Canelo Álvarez | |
|---|---|
 Álvarez in 2017 | |
| Born | Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán (1990-07-18)18 July 1990 (age 34) Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico |
| Other names | Canelo ("Cinnamon") |
| Statistics | |
| Weight(s) | |
| Height | 5 ft7+1⁄2 in (171 cm)[1] |
| Reach | 70+1⁄2 in (179 cm)[1] |
| Stance | Orthodox |
| Boxing record | |
| Total fights | 67 |
| Wins | 63 |
| Wins by KO | 39 |
| Losses | 2 |
| Draws | 2 |
Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán (Latin American Spanish:[saˈulˈalβaɾes]; born 18 July 1990), commonly known asCanelo orSaúl Álvarez,[2] is a Mexicanprofessional boxer. He has held multipleworld championships in four weight classes, fromlight middleweight tolight heavyweight, includingunified titles in three of those weight classes. In 2021, Álvarez became the first and only boxer in history to become theundisputed[a]super middleweight champion, before becoming a two-time undisputed super middleweight champion in May 2025. He has also held theRing magazine super middleweight title since 2020.
Álvarez began his professional boxing career at age 15 and, by 20, became the youngest boxer to claim theWorld Boxing Council (WBC) light middleweight title in 2011.[3][4] In 2013, he beatAustin Trout to win theWorld Boxing Association (WBA) (Unified version) andRing titles. In the same year, he lost his WBC andRing light middleweight titles toFloyd Mayweather Jr. in his first professional defeat. He defeatedMiguel Cotto to win the WBC andRingmiddleweight titles in 2016. That same year he returned to light middleweight to beatLiam Smith to win theWorld Boxing Organization (WBO) title. In 2017, he fought unified middleweight championGennady Golovkin to a split draw. Theirrematch in 2018 saw Álvarez beat Golovkin to become the WBA (Super version), WBC, andRing middleweight champion. The following year, he beatRocky Fielding for the WBA super middleweight title (Regular version) and won theInternational Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight title fromDaniel Jacobs in 2019. Later that year, Álvarez made his light heavyweight debut, knocking out former unified championSergey Kovalev to claim the WBO title.
He went on to beat three unbeaten fighters (Callum Smith,Billy Joe Saunders, andCaleb Plant) to win all four titles at super middleweight, a feat he achieved inside 12 months.[5] In May 2022, he returned to light heavyweight and challenged for theWBA (Super) light heavyweight title, but was defeated byDmitry Bivol via unanimous decision. Known as an excellentcounterpuncher, Álvarez is able to exploit openings in his opponents' guards while avoiding punches with head and body movement. He is also known as a formidablebody puncher.[6][7]The Ring ranked Álvarez as the world's best boxer,pound for pound, from November 7, 2019, to March 16, 2022. One of boxing's biggest everpay-per-view stars,[8] he is consistently one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, makingForbes' list of the world's highest-paid athletes in 2019, 2022, and 2023.[9][10][11] He was the top-earning boxer of 2023, earning a reported $110 million.[12]
In an interview, Álvarez explained that he was born on the outskirts ofGuadalajara, Jalisco, but his family is originally fromLos Reyes, Michoacán.[13] At the age of five, his family moved to their current home ofJuanacatlán, Jalisco.[14] Growing up on his family's farm, he learnedhorseback riding, which he continues today.[15][16] Álvarez is the youngest of eight children, seven of them boys; all of his brothers also became professional boxers.[17] Among his brothers arewelterweight boxersRamón Álvarez,Ricardo Álvarez and formerWBAinterim world champion,Rigoberto Álvarez.[18]
Canelo in Spanish is themasculine word forcinnamon, which is a common nickname for people withred hair.[19] In Mexico, it is common for people to associate red hair with the Irish soldiers who fought for Mexico in theSaint Patrick's Battalion during theMexican–American War. Speaking about his ancestry, Álvarez once said, "There might have been an Irish grandfather somewhere back in my past."[18][20]Canelo's neighbors nicknamed him "Jícama con Chile", which translates asjicama with chilli flakes – a popular snack in Mexico.[21]
Álvarez started boxing when he was around 13 years old, after watching his older brother Rigoberto debut as a professionalboxer.[22] In 2004, he won the silver medal at the Junior Mexican National Championships, held inSinaloa. He became the 2005 Junior Mexican National Boxing Champion inTuxtla Gutiérrez at the age of 15. His amateur record was 44–2 with 12 knockouts.[23]
