Terence Crawford walked away from the sport after a career-defining victory over Canelo Alvarez, leaving some observers believing that Alvarez is now past his best.

Now, ‘Bud’ has revealed why he believes the Mexican superstar opted not to hang up the gloves at the same time as him.

Whilst only 35-years-old, Alvarez’s 68 career fights make him a veteran, with both scars of battle and wear and tear becoming evident in recent performances, after a career that spanned over two decades; having debuted at the age of 15.

Upon returning to the 168lb division, following an unsuccessful bid for Dmitry Bivol’s light-heavyweight world title, Canelo scored six consecutive unanimous decision triumphs, receiving criticism for being unable to close the show despite his victories.

Against Crawford, those early warning signs were proven to be correct, as the American handed Alvarez a first career defeat as a super-middleweight, costing him his undisputed throne. 

However, though it was Canelo who looked to be the faded fighter, it was Crawford who sailed off into the sunset, content with retirement after a career-best win. Meanwhile, Alvarez is set for an immediate title challenge when he bids for Christian Mbilli’s WBC world title in September.

Speaking on a DAZN broadcast, Crawford explained why he believes Canelo has chosen to continue campaigning in the sport.

“Canelo won’t want to end his career on a loss like he did with me. So, I can see Canelo wanting to come back and prove himself and be back champion, do the things he wanted to do in the sport of boxing and then leave on his own terms.”

Mbilli vs Canelo takes place on Saturday, September 12, topping a ‘Mexico vs. The World’ themed bill in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.