Key Takeaways
- Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez wants another shot at Terence Crawford, saying he has watched their 2025 fight five times, identified his mistakes, and believes he performs well in rematches.
- Crawford beat Alvarez by unanimous decision to become the first male boxer in the four-belt era to claim undisputed titles in three weight classes, then retired undefeated at 42-0.
- Alvarez must first beat Christian Mbilli, while Crawford’s trainer Brian “BoMac” McIntyre insists “Terence Crawford is not coming back” and says the original contract contained no rematch clause.
Saúl "Canelo" Alvarez wants another shot at Terence Crawford, and retirement apparently hasn't stopped the Mexican boxing star from pursuing the one fight he wants back.
With his upcoming bout against Christian Mbilli approaching, Alvarez told The Ring's Mike Coppinger that he remains interested in facing Crawford again after losing their September 2025 showdown.
"I always do good in the rematches, so I hope that fight happens again," Alvarez said.
Coppinger offered additional insight into Alvarez's thinking on X, writing, "Canelo tells me he wants the rematch with Terence Crawford more than anything; that he knows what his mistakes were after watching it back 5 times."
The admission comes more than a year after Crawford handed Alvarez a unanimous decision loss in Las Vegas. Crawford moved up to super middleweight for the fight and used his speed, movement, and combination punching to neutralize Alvarez’s offense over 12 rounds.
The victory made Crawford the first male boxer in the four-belt era to become undisputed champion in three weight classes. It also marked his final professional appearance.
Alvarez, meanwhile, still has some unfinished business.
Before any potential rematch, the 36-year-old must get through Mbilli, whose aggressive fighting style and knockout record present another challenge. Mbilli has stopped 82.7% of his defeated opponents, giving Alvarez a different matchup than the one he faced against Crawford.
But a much bigger obstacle to getting Crawford back in the ring is Crawford himself.
When comeback rumors began circulating, Crawford’s camp made it clear the retirement announcement wasn't an invitation to negotiate.
"Bud done, man. He said he done," longtime trainer Brian "BoMac" McIntyre told Brian Custer on The Last Stand. "I respect his decision, and I want him to be done because he had nothing else to prove in the sport."
McIntyre also revealed that he had wanted Crawford to retire after defeating Errol Spence Jr. in 2023. Crawford instead pursued additional championships before eventually taking on Alvarez.
Asked whether Crawford might return for another professional bout or exhibition, McIntyre was unequivocal.
"Terence Crawford is not coming back," he said.
"Where you hear this at?" Crawford asked.
When the speculation continued, he responded with laughing emojis and another question: "dam am I? Why I don't know about this?"
Alvarez's latest comments also follow McIntyre's earlier disclosure that their original fight contract did not include a rematch with Canelo.
"It was never brought up, was never in the contract," McIntyre said on The Last Stand.
