×

Boxing-Alvarez will go ahead with title fight in Riyadh despite attacks, says Alalshikh

By Thomson Reuters Oct 11, 2026 | 10:03 PM

Oct 12 (Reuters) – Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will fight in his world title bout against Christian M’billi in ​Saudi Arabia this month, promoter ‌Turki Al-Sheikh said after a strike on Riyadh’s international airport killed at least 12 people and wounded more than 300.

Yemen’s Iran-aligned ‌Houthi ​movement claimed responsibility ⁠for Saturday’s attack, the ⁠deadliest in the kingdom in more than a decade.

On Sunday, one more person was killed and nearly ​a dozen hurt in another attack on the international airport in ⁠Riyadh, where Alvarez and ⁠WBC super-middleweight champion M’billi ​are set to clash on October 31.

“Canelo ​reached out and told me he’ll ‌still fight in Riyadh this October, no matter what happens. He fears nothing,” said Al-Sheikh, chairman of ⁠Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority, in a post on social media on Sunday.

Alvarez’s representatives did ⁠not ‌immediately respond to a ⁠request for comment outside business ​hours ‌in Mexico.

The Mexican boxer, a ​former two-time ⁠undisputed super-middleweight champion, has not fought since he was beaten by American Terence Crawford in September 2025.

(Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by ​Thomas Derpinghaus)