10 Things Boxing Fans Should Know About Canelo Alvarez

In every generation, there is one name that seems to serve as "the face of boxing." In the '70s and '80s there was "Sugar" Ray Leonard and "Iron" Mike Tyson. The '90s gave us the "Golden Boy," Oscar De La Hoya. In today's landscape, however, the face of boxing has a hint of cinnamon.

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KO), arguably the person that dominates the current boxing landscape, will put his undisputed super middleweight straps on the line against Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KO), who moves up to Alvarez's weight class, putting his undisputed status at 154 to the test. It's undisputed versus undisputed, a position Alvarez has earned with notoriety - both good and bad - as he rose up the ranks.

10 His Real Name Is Saul

In the same echelon as glitterati like Diddy, Beyonce, or Cher, he is simply known by one name: Canelo. But that is simply a nickname. His birth name is Saul.

Saul Alvarez’s nickname, “Canelo,” means “cinnamon,” commonly used in Spanish as a reference to his fiery red hair. His cinnamon locks come from his mother’s side, and the boxer claims that there may have been some Irish on his grandfather’s side.

RELATED: Canelo Alvarez Vs. Jermell Charlo Guide: Match Card, Predictions

9 The Meteoric Rise

Alvarez began boxing at either 11 or 13, depending on the source, when his older brother Rigoberto turned professional. He quickly revealed himself to be a prodigy, becoming the Junior Mexican National Boxing Champion in 2005 at just 15. He would turn pro as a super lightweight shortly thereafter, allegedly due to the fact that his trainers at the time, Chepo and Eddy Reynoso, couldn’t find suitable junior opponents for Canelo. Age didn’t hold the wonder-child back: in his first 13 fights, which all took place in the span of roughly 19 months, he accumulated 11 knockouts. The boxing world would really meet Canelo for the first time when he would take on Jose Cotto (31-1-1, 23 KO), older brother of the at-the-time red-hot Puerto Rican super welterweight Miguel Cotto. Alvarez would dominate, winning every round on the judges’ scorecards up to the ninth round stoppage.

Canelo’s star would skyrocket quickly, taking down notable names like Kermit Cintron, Alphonso Gomez, Shane Mosely, and Austin Trout. Only the unstoppable force that was Floyd Mayweather Jr. could hand Alvarez his first professional loss. After following wins over Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan, and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., his career would run into a Kazakh hiccup.

8 Three Is A Magic Letter

On September 16, 2017, in the recently-opened T-Mobile Arena just a smidge off the Las Vegas Strip, Canelo would go toe-to-toe with The Baddest Good Boy in Boxing, Gennady "GGG" Golovkin. Touting at the time an unblemished record of 37-0, Golovkin put the pressure to Alvarez unlike anyone else have, with Alvarez showing signs of fatigue around round four, while GGG refused to let up. Many say Canelo got a gift wrapped up with a bow, when Adalaide Byrd, a judge from Nevada notorious for oftentimes wildly off scorecards, scored the bout 118-110, a near shut-out for Canelo. Dave Moretti would see in favor of Golovkin 115-113, and Don Trella would score the bout a draw, 114-114. Many ringside media would actually favor Golovkin in their unofficial scorecards.

The two would rematch almost exactly one year later, again in T-Mobile Arena, but this time Canelo would eke out a majority decision. Moretti, who judged the first fight in favor of Golovkin, would this time score for Canelo, 115-113, with the other two cards showing 114-114 and 115-113 for Alvarez.

7 Undisputed

Alvarez is currently the undisputed super middleweight champion, meaning he holds all four major sanctioning body (WBO, WBC, WBA, and IBF) belts at 168 pounds, and at time of publishing is the only super middleweight to do so. Prior to this achievement, Joe Calzaghe and Andre Ward managed to pick up three of the four belts, but never became undisputed.

6 Canelo's Major Beef

Leading up to his rematch with GGG in September 2018 (originally slated for May of that year), Canelo would face the findings of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, who would find trace amounts of Clenbuterol, a performance-enhancing drug similar to an amphetamine, increasing factors such as metabolic rate and exercise output. Canelo would contest the results, claiming the substance was the result of tainted beef.

Alvarez would serve a six-month suspension by the Nevada State Athletic Commission; however afterwards negotiations would re-start, leading to the final date of September 2018. In some fight fans minds, however, Canelo never cleansed himself of that black mark.

5 International Appeal

Drawing comparisons to his former promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo's brute power and body work not only appeal to his countrymen in Mexico, but to fight fans around the world. His charm, looks, and babyface aura has even led to some cameo work in Hollywood, making a cameo appearance as himself in Creed III starring Michael B. Jordan. Recently, Alvarez has also made the commercial rounds for Michelob Ultra.

4 Canelo Alvarez... Fashion Icon?

If nothing else can be said about Canelo's life outside the ring, the man dresses very well. Notably, Alvarez favors outfitting himself in luxury brand Dolce & Gabbana, even going as far as to sport custom-made Dolce & Gabbana boxing trunks decked in Swarovski crystals. Like we all do when we hit the gym, no doubt. Another demonstration of how Canelo is just another John Q. Average.

Canelo Alvarez training for Caleb Plant in specially made Dolce & Gabbana shorts covered in Swarovski crystals…

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) October 23, 2021

3 The Private Side of the Pugilist

Outside the ring, Alvarez is an avid golfer. His love for the links is so strong, he has gone on the record that he plans to retire at 37 and "dedicate himself to his business and playing golf every day." He has participated in - as well as hosted - many celebrity golf tournaments, alongside famous golfing athletes such as Steph Curry, and reportedly has a handicap of only around 9. He's not alone, as boxers such as Oscar De La Hoya and Manny Pacquiao reportedly pick up a set of clubs to play the back nine.

View this post on InstagramA post shared by Torneo No Golf No Life by Canelo Álvarez 🏌️ (@torneonogolfnolife)

2 You've Been Hit By... You've Been Struck By a Smooth Canelo

Not only does Canelo Alvarez have highly exquisite tastes in both wardrobe and alcoholic beverages, he also has great tastes in music. Break out that red leather jacket, because the king of the ring loves the late King of Pop, with his all-time favorite song being Michael Jackson's 1982 smash hit, "Beat It."

1 Cash Rules Everything Around Him

Though Canelo Alvarez is favored to defeat Jermell Charlo in their September 30 clash, should he be upset, he will have plenty of reasons to find comfort in... about 180 million reasons. In 2023, it has been estimated that Saul Alvarez's net worth is about $180 million dollars.

Canelo will be adding more to his pot in a few weeks, but if he remains undisputed at 168 is yet to be seen.