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 year after retiring following his victory over the Mexican star, the former undisputed champion said no rematch offer was ever made, a revelation that raises questions about why the matchup never resurfaced.
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The answer may come down to business. Canelo vs. Crawford produced excellent numbers for a championship boxing event on Netflix, but it never reached the crossover audience generated by Jake Paul vs. Mike Tyson. A second meeting also carried the risk of delivering another tactical contest after many fans criticized the pace of the first fight. With Canelo still positioned as one of boxing’s biggest attractions, there were stronger commercial alternatives than revisiting a bout Crawford had already won.
“The rumors about Turki offering Terence Crawford a huge bag for a rematch against Canelo are not 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? Nobody ever offered you a fight since the Canelo fight? Really?”
Crawford: “True.”
The hosts then asked whether Alalshikh had at least attempted to persuade 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 people who continue asking him to come 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 a point,’” said Crawford.
Crawford was not short of 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 problem was that none of those fights was likely to pay anything close to the Canelo purse, and several carried a serious risk of defeat.
Those opponents are younger, bigger, more athletic and less 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 far 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 understand. He had already secured the biggest payday of his career, beaten Canelo and left without giving younger contenders the chance to use his name as a launching point. From Crawford’s perspective, the financial upside was gone, while the risk to his standing remained substantial.
Beyond beating Errol Spence Jr. and Canelo Alvarez, critics point out 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 another massive purse on a rematch. Fresh opponents such as David Benavidez, Jaron Ennis or Hamzah Sheeraz offer new 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
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