Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford share compliments in final stop of media tour for Sept. 13 bout

LAS VEGAS (AP) — No trash talk necessary.

That was Friday’s message from Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez, both complimentary of one another while downplaying a shoving incident in New York earlier this month during the media tour for their blockbuster match on Sept. 13 at Allegiant Stadium.

The fight for the unified super middleweight championship is part of Alvarez’s reported $400 million, minimum four-fight deal with Riyadh Season.

“You can see how big is this fight,” Alvarez said inside of a crammed dressing room at T-Mobile Arena before the official press conference began in front of thousands of fans. “I’m glad to be involved in these big fights. And you know, Crawford is one of the best fighters in the last decade, and I’m glad to be here.

“These big fights don’t need to talk (expletive) about each other. That’s what I think.”

Crawford, meanwhile, addressed why he pushed Alvarez in New York, saying he “heard some things (he) didn’t like,” but took the high road in sharing his excitement for what will be the biggest fight of his career.

“I don’t even know the last time I’ve been this excited for a fight," said Crawford, who held court with media members in the bowels of the arena on a loading dock. “September 13, it’s going to be a great night of boxing.”

Friday marked the final stop of a three-city tour to market the event, which saw cooler heads prevail during the faceoff at T-Mobile Arena.

Riyadh Season is working with UFC CEO Dana White to promote the fight, which supplanted UNLV football’s home opener against Idaho State.

Earlier in the day, UNLV announced the game would shift to August 23, with first-year coach Dan Mullen making his program debut in what is now the Rebels’ season-opener in Week 0.

“The World Championship Boxing Match is important to Las Vegas, and the impact it will have on tourism is unmatched,” UNLV’s director of athletics Erick Harper said in a statement.

The long-awaited showdown between two of the greatest boxers since the turn of the century will be the first combat event inside the home of the NFL’s Raiders.

“Listen, this is the one,” Crawford said. “God don’t make no mistakes. It’s the reason why he waited all this time to put me on this stage with another all-time great like Canelo.

“Two Hall of Famers going head to head in one of the biggest events in the last 20 years. I’m looking forward to it.”

It’s White’s first venture into boxing, and quite a statement in becoming a major player in the sport.

Alvarez (63-2-2) unified the division with a unanimous decision victory over William Scull in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on May 3, with Crawford (41-0) in attendance.

Crawford said it’s been a longtime coming, and the jump to 168 pounds to meet Canelo has been on his mind since moving from 147 to 154 pounds.

“I don’t think any fighter has went from 147 to 168 to fight pound-for-pound a top five fighter like Canelo in the history of the sport of boxing,” Crawford said. “Everything impressed me about Canelo. I’m a big Canelo fan.

“This is business. Like I said in the last press conference, I’m coming to take everything you got.”

Said Alvarez: “He’s a good fighter. He have everything. He’s a complete fighter. He have a large experience. He’s a great fighter. I never underestimate my opponents. I always train like I’m gonna fight Mike Tyson in his era. ”

AP boxing: https://apnews.com/hub/boxing

Canelo Alvarez, left, and Terence Crawford face off during a news conference for their upcoming boxing match Friday, June 27, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Canelo Alvarez, left, and Terence Crawford face off during a news conference for their upcoming boxing match Friday, June 27, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Terence Crawford speaks during a news conference Friday, June 27, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Canelo Alvarez adjusts his glasses during a news conference Friday, June 27, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Terence Crawford motions during a news conference Friday, June 27, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Canelo Alvarez motions during a news conference Friday, June 27, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

Canelo Alvarez, left, and Terence Crawford face off during a news conference for their upcoming boxing match Friday, June 27, 2025, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)

NEW YORK (AP) — Thousands of nurses in three hospital systems in New York City went on strike Monday after negotiations through the weekend failed to yield breakthroughs in their contract disputes.

The strike was taking place at The Mount Sinai Hospital and two of its satellite campuses, with picket lines forming. The other affected hospitals are NewYork-Presbyterian and Montefiore Medical Center in the Bronx.

About 15,000 nurses are involved in the strike, according to New York State Nurses Association.

The strike, which comes during a severe flu season, could potentially force the hospitals to transfer patients, cancel procedures or divert ambulances. It could also put a strain on city hospitals not involved in the contract dispute, as patients avoid the medical centers hit by the strike.

The hospitals involved have been hiring temporary nurses to try and fill the labor gap during the walkout, and said in a statement during negotiations that they would “do whatever is necessary to minimize disruptions.” Montefiore posted a message assuring patients that appointments would be kept.

The work stoppage is occurring at multiple hospitals simultaneously, but each medical center is negotiating with the union independently. Several other hospitals across the city and in its suburbs reached deals in recent days to avert a possible strike.

The nurses’ demands vary by hospital, but the major issues include staffing levels and workplace safety. The union says hospitals have given nurses unmanageable workloads.

Nurses also want better security measures in the workplace, citing incidents like a an incident last week, when a man with a sharp object barricaded himself in a Brooklyn hospital room and was then killed by police.

The union also wants limitations on hospitals’ use of artificial intelligence.

The nonprofit hospitals involved in the negotiations say they’ve been working to improve staffing levels, but say the union’s demands overall are too costly.

Nurses voted to authorize the strike last month.

Both New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and Mayor Zohran Mamdani had expressed concern about the possibility of the strike. As the strike deadline neared, Mamdani urged both sides to keep negotiating and reach a deal that “both honors our nurses and keeps our hospitals open.”

“Our nurses kept this city alive through its hardest moments. Their value is not negotiable,” Mamdani said.

The last major nursing strike in the city was only three years ago, in 2023. That work stoppage, at Mount Sinai and Montefiore, was short, lasting three days. It resulted in a deal raising pay 19% over three years at those hospitals.

It also led to promised staffing improvements, though the union and hospitals now disagree about how much progress has been made, or whether the hospitals are retreating from staffing guarantees.

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

Nurses strike outside Mount Sinai West Hospital, Monday, Jan. 12, 2026, in New York. (AP Photo/Yuki Iwamura)

FILE - A medical worker transports a patient at Mount Sinai Hospital, April 1, 2020, in New York. (AP Photo/Mary Altaffer, File)