The IBF is ready to crown a new super middleweight champion.

Terence Crawford recently announced that he was officially retiring following his win over Canelo Alvarez on September 13 in Las Vegas. The sanctioning body declared that it received confirmation of Crawford’s decision.

The IBF is on the verge of ordering two highly ranked contenders to fight for its vacant strap.

“The International Boxing Federation (IBF) received official confirmation on December 23, that Terence Crawford has retired from the ring, thus relinquishing the IBF Super Middleweight title,” the IBF sent in a written statement to The Ring.

“Crawford’s achievements in boxing are remarkable, and the IBF is proud that he was our champion. His legacy, marked by his dedication and relentless pursuit for greatness, will inspire many boxers for years to come. We congratulate Terence on an exceptional, extraordinary career and wish him well in his future pursuits. The IBF will proceed to request availability and order the two leading available contenders in the Super Middleweight rankings to negotiate for the vacant title.”

The IBF has informed The Ring that Osleys Iglesias and Alvarez, its No. 1 and No. 3 contenders, will be contacted first.

In the case of Iglesias (14-0, 13 KOs), he's looked terrific. He was last spotted in the ring on September 4, dishing out a one-sided beating to Vladimir Shishkin for an eighth-round stoppage win.

Although the 28-year-old has called for big-time fights, it’s unlikely that Alvarez will be his next opponent.

Roughly two weeks after his defeat to Crawford, Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) announced that he was set to undergo arthroscopic surgery on his left elbow. He would be sidelined for a minimum of two months from his October 23 surgery date.

Eddy Reynoso, his trainer and manager, already ruled out the possibility of Alvarez fighting in the first half of 2026 and will instead look to get him going in September. Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) was their primary target for that date.