When boxing historians look back on September 13, 2025, the night that Terence Crawford became the first three-division undisputed champion in the four-belt era, they will remember that it was the night Crawford solidified himself as the best of his era. On the other hand, if Canelo Alvarez retires today, they will question his legacy and what went wrong on the night he was supposed to beat the “smaller man.”
Did Canelo Alvarez Becoming “Civilized” Motivate Terence Crawford in Vegas?
When Canelo scored the majority decision over Gennadiy “GGG” Golovkin in September 2018, leading to his free agency shortly after, his profile skyrocketed even higher than it already was. The boost led him to receive an 11-fight deal worth $365 million, and although it was a great day for him and his family, looking back, that was the moment that Canelo lost a little bit of that hunger that got him to the big “payday.”
In the film Rocky III, Mickey, played by Burgess Meredith, told Rocky, “The worst thing that happened to you, that can happen to any fighter: you got civilized.” That’s what happened to Canelo after the DAZN deal was signed. Although he would score victory after victory, the opponents were matched perfectly for him, leading to his confidence being as high as ever. The problem was that it was a façade, and he was quickly reminded of that when Canelo decided to move up to light heavyweight in May 2022 and was beaten easily by Dmitry Bivol. That fight knocked his confidence down a few notches, and his team went back to matching him carefully and at the right time until he was able to secure another huge check: this time with Turki Alalshikh and the Saudis.
That contract was a four-fight deal worth 400 million. Again, the fire wasn’t there, and he won a very boring 12-round unanimous decision over William Scull in May. By this time, the Crawford fight was already agreed upon privately, but there were questions about whether Canelo would be up for this fight since he mentioned in previous interviews the year prior that he had no desire to fight Crawford because he had nothing to win and everything to lose.
Canelo would enter training camp, and things appeared to be on track as normal. In August, Canelo broke away from camp to be there for his wife and the birth of his fifth child. Questions started to come up whether he was truly focused on the task at hand or if the 35-year-old Canelo was in a mental space where he could manage both. These were all things circling around, and when the Netflix show Countdown premiered in September, Canelo was more in “Money Mayweather” mode with the watches, cars, and lifestyle than the hungry warrior that went 36 rounds with GGG.
All of this prior to the fight was sending red flags, while the older Crawford, with less mileage on his odometer, was working, training, and focused for the biggest fight in his career.
Were There Internal Issues Within Team Canelo?
When the Ring Magazine had its awards dinner in January, one thing that sparked interest was the sight of Richard Schaefer, the former CEO of Golden Boy Promotions and currently CEO of Mayweather Promotions. He hadn’t been seen for a while, and now he was next to Canelo. Schaefer would eventually come out and say that he was an advisor to Canelo, which made sense given their relationship that goes back to the Golden Boy days.
As the fight drew closer, we started to see more and more of Schaefer out in front. Sources within the promotion told FightsATW that he inserted himself more into everything surrounding Canelo, and it made for some uncomfortable situations. Did this effect Canelo’s mental preparation throughout fight week, and did it interfere with Eddie Reynoso’s relationship with Canelo? It’s something to think about as Canelo and Reynoso appeared off from the start of the ringwalk through the fight itself. The connection just wasn’t there.
Speculations Within Team Canelo Aside, Terence Crawford Performed Like An All-Time Great
Regardless of which version of Canelo showed up on Saturday night, he just wasn’t going to beat THAT version of Crawford. His confidence was what sold me and others that he could beat Canelo regardless of the move up in weight classes. Crawford was smart and sharp, which was a recipe for disaster for the Mexican Canelo.
On the Boxing Rush Hour Show: Live Edition, which I host with fighter Zachary Ochoa, we identified these two factors as key to Crawford’s victory, particularly since Canelo hadn’t faced an opponent with that level of Ring IQ since GGG. I asked Ochoa on Sunday what his thoughts were on the fight and why Crawford won.
“What I saw last night was two great fighters competing at the highest level that you can compete at when it comes to boxing. Crawford went into the ring ready with a chip on his shoulder for all of the years he was in the shadows of the other champions in his weight class, who didn’t want to face him. He had good nervousness that kept him sharp and on point.
“Canelo is a legend and the biggest star in boxing. He came in to hurt Crawford and beat him. He knew Crawford was going to be a huge test for him. Canelo came into this fight ready. He was just one step behind Crawford, and that’s all it takes in boxing. Canelo would have beaten any other fighter on Saturday night, just not Crawford. It was a great night for boxing.”
What’s Next For Canelo Alvarez & Terence Crawford?
It’s hard to say what is next for both fighters, as they sounded like retirement was a real option. Canelo wasn’t pushing hard for a rematch and sounded like he was just ready to get on his jet and head back home. On the other hand, Crawford made a quick mention of maybe going down to middleweight for a fight, but was cut off by host Antonio Tarver, who was being a little too chatty at the post-fight interview. I was looking for someone to drill down on that comment some more, but they quickly moved past it. If the fight made enough money, then we will likely see it again in the first half of 2026. If it didn’t, then what happens next will be very interesting.
The fight billed “Once in a Lifetime” fell a bit short, but what is important to point out is that Crawford proved his ATG status, while questions will certainly be brought up about Canelo’s legacy.
Discover more from Fights Around The World
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