Álvarez turned professional at 15, shortly after his championship at the Junior Nationals, because his trainers at the time, father-and-son team Chepo and Eddy Reynoso, were unable to find suitable junior opponents for him. In his first 19 months as a professional, he knocked out eleven of his 13 documented opponents, all of whom were significantly older. The elder Reynoso stated in 2013 that Álvarez had fought ten more times in that span, winning all ten byknockout (KO), but that these fights (apparently in small venues in the Mexican state ofNayarit) were so poorly documented that it was not worth the trouble to seek to have the record corrected.[17] Were this to be verified, his record would be 71–2–2 with 49 knockouts. His weight fluctuated in his first three years as a professional including two documented fights within thelight welterweight limit of 140 lbs—one against Abraham Gonzalez in Álvarez's official debut and the other against Juan Hernandez in his sixth official bout—before he settled in thewelterweight division at 147 lbs.[24]
Álvarez's third official bout of his career was a win over futureIBFlightweight championMiguel Vázquez on 20 January 2006, in his home town ofGuadalajara,Jalisco. On 28 June 2008, Álvarez defeated Vázquez again in a rematch. He also made world history on that fight card when he and all six of his brothers fought on the same night, with Canelo being the youngest.[25][26][27] The only downside was that three of them failed to win their pro debuts. The other four more experienced brothers won.[28] On 6 March 2010, he got a crushing third-round KO over Brian Camechis inTuxtla Gutiérrez,Chiapas.[29] Álvarez then defeatedJosé Cotto on the undercard ofFloyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Shane Mosley to retain hisWBC-NABF welterweight title.[30]
His sixth-roundtechnical knockout (TKO) win overLuciano Leonel Cuello for theWBC Silver light middleweight title was held at theVicente Fernández Arena.[31] During the post-fight interview, Mexican singerVicente Fernández gave Álvarez a horse. He was also given a horse by the mayor ofTepic, where Álvarez sometimes trains.[32]
He next faced the former WBC welterweight championCarlos Baldomir at theStaples Center inLos Angeles, California, on theShane Mosley vs.Sergio Mora undercard.[33] Baldomir stated in a pre-fight interview that he wanted the winner of Mora vs. Mosley, as he said "after I knock out El Canelo."[34] Baldomir weighed in at 153.4 lbs for the bout, that was contracted for 151 lbs. In California, if a fighter is overweight he is penalized 20% of his purse and that percent is given to the other fighter. However, Álvarez declined to take the extra $12,000 from Baldomir.[35] In the sixth round, Álvarez landed a crushing blow that knocked Baldomir out cold. With the victory, Álvarez became just the second boxer ever to stop Carlos Baldomir and the first boxer ever to knock him out.[36] Álvarez then successfully defended his light middleweight title byunanimous decision against former world championLovemore N'dou inVeracruz.[37] It was a competitive fight despite the wide margins on the official scorecards of 119–109, 120–108, and 120–108.
Álvarez was in line as mandatory challenger for the winner of the vacant WBClight middleweight title bout betweenManny Pacquiao andAntonio Margarito, however, Pacquiao who was the victor, wrote to the WBC stating he had no intention of defending the title and it was declared vacant.[38] On 5 March 2011, Álvarez defeatedEuropean welterweight championMatthew Hatton via unanimous decision, for the vacant WBClight middleweight belt. The bout was televised onHBO and took place at theHonda Center inAnaheim, California.[39] Álvarez was docked a point in the seventh round, which was uniformly scored 9–9, for hitting after the break. All three ringside judges scored the bout 119–108 in favor of Álvarez, who landed 47% of his 626 punches, including 53% of his power shots. Hatton connected with just 25% of his 546 total blows[3] in a fight that averaged 1.4 million viewers on HBO.[40]
Álvarez successfully defended his newly awarded WBC title against #4 rankedRing light middleweight and current European light middleweight championRyan Rhodes.[41][42][43] Álvarez defeated Rhodes via TKO in the twelfth round on 18 June 2011, in Guadalajara, Jalisco.[43][44] The fight averaged 1.6 million viewers on HBO.[40]
On 17 September 2011, Álvarez successfully defended that same WBC title againstThe Contender competitorAlfonso Gómez at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, winning via TKO in the sixth round. Gómez won a majority of the first five rounds after Álvarez knocked him down in the first round. Álvarez was looking for one shot and got it in the sixth round when he backed Gómez up with a right hand. He then followed up with a flurry to get the referee to jump in and stop the fight.[45]
