“He’s scared”: Canelo called out to ‘give the fans the fight they deserve’ before retirement

Despite all of his accolades, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez has been accused of running “scared” and denying boxing fans the fight they “deserve”.

Having become a four-weight world champion, the 35-year-old has already cemented his legacy as a future Hall of Famer and one of the greatest Mexican fighters in history.

Even at this late stage in his career, though, there remains a desire to compete at the highest level and seek further challenges.

This much was evident during his showdown with Terence Crawford last September, when Canelo lost a unanimous decision but nonetheless showed glimpses of world-class flair.

He now appears determined to reclaim a portion of his undisputed super-middleweight crown on September 12, when he is set to enter a world title fight in Saudi Arabia.

Among the names being mentioned for such an occasion is Christian Mbilli, who was elevated from ‘interim’ to full WBC super-middleweight champion following Crawford’s retirement.

But while Mbilli represents a solid opponent, many will find it difficult to forget Canelo’s lack of enthusiasm for a clash with David Benavidez.

While the current WBC light-heavyweight champion was still campaigning at 168lbs, he repeatedly called for a shot at the Mexican but was never presented with such an opportunity.

For that reason, Benavidez struggles to see their fight ever materialising, telling Come And Talk 2 Me that he believes Canelo has actively avoided him.

“He’s scared – he has no balls. That’s what it is. I give Canelo all the respect – he’s done everything he’s done – but, at the end of the day, I was the No.1 contender in two weight classes for a long, long time.

“He has shown that he doesn’t want to fight me. It’s really a shame because this is a fight everybody wants to see. This is a fight that the fans deserve.

“I believe in myself and my skills 100%, so I feel like, if he says he’s the baddest man on the planet… why not give the fans what they want to see?”

Given that Benavidez’s next outing will see him challenge unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto Ramirez on May 2, it is becoming increasingly less likely that he will ever collide with Canelo, though a promise to return to light-heavyweight, given Canelo has competed in that division twice before, leaves fans some hope.

Canelo Alvarez’s surprise move: He becomes a student at a US university

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez surprised his millions of followers by announcing that he has begun a new stage in his life: studying for a university degree.

The multi-world boxing champion shared on his social networks that he entered the University of San Diego, making it clear with a motivational message that “it’s never too late to start”.

At 35 years of age, Canelo already has a career that few can match. He has been a world champion in four different divisions, has faced the best fighters of his generation and has built an important fortune thanks to boxing and his investments in different businesses. However, the Mexican never forgot that he had to leave school at a very young age to dedicate himself fully to the sport.

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Canelo Alvarez goes back to school: “It’s never too late to start”

Canelo comes from a large family in Guadalajara, Jalisco, where several of his brothers were also boxers. From a young age, sport became his priority. The need to help his family financially and the dream of reaching the top forced him to leave school early. Now, with the maturity that experience gives and with his financial future assured, he decided to return to school.

In his post, Canelo showed his first day of university with a smiling photo and a positive message. For many fans, this decision represents a life lesson: no matter your age or achievements, there is always room to keep learning and growing as a person.

What does this step mean for Canelo?

Beyond boxing, Canelo Alvarez has proven to be a man of ambition. He has invested in different businesses and built a solid image outside the ring. Returning to college is a sign that he is seeking to continue his education, expand his knowledge and perhaps prepare for the stage that will come after he hangs up his gloves.

The news has been well received by Mexican fans, who see Canelo not only as a great champion, but also as a person who continues to evolve. In a world where many sportsmen and women retire without having finished their studies, Canelo’s decision inspires thousands of young people who dream of combining sport and education.

For now, Canelo will continue to combine his training with university classes. His boxing career continues, but he is also opening a new academic chapter that shows that it is never too late to fulfill pending goals.

Canelo has not fought since last September, when he lost to Terence Crawford

On September 13, 2025, it was one of the most difficult days for Mexican sport, after in Las Vegas, Nevada, Saul Canelo Alvarez was defeated by American Terence Crawford in a fight eagerly awaited by boxing fans around the world. However, it ended up being a painful moment for Mexicans.

Crawford, at that time, moved up two divisions and achieved the feat by easily defeating Canelo, even though the judges considered the fight to be close. In the end, the decision was unanimous (scores: 116-112, 115-113, 115-113), and with this Crawford took all of the Mexican’s super middleweight titles in a fight considered one of the most important of the decade.

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Canelo could return in September, but nothing is certain.

Many have wanted to challenge Canelo Alvarez; however, the native of Guadalajara, Jalisco, could be facing Christian Mbilli on September 12 in Saudi Arabia. However, there is one obstacle to this fight taking place: the war in the Middle East.

“We are considering September, but nothing is confirmed,” Ngannou’s manager, Camille Estephan, told FightsATW. “Not even having it in writing is enough. You have to go through the weigh-in and we’ll see what happens.”

It is important to note that Mbilli is the WBC world champion in the super middleweight division (168 lb), and it is the division in which Canelo has looked best, so this fight is likely to happen.

