This Singer Wasn’t Allowed to Sing the Mexican National Anthem at Canelo Vs. Crawford Fight
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - SEPTEMBER 13: Canelo Álvarez vs. Terence Crawford, fight night events at Allegiant Stadium on September 13, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Gavin Bond for Netflix)
Breaking with traditional boxing matches, the Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez and Terence Crawford match didn’t air their respective national anthems. Instead, popular Mexican singer Fey sang the Mexican National Anthem for Canelo in private, leaving fans wondering why this decision was made.
In case you missed it, Canelo and Crawford went head-to-head for the undisputed super middleweight championship on Saturday night (Sept. 13) at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, NV. The two fighters had spectacular intros walking to the ring, both featuring mariachis in honor of Mexican Independence weekend. However, there was one thing missing: the national anthems of both fighters’ countries. Neither of the fighters was allowed to include their national anthems as part of their introduction on the Netflix livestream.
According to El Universal, the decision by Netflix and TKO Group Holdings not to include the national anthems was made to make the event “shorter and with less spectacle.” The fighters were also denied entry to the ring with an artist. Because of these surprising decisions, Fey sang the National Anthem to Canelo in his locker room, in a more intimate setting. She later posted a video recap of the performance in front of the Guadalajar boxer and his team before he took the ring.
Though it wasn’t livestreamed, the Mexican singer wrote about the honor it was to sing him the national anthem. “Nothing can stop us, proud Mexicans! 🇲🇽🙌 You are our champion @canelo, it is an honor to perform our national anthem on your night,” the “Azúcar Amargo” singer wrote online. “Thank you for inspiring Mexico 👊🔥. #Mexicanosconorgullo #canelo #himnomexicano.”
Fans were shocked by the overall decision not to air the national anthems. An Instagram user, mihaconh, wrote: “Great talent, Fey! What a shame they didn’t let you do it in the ring, as you should have.” Another Instagram user, mr.brightside504, commented: “How awful that Netflix banned the national anthems before the fight 😢.”
For many social media users, this wasn’t the only shocking outcome from Canelo’s fight. The Mexican boxer also ultimately lost his title as the undisputed super middleweight champion to Crawford.