Five biggest storylines to watch with Ryan Garcia, Canelo Alvarez, Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez in action

For years, boxing fans have been conditioned to expect a massive pay-per-view fight in Las Vegas during Cinco de Mayo weekend each May. But for 2025, powerful Saudi Arabian adviser Turki Alalshikh and a handful of leading promoters have taken this holiday fight weekend to an all-together new level of decadence. 

An unprecedented three consecutive days of big-name stars and unique events will hit the global boxing landscape beginning Friday when Alalshikh’s new “The Ring” series, sponsored by the legendary publication he recently purchased, presents a tripleheader in New York’s Times Square headlined by breakout stars Ryan Garcia, Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez Jr. in separate bouts (6 p.m. ET, DAZN PPV — buy now)

On Saturday, boxing’s biggest star, Mexican icon Canelo Alvarez, will make his debut in Saudi Arabia when he welcomes the challenge of unheralded super middleweight titleholder William Scull in a four-belt undisputed clash. And, not to be outdone on Sunday, pound-for-pound star Naoya Inoue of Japan, who was signed as an ambassador for “The Ring” by Alalshikh, will return to the U.S. and defend his undisputed junior featherweight crown against hard-hitting Ramon Cardenas in Las Vegas. 

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Brent Brookhouse

As we draw closer to this loaded weekend of fights, let’s take a closer look at the biggest storylines surrounding the sweet science.

1. Turki Alalshikh’s ambition is as unique as it is unprecedented

For all of the masterminds and heavily funded entities who have previously attempted to gain dominant control over the sport of boxing, none have been comparable to what Alalshikh is trying to do. The chairman of Saudi Arabia’s general entertainment authority has his hands (and a ton of both his and his nation’s money) into all three events this weekend. And even though many of his heavy-handed moves have drawn rightful criticism over the past 18 months, involving everything from sportswashing to his upcoming partnership with TKO and UFC president Dana White, it’s hard to argue with his recent momentum. Alalshikh’s “The Ring” series debuted last Saturday in London and was a rousing success thanks to a Chris Eubank Jr.-Conor Benn showdown that is now the leading candidate for fight of the year. That excitement should carry into Friday’s tripleheader, which will take place on the streets of Manhattan. Critics can certainly pick nits with the execution of Alalshikh offering three separate PPV events in a span of eight days on the niche streaming service of DAZN or quibble with the less-than-spectacular opponents that Alvarez and Inoue will be fighting. Heck, Alalshikh signing Alvarez to a four-fight deal featuring three bouts on Saudi Arabian soil could be worthy of condemnation from U.S. and Mexican fans by itself. But whatever his true intentions are (or whether one believes this type of financial investment will ever truly pay off), Alalshikh is elevating the sport with the type of pomp and circumstance. 

2. What type of atmosphere will boxing in Times Square hold?

That has been one of the biggest questions surrounding this unique tripleheader. Although the cultural epicenter of Manhattan has hosted amateur wrestling events before, not to mention a stop on the 2013 press tour for Alvarez’s superfight with Floyd Mayweather, this will mark the first live boxing event at the intersection of Broadway, Seventh Avenue and 42nd Street in New York. What we do know is that local laws will prevent the promotion from selling tickets to the event, which is not open to the public. The small group of fans that will be in attendance surrounding the ring are expected to be a mix of media, invited guests and popular influencers. How that will affect the fight’s atmosphere remains to be seen, as will how many additional spectators will have the proper sightlines to view the fights from the many high-rise structures and skyscrapers surrounding the makeshift venue. But given that this is NYC and a notorious tourist trap, one would have to guess it’s going to be unlike anything before it. 

