Saul “Canelo” Alvarez arrived at the Ring magazine awards ceremony Friday night with a clear message about his future. May is no longer in his plans. September is.
The Mexican superstar spoke openly about his recovery from elbow surgery during his appearance at Cipriani, a night that carried weight beyond the expected congratulations and handshakes. Terence Crawford, the man who handed Alvarez perhaps the most defining loss of his career last September, received the Fighter of the Year award. For Alvarez, it was a reminder of how much has shifted since that night at Allegiant Stadium.
“May no,” Alvarez said when asked directly if a spring return was possible. His answer was brief but definitive. “I’m going to be fighting in September.”
The elbow surgery Alvarez underwent in October has forced a reality the boxing world rarely sees from him. For the first time in years, Cinco de Mayo weekend will proceed without the sport’s biggest draw in the main event. Instead, David Benavidez will headline May 2 against unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, a fight that intensifies ongoing questions about Alvarez’s place in the division he once controlled.
Alvarez has made Cinco de Mayo weekend his own stage for more than a decade, with only a 2018 drug test failure and the 2020 pandemic interrupting that tradition. The rhythm felt inevitable. The calendar belonged to him. That pattern has been broken, and the pause has created space for younger fighters to step forward and stake their own claims.
A Necessary Step Back
The surgery addressed loose bodies in Alvarez’s left elbow, wear accumulated over a career that has spanned 17 years and 68 professional fights. His orthopedic surgeon recommended a sling for a short period following the arthroscopic procedure. Light training was expected to resume within four to six weeks. A full return to championship-level preparation required more time.
Alvarez dealt with elbow pain for several weeks leading into the Crawford fight, sources confirmed to ESPN. He fought through it that night in Las Vegas, absorbing a unanimous decision loss that cost him his undisputed super middleweight championship. Crawford won on all three scorecards: 116-112, 115-113, 115-113.
The loss marked Alvarez’s third professional defeat, joining setbacks to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013 and Dmitry Bivol in 2022. But the manner in which Crawford controlled the fight, moving up two weight classes to claim the title, carried different implications. It raised questions about Alvarez’s ability to dominate at 168 pounds the way he once did.
At 35, Alvarez is no longer boxing’s singular force. His record stands at 63-3-2 with 39 knockouts. He has won world titles in four weight classes and became the first undisputed super middleweight champion in the four-belt era. But the landscape has changed around him. Crawford retired in December after cementing his legacy. Benavidez continues to build his case as a force at light heavyweight and now cruiserweight. And Alvarez is recovering, preparing for a return that will determine how the remainder of his career unfolds.
The Weight of What Comes Next
Despite arriving late to Friday’s ceremony, Alvarez moved through the room with ease, greeting Turki Alalshikh, the Saudi sports promoter who has financed much of his recent work, and Oleksandr Usyk, the unified heavyweight champion. The conversations were cordial, the atmosphere familiar. But the questions waiting for him outside the event were pointed.
One reporter asked about Benavidez taking over the May 2 date. Benavidez has spent years accusing Alvarez of avoiding him, and his elevation to the Cinco de Mayo weekend carries symbolic weight. For some, it represents the passing of a torch. For others, it is simply an opportunity filled in Alvarez’s absence.
Alvarez’s response was measured. “No, I don’t really care who takes the date,” he said. His tone suggested the weekend itself no longer holds the significance it once did for him.
The statement reflected a fighter focused on his own timeline rather than the narratives building around him. Alvarez has two fights remaining on his four-fight deal with Alalshikh’s Riyadh Season. The first was a unanimous decision victory over William Scull in May. The second was the loss to Crawford. Two more opportunities remain to reshape how this chapter of his career is remembered.
Alvarez reportedly declined to face IBF number-one ranked contender Osleys Iglesias for the vacant title, citing his recovery. The decision left the belt open for others to pursue. Christian Mbilli, elevated to full WBC champion in recent weeks, represents another potential opponent. A rematch with Crawford remains possible, though Crawford’s December retirement announcement complicates that path.
Recovery and What It Represents
At the Ring awards, Alvarez stood near the center of the boxing world even as the spotlight shone elsewhere. Crawford’s recognition as Fighter of the Year underscored the reality Alvarez now faces. He lost to the best fighter of 2025. The defeat does not erase his accomplishments, but it does force recalibration.
Alvarez shared a video on social media in recent weeks showing him shadowboxing, demonstrating progress in his recovery. The posts carried a message: he is working, he is healing, he is preparing. September feels far away, but for Alvarez, it represents a necessary timeline.
“I’m going to be fighting in September,” he repeated when pressed. There was no elaborate explanation, no defiant proclamation. Just clarity.
Alalshikh, accepting a gift from Alvarez during the ceremony, offered his own vision for the fighter’s future. “Now what we’re talking about, what we’re thinking, Canelo, we want you to stay with us five to seven years, not one or two years,” Alalshikh said, according to EssentiallySports. “Now we’re talking — we have a big fight in September — we will announce the world title. We have on 22nd one big fight. And we will continue. And we hope one day the final fights we will do together in Mexico — around half a million people or something like that.”
The statement suggested confidence in Alvarez’s ability to return and continue competing at the highest level. It also hinted at plans beyond September, at a career that may extend longer than some expect.
The Division Moves Forward
While Alvarez recovers, the super middleweight and light heavyweight divisions continue without him. Benavidez moves up to cruiserweight seeking a third divisional title. Bivol remains unified and lineal light heavyweight champion. The landscape shifts.
For Alvarez, the May absence is not just about healing. It is about positioning. A September return allows him to enter negotiations with leverage, to select an opponent who makes sense for his legacy and his earning potential. It gives him time to train properly, to ensure the elbow is fully healed, to avoid rushing back into a situation that could compound the questions already surrounding him.
The sport will continue without him for a few more months. Cinco de Mayo weekend will belong to Benavidez and Ramirez. The headlines will shift to others. And when September arrives, Alvarez will have an opportunity to remind the boxing world what he remains capable of.
Or he will face another moment of reckoning.
At 35, with 17 years of professional fighting behind him, Alvarez has earned the right to recover on his own timeline. The surgery was necessary. The rehab is ongoing. The return will come when he is ready.
“I’m going to be fighting in September,” he said.
For now, that is enough.