Álvarez defeatedKermit Cintrón via TKO in the fifth round. Álvarez spent the first three rounds feeling out his opponent Cintrón, a former welterweight champion, before punishing the Puerto Rican with body shots and straight right hands in the fourth round. He knocked Cintrón down once and had him in trouble at the end of the round, but Cintrón was saved by the bell. In the fifth round, Cintrón came out and caught Álvarez with some combinations, but Álvarez eventually overpowered him with several powerful straight right hands and the referee stepped in and stopped it.[46] The fight averaged 1.5 million viewers onHBO: Boxing After Dark.[40]
Richard Schaefer announced that Álvarez's next bout would co-feature on the undercard ofMiguel Cotto's clash with Floyd Mayweather Jr. at theMGM Grand Garden Arena. On 11 February 2012, Shane Mosley was announced as Álvarez's next opponent in May for his WBC light middleweight title.[47] Álvarez defeated Mosley via unanimous decision after twelve rounds.[48]
Álvarez was originally set to fight top tenRing light middleweight and former welterweight championPaul Williams on 15 September 2012. However, on 27 May 2012, a motorcycle accident in the U.S. state ofGeorgia paralyzed Williams from the waist down, ending his boxing career. Álvarez's possible opponents for his September bout wereJames Kirkland,Austin Trout,Delvin Rodriguez and most notably,Victor Ortiz.
Álvarez was scheduled to defend his title against former welterweight titlist Victor Ortiz in the main event of aShowtimepay-per-view (PPV) card dubbed 'Knockout Kings' at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. However, on 23 June, Ortiz was unable to defeat underdogJosesito López in what was supposed to be a "tune-up" fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, losing due to referee stoppage (broken jaw) and cancelling his bout with Álvarez as a result.
Due to this upset, López was instead penciled in to face Canelo at theMGM Grand on 15 September, for Álvarez's WBC light middleweight title.[49] Álvarez won the fight via fifth-round TKO after dominating López from start to finish, staying undefeated and increasing his record of 41–0–1.[50] The fight averaged 1.04 million on Showtime.[51] Canelo earned $2 million for the fight and López a smaller amount of $212,500.[52]
His next fight took place on 20 April 2013, at theAlamodome inSan Antonio,Texas against Austin Trout. The fight was supposed to take place duringCinco de Mayo weekend as the co-main event toFloyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Robert Guerrero; however, due to a contract disagreement between Álvarez and Mayweather regarding their potential fight on 14 September 2013, Álvarez opted to headline his own card instead.[53][54][55]
In front of 39,247 fans, Álvarez successfully defended his WBC light middleweight title and won both theWBA (Regular) and vacantRing light middleweight titles. During the first few rounds, Trout seemed to have a good game plan. However, Álvarez's power took over after the third round, eventually scoring a knockdown in the seventh round to give Trout the first knockdown of his career. Álvarez set up the knockdown with a pawing left jab, followed by the straight right hand. The fight was closer than expected, but Álvarez still managed to dominate Trout throughout the fight with impressive head movement and shocking power. All three judges' scorecards were in favor of Álvarez with a fair margin 115–112 from Filipino judgeRey Danseco, 116–111 from Texas' judge Oren Shellenberger, and 118–109 from South African official Stanley Christodoulou.[56][Video 1] Although the last scorecard 118–109 created controversy, the majority of sport analysts had Álvarez winning by at least two points.CompuBox stats showed that Trout was the busier fighter, landing 154 of 769 punches thrown (20%) and Álvarez was the more accurate puncher, landing 124 of his 431 thrown (29%).[57] Immediately after the bout, Trout stated that he hadn't underestimated Álvarez but that he trained to fight a completely different fighter.[58]
