With just months to go until his blockbuster showdown with Terence Crawford, undisputed super-middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez surprised fans and pundits by hinting that retirement may not be far off.

During a recent media appearance, Alvarez suggested that fighting Crawford could mark “the end” of his illustrious boxing career, and he’s already planning his exit.

Fresh off his fifth consecutive undisputed title defense, Alvarez is gearing up to face Crawford on September 13 at Allegiant Stadium, Las Vegas.

But even as boxing’s biggest fight hits the promotional circuit, the Mexican icon is already eyeing life beyond the sport.

A legendary reign, a finite timeline

In candid remarks to the press, Canelo admitted he has long discussed hanging up his gloves upon turning 38. At 34, he told the Daily Mail: “My body is fine, I can keep fighting for several more years. 37 is the age I want to retire, not for boxing to retire me. I don’t need to do it for the money or legacy. I said I was going to retire at 37 and I’m sure I will.”

Signed to a landmark four-fight agreement with Saudi-backed promoter Turki Alalshikh, Alvarez has one bout remaining after Crawford, both inside and beyond the ring he indicates he’s already preparing for that final bell.

According to boxing promoter Eddie Hearn, “I think the Crawford fight will be his last fight,” citing Canelo’s conservative engagement in recent camps and the toll it takes on his ageing body.

The Crawford fight: A fitting finale?

The mega-fight with undefeated Terence “Bud” Crawford represents the ultimate test for Alvarez-and potentially a perfect closing chapter.

Crawford, a three-weight undisputed champion, will ascend to 168 pounds for the bout. While himself entertaining retirement talk after the high-stakes match, Crawford knows a win would etch his own legacy.

For Alvarez, this could be the defining fight that sums up a decorated career, four weight-class titles, multiple marquee victories, and hundreds of millions earned in the process. Another fight, say, a classic trilogy with David Benavidez or rematch with Dmitry Bivol, could follow, but Alvarez sees 37 as a natural endpoint.

Alvarez‘s decision reflects far more than boxing wear-and-tear. Over the years, he’s balanced intense training with family life: married to Fernanda, father to Emily, Maria, and Saul Adiel. In interviews, he’s emphasized: “All I want is for you to be happy with what you do… I’ll be there to support you.”

As much as he loves boxing, Alvarez is mindful of the emotional and physical demands of further championship runs, and wants to retire on his own terms.

Later this year, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will box Terence Crawford in one of the biggest commercial fights in years.

Mexican icon Canelo defends all the major super-middleweight titles in Las Vegas, where he faces arguable pound-for-pound No 1 Crawford at Allegiant Stadium – home of the Raiders NFL team.

The unbeaten Crawford is a four-division world champion, having gradually worked his way from lightweight up to super-welterweight, yet this 167lb clash with Canelo will see him make a further, stark jump in weight.

If he succeeds against Canelo (63-2-2, 39 knockouts), the 37-year-old American (41-0, 31 KOs) will become boxing’s first three-weight undisputed champion. Meanwhile, 34-year-old Canelo is also a multi-weight champion, who recently regained undisputed status at super-middleweight, his preferred division in recent years.

While this is a somewhat contrived showdown from a weight perspective, it is perhaps the biggest boxing match since Floyd Mayweather vs Manny Pacquiao, 10 years ago – at least from the perspective of an American audience. It pits the face of boxing, in Canelo, against a man deemed by many as the finest boxer alive right now. Here’s all you need to know.

When is the fight?

Canelo vs Crawford will take place on Saturday 13 September at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.

Timings for the event have not yet been announced, but it’s likely that the main card will begin at 1am BST on Sunday (5pm PT / 7pm CT / 8pm ET on Saturday), with main-event ring walks following at 4am BST on Sunday (8pm PT / 10pm CT / 11pm ET on Saturday).

How can I watch it?

The event will stream live exclusively on Netflix around the world. It will be available to all Netflix subscribers globally, i.e. it will not be a pay-per-view event.

Odds

Canelo – 8/15

Crawford – 6/4

Draw – 16/1

Fight card

More bouts to be added; ‘C’ denotes champion:

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (C) vs Terence Crawford (undisputed super-middleweight titles)

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A rival of ‘Canelo’ Alvarez regrets facing him and Terence Crawford must be trembling

The Mexican fighter is preparing to defend his undisputed super middleweight championship against Terence Crawford

Undisputed super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is one of the most successful athletes worldwide, where any opponent looking for a fight against the Mexican will know that it will be a good business in exchange for some blows for an hour of fighting. Originally from Guadalajara, he has faced great rivals and has dominated the 168-pound category since 2021.

