It’s been over two weeks since Terence Crawford made history.

So much happened during that time period. To honor his epic victory over Canelo Alvarez, a parade was organized in his hometown of Omaha. Controversy erupted when police stopped him, alleging reckless driving. Still, the overall mood is that of celebration. Crawford is now rightfully hailed as an all-time great.

But his biggest career victory continues to face scrutiny. Reports have emerged that Canelo Alvarez will undergo surgery to treat his elbow injury. The procedure will likely put him out of the ring for the next 5-6 months. However, as the news circulated, many fans couldn’t restrain their emotions. A few promptly connected it to his recent loss.

READ: Canelo Alvarez set for surgery after Terence Crawford loss as return date is revealed

Canelo set for elbow surgery; comeback timeline unclear

“Canelo Alvarez is undergoing elbow surgery and will not return to the ring until mid-to-late 2026,” a post from Happy Punch read. He still has two more fights to fulfill under the Riyadh Season contract. So per the earlier schedule, the Mexican superstar was supposed to fight in February.

To set the record straight, hand injuries had been troubling Canelo for some time. They emerged after the Caleb Plant fight of 2021. Finally, a year later, following the trilogy bout against Gennady Golovkin, he underwent surgery to treat his wrist. Still, he returned for his regular Cinco de Mayo fixture opposite John Ryder.

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Let’s check what some of the users had to say.

All eyes on Stoic Canelo

To this fan, Canelo’s conduct deserved full respect. “Buddy fought Bivol and the 3rd fight with GGG with a bad wrist, got surgery after then fought Crawford with a bad elbow and didn’t complain. “Respect,” they said. While one may consider a fighter’s injury, timing it with a fight demands a hard look.

The next, however, brought home an emerging narrative: “Dude is a legend of this sport. People disregarding his entire career cause he lost to Crawford. Crazy…” Few would dispute that Terence Crawford stands at the center of boxing today. But to downplay Canelo’s contributions on the basis of a loss?

Another user connected the dots. “Well, that explains a lot as to why he wasn’t throwing any punches,” they said. To many fans, it may appear like hiding behind a bitter truth. Terence Crawford won the fight fair and square. Canelo Alvarez simply failed to reply when the Nebraskan raised some tough questions.

This fan echoed a sentiment that has been gaining traction. “Time to retire, my boi, and everyone knows Prime Canelo KOs Bud 🔥. “Easy work,” they said. Many have now started saying it openly. Considering the years he’s spent in boxing — the big fights and his achievements — there’s nothing much left for Canelo to prove.

Still, admiration for Canelo continued. This user said, “The fact that Canelo didn’t even bring this up and gave Crawford all the credit after the loss shows why he’s a legend. Most other guys would’ve instantly brought up an injury in the post-fight interviews. Canelo didn’t even mention or hint at it.”

But is it justified?

Barring a few rounds, Terence Crawford dominated the headliner at Allegiant Stadium. Canelo was the younger fighter facing a 38-year-old veteran who climbed up two weight classes. There’s no denying what Canelo has achieved and what he did for boxing over the years. But to associate his injury with his loss remains uncalled-for.

On September 29, news broke that Canelo Alvarez will need elbow surgery.

This news arrived a bit over two weeks after his iconic fight against Terence Crawford, in which Canelo lost his undisputed super middleweight belts to Crawford due to a unanimous decision defeat.

It’s currently unclear whether Canelo was dealing with this elbow injury heading into the fight or whether it was the result of something that happened during the 12 rounds. But typically, injuries occur during training camp leading up to the fight, so one would probably assume this elbow issue was something Canelo had been dealing with before he stepped into the ring.

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Mike Coppinger of The Ring provided an update on how this injury impacts Canelo’s future on September 29, saying, “Canelo was set to return in February, in Riyadh, for the third fight of [his four-fight deal with Turki Alalshikh]. That fight is not going to be delayed until Q2 or Q3 of 2026, so Canelo is going to have the surgery, and then he’ll come back.”

Does Canelo’s Injury Impact Potential Terence Crawford Rematch?

There was no indication about who Canelo was supposed to be fighting in February, as this apparently hasn’t been figured out yet (or at least not publicly disclosed). However, most believe that the most likely fight for him right now is to rematch Crawford, if only because of how successful and lucrative their first bout was.

The good news is that Crawford is probably in no rush to return to the ring. His trainer, Brian “BoMac” McIntyre, said that Crawford is going to take the rest of the year off to recover and spend time with his family when speaking with Fight Hub TV during Crawford’s victory parade in Omaha, Nebraska, on September 27.

What’s more, Crawford has only fought once in a calendar year for every year since 2019. And every single one of those fights each year has taken place in August or later, with the majority being in November or December.

All of this is to say that Canelo’s injury and ensuing surgery will have no impact on him rematching Crawford. If anything, it’s going to make it so their timelines are more in sync with each other if they decide to run it back.

While no fighter ever enters a bout fully healthy, perhaps this elbow injury suggests Canelo wasn’t at full strength against Crawford. Regardless, the time off to rest and recover would do both guys well if they were to rematch in 2026.