Canelo Alvarez Calls for Terence Crawford Rematch After Tough Loss

The Mexican boxing star believes he knows what went wrong in their September 2025 fight and wants a chance to avenge the defeat.

Published on Feb. 7, 2026

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Five months after suffering the third loss of his career against Terence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez believes he knows exactly what went wrong. Alvarez said he "tried" to make the right moves, but his body did not respond due to leg cramps. Despite out-landing Crawford in six of the 12 rounds, Alvarez was unable to hurt "Bud" and ultimately lost the fight. Alvarez is pushing for a rematch, but Crawford has since announced his retirement, taking away some of the "credit" of the impressive victory according to Alvarez.

Why it matters

Canelo Alvarez is one of the biggest stars in boxing, and his loss to Crawford was a major upset. Alvarez believes he has the tools to beat Crawford in a rematch, but the retirement of Crawford means that fight may never happen. This raises questions about Alvarez's legacy and whether he will get the chance to avenge the defeat.

The details

Alvarez out-landed Crawford in six of the 12 rounds, according to Compubox, but he never managed to hurt "Bud," despite the size advantage. By the end of the fight, Crawford landed 115 punches to Alvarez's 99, including 45 jabs to just 16 from Canelo. Alvarez attributed his struggles to leg cramps, saying "I tried, but my body doesn't respond. I had cramps in my legs, so it doesn't respond the way I really want."

  • The fight between Canelo Alvarez and Terence Crawford took place in September 2025.
  • Alvarez made these comments about the fight five months later, in February 2026.

The players

Canelo Alvarez

A 35-year-old Mexican professional boxer who is one of the biggest stars in the sport.

Terence Crawford

An American professional boxer who defeated Alvarez in September 2025 and has since announced his retirement from the sport.

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What they’re saying

“I tried, but my body doesn't respond. I had cramps in my legs, so it doesn't respond the way I really want. It is what it is. We learn from that. We learn from that and we move forward. I know what mistakes I made in the fight and in camp, too. That's what boxing is about. I don't think a winner means you need to win every time.”

— Canelo Alvarez (Ring Magazine)

“I always give him all of his credit, but we need to run it back. After the fight, I said we need to run it back because I don't feel the way I really want. I need to make this fight happen again, and it's going to be different. I think for him to deserve all the credit, he needs to give me the rematch.”

— Canelo Alvarez (Ring Magazine)

What’s next

Alvarez has announced plans to return to the ring in September 2026, though his opponent remains unknown. He will headline the inaugural event of his own new promotion, Canelo Promotions.

The takeaway

Canelo Alvarez's loss to Terence Crawford was a major upset, and Alvarez believes he has the tools to beat Crawford in a rematch. However, Crawford's retirement means that fight may never happen, raising questions about Alvarez's legacy and whether he will get the chance to avenge the defeat.