Álvarez,Ring magazine's #1 ranked light middleweight and the unified WBA (Regular) and WBC champion, fought againstRing magazine's #1 pound-for-pound fighter, WBA (Super) light middleweight champion, WBC andRing magazine welterweight champion,Floyd Mayweather Jr., on 14 September 2013.[59] Mayweather held a world title at welterweight (147 lbs), but he also still owned a light middleweight title (154 lbs), which he won by outpointingMiguel Cotto in May 2012. He was moving back up in weight to face Álvarez with their belts on the line, although the fight was contested at a catchweight of 152 lbs. The titles disputed for the bout were Álvarez's WBC andRing light middleweight titles and Mayweather's WBA (Super) light middleweight title. On fight night, Mayweather reportedly weighed 150 lbs and Álvarez came in at 165 lbs.[59][60]
In front of a sold-out crowd of 16,746 at the MGM Garden, Mayweather defeated Álvarez via majority decision. JudgeC. J. Ross scored the fight 114–114, a draw. Judge Dave Moretti had it 116–112 and Craig Metcalfe scored it 117–111. Judge Ross retired after this fight. Speaking of the controversial scorecard, Mayweather said, "I can't control what the judges do." CompuBox stats showed Mayweather's dominance in the fight. He landed 232 of 505 punches (46%) while Álvarez connected on 117 of 526 thrown (22%). Mayweather earned a guaranteed $41.5 million to Álvarez's $5 million.[61][62][63][64]
On 9 January 2014,Golden Boy chief executive Richard Schaefer confirmed a deal had been made for a fight between Álvarez and 31 year old Mexican boxerAlfredo Angulo (22–3, 18 KOs) to take place on 8 March 2014, on Showtime PPV at the MGM Grand inLas Vegas.[65][66] In March,ESPN reported the fight would take place at a catchweight of 155 lbs, due to Álvarez not being able to make the light middleweight limit of 154 lbs. For the PPV fight, Álvarez agreed to pay $100,000 of his minimum $1.25 million purse to Angulo, which would raise his purse $850,000. Also in the negotiations, Álvarez agreed to weigh no more than 168 lbs on fight night. This was Álvarez's first of five fights which took place at the 155-pound catchweight. On fight night, Álvarez weighed 174 lbs on Showtime's scale and Angulo weighed 170 lbs.[67] In front of 14,610 at the MGM, Álvarez came out strong, throwing combinations. In a fairly lopsided beating, Álvarez scored a tenth-round stoppage over Angulo punctuated by a lead left uppercut. The end of the fight began in round six, when Angulo's left eye started swelling. When the referee waived the fight off, the crowd was displeased and booed. At the time of stoppage, two judges had it 89–82 and the third judge had it 88–83, all in favor of Álvarez.[68]
Angulo stated post-fight how he was unhappy with the stoppage, "I told Tony he did the wrong job tonight. The referee tells us to take care of ourselves at all times. I can take care of myself. My plan was to work harder in the final four or three rounds. I had good preparation for this fight." His trainerVirgil Hunter was also unhappy with referee Tony Weeks, "I'm very upset. I told the referee and the doctor that if Canelo put two or three shots together that I would stop the fight. He landed one punch. Everyone knows Alfredo was coming on strong, everyone knows that."[69]
Álvarez foughtErislandy Lara on 12 July 2014, at the MGM Grand in a non-title match. Lara's WBA light middleweight title was not on the line, as the fight took place at a 155-pound catchweight and both fighters weighed in at precisely 155 lbs. Álvarez rehydrated to 171 lbs while Lara came into the ring at 166 lbs. In a very close and competitive fight that went to a split decision, Álvarez came out on top with two judges scoring 115–113 in favor of each fighter and the final judge scoring 117–111 in favor of Álvarez.[70] The final scorecard was controversial as many observers considered it far too wide. According to CompuBox, Lara landed 55 jabs to nine from Álvarez, who landed the jab at a five percent connect rate. Álvarez managed to land 88 power punches while Lara landed 53 power punches. Lara's clean punching, defense and movement were weighed against Álvarez's effective aggressiveness and power punching.[71] Lara came out in dominant fashion, utilizing a stick-and-move style and capturing the early rounds. Although Álvarez struggled with Lara's one-two combinations, Lara's punches weren't thrown with sufficient power or frequency to dissuade him from consistently pressing the fight against a retreating Lara, and he was able to hammer away to Lara's body when he had him on the ropes. Lara's lead hand played a huge role in his one-two combination's effectiveness, but his output dropped as the fight progressed and he became increasingly tentative. Álvarez was able to cut Lara with a lead left uppercut in the seventh round.[72] Although the decision remains controversial, any talk of a rematch in the future was dismissed byOscar De La Hoya who went on to say, "No one wants a rematch."[73][74]
