Canelo Alvarez Blames Mental Distractions For Crawford Loss

Nearly a year after losing his undisputed middleweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super middleweight crown to Terence Crawford, Canelo Alvarez said that mental distractions during fight week ultimately proved to be his downfall.

Alvarez clarified that his training camp was executed without issue. However, out-of-ring complications during the final stretch disrupted his focus.

“I know what I did bad—not bad, but wrong. I did everything good in the training camp, but my mind wasn’t there. I feel like I wasn’t there, thinking about other things... A lot of things happened in the fight week, so sometimes we are not focused on the fight, focused on boxing... You can be physically ready, but if your mind is not there, it’s not the same,” Canelo

While boxing analysts widely praised Crawford for leaping multiple weight classes to claim the 168-pound titles, Alvarez stated that nothing about "Bud's" performance caught him off guard.

“No, he wasn’t better than I thought he’d be. He’s a good fighter. I never doubted how good he is. He is a very good fighter, he’s very intelligent, he has everything. Nothing impressed me because I knew how talented he was,” Canelo

Following his victory, Crawford announced a sudden retirement from the sport—a decision that caught Alvarez completely by surprise, given Canelo's track record of adjusting and winning in immediate rematches.

“Yeah, I’m surprised because as a fighter, we want a rematch, right? We want to show again. And I always did good in my rematches. It surprised me a lot, but it is what it is. It’s his life, it’s his career, and I can do nothing with that. I still hope the rematch can happen. If not, it’s fine, we need to move forward,” Canelo

While a second showdown with Crawford remains uncertain, Alvarez is currently preparing to return to action this October in Saudi Arabia against WBC titleholder Christian Mbilli as he looks to reclaim his spot atop the super middleweight division.