Canelo Alvarez arrived in New York for the Ring magazine’s 2025 awards ceremony, which included the Fight of the Year honor going to the man who inflicted his third and perhaps most serious loss, Terence Crawford. Stepping back into the spotlight, the loss to Crawford seems to have dented his stature. Beyond being relegated to the contender’s list and undergoing elbow surgery, he now finds himself absent from his iconic Cinco de Mayo date.

Instead of him, it’s archrival David Benavidez who headlines the fight on the Cinco de Mayo weekend against unified cruiserweight champion Gilberto “Zurdo” Ramirez. Yet Canelo Alvarez remains confident about a potential comeback fight in September this year.

Canelo Alvarez eyes September comeback as David Benavidez steals Cinco de Mayo spotlight

Despite coming late to the Ring Awards, Canelo smiled and greeted attendees, including Turki Alalshikh and Oleksandr Usyk. Later, speaking with a group of reporters, he revealed his upcoming plans. When a reporter asked, “So, were you not ready for May? Was May not going to be an option?” the former champion replied, “No, May no.”

He explained that his first priority currently is to take care of his elbow, for which he underwent surgery. But he promptly updated: “I’m going to be fighting in September.” The response quickly turned the conversation to David Benavidez.

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A reporter asked for his view on the May 2 title fight between Benavidez and Zurdo Ramirez. The query likely stemmed from the tension between Canelo and Benavidez, who has repeatedly accused Canelo of avoiding him over the years. The Mexican icon replied, “No, I don’t really care who takes the date.”

For the time being, his recovery from elbow surgery sits atop Canelo’s mind. The treatment has already exacted a price. He reportedly declined to face IBF’s number-one ranked contender, Osleys Iglesias, for the vacant title, citing his recovery.

Yet despite the struggles he currently faces, Canelo, who turns 36 this year, seems poised for a comeback.

Canelo’s road back to the ring taking shape

Turki Alalshikh’s latest comments have given ample hints about Canelo’s future. As he accepted a gift from Canelo, his attire from a Triple G fight, a very pleased Alalshikh said, “Now what we’re talking about what we’re thinking, Canelo. We want you to stay with us 5-7 years, not 1 or 2 years. Now we’re talking—we have a big fight in September—we will announce the world title. We have on 22nd one big fight. And we will continue. And we hope one day the final fights we will do together in Mexico—around half a million of people or something like that. ”

And Canelo clearly endorsed it: “This is the idea.”

A search for hints could draw fans to a photo featuring Canelo standing beside Turki Alalshikh and Christian M’billi. The Cameroonian-French fight was elevated to a full WBC championship a few days ago. With Canelo as the number-one ranked contender, a matchup appears feasible.

And M’billi himself sounded optimistic about a potential fight against Canelo when he spoke with Fight Hub TV. “(I admire what Canelo has) achieved in his career; he’s a very good fighter, and I hope I’m going to fight him very soon,” he said.

So that highlights Canelo’s possible routes to a championship title. Physically, he has already indicated his readiness by sharing a video where he’s throwing punches while shadowboxing. Canelo’s stars may be down for the time being, but he still has time to recover and reclaim his spot in the sport.