Gabe Rosado has fought a who’s who of stars through his career, but there is one boxer he believes he missed out on facing.
Rosado boxed, among others, Gennadiy Golovkin, Peter “Kid Chocolate” Quillin, Martin Murray, Danny Jacobs, Jermell Charlo, David Lemieux and countless other leading names.
Terence Crawford is resolved in his decision to retire from boxing and there’s no chance for a comeback
Terence Crawford became a three-division undisputed champion when he put on a boxing masterclass against Canelo Alvarez but it turns out he had already made up his mind about the future before ever setting foot in the ring.
The undefeated veteran announced his retirement from the sport this past December but he actually had that planned before he faced Canelo in one of the biggest boxing matches in recent history.
While he waited three months to actually make the announcement, Crawford says that was always the plan because he viewed Canelo as the perfect final boss to face before ending his career.
“Won or lost, 1,000 percent [I was going to retire],” Crawford told The Pivot. “Just everything that I went through in camp. I wanted to retire after [Errol] Spence. I always told myself I wanted to retire from boxing, I don’t want boxing to retire me.
“So just going through all the aches and pains and the things that’s not talked about. It’s just like how many more of these do you want to go through?
Canelo is that last fighter at the end of the game. I reached [the heights], where is there to go after that?”
Of course, Crawford retiring on top is a rare feat for any combat sports athlete and that also played a part in his decision to walk away when he did.
Immediately after announcing his retirement, Crawford admitted that people bombarded with messages asking whether he was really done or why he was ending his career after such a monumental win.
“A lot of people ask me ‘oh you’re not retired’ or ‘why are you retiring? You’ve got a lot more fight in you!’” Crawford said. “Why would I give it all to you though?
Why not take some more with me and use it for something else. When I put all that energy into my kids or into something outside of boxing. I want to have a life outside of boxing.
“I don’t want to be like those fighters that stayed in too long. They can’t enjoy the fruits of their labor. They can’t enjoy playing with their family.
They can’t enjoy being able to have a decent conversation. That played a part, too.”
Crawford retired with a perfect 42-0 record and he’ll likely go down as one of the best boxers in recent history given his jaw-dropping list of accomplishments.
While promoters will always throw another payday his way to entice a comeback, Crawford promises that he is satisfied with his career and does not need to keep fighting now.
“I’m at peace,” Crawford said. “I did everything I set my sights out to do. I done it my way. I don’t got nothing left to prove. Of course, it’s a great feeling.
It’s a bittersweet feeling but at the same time, I accomplished that kind of feeling. I did that. So I’m cool with where I’m at.”
Despite Terence Crawford’s retirement, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is chasing a rematch of their September bout, which Crawford won by clear unanimous decision.
Crawford (42-0, 31 KO) spent the majority of his career at welterweight and lighter before taking just one fight at junior middleweight and then jumping all the way to super middleweight to face Alvarez. While many felt the move was too big for Crawford, he dominated much of the action, thoroughly outboxing Alvarez to become undisputed super middleweight champion.
Crawford was previously undisputed at welterweight and junior welterweight and also held the WBO lightweight championship.
Despite the way the fight with Crawford played out, Alvarez saying the fight would have been different if he could have followed his corner’s advice during the bout, claiming leg cramps were the deciding factor.
“I tried but my body didn’t respond,” Alvarez told Rick Reeno on the Mr. Verzace Podcast. “I had cramps in my legs, so it didn’t respond the way I wanted. It is what it is, so we learn from that and move forward, but I know what mistakes I made in the fight and in the camp, too. But that’s what boxing is about. I think a winner doesn’t mean you need to win every time. You need to learn from everything, from the losses, you take the losses and learn from that and still do the things you love.”
Crawford decided to retire after the win over Alvarez, claiming that he had nothing left to prove. Crawford also said that 38 is old in the boxing game and that it was time to walk away.
During Alvarez’s podcast appearance, he claimed that Crawford owes him a rematch or he should not get credit for his victory.
“I always give him all his credit, but we need to run it back,” Alvarez said. “After the fight, I said we need to run this fight back because I didn’t really feel the way I want. I need to make this fight happen again, and it’s going to be different. I think for him to deserve all the credit, he needs to give me the rematch.”
The boxing spotlight is once again on Canelo Álvarez, not because of a new belt, but because a long-awaited rematch will not happen. The Mexican champion openly showed his displeasure after Terence Crawford stepped away without agreeing to a second bout, shutting the door on what Canelo Álvarez viewed as a crucial chance at redemption in the ring. More than a failed negotiation, his camp sees it as a missed competitive opportunity.
After weeks of speculation, Canelo Álvarez addressed the situation directly and admitted the outcome bothers him on a professional level. His position is clear: he wanted the rematch to prove he could make the right adjustments and deliver a different result. People close to his team argue that, given the financial and global impact of their first fight, the rivalry deserved a sequel.
