Alvarez. But Canelo has now made it clear: he is far from finished, he is far from done.
Taking to social media on the 20th anniversary of his pro debut, this a TKO win over a guy named Abraham Gonzalez, 35-year-old Canelo made it known he is as passionate about the sport of boxing as he ever was, if not more so.
Canelo Marks 20 Years in the Game
“Twenty years in, I still feel the same fire I had when I first stepped into the ring,” Canelo said. “Every victory and every challenge has made me who I am today. I’m deeply grateful to my family, fans in Mexico – you’ve been my inspiration and my strength since day one. Everything I’ve achieved, I carry with the pride of my people. The fight continues, and my passion is stronger than ever.”
So, Canelo, after having had well over 60 pro bouts, will carry on; he will not hang up the gloves just yet. Currently sidelined with an injury, Canelo is expecting to be able to go back to training in around six weeks, and he will fight again sometime next year. Still a huge star of course, there are some big fights out there for Canelo should he wish to add further to his legacy by taking them. And from what he has just said, it sure sounds as though Canelo wants to take the big fights.
Will there be a return with Crawford? Might Canelo have another go up at 175 pounds? Might Canelo even surprise us all by fighting for a major cruiserweight title? Canelo has spoken in the past of his plan to retire at the age of 37, so maybe we will have two more years or so of seeing Alvarez in action.
“The Fire Still Burns” — Alvarez Reflects
Crawford and his style were all wrong for Canelo, but don’t rule it out that Canelo becomes a world champion once again sometime in 2026. And for sure, we will all miss Canelo when he’s finally gone. Just where, amongst the greatest ever Mexican fighters, will Canelo be ranked when all is said and done? For now, the fire is still there, and this is a good thing – for Canelo, for the fans, and for the sport.