Canelo Alvarez is rumored to next fight junior middleweight Terence Crawford in May 2025.
This fight has not been confirmed, and Canelo will be criticized for taking it. Crawford, down two divisions at 154, has no experience at 168 and is coming off a decision win in his debut at junior middleweight.
PPV potential
Superstar Canelo (62-2-2, 39 KOs) will return to the ring in May to defend his three 168-lb titles, and he needs a notable fighter fans are interested in watching for him to continue to bring in the PPV buys he did in the past during his best years.
Turki Al-Shiekh is reportedly interested in a fight between Canelo and WBA 154-lb champion Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs). Canelo reportedly asked $150 million for Crawford, which may be more than Turki would be willing to pay, as Terence has never proven to be a PPV draw.
It’s a matchup that will catch fire with die-hard boxing fans, who have heard of the 37-year-old Crawford, but perhaps not the casuals, as he has only been involved in one high-profile fight in his 16-year professional career. against Errol Spence in 2023.
Crawford’s PPV History
- Errol Spence: 700,000 purchases
- Shawn Porter: 135,000
- Amir Khan: 150,000
- Viktor Postol: 50,000
The top 168-lb contenders are even less familiar to casual boxing fans than Crawford. Some of them will pose a risk to the 34-year-old Canelo because they have size, youth and power.
Canelo’s choice
The way Canelo struggled in his last fight on September 14th against a very limited and unqualified Edgar Berlanga suggests that he needs to be more selective in who he chooses choose for his matches.
Top 168-lb Contenders
Christian Mbilli
Osley Iglesias
Diego Pacheco
William Scull
Canelo didn’t want to fight David Benavidez or David Morrell when they were campaigning at 168. They would have preferred to use a small, old and unqualified Terence Crawford as an opponent. However, Canelo would be far more at risk fighting Benavidez or Morrell than Crawford.
“Back in the ring! Everything points to Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez’s first fight in May or June 2025. Although his opponent has not yet been confirmed, people expect him to face Terence Crawford,” reports Televisa Puebla on X.
