherwise be the stuff of fantasy.
The head of the Saudi General Entertainment Authority is the driving force behind the undisputed heavyweight showdown between Tyson Fury and Oleksandr Usyk, scheduled for May 18th.
And most recently, it bankrolled a crossover showdown between Anthony Joshua and Francis Ngannou in March.
Alarusik seems intent on working with all of the top names in the sport, so it makes sense that he would be looking to sign Crawford, boxing's pound-for-pound king.
The 36-year-old has been inactive since July last year, when he stopped Errol Spence to become the first undisputed welterweight champion of the four-belt era.
He's been given a few different chances in recent months, but getting over the line has proven to be a nightmare for Crawford.
The first match that gave him a setback was a rematch with Spence.
“Big Fish” activated the two-way rematch clause in his contract immediately after the first matchup.
However, prominent boxing journalist Dan Rafael reported in February that the bout was unlikely to take place for “a variety of reasons,” including Spence's long-term absence from action following cataract surgery.
Crawford's attention then turned to a bout with newly crowned WBC and WBO super welterweight champion Sebastián Fundora.
However, that match again hit a snag after reports that Fundora and Tim Tzu were aiming for a rematch in Las Vegas in November.
It's unclear at this time which bout Crawford has scheduled, but hardcore boxing fans will want to see him next in a blockbuster showdown with Jaron “Boots” Ennis. .
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