Terrence Crawford to share stage with former bikie boss Fidel Tukel for charity

Terrence Crawford, the finest fighter of his generation and arguably the greatest since Muhammad Ali, has announced a surprise tour of Australia in May as he builds towards a showdown with Canelo Alvarez in September.

For one night only Crawford will address boxing fans on the Gold Coast, presenting to an intimate audience on the mindset that inspired his rise from surviving a shooting to become one of the sport’s greatest champions.

Crawford, 47-0, has won 19 world title fights with 15 coming by knockout.

He is one of three male boxers in history to unify two weight divisions in the four-belt era.

Fidel Tukel, the champion trainer of Demsey McKean and Che Kneally at premier Gold Coast boxing gym Fiteklub, will join the American champion on-stage for the once-in-a-lifetime event he hopes will raise funds for charity.

The former bikie leader has dedicated his life to nurturing Queensland’s next generation of boxers since cutting all ties with the outlaw motorcycle gang in 2016.

“I’ve moved on with my life,” Tukel told this masthead in 2023.

“I moved to the Goldy ... and one of the main reasons was to start a new chapter in my life. I am as straight as possible. I’m working my arse off with my gym, my family and my mentoring role.”

Tukel said Crawford was already one of the sport’s greats.

“When the kids grow up they’ll know Terrence Crawford as one of the greatest ever,” Tukel said.

“He’ll probably be in line with Roberto Duran or Sugar Ray Leonard - obviously no one is Ali - but he’s on that kind of level.

“He’s going to do a seminar at my gym, Fiteklub, where he’ll speak mostly about his mindset and what he’s done in the past.

“He’ll talk for about 40 minutes, then a Q&A with the crowd, then he’ll do a demonstration on padwork and bag-work with myself and another trainer before taking photos with guests.”

Tukel said between 120-200 tickets would be made available to the public, with profits from the event to cover a training expedition for young Fiteklub fighters to attend a camp in the Philippines with that nation’s Olympic boxing team.

Additional proceeds would go to a local charity, he said.

Among the attendees will be Gold Coast mayor Tom Tate and a score of players from the Brisbane Broncos and Gold Coast Titans.

News Corp rugby league and boxing scribe Peter Badel will be the event’s MC.

Announced late on Wednesday evening, work to bring Crawford to southeast Queensland has been underway for the past six months.

The genesis of the tour was ringside at Demsey McKean’s fight on the undercard of Tyson Fury v Oleksandr Usyk in Saudi Arabia last December, with the tour becoming official only two months ago.

“Speaking tour-wise, there is no one better than Terrence,” Tukel said.

“He’s very knowledgeable about boxing and he speaks really well.

“I’m really excited because it’s going to be informative and people can get something out of it.”

Brisbane boxing fans are expected to score their own moment with Crawford, with discussions underway for a joint event with Australia’s No.1 fighter Jai Opetaia.

Tickets will begin from $200.

Originally published as Terrence Crawford to share stage with former bikie boss Fidel Tukel for charity