In the days and weeks leading up to Terence Crawford’s September 13 fight against Canelo Alvarez for Canelo’s undisputed super middleweight belts (which Crawford won), rumors surfaced that Crawford might have been dealing with a shoulder injury.
The rumors began after X account @Pound4our4Pound made a post on September 8 that read, “Damn!! I’m hearing from a close source that Terence Crawford’s shoulder that he had surgery on has been ‘flaring up’ in camp
“Apparently it has been a lingering issue for the past 8-10 weeks & is being monitored closely.”
🚨Damn!! I’m hearing from a close source that Terence Crawford’s shoulder that he had surgery on has been “flaring up” in camp😳
Apparently it has been a lingering issue for the past 8-10 weeks & is being monitored closely. #Boxing #CaneloCrawford pic.twitter.com/uw8MRrmwVj
— Pound4Pound (@Pound4our4Pound) September 8, 2025
This post went viral, convincing many that Crawford was not physically fit to fight against Canelo. And given that Crawford was already jumping up two weight classes, some felt like Crawford potentially also being injured was a death sentence for his chances of winning.
The rumors got to the point where Crawford was even asked whether he was injured when speaking with Fight Hub TV on September 9.
“Where do I got a shoulder injury?” Crawford responded to this question while moving both of his shoulders around normally. “I don’t know. I think people coming up with they own antics. ‘Terence Crawford got a shoulder injury, Terence Crawford out of shape, Terence Crawford slow.’ They coming up with all kinds of stuff!”
IMAGO / Hoganphotos
A fighter’s words always need to be taken with a grain of salt before a fight, because Crawford was never going to admit he had a shoulder injury days before fighting Canelo. Not to mention that all fighters know somebody never enters a fight completely healthy if they trained properly.
And Crawford made an admission about this when speaking with Andre Ward for a September 30 interview.
When Ward asked whether he had any “bumps and bruises” during this Canelo fight, Crawford said, “You’re not never gonna go into camp and come out 100% healthy. And a lot of people is asking me, ‘How did I feel?’ Man, I had a lot going on in camp. This fight, the last fight, the fight before… Like, injuries too. Injuries, too.”
Ward then asked whether Crawford was 100% fighting Canelo, Ward said, “Nah. Nah, not at all.”
MORE: How Canelo Alvarez Injury Impacts Terence Crawford Rematch
Terence Crawford CONFIRMS INJURY RUMORS BEFORE THE CANELO FIGHT🚨
I had a lot going on in camp I was dealing with injuries too I didn’t go into the fight 100% NOT AT ALL F*** NAW-
📹: @ats_fight #Boxing pic.twitter.com/nW1hvXPPH6
— Pound4Pound (@Pound4our4Pound) September 30, 2025
We also now know that Canelo was likely dealing with an elbow injury heading into this fight, which will require surgery. While it’s currently unknown what injuries Crawford is alluding to, this sentiment makes it clear he had something of significance going on.
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