Why hasn’t Canelo fought since the defeat to Terence Crawford?

The pressure to see Canelo again is strong, especially after the painful defeat against Crawford. However, the Mexican has not been able to return, and after the fight in September 2025 he underwent elbow surgery and is currently in the process of recovery, with a view to returning in September this year.

Is it enough for Canelo to face Christian Mbilli?

It is understandable that Christian Mbilli is the world champion in the super middleweight division (168 lb) of the WBC, but the Mexican fan is demanding, and many want to see Canelo again against Dmitry Bivol or David Benavidez. However, due to Canelo’s veteran status, accepting one of these battles would be very risky for the Mexican pugilist.

“He wants his belt back”: Canelo ‘as close as ever’ to world title comeback fight

A big update has been provided ahead of Canelo Alvarez‘s planned return to the ring.

His last fight took place in September when he defended his undisputed super-middleweight crown against Terence Crawford, but the Mexican superstar suffered an upset unanimous decision loss.

His hopes of securing a rematch with Crawford were ended when ‘Bud’ announced his retirement in December, with Canelo instead recovering from elbow surgery and targeting a return to action later this year, which is set to take place in Saudi Arabia in September.

A number of opponents have been linked to a clash against Alvarez, but it seems that one world champion is the current frontrunner to secure the bout.

Speaking to FightsATW, promoter Camille Estephan claimed a clash between Canelo and his fighter Christian Mbilli is ‘as close as ever’ to happening.

“I think Canelo wants to fight Mbilli and Mbilli wants to fight Canelo. We have spoken many times, and the will is there to make it happen.

It’s as close as ever. Christian has the WBC title, and Canelo wants it back, but we don’t want to give it back.”

Mbilli has an unbeaten record of 29-0-1, with 24 of those wins coming by knockout. He became interim WBC super-middleweight champion last year, stopping Maciej Sulecki inside one round in June before a draw against Lester Martinez three months later.

He has since been elevated to full WBC champion following Crawford’s retirement, and after spending several years stating his desire to secure a clash against Alvarez, it appears he could be on the brink of his wish becoming a reality.

Canelo says there is no debate who the greatest boxer of all time is

Canelo Alvarez has revealed who he believes to be the greatest boxer of all time.

The Mexican superstar has had an iconic career in his own right, winning world titles in four divisions from super-welterweight to light heavyweight after victories over fighters such as Gennady Golovkin, Sergey Kovalev, Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley.

Despite a loss to Terence Crawford in his last outing, Canelo remains one of the key players in the 168lb division, and is set to return to action in September as he bids to claim world honours once more.

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His success over the years has seen him often named in conversations when fans compile their lists for the greatest boxers of recent memory, but when it comes to the best ever, there was only one name that came to mind for Canelo.

Speaking to GQ, Canelo gave that honour to the legendary Muhammad Ali.

“The best in the world, of all time.”

Ali’s greatness was clear for everyone to see, beginning when he claimed a gold medal at the 1960 Olympics in Rome.

After turning professional, he became world heavyweight champion in his 20th bout with a win over Sonny Liston, and went on to take part in historic fights such as ‘The Rumble In The Jungle’ against George Foreman and ‘The Thrilla In Manila’ against Joe Frazier.

After becoming a three-time world champion, Ali competed for the final time in December 1981, with his final record reading 56 wins from 61 fights, and it is no surprise to see Canelo join many others in seeing the heavyweight icon as ‘The Greatest.’

Canelo Alvarez has outlined how much longer he could remain in the sport, before hanging up his gloves and calling time on a decorated career.

The 35-year-old is already destined for a place in the Hall of Fame, having become a four-division world champion, but remains eager to compete at the highest level.

Since making his professional debut in 2005, the Mexican has amassed 68 outings and become a two-time undisputed king at 168lbs, claiming notable victories over the likes of Callum Smith and Caleb Plant.

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His most significant win, however, arrived at middleweight, where Alvarez edged a highly-contentious majority decision in his 2018 rematch with Gennady Golovkin.

More controversial was their first encounter, the previous year, when many believed that Golovkin had done enough to claim a convincing victory, only for the Kazakh to instead come away with a draw.

But still, Canelo received ample credit for emerging triumphant in their sequel, before dethroning Sergey Kovalev for the WBO light-heavyweight title over a year later.

Alvarez’s second undisputed title reign at super-middleweight then came to an end last September, with Terence Crawford moving up two weight divisions to claim a unanimous decision victory.

But despite this, Canelo has explained to Froch On Fighting that he could still compete for another two years, or perhaps even longer, depending on how frequently his opportunities materialise.

“I don’t know. I’m thinking maybe two years. I don’t need it, [but] I still enjoy it. If I [fight] once a year, maybe [I can go on] a little bit [longer].

“Once a year, for me to rest my body, I think I can fight more [than two years].”

While an official announcement is yet to emerge, Canelo is set to fight in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, this September, with Turki Alalshikh having promised a world title shot.