Terence Crawford put an end to speculation that Turki Alalshikh tried to lure him back into the ring for a second fight with Canelo Alvarez. Nearly a yr after retiring following his victory over the Mexican star, the previous undisputed champion said no rematch offer was ever made, a revelation that raises questions on why the matchup never resurfaced.
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The reply may come all the way down to business. Canelo vs. Crawford produced excellent numbers for a championship boxing event on Netflix, nevertheless it never reached the crossover audience generated by Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. A second meeting also carried the chance of delivering one other tactical contest after many fans criticized the pace of the primary fight. With Canelo still positioned as one in all boxing’s biggest attractions, there have been stronger industrial alternatives than revisiting a bout Crawford had already won.
“The rumors about Turki offering Terence Crawford an enormous bag for a rematch against Canelo will not be true,” said Crawford to Ring Champs.
When asked if anyone had offered him a fight after beating Canelo, Crawford made it clear there had been no discussions.
Interviewer: “Not one? No one ever offered you a fight because the Canelo fight? Really?”
Crawford: “True.”
The hosts then asked whether Alalshikh had a minimum of attempted to steer him to return.
“We ain’t talked about no fights. No, nothing,” said Crawford about Turki.
Crawford laughed when describing the conversations he has with individuals who proceed asking him to come back back.
“Everybody say that. I get that from everybody. Everybody. Then I hit them with, ‘Who I’mma fight? What we fighting for? What we doing?’ Then they be like, ‘Ah, got some extent,’” said Crawford.
Crawford was not wanting opponents after beating Canelo. Jaron Ennis, Hamzah Sheeraz, Osleys Iglesias, David Benavidez, Sebastian Fundora and Vergil Ortiz Jr. all offered opportunities to strengthen his legacy. The issue was that none of those fights was more likely to pay anything near the Canelo purse, and several other carried a serious risk of defeat.
Those opponents are younger, greater, more athletic and fewer predictable than the version of Canelo Crawford defeated. Crawford had already endured a difficult fight with Israil Madrimov, which showed that moving up against naturally larger fighters was removed from routine. Repeated losses against Ennis, Benavidez, Fundora or Ortiz would damage the legacy Crawford protected by retiring on top.
That makes his decision easier to grasp. He had already secured the most important payday of his profession, beaten Canelo and left without giving younger contenders the possibility to make use of his name as a launching point. From Crawford’s perspective, the financial upside was gone, while the chance to his standing remained substantial.
Beyond beating Errol Spence Jr. and Canelo Alvarez, critics indicate that much of Crawford’s ledger consists of solid but non-superstar opposition (Postol, Gamboa, Porter, Brook). The Madrimov fight showed clear vulnerability against a disciplined, strong, modern junior middleweight.
From Alalshikh’s perspective, there was little reason to spend one other massive purse on a rematch. Fresh opponents reminiscent of David Benavidez, Jaron Ennis or Hamzah Sheeraz offer latest storylines for Canelo, whereas Crawford retired after accomplishing his goal of becoming a three-division undisputed champion.
Last Updated on 2026/07/23 at 5:08 PM