3. Expect an explosive and ferocious Ryan Garcia

It has been over one full year since Garcia last stepped into the ring in nearby Brooklyn, when he routinely dropped Haney en route to an upset win that was later changed to a no contest when Garcia failed a drug test. His subsequent 12-month suspension saw Garcia nearly lose his mind (not to mention his freedom) when a combination of drugs, alcohol and unchecked mental health challenges paired negatively with some major life trauma that included a divorce, an arrest and Garcia’s mother battling cancer. While it’s still unknown what levels of therapy or medication Garcia has undergone to come out of such a toxic year in which he toured the world and routinely stained his personal reputation (including racist and conspiratorial rants online), the 26-year-old superstar appears to have turned a positive corner. Garcia, who is an overwhelming favorite to defeat the raw yet powerful Rolando “Rolly” Romero in their welterweight headliner on Friday, has looked spectacular in videos posted online with reunited trainer Derrick James, with visible improvements to Garcia’s footwork and technique. Recent press events also suggest Garcia received enough of a scare last year about the possibility of losing his career and visitation rights to his three children that he seems like a changed man with a renewed level of focus. Knowing that Garcia has already signed a rematch clause to face Haney later this year and that he expects to fight either Lopez or unified welterweight champion Jaron “Boots” Ennis after and it isn’t out of the question to suggest this will be the most dangerous and dialed-in version of Garcia to date. That’s a scary proposition for a fighter who, amid the self-imposed chaos in his life one year ago, managed to drop the unbeaten Haney three times.

4. Both Devin Haney and Teofimo Lopez Jr. could have their hands full

While both young stars are betting favorites in their respective bouts on Friday, with Haney as high as 10-to-1 to defeat former unified 140-pound champion Jose Ramirez, neither man is entering what could be seen as an easy fight. Haney will have plenty to answer for following his own year-long layoff after the Garcia fight, which featured defensive lapses and a number of questions surrounding his chin, despite the fact that Haney kept getting up. The fallout of the bout also saw Haney sue Garcia for assault amid a horribly mismanaged public relations tour. The Ramirez fight is set for a catchweight of 144 pounds, which should help Haney. But it also could prove to be a boost for the 32-year-old Ramirez, who had equal difficulty cutting down to 140 pounds throughout a decorated run that saw him only lose to elites like Josh Taylor and Arnold Barboza Jr. Ramirez may not be the same fighter he was five years ago, but it would be unwise to count him out completely, especially considering Haney’s recent history. The same can be said for Lopez, who will defend his WBO junior welterweight title against the unbeaten (and hungry) Barboza. When Lopez is at his best, like in breakthrough wins against Vasiliy Lomachenko (2020) and Taylor (2023), he’s one of the pound-for-pound best in the game. But the bouts in and around those fights have produced nothing but curious and inconsistent performances. Barboza has shown zero fear of Lopez throughout the pre-fight build and fresh off a split-decision win over Jack Catterall, the 33-year-old Barboza has the right style and temperament to be a problem if the rounds are close. 

5. Canelo Alvarez enters his Saudi Arabia debut with little fanfare

Alvarez might be rumored to make his return to Las Vegas this fall in a superfight against Terence Crawford that is expected to kick off Alalshikh’s partnership with TKO and White. But this weekend’s fight has done almost nothing to move the needle from casual to hard-core fans alike. The reason surrounds Alvarez’s shameless ducking of an overly deserving David Benavidez, the unbeaten and two-time former 168-pound champion who was forced to move up in weight rather than sit around and hope Alvarez calls his number. Signing with Saudi Arabia for a four-fight deal and having access to life-changing purses hasn’t appeared to change Alvarez’s stance on avoiding Benavidez as he continues to make excuses that don’t add up. And even though Alvarez’s last two fights against Jaime Munguia and Edgar Berlanga sold well in Las Vegas due to the Mexican superstar’s name and reputation, his opponent this weekend couldn’t be more obscure. Yes, Scull is the IBF titleholder at 168 pounds, which makes his fight against Alvarez “necessary” only because the winner will become the undisputed champion. But Scull is only a champion because Alvarez was stripped of the IBF belt for refusing to fight him and Scull’s vacant title win over Vladimir Shishkin last October in Germany was anything but impressive. Alvarez is used to selling out huge venues in Las Vegas twice per year as the centerpiece of Cinco de Mayo and Mexican Independence Day weekend celebrations. Instead, he will fight The Venue in Riyadah, which opened last year and holds just 8,000 spectators half a world away.