Canelo Turns Down World Title Shot

Canelo Alvarez is out of the running for the vacant IBF super middleweight title as he prioritizes his recovery from left elbow surgery. 

The Mexican, who lost his undisputed super middleweight status to Terence Crawford last September, has informed the IBF that he will not be ready for the ordered clash against Osleys Iglesias. According to his trainer, Eddy Reynoso, Canelo is now targeting a return for Mexican Independence Weekend in September 2026.

The belt was vacant following Terence Crawford’s retirement, who hung up his gloves on December 16, 2025, with a perfect 42-0 record. With Canelo unavailable, the IBF is expected to continue down its rankings. Jaime Munguia remains a high-profile option at 4th, Callum Simpson is 5th.

As Canelo heals, the rest of the boxing landscape is shifting rapidly. David Benavidez has moved his sights to the cruiserweight division, where he is expected to challenge unified WBA and WBO champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez on May 2, 2026, in a massive Cinco de Mayo weekend showdown. Meanwhile, light heavyweight Dmitry Bivol is also on the comeback trail following back surgery; he is expected to return in March or April to face mandatory challenger Michael Eifert. 

Reaction

We worked very hard to get Iglesias to number one. I think he deserves it; he fought (Vladimir) Shishkin (in an eliminator) and beat him convincingly. We hope that the IBF will respond quickly and send a letter to the next available contender, who happens to be (Jaime) Munguia, we’ll see what he says.

“We want to know who will accept the fight… It seems to me that the IBF understands that this is a process that should be expedited. We want Osleys to get in the ring as soon as possible. They gave Canelo three days and got the answer. Hopefully they will receive another letter for Munguia. What I can tell you is that Osleys is willing to fight anyone, no exceptions. He is willing to fight any name. He is very happy to fight for the IBF world title,” said Camille Stephan (Iglesias’ promoter)