The boxing world is like the firmament we see every night, full of bright stars, some old and some new. Every once in a while, a boxer shows us another level of fighting, another style, and new strength, speed, and resilience. Today, we will look at one of the southern stars, the great Saúl “El Canelo” Álvarez.
Saúl Álvarez, also known as Canelo, was born in Mexico. He is the youngest of seven brothers, all of whom fight professionally. We recognize Canelo for his unusual red hair, which is a mix of Irish-looking Mexican champion. His red hair and freckles earned him the nickname “Canelo,” which means cinnamon in Spanish.
All we can say is that the great country of Mexico has always been a treasure trove of elite fighters, a birthplace of real gladiators. If you want to check a bookmaker that is safe, with worldwide coverage, and internationally licenced check 1xBet page, where you will find all big boxing matches with the best odds.
Therefore, it is time to remember the classical phrase of any big boxing night presentation and start our journey through Canelo’s career: “Ladies and Gentlemen. Let’s get ready to rumble!”
Early Career Highlights
Canelo’s story began in Mexico, where he was around 14 years old and used to box in his house. He became a pro in MX at the age of 15, making noise thanks to his strength and just knocking stone-cold all his opponents.
Every morning, he sold popsicles with his brothers, but at night, all of them trained in the art of boxing, sparring on the street with other kids.
When he was 17, he competed for the WBA Feta Central Weight Title for the first time and won in the 8th round. By 18, his record was an incredible 22-0 score, and he fought with not just raw strength but also impressive agility.
His next fight was against Yuri Gonzales for the WBO Latino Welterweight Title, where all commentators recognized not only the maturity in this young fighter but also his unique style and incredible combinations of punches which were breaking the defense of Gonzales with a stoppage and mixing uppercuts and hooks through the whole fight. At that moment, the world of boxing saw the inner iron of Canelo, and many called him a superhuman.
At 19, he had more than 30 winning fights under his belt and became a national hero. One year later he signed the most expensive contract in sports history (an astonishing 300 million dollars)!
Winning His First World Title
Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez’s first title was the WBC Super Welterweight. “This was a great experience for me,” Álvarez said. “This was my first world title shot, but it’s the first of many, and I’ll win them all for my fans. I want to fight the biggest and the best. I’m going to be the next big name in Mexico.”
When the ring bell sounded, Álvarez picked apart Hatton with all his speed and strength, throwing punches from left to right to the Englishman’s head. Twice, he went to the canvas after bombs landed on his head. All three judges scored Canelo 119-108, meaning he won every round.
“He’s a good fighter,” Álvarez said. “People criticized him, but he was a tough guy.” Saúl Álvarez landed 47% of 626 punches, while Hatton landed just 25% of his 546 punches. Over 16 thousand people cheered in the arena and became witnesses of his victory. Canelo’s success made his name known to the world.
The Clash With Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The clash of titans is the name for the fight against Floy Mayweather, one of the best boxers in the world. That night, the arena was terrific, and just a few big fights were as impressive as this one.
The successful career of Saúl ‘Canelo’ Álvarez might not be quite so if he had not stumbled in his beginning. During the night of September 14, 2013, the boxing world was shocked. That boxing evening was so much awaited by the whole world and was called ‘The One.’ It was held in the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada, United States.
Mayweather Jr., then 36 years old, took over 40 million dollars by beating the then-young Canelo, just 23 years old. The fight took place in the Super Welterweight division. After 12 rounds, the judges gave ‘Money’ win on two cards, with a 116-112 and 117-111 before a controversial draw given with 114-114.
After this fight, Canelo didn’t go home empty-handed but with a master class in boxing. In the next matches, we saw young Canelo improve and develop his defensive style, evading punches beautifully and becoming even greater than he had been.
The Knockout of Amir Khan
The fight between Canelo and the Englishman Amir Khan was one of the highlights of the history of boxing, with an astonishing record of Álvarez 46-1-1 against “King” Khan with a record of 31-3-0.
This fight was for the unification of WBC and the Ring weight belts. The event took place on May 7, 2016, in Las Vegas, USA. After the first round, all viewers thought this would be a long night, but Canelo showed something different. At 2:37 minutes of the 6th round, Canelo threw a powerful bomb with his right hand that landed in the jaw of Khan. The punch was so powerful that it knocked out Amir. The referee Kenny Bayless counted to 10, but he didn’t stand up again.
