Canelo Alvarez: DAZN likely to skip ringside as Saudi airport death toll rises

DAZN's broadcast team is likely to cover Canelo Alvarez's 31 October fight with Christian Mbilli from a London studio rather than travel to Riyadh, Dan Rafael reported, after a second death following an attack at a Saudi airport.

DAZN's broadcast team is likely to stay away from ringside for Canelo Alvarez's fight against Christian Mbilli in Riyadh on 31 October, boxing journalist Dan Rafael reported, citing sources. The team would instead cover the event remotely from a London studio. DAZN has not publicly confirmed the arrangement.

The report follows a second death after an attack at King Fahd International Airport in Dammam, in which eight others were injured. Dammam is not the host city, but the attack has added to concerns about travel to Saudi Arabia, with British fighter jets deployed in the region amid the security crisis. AFP reported that US authorities have ordered non-emergency government employees and their families to leave the country.

Robert Garcia, a leading trainer with a fighter on the card, has indicated he is unsure how they will travel to the event.

DAZN presenter Ade Oladipo, speaking in a conversation with Ariel Helwani, said people scheduled to attend remain divided over travelling. He believes the fight will go ahead and has spoken to people who still intend to make the trip, but he raised concerns about production staff such as sound engineers, whose arrangements may differ greatly from those of the headline fighters. Oladipo said turning down an assignment could cost those workers future opportunities, and that those in charge need to make a final decision quickly.

Turki Alalshikh initially indicated that Alvarez would travel regardless of the situation and remains publicly committed to staging the fight, with Alvarez's Saudi Arabia agreement and the financial stakes still part of the picture. Since then, his most notable public reference to the event has been to tell fans that tickets are on sale. One fan replied to that announcement: “Think I can use the private airport if I buy some tickets? Heard there’s some bombs and stuff going on over there.”

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