It has been nearly a couple of weeks since one of the saddest days for Mexican boxing and for the career of Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez. The Jalisco native stepped into a packed Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, to defend his super middleweight titles against Terence Crawford, who had moved up two weight divisions to challenge for Canelo’s 168-pound belts.
The night was meant to be a Mexican celebration, but Canelo’s fans received a blow they still haven’t recovered from. Crawford not only managed the jump in weight but also delivered a spectacular performance in the ring. The Mexican champion never found his rhythm, and in the end, Crawford became the new undisputed super middleweight champion (168 lbs).
All three judges scored the fight in Crawford’s favor: 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113. Canelo lost his undisputed super middleweight crown, a reign he had held for years. Now, it’s uncertain if there will be a rematch-and if there is, he would no longer be the favorite.
Danny García mentioned that Canelo looked tired
Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez’s professionalism has never been in question; he became the face of boxing thanks to his discipline and dedication. For this fight, he had an extremely tough training camp, which may have cost him on fight night. Danny García, former super lightweight and welterweight champion, believes the Mexican was mentally exhausted.
“I think Canelo looked a little tired. You can tell when a fighter is mentally worn out. You can see he had a hard training camp. When you’re mentally tired, your brain isn’t sharp, like you’re not completely right,” García said.
This was Canelo Álvarez’s third career loss; he previously lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Dmitry Bivol. For now, after the fight, the Mexican boxer has stayed out of the media spotlight. A rematch with Terence Crawford at this point is purely speculative.
The only confirmed news so far is that Turki Al-Sheikh, president of the General Entertainment Authority of Saudi Arabia and the man behind Riyadh Season, confirmed that Álvarez still has two fights under contract.
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