Saul "Canelo" Alvarez won't be fighting again anytime soon.
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will forego his annual Cinco de Mayo weekend fight in 2026.
The former undisputed super middleweight champion is the biggest star in Mexican boxing and has thus occupied the Cinco de Mayo weekend date for the past decade — except for 2018, when a failed drug test forced him out of a rematch with Gennadiy Golovkin, and 2020, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
However, in 2026, Alvarez will not fight in the first week of May, and his next bout will instead be delayed to September, according to his trainer and manager Eddy Reynoso. Alvarez's decision to skip his May outing clears the path for the May 2 fight between WBC light heavyweight champion David Benavidez and unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto "Zurdo" Ramirez — two boxers of Mexican heritage — to dominate the marquee that weekend in the boxing world.
Alvarez underwent arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow in October, which required 12-15 weeks of rest before a full return to training. "Canelo" was scheduled to fight in February as part of his four-fight deal with Riyadh Season — which has two fights remaining — but the surgery was expected to delay his return until May. Alvarez, however, has chosen to extend his rest period and simultaneously give himself more time to negotiate the fight he really wants in 2026 — a rematch with Terence Crawford.
Crawford defeated Alvarez by unanimous decision this past September at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas to become the first three-weight undisputed champion of the four-belt era. The historic fight generated a gate of $47 million, the third-highest in boxing history, and drew more than 41 million viewers on Netflix.
Although the first fight was a commercial success, there isn't much momentum for a rematch due to the conclusive nature of Crawford's victory. The second meeting — if finalized — would also not be for the undisputed title. Crawford was stripped of his WBC belt earlier this month for refusing to pay the sanctioning fees.
Category: General Sports
