Canelo Alvarez is rumored to be fighting junior middleweight Terence Crawford next in May 2025.
This fight has not been confirmed, and Canelo would be criticized for taking it. Crawford, two divisions below at 154, has zero experience at 168 and is coming off a close decision win in his debut at junior middleweight.
PPV Potential
The superstar Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) will return to the ring in May to defend his three 168-lb titles, and he needs a notable fighter that fans are interested in watching for him to continue to bring in the PPV buys that he’d done in the past during his best years.
Turki Al-Shiekh is reportedly interested in a fight between Canelo and WBA 154-lb champion Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs). Canelo had reportedly asked for $150 million for Crawford, which might be more than Turki would be willing to pay, considering that Terence has never proven himself to be a PPV draw.
It’s a match-up that would catch fire with hardcore boxing fans, who have heard of the 37-year-old Crawford, but perhaps not to the casuals because he’s only been involved in one high-profile fight in his 16-year professional career against Errol Spence in 2023.
Crawford’s PPV History
- Errol Spence: 700,000 buys
- Shawn Porter: 135,000
- Amir Khan: 150,000
- Viktor Postol: 50,000
The top 168-lb contenders are even less known to casual boxing fans than Crawford. Some of them would present a risk to the 34-year-old Canelo because they have size, youth, and power.
Canelo’s Choice
The way that Canelo struggled against a very limited and unqualified Edgar Berlanga in his last fight on September 14th suggests that he needs to be more selective in who he picks for his matches.
Top 168-lb contenders
Christian Mbilli
Osleys Iglesias
Diego Pacheco
William Scull
Canelo didn’t want to fight David Benavidez or David Morrell when they campaigned at 168. They would have been preferable to using a small, old, and unqualified Terence Crawford as an opponent. However, Canelo would have far more risk in fighting Benavidez or Morrell than Crawford.
“Back in the ring! Everything points to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s first fight in May or June 2025. Although his opponent has not yet been confirmed, people expect him to face Terence Crawford,” reports Televisa Puebla on X.
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