Canelo Alvarez is at a crossroads after he lost his undisputed super middleweight belts to Terence Crawford on September 13.
Now no longer a champion and clearly on the back end of his professional boxing career, the decision about whether it’s time for Canelo to hang up the gloves has become a real possibility at this point.
There’s no doubt that he’s still one of the world’s best boxers, would beat just about anyone who isn’t in the pound-for-pound rankings, and deserves a ton of credit for being willing to put not only his belts, but also his legacy on the line to fight another generational great like Crawford.
Not to mention that there’s surely still hundreds of millions of dollars to be made if Canelo does continue fighting. However, he has already made hundreds of millions of dollars in his career, has reached the highest peaks in the sweet science, and probably wants to preserve his health as much as possible for the rest of his life after retirement.
Therefore, there may be no better time than right now for Canelo to walk off into the sunset.
Ronnie Shields Asserts It’s Time For Canelo Alvarez to Retire
One person who doesn’t want Canelo to fight anymore is Ronnie Shields, a legendary trainer who has worked with names like Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield, and David Morrell Jr. in his career. Shields said as much when speaking with Fight Hub TV on September 24.
“The end is near for Canelo, and I just think that Crawford was too fast for him, especially in the southpaw position. We all know Canelo has problems with the southpaws. Canelo, man, had a great career. When it’s over, it’s over. And right now, I don’t feel he should fight anymore,” Shields said.
“He had one of the best careers any fighter could ever have. He’s done everything he’s set out to do. What’s next? To prove what? He has nothing to prove; he’s already proved everything. And I think right now the door is closed, he should shut it himself and say, ‘You know what? I had a great career. enough is enough.’
“You can’t beat Father Time. You can’t beat it,” Shields added. “No younger trainer or no older trainer can help him be anything other than what he already is right now. You’ve seen the best of Canelo, and you’re seeing the worst of him. This is it, it’s over. His body is telling him, ‘Canelo, it’s over. Let’s go enjoy life.‘”
Only Canelo knows what his future holds right now. But there are many who are thinking the same thing as Shields.