In the career of Canelo Álvarez, losses against Floyd Mayweather and Dmitry Bivol came with context, including youth and division changes. The bout with Terence Crawford, however, left a different kind of mark. Despite moving up in weight and entering with limited recent activity, Crawford managed to dictate the tempo and neutralize several of the Mexican star’s usual strengths.
That contrast is what continues to weigh heavily behind the scenes. For Canelo Álvarez, a rematch represented the perfect stage to show tactical corrections and a stronger version of himself. Without that option, the result stands as final on his record — something that rarely sits well with elite fighters.
The Mexican has also stressed that a second fight would have been a major win for the sport itself, given the worldwide attention generated by their first clash.
With Terence Crawford no longer active, the team around Canelo Álvarez is mapping out the next phase of his career. The objective is to compete again for world championships and face reigning titleholders to rebuild momentum and authority in his division.
One of the leading candidates mentioned is Christian Mbilli, who is emerging as a strong option for Canelo Álvarez’s next high-profile return bout. The strategy is straightforward: stack meaningful wins and capture belts to keep his name at the top of the boxing conversation.
Even as he moves forward, the feeling remains. For Canelo Álvarez, not getting a rematch with Terence Crawford leaves an unfinished chapter that, for now, cannot be rewritten inside the ring.
Since stepping away from fighting in 2015, the former UFC heavyweight has built a new career as a comedian and podcaster.
He is well-known for sharing his opinions on MMA and boxing through his hit YouTube channel.
This past weekend, Schaub took that act to the Ring Awards in New York, where he was tasked with roasting a room full of boxers and personalities from across the sport.
Turki Alalshikh, one of the most influential figures in boxing, invited Schaub to the annual awards show.
The 42-year-old former fighter was asked to offer his perspective on the sport and poke fun at some of the notable guests.
Schaub did not hold back, making a joke about Canelo Alvarez steering clear of a match-up with David Benavidez, known as ‘The Mexican Monster’.
“I said, I think you don’t get enough credit for defense,” Schaub recalled on The Fighter and The Kid podcast he co-hosts with Bryan Callen.
“The way you dodge punches, jabs, uppercuts, David Benavidez. And then I stared at him and was all (sheepish).”
Schaub later shared how Canelo responded to his remark.
He said: “He was like this (folds arms).
“And then he goes (nods head). Usyk was laughing though. Oh yeah, Usyk was laughing.”
Since losing a decision to Terence Crawford back in September, Alvarez has not been back in the ring.
But that is about to change. He is expected to step back into the ring on September 12th, with the fight set to take place in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
While his opponent has not been named yet, Alalshikh has assured fans that it will be another big match-up for the Mexican star.
He explained: “It will be named ‘Mexico against the World’. All the fighters from the team of Canelo against the world and the champion in the main event, in a world title [fight].
“It will be a surprise in Saudi Arabia. Inshallah.”
Canelo Alvarez has revealed his initial feelings on Terence Crawford retiring from the sport.
Crawford cemented his status as one of the greatest boxers in modern history when he defeated Canelo at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas back in September.
The victory came after ‘Bud’ stepped up two weight divisions to 168lbs for the clash, and despite being the underdog, he put in a stellar performance to win by unanimous decision and become undisputed super-middleweight champion.
Canelo had hoped to reclaim his belts, stating his intention after the fight to seek an immediate rematch with his rival, but those plans went up in smoke when Crawford announced his retirement in December, resulting in the super-middleweight titles fragmenting and ending up in the possession of several different fighters.
Canelo is set to return to action in September, with some believing he may have targeted those new champions and look to once again hold world honours at 168lbs.
It seems the Mexican superstar hasn’t given up hope of a rematch with ‘Bud’ though, as during a preview for an upcoming appearance on the Mr Verzace Podcast, Canelo was asked if he was upset when Crawford announced his retirement, and he made his view perfectly clear.
“We need to run it back.”
Boxing fans are still clamouring to see Crawford back in action, but everything from the man himself strongly points to his decision being final.
Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez is edging closer to finalising his highly-anticipated return to the ring.
The 35-year-old from Guadalajara has been out of action since he was defeated by the recently retired Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas back in September. Whilst it had been suggested that Canelo was on the verge of announcing his own retirement, the four-weight world champion has now confirmed that he will be making a return to the sport this year.
Canelo is currently recovering from elbow surgery for an injury that he sustained during his monumental clash with Crawford, although he is expected to be ready to return to action by this September. One man that appears to be on Canelo’s radar is Britain’s Chris Eubank Jr, who recently suffered the fourth defeat of his career to fierce rival Conor Benn.
Speaking to Boxing Scene, Eubank’s promoter Ben Shalom revealed that he expects a showdown between Canelo and Eubank to happen, despite the Brit suffering that loss to Benn back in November.
“He would have. Listen, it’s funny how boxing works, but had he beaten Conor Benn that fight was nailed on. So it’s a big thing to have lost, but I still believe that fight will happen. I really do. I think it’s a [good fight].”
Shalom was then asked if he believes Eubank could face Canelo next.