It should be remembered that on May 3, the Mexican had his last fight, which took place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he faced William Scull for the unification of the four super middleweight titles. Alvarez put his three championships (WBC, WBA, WBO) on the line, while the Cuban put his International Boxing Federation (IBF) title on the line. With his unanimous decision victory, Canelo is the monarch of the four major organizations worldwide.

Who is the fighter who regretted taking a beating from Canelo?

In statements collected by The Ring, Jermall Charlo said that his brother, Jermell, told him that it was a mistake to move up in weight to fight Canelo. He also added that he did not understand why he did it and that it was very hard to watch that fight.

My brother was the one who fought Canelo, not me. He told me that his mistake was to think that moving up in weight meant getting bigger to beat Canelo. I didn’t understand why he did it. I wasn’t a fan of that decision. I didn’t like it. It was very hard to watch that fight. One of the hardest things I’ve ever been through, honestly

The Mexican and Jermell fought on September 30, 2023 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, where the Jalisco native won convincingly after defeating the American by unanimous decision. It was the moment when Canelo was the master of the category. However, there are those who claim that the Mexican puts his rivals in their place and convinces them with the large sum of money he has generated around him.

Canelo focused on his fight against Crawford

For now, Canelo is focused on his fight against Terence Crawford, which will take place on September 13 at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, where he will put his four super middleweight world titles on the line. This fight is one of the most anticipated in 2025, and has been dubbed “the fight of the century” because expectations are high, as both Saul and Bud Crawford have remained in the top 10 best fighters of the last decade.

However, the fight has also been criticized because of the weight difference between the two, as the undefeated boxer, Terence Crawford, will have to move up two divisions as Jermell Charlo did in 2023, from super welterweight to super middleweight.

After several venue changes, Allegiant Stadium will be the venue for this Mega Bout.

Allegiant Stadium, home to the Las Vegas Raiders (NFL) and the UNLV Rebels (NCAA), will be the venue for the fight between Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez and Terence Crawford on September 13, as confirmed by Dana White, the fight’s promoter.

The stadium, which has a capacity of 65,000 spectators, is one of the newest in the NFL, having opened in July 2020.

“The Death Star,” as it is also called, has hosted events such as Super Bowl LVIII, the 2021 CONCACAF Gold Cup final, the 2024 Copa América, and Wrestlemania in 2025 and 2026.

The first press conference for the fight will be held on Saturday, June 27, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.

“Canelo” will be defending his undisputed championship against American Terence Crawford.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez comes into the fight with a record of 63-2-2 and 39 KOs.

Terence “Bud” Crawford has an undefeated record of 41 wins, 31 of them by knockout.

Shane Mosley breaks down Canelo Alvarez vs Terence Crawford.

Terence Crawford will fight Canelo Alvarez for the undisputed super middleweight title in Las Vegas on September 13.

Alvarez is coming off a lackluster win against William Scull, who many believe danced around too much instead of trying to fight Canelo. Crawford, though, prefers to fight, as his record proves. He’s also jumping up two weight classes to make the fight happen.

Crawford is 41-0-0 with 31 knockouts and ‘Bud’ guarantees fireworks when he is in action. Shane Mosley, who lost Canelo Alvarez in 2012 via unanimous decision, thinks that could bring Crawford’s downfall. He thinks Crawford is a fighter at heart and against a bigger opponent like Canelo, that could be disastrous.

Mosley said:

I think Canelo is too big for Crawford. I think the reason why, if Crawford was a mover like the rest of them, then he could have a good chance against Canelo. I think Crawford is a fighter and that’s going to be dangerous. That’s gonna be a problem, he is a fighter. He wants to move a little bit, but his heart is not in moving. He is going to want to sit there with Canelo and fight him.

Mosley added:

If you sit there and fight with Canelo and he’s that much bigger than you, I don’t know. Everybody thinks Crawford is a great boxer, he’s this and that, which he is, he is a great fighter. He’s a great fighter at 140, 147, he seemed to be just good at 154. Now we’re going to 168.

How Terence Crawford reacts to getting hit by Canelo Alvarez could be a massive decider in the fight. Canelo is known for the thudding impact of his shots and at a higher weight class, that could be a challenge for ‘Bud’ to handle.