Months removed from that epic night in Las Vegas, Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez are still at the center of the conversation.
I was there live at Allegiant Stadium when Crawford delivered a performance that stunned the building, defeating Canelo to become a three-time undisputed champion. It was the kind of night that leaves a crowd frozen—part disbelief, part appreciation—as Crawford controlled every phase of the fight and put on a masterclass that had everyone in awe.
Now, with the dust settled and Crawford officially retired, Canelo is opening up about the fight that never happened next. Sitting down with Rick ‘Versace’ Reeno on the Mr. Versace Podcast via the Ring Magazine YouTube channel, Canelo spoke candidly about his frustration over the rematch falling through.
“I always give him credit, but we needed to run it back,” Canelo said. “That’s why it was tough. After the fight, I said we needed a rematch because I didn’t feel the way I wanted to feel. I needed to make that fight happen again, and I know it would have been different. I think for him to truly deserve all the credit, he needed to give me the rematch—obviously.”
At the same time, Canelo acknowledged the reality of the situation. Crawford’s decision to retire ultimately closed the door on any second meeting. ‘But I will. He decide to retire, and we need to accept that and move forward,’ he said. “But it was his decision. He decided to retire, and we have to accept that and move forward.”
The performance still stands as one of the most memorable nights in recent boxing history. And while Canelo clearly wanted another chance to run it back, this rivalry ends not with a sequel—but with acceptance, even if the frustration hasn’t fully faded.