The Gennady Golovkin Rivalry: A Boxing Classic
We have seen many beefs between boxers in this sport. Many of them have become classics, and the Mexican boxer has his own classic fight with Golovkin.
Gennady “GGG” Golovkin from Kazakhstan and Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez from Mexico showed the world an epic rivalry. They met in the ring three times, but the last one was the one that settled all disputes of who was the best.
It is 100% clear that Álvarez and Golovkin are not fans of each other. As Canelo said, “I hate that kind of person. Golovkin says plenty of things about you, and then when you have that person in front of you, they say: “Oh, I respect this, I respect that.” I hate that. I’m just really excited to get back.”
The first encounter was in 2017, and GGG possessed the WBC, WBA, and IBO middleweight titles, all of which Canelo was disputing. The fight ended in a draw. The rematch was promptly announced. However, it was canceled after Álvarez tested positive for a banned substance.
Finally, after a long year of preparation, weight-cutting, and mental readiness, the grand match was about to begin. In the opening round, both warriors fought bravely, throwing punches, and defending, but the 40-year-old Kazakh could not match his skills to Canelo’s.
The final score was 116-112 and 115-113, all for Canelo Álvarez, putting an end to a long rivalry.
Becoming a Four-Division World Champion
After the fight against Golovkin, Canelo had another mountain peak in his mind. He moved to 170 pounds, leaving many astonished. He was a big machine, like Iron Mike, speedy and ready to conquer everything on his way.
Canelo defeated all world champions from 154 pounds to 175 pounds. His team strategy for every fight, as Canelo himself says, sounded like “everything is patience.” This fight showed us a power shot with clinical precision in the 11th round against Kovalev and his putting down to the ring floor. This event earned Canelo the WBO light heavyweight title and the name “champion of champions.” He had the following achievements: in his waist super middleweight, junior middleweight, middleweight, and light heavyweight, holding WBC, WBA, WBO, IBF.
Memorable Victory Against Sergey Kovalev
Although the fight started later than Canelo anticipated, the 29-year-old found his rhythm perfectly in time to make history. He became the 25th fighter to claim world titles across four weight classes and the second ever to secure titles as both a welterweight and light heavyweight.
Canelo (53-1-2) was up against a former top 3 pound-for-pound boxer, Sergey Kovalev, who had an edge in height and reach. Additionally, Kovalev had a disciplined strategy that required him to work relentlessly behind the jab. This strategy was effective during the initial half of the match (Kovalev’s score 34-4-1). Before the 11th round, there were no real indications of Kovalev losing momentum.
Canelo Álvarez defeated Sergey Kovalev by knockout and won the WBO light heavyweight title. Like much of the bout, it was yet another tight round when Kovalev was pinned against the ropes. Canelo delivered a powerful left punch that almost propelled the former champion out of the ring, leading to the fight’s stoppage. All of these gave the Mexican superstar his fourth world title across four distinct weight classes.
“The plan overall was patience, that was it — to have patience,” Canelo said. “We knew it was going to be five, six rounds, and it would take some time for me to get him. But honestly, he’s a great fighter. I’m new at this weight, new in this division. Much credit to him; he’s a great fighter, but we stuck to our game plan. It was delayed a little bit, but overall, it was successful.”
The Dominance Over Callum Smith
Once more, the flamed-haired Mexican fought against an Englishman. In a few words, this fight was one-sided in all 12 rounds for the AMB and CMB 168 pound-to-pound titles.
It was a promising fight since two champions were fighting for the title. However, everything changed because it looked like Callum didn’t show all his potential. Smith couldn’t take advantage of his longer reach. Furthermore, with amazing footwork and speed, Canelo landed critical and numerous punches at the British fighter.
From the 9th round, Smith was covered in blood and had one eye almost closed. However, he resisted amazingly until the concluding round, but the victory was already Canelo’s, with scores of 119-109, 110-109, and 117-111.
Conclusion
Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, the little kid from Tijuana, Mexico has conquered the world of boxing. He has shown that he doesn’t fight just against weaker or less ranked fighters, but he aims to the top, to the kings of each weight, and with just one thing in mind, defeating all of them and becoming the new champion. By 2024, his record is 62-2-2, and he has 39 KOs at 34 years old. He has not just become a national hero in Mexico, but he has reached the rank of legends in boxing, with his speed, strength, discipline, and mostly resilience in the face of challenge.
