Saul “Canelo” Alvarez knows exactly what went wrong in his loss to Terence Crawford last September: his mind wasn’t there. Speaking on Uncrowned’s “The Ariel Helwani Show” this week, Alvarez reflected on the shocking defeat, stating he felt “great” looking back because it’s “already happened , I cannot control [it].” But make no mistake, he’s crystal clear on the true reason he took the L, and it has nothing to do with Crawford’s skill in the ring.
More Than Just a Fight Week
Canelo explained that his defeat had little to do with his physical ability and everything to do with his mental state during the week of the fight. “I know what I did bad , not bad [but] wrong. I think we sometimes go out of bases,” he admitted. He trained hard, did “everything good in the training camp,” but the mental game was totally off. “I feel like I wasn’t there, [I was] thinking about other things,” Alvarez said. There were “a lot of things happened in the fight week,” he added, pulling his focus away from the task at hand. That mental lapse messed with his preparation, even affecting his weight cut and rehydration, ultimately contributing to the loss. This isn’t just about throwing punches, it’s about being fully locked in, something Canelo believes he wasn’t. As he put it, “you can be physically ready, but if your mind is not there, it’s not the same.”
Crawford’s Shock Exit Leaves Canelo Hanging
Terence Crawford impressed pretty much the entire boxing world last September in Las Vegas, especially since he’s the naturally smaller man who went up multiple weight classes and still performed at an elite level. But guess who *wasn’t* surprised? Canelo himself. Alvarez was blunt, saying Crawford “wasn’t better than I thought he’d be.” He never doubted Crawford’s talent, adding, “[I knew] he’s a good fighter. I never doubted how good he is. He is a very good fighter, he’s very intelligent , he has everything. Nothing [impressed me about him] because I knew [how talented he was].” The boxing world then buzzed for a potential rematch, but Crawford threw a massive curveball with his shocking retirement announcement last December. Canelo, who didn’t even have an industry-standard rematch clause despite being the bigger star in a voluntary defense, was left hanging, arguably the “real loser” of Crawford’s decision.
“Yeah, I’m surprised [he announced his retirement] because as a fighter, we want a rematch, right? We want to show again,” Canelo lamented. He’s always done well in rematches, so Crawford walking away was a big blow. “It surprised me a lot, but it is what it is. It’s his life, it’s his career, and I can do nothing with that.” Alvarez still holds out hope that Crawford will follow the trend of many boxers and come out of retirement for one more dance. For now, though, Canelo has to move forward. His next challenge is already set for October 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, against WBC super middleweight champion Christian Mbilli. Let’s see if he brings that mental focus this time.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Yahoo Sports.
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