“You never know, you never know. It might work. We’re focused on the next fight. It might work out but yeah we’ll see, we’ll see.”
Eubank was comprehensively beaten by Benn in their much-anticipated rematch at the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on November 15, seven months on from their first encounter which saw Eubank defeat Benn in what has been regarded as one of the best fights of 2025.
The Mexican left the gym behind briefly around four weeks ago to welcome his third daughter, Eva Victoria, with his wife Fernanda Gomez. Canelo admitted that attending the birth reminded him of why he fights and gave him extra motivation for Saturday’s fight.
Alvarez told the Daily Mail: “I left training to be at the birth of my daughter. I received my daughter, and everything was amazing.
“It was so beautiful. But then I had to go back to my training camp. It was incredibly hard to be away from them.
“Especially when she had just arrived, but it made me feel motivated. I do everything for them. I will win this fight for them.”
This is Canelo’s fifth child – and his second with his wife of four years, Gomez.
His three other children – Emily Cinnamon, who arrived when the Mexican was just 17, Mia Ener, and Saul Adiel were all born to different mothers.
He will be hoping this added motivation will help him get over the line and beat the hungry challenger Crawford, who is vying to become a three-time undisputed champion and five-weight champion.
After being forced to vacate the IBF title, he reclaimed his undisputed super-middleweight championships in his last fight against William Scull, who had held the belt, before being comfortably outpointed by Canelo, who looked frustrated by Scull’s cat-and-mouse antics.
Crawford will be a different proposition; he is a fighter who does not fear exchanging and holds power in his hands with 31 knockouts in 41 wins, as well as an acute boxing intelligence, the likes of which is rarely seen.
If Canelo can defeat Crawford, his name will rise further through the ranks of the greatest fighters of all time.
Terence Crawford has had his resume dissected by a retired boxer.
On Saturday night, the American will go head-to-head with Canelo Alvarez at the Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, Nevada, USA.
While ‘Bud’ is smaller, many believe the underdog has a chance of defeating the Mexican. Even Canelo admits there is something about Crawford that worries him.
However, one former world champion believes the undefeated fighter is going into the contest with a relatively thin record.
Paulie Malignaggi has criticized Terence Crawford’s level of opposition.
‘The Magic Man’ believes two of his countryman’s best opponents were far past their best when the fights took place.
In an episode of Boxing Scene Today, Malignaggi said: “When Crawford got Amir Khan and Kell Brook, they were a shell of what they were before.
“It looked good on the resume, but they weren’t those guys.”
Canelo is undeniably the favorite going into the fight this weekend.
However, with such a tremendous skill set, a four-weight world champion won’t write Crawford off.
He had a very interesting take on the bout.
Doubts have already been raised over Crawford’s chances as he prepares to jump up two weight classes after just one fight at super welterweight, but inactivity is another factor that may work against ‘Bud’.
Since 2019 Crawford has fought just once a year, and his contest against Canelo will be the third consecutive fight to be staged at a different weight class.
Can Crawford shake off the ring rust to emerge victorious this Saturday?
Our most recent look at Crawford was his narrow unanimous decision win over Israil Madrimov, the previously undefeated Uzbekistani, last August. Only 11 fights into his professional career, but with over 300 fights as an amateur, Madrimov more than gave ‘Bud’ a fight.
In fact, he was the first man to take Crawford 12 rounds since 2016, with the American edging the score cards 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113.
Crawford’s performance against Madrimov also raised the question of how he coped with the additional weight, with some critics claiming he looked slower carrying another 7lbs.
His lack of activity, the additional weight, and the slowing down that age forces upon us all are road blocks to Crawford’s potential success against Canelo and he will have to perform better than he did against Madrimov to get his hand raised this weekend.
Known as ‘the face of boxing’, Canelo Alvarez has settled into the rhythm of fighting close to Cinco de Mayo in the spring, before returning to action in September, close to Mexican Independence Day.
Whilst boxing around those major public holidays certainly helps commercially, it may also give Canelo a boost when it comes to ring-readiness. Since 2021 Canelo has been fighting at least twice a year, an average that continues back to 2012.
Crawford’s own inactivity may not be costly on a personal level – he could find that he performs better with longer to rest and prepare between fights. However, the younger Canelo may find advantage by being in a better rhythm.
Much of the discussion around Crawford’s chances centre on currently unknown variables. A tune-up fight would have enabled Crawford to gather information ahead of the Canelo contest, getting some rounds in, whilst also boosting his experience of fighting slightly heavier.
Of course, if Crawford produced a safe-yet-lacklustre performance against a smaller name, that same criticism would persist.
Just two weeks after his fight with Canelo, Crawford will turn 38. Over two decades of boxing will take its toll, and he no longer has to struggle with cutting weight due to being able to put on another 14lbs to fight at super middleweight, Crawford’s powers of recovery may not be what they used to be.
Crawford’s inactivity may in fact be the best approach to get as much out of his career as possible; rather than burning out quicker, ‘Bud’ will hope to increase his chances of winning fights.