BoxRec

CANELO ALVAREZ NEEDS ELBOW SURGERY, PLANNED FEBRUARY RETURN DELAYED INDEFINITELY

Canelo Alvarez’s return to the ring has been delayed indefinitely.

The Ring’s Mike Coppinger reported during the newest episode of “Inside The Ring” that the Mexican icon needs elbow surgery following his loss to Terence Crawford. Alvarez tentatively planned to fight again in February in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, but his next bout has been postponed because he’ll need more time to recover.

Alvarez, 35, has two fights remaining on his four-fight deal with Riyadh Season.

The Guadalajara native lost his Ring, IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO 168-pound championships to Crawford on September 13 at a sold-out Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) stated during his post-fight press conference that he has no intention of retiring despite his decisive defeat to Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs), who moved up two weight classes to challenge him.

The former four-division champion remains boxing’s biggest star in the United States. He is also ranked No. 10 on The Ring’s pound-for-pound list.

New episodes of “Inside The Ring” premiere every Monday on DAZN at 2 p.m. ET and 11 a.m. PT.

The show is co-hosted by Max Kellerman and Coppinger. They were joined Monday by retired NFL running back LeSean McCoy and retired heavyweight Malik Scott, who trains several fighters.

I wonder if he was carrying the injury into the fight or it’s happened since.

‘I don’t want to make any excuses. But…….’

OSCAR DE LA HOYA OFFERS ADVICE TO CANELO ALVAREZ: 'GET A NEW TRAINER'

It’s been a while since Canelo Alvarez has looked like, well, Canelo Alvarez.

The future Hall of Famer struggled against William Scull on May 3 but still found a way to eke out a close but clear unanimous decision. His luck however, ran out a few weeks ago.

Terence Crawford, who moved up two divisions, outboxed Alvarez at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Although he no longer has a world title, Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) didn’t sound like he's ready to walk away.

If he plans on sticking around and having success, Oscar De La Hoya has a suggestion on what he should do.

“Get a new trainer,” he told Fight Hub TV.

Eddy Reynoso and Alvarez have been tied at the hip from the beginning. Following decision defeats to Floyd Mayweather (2013) and Dmitry Bivol (2021), Alvarez continued his partnership with the former Trainer of the Year.

Loyalty is something De La Hoya normally respects, but not in this situation. He doesn't think Alvarez will get any better if he remains put.

“I can’t advise him on retiring or staying in boxing,” he said. “That’s a very personal decision, but I can say hey, get a new trainer. You’ll do better. A new trainer will teach you different tricks.”

After losing his undisputed throne to Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs), Alvarez plans on relaxing before announcing his next move.

De La Hoya, who once promoted Alvarez, doesn’t believe his time near the top of the sport is over. The former six-division champ feels he can rebuild and comeback, provided Reynoso is no longer by his side.

“He still has a chance to fight several more fights with the elites,” De La Hoya said. “But he needs a new trainer.”

De La Hoya got a new trainer every time he had a competitive fight so I'm not too surprised that was his recommendation.

CANELO ALVAREZ SET FOR ARTHROSCOPIC SURGERY ON LEFT ELBOW OCT. 23, WILL BE IN SLING

Boxing’s top star, Canelo Alvarez, will undergo surgery on his elbow Oct. 23 in Orange, California, The Ring has learned.

The Ring broke the news of Alvarez’s pending procedure Monday on “Inside the Ring.” The injury will postpone his planned February return in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, for the third of his four-fight deal with Riyadh Season.

Alvarez (62-3-2, 39 KOs) dropped his Ring Magazine super middleweight championship earlier this month via unanimous decision to Terence Crawford in a Las Vegas superfight. The 35-year-old is now expected to return in the second or third quarter of 2026.

"Canelo has been diagnosed with loose bodies in his left elbow," read a statement from Alvarez's team. "After a thorough evaluation and medical consultation with his orthopedic surgeon, he is scheduled to undergo a left elbow arthroscopic procedure to remove the loose bodies.

"Following the procedure, his orthopedic surgeon is recommending the use of a sling for a short period of time. His rehabilitation program is expected to allow a return to light training within 4 to 6 weeks. The prognosis is excellent, and Saúl is anticipated to make a full recovery and return to championship-level boxing.

"We appreciate the continued support from fans and the boxing community during his recovery process."

Alvarez previously underwent surgery twice during his career. In 2018 he had surgery on his right knee. And in 2022 a procedure was performed on his left wrist.

The elbow surgery will be performed by Dr. Steve Mora.

Alvarez is The Ring’s No. 1 super middleweight. The loss to Crawford was his first at 168 pounds and first since he was defeated by Dmitry Bivol in a 175-pound title fight in May 2022.