Mexican boxing icon Canelo Alvarez has experienced the bitter taste of defeat on just three occasions throughout his illustrious career, with two of those setbacks occurring within the last four-and-a-half years. Having established himself as one of the defining fighters of his generation, Alvarez has suffered defeats against light-heavyweight champion Dmitry Bivol and pound-for-pound star Terence Crawford. As the multi-division champion contemplates the final chapters of his legendary career and prepares for his eventual retirement from the sport, he has candidly revealed which of those two recent vanquishers he would prioritize in a potential rematch before officially hanging up his gloves.
In a recent interview with DAZN Boxing, Alvarez addressed his long-term fighting desires and made it clear that a second opportunity to face Crawford stands above a potential second bout with Bivol. The Mexican superstar pointed directly to the emotional residue and immediate timing of his loss to Crawford as the primary motivation driving his desire for redemption.
Explaining his mindset and preference, Alvarez provided a succinct yet telling explanation regarding why a Crawford sequel commands his focus. He noted that the recent nature of the setback leaves an unresolved wound that demands his attention over previous losses.
"I think that Crawford, right now, is the fight that I want right now because it [the loss] was recent, so that is why," Alvarez stated during his conversation with DAZN Boxing.
The statement offers a rare look into the inner drive of a fighter who has spent over a decade at the apex of professional boxing. Throughout his career, Alvarez has consistently evaluated his legacy through the lens of challenge and retribution. His career trajectory was largely defined by how he rebounded from his very first professional loss, which occurred over a decade ago in 2013 when he was outpointed by Floyd Mayweather Jr. Rather than allowing that initial setback to derail his career, Alvarez utilized the experience as a foundational learning moment. In the years that followed the Mayweather fight, the Mexican star mounted an extraordinary campaign across multiple weight classes, cementing his status as a four-division world champion and rising to the summit as the pound-for-pound king of the sport.
For nearly nine years following the Mayweather defeat, Alvarez remained untouchable, dominating opposition across various divisions and collecting world titles with regularity. It was not until May 2022 that Alvarez encountered his second career loss, a moment that came when he elected to challenge himself in a higher weight class. Moving up to the 175-pound light-heavyweight division, Alvarez attempted to unseat the technical and disciplined Dmitry Bivol. The risky move backfired for the Mexican champion, as Bivol delivered a masterful performance, outpointing Alvarez over 12 rounds. That victory propelled Bivol into the upper echelon of the sport, establishing him as a pound-for-pound star in his own right, while forcing Alvarez to recalibrate his immediate division plans.
Despite the loss to Bivol at light-heavyweight, Alvarez returned to his primary domain at super-middleweight, where he continued to reign supreme. He solidified his authority at 168 pounds by establishing himself as a two-time undisputed super-middleweight world champion, holding all four major sanctioning body belts simultaneously and defending his throne against top-tier contenders.
However, that dominant era at super-middleweight came to a sudden halt last September in a marquee event that reshaped the landscape of the division. Facing Terence Crawford, Alvarez put all four of his 168-pound world title belts on the line in a historic, legacy-defining matchup. In a shocking outcome that stunned the boxing universe, Crawford produced a sublime tactical performance to defeat Alvarez, stripping the Mexican champion of all four super-middleweight titles in a single evening.
The narrative surrounding the fight took an even more dramatic turn in the immediate aftermath of Crawford’s monumental victory. Rather than engaging in negotiations for a hugely lucrative and highly anticipated second encounter with Alvarez, Crawford opted to walk away from the sport entirely. By announcing his retirement in the wake of his victory over Alvarez, Crawford effectively shunned the prospect of a high-earning sequel, leaving Alvarez without an immediate venue to avenge the loss.
This sequence of events explains why the loss to Crawford lingers so heavily in Alvarez’s mind compared to his defeat against Bivol. When Alvarez moved up to light-heavyweight to face Bivol, he was stepping outside his natural weight class to take a calculated risk at 175 pounds. While the defeat was a undeniable setback, it occurred at a higher weight limit and took place over two years ago. Conversely, the defeat to Crawford occurred in Alvarez’s primary fighting weight class of super-middleweight, where he had built an empire as an undisputed champion. Furthermore, because the Crawford fight was his most recent outing, the emotional impact remains fresh, compounded by Crawford’s decision to retire and close the door on an immediate return bout.
For a champion who has built his legacy on answering every challenge and seeking out the biggest moments in the sport, the inability to immediately avenge his most recent defeat has clearly stoked his competitive fire. While Crawford currently remains retired and removed from the active boxing landscape, Alvarez’s comments indicate that should the opportunity ever present itself before he concludes his own career, a return fight with Crawford would take absolute priority over any potential second meeting with Bivol.
Before any distant future plans or dream rematches can be contemplated, however, Alvarez must first take care of business in the present. The Mexican former undisputed champion is set to make his long-awaited return to the ring this Saturday, marking his first fight back since the difficult loss to Crawford last September.
This weekend’s fight represents a major career milestone for Alvarez, as it officially ends a career-longest 13-month spell of inactivity. Throughout his extensive professional career, Alvarez has been known for maintaining a highly active schedule, frequently fighting multiple times a year against world-class competition. The 13-month layoff following the Crawford fight marks the longest extended break Alvarez has taken between professional ring appearances, adding an element of intrigue to how he will look upon his return.
Alvarez makes his ring return in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will challenge Christian Mbilli in a high-stakes super-middleweight encounter. Alvarez will be seeking to recapture world championship status as he challenges for Mbilli’s WBC super-middleweight title. The bout in Riyadh serves as a crucial crossroads for Alvarez; a victory against Mbilli would immediately propel him back into world champion status at 168 pounds, reigniting his momentum as he looks to navigate the final stretch of his historic career.
As Alvarez prepares to step back through the ropes in Saudi Arabia after the longest hiatus of his professional journey, the burning desire to rectify his most recent shortcoming remains firmly on his mind. While his immediate focus must remain entirely on capturing Mbilli’s WBC title this Saturday, Alvarez has left no doubt about what battle he desires most before he eventually says goodbye to the ring: a second chance at Terence Crawford.
