Saudi boxing boss Turki Alalshikh eyes Teofimo Lopez fight in Alcatraz prison

The prison on Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco, is now a museum

Saudi boxing matchmaker Turki Alalshikh is reportedly working on holding a fight in Alcatraz prison, set to feature Teofimo Lopez.

Last week, Alalshikh made clear his desire to arrange a fight at the famous jail on Alcatraz Island, off the coast of San Francisco. Speaking to ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, he said: “I want to ask you about something. What do you think, if there is an event – fight – in Alcatraz jail one day? It is like a museum now.

“You know, sometimes I get in my mind, I want different places to do [fights]. Sometimes in mountains, maybe someday in the pyramids in Mexico, someday in the Eiffel Tower in France, Colosseum in Italy. You understand this concept?”

Now, The Ring – which is owned by Alalshikh – has reported that WBO super-lightweight champion Lopez could be involved in such a fight in Alcatraz prison.

Alalshikh responded to the report on X (formerly Twitter) with a clip from the 1996 action film The Rock, which is set on Alcatraz Island and stars Sean Connery, Nicolas Cage and Ed Harris. Meanwhile, Lopez, 27, shared The Ring’s report.

Per the magazine: “A deal is close for Ring/WBO junior welterweight champion Teofimo Lopez to return to action on a date in June or July - as the headliner of a special Ring Magazine event. No opponent has been finalized at the moment.”

Teofimo Lopez, a former lightweight champion, now holds super-lightweight gold (AP)

The federal penitentiary on Alcatraz Island, nicknamed The Rock, stopped operating as a prison in 1963 (Courtesy of San Francisco Public Library)

Lopez’s fight would be the first of a three-bout deal, which would see The Ring and Riyadh Season collaborate with his promoters, Top Rank.

Lopez last boxed in June, beating Steve Claggett on points to retain the WBO super-lightweight belt. That result marked the American’s second successful defence of the gold, which he took from Josh Taylor in 2023.

Alcatraz, a maximum-security prison, was operational between 1934 and 1963. American gangster Al Capone was among its most famous inmates. The prison was later reopened as a museum.