Canelo Alvarez will no longer return in February after suffering an elbow injury in his loss to Terence Crawford.
The Mexican star had his undisputed super-middleweight titles snatched from him as Crawford delivered a punch-perfect display in Las Vegas to become new king.
3
Canelo suffered an injury in his defeat to Crawford and now hasCredit: Getty
Although suffering defeat, Alvarez has two fights remaining on his mega-money deal with Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh.
It had been floated that Alvarez would return to the ring in February, with no interest on resting on his laurels after losing his belts.
But now that will not happen, with the former undisputed king now ruled out for a longer period.
Alvarez suffered an elbow injury during the contest, and has taken the decision with his team to have surgery to correct the issue.
His return is now expected to take place in either the second or third quarter of 2025, but with no guarantee on a certain comeback date.
Should Alvarez only return in October, as was originally planned for his second fight of 2026, it is likely he will only compete once next year.
It was a bitter blow for Alvarez, who has even faced calls to retire after being monumentally outclassed.
But as always, the Mexican remains defiant and still believes he has much more to give to the sweet science.
What’s next for Canelo Alvarez?
Although Alvarez is now unlikely to return in the imminent future, there have already been discussions as to who the great Mexican could face.
Hamzah Sheeraz was believed to be in line for a shot at Alvarez next and was opening to move to 168lbs.
3
Canelo will still have plenty of options if and when he chooses to make a comeback in 2026
Chris Eubank Jr was also in line to face Alvarez, but was focused on the winner of the bout with Crawford.
Alvarez has suggested he’s open to fighting on British shores, and 2026 could still be the year.
Another alternate option could be the future blockbuster clash with YouTuber-turned-boxer Jake Paul, which collapsed as he instead pursued Crawford.
And the ‘Problem Child’ insisted the door is still open for the fight to materialise.
He said: “Yeah, 100%. That’s one of the biggest fights that can be made in boxing.
“After I beat this guy, Canelo’s on the list for sure.”
3
Paul still has intentions of facing Canelo and could revisit the bout in 2026Credit: Getty
Regardless of his recent defeat, Alvarez remains one of the biggest commercial superpowers in the sport.
And even if not competing at the top level again, some huge paydays could lay in store.