In January 2015, Oscar De La Hoya announced that Álvarez andJames Kirkland (32–1, 28 KOs) had agreed to fight each other although no date or venue was set, in a non-title light middleweight bout. The reason why the date was not set was due to the upcoming Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs.Manny Pacquiao fight not having an official date.[75] In March, at the official press conference, the fight was announced to take place at theMinute Maid Park inHouston, Texas on 9 May 2015, live on HBO, a week afterthe 2 May fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao. It marked the first fight of Álvarez's lucrative HBO contract.[76] In front of 31,588, Álvarez defeated Kirkland via third-round KO.[77] Kirkland came out aggressively, but Álvarez wobbled him and scored a knockdown via straight right hand in round one. In the third round, a counter right uppercut sent Kirkland to the canvas. Álvarez ended the fight with a jab to the body quickly followed by the right hand, creating the KO. Álvarez landed 87 of 150 punches thrown (58%) and Kirkland landed 42 of 197 (21%). After the bout, Kirkland said, "I did not know I was knocked out." He was then taken to hospital to undergo aCT scan. The win for Álvarez set up a mega PPV fight between himself and WBC middleweight champion Miguel Cotto.[78][79] The fight drew an average of 2.146 million viewers on HBO and peaked at 2.296 million, the highest viewership for HBO in 2015.[80]
On 21 November 2015, Álvarez won the WBC, andRing middleweight titles with a unanimous decision victory over Miguel Cotto in front of a sold-out crowd of 11,274 at theMandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight took place at a catchweight of 155 lbs at Cotto's request.[81] Although Cotto gave a tremendous effort, moving nicely throughout the fight, the judges clearly went for Álvarez's superior power and accuracy, with surprisingly wide scores of 117–111, 119–109, and 118–110.ESPN.com had the fight much closer, but still scored it in favour of Álvarez, 115–113. According to CompuBox, Álvarez landed 155 of 484 punches (32%) and Cotto landed 129 of 629 (21%), with Álvarez landing the heavier blows and inflicting more damage.[82] Two months after the fight, the WBC awarded Álvarez theWBC Diamond middleweight title at their headquarters in Mexico.
According to HBO, the fight generated 900,000 buys on PPV, which equated to around $58 million in domestic revenue. This was the first time since 2002, that a PPV generated 900,000 which didn't include Mayweather, Pacquiao or De La Hoya. That bout was aheavyweight title fight betweenLennox Lewis andMike Tyson.[83]
In early 2016, it was announced that British boxerAmir Khan was moving up twoweight divisions to fight Álvarez at middleweight for his WBC andRing middleweight titles. The fight took place on 7 May 2016, at the newT-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.[84][85] The bout was on HBO PPV.[86][87] Khan kept his distance in the first five rounds, using his speed to come in and step out which initially caused trouble for Álvarez. In round six, Álvarez landed a devastating right hand that knocked out Khan.[88] The fight generated a live gate of $7,417,350, according to figures released by theNevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC). That total came from 13,072 tickets sold, far short of a sell out. The Álvarez–Khan gross placed it 34th-best inNevada history at the time.[89] The fight drew close to 600,000 PPV buys.[90]
After the fight, Álvarez and his team invited middleweight championGennady "GGG" Golovkin into the ring to promote a future fight between them. During the post-fight interview with HBO'sMax Kellerman, Álvarez stated, "Let's fight now."[91] On 18 May 2016, Álvarez vacated the WBC title he defended in fighting Khan. The WBC immediately awarded the title to Gennady Golovkin.[92]
On 24 June, it was announced that Álvarez was to drop the extra pound to 154 and challenge 27 year old WBO championLiam Smith (23–0–1, 13 KOs) from England on 17 September 2016, in the main event of a card on HBO PPV. On 18 July, Golden Boy Promotions announced the bout would take place atAT&T Stadium inArlington, Texas, after the MGM Grand in Las Vegas was the other venue looking to host the fight.[93] Having fought his last five fights at his preferred 155-pound catchweight, Canelo said, "I am very pleased to announce my next fight against Liam Smith, a tremendous fighter with real knockout power, and the WBO light middleweight world title owner, I have no doubt that this fight will be give and take, which will fill the expectations of the fans, and I will work with all the enthusiasm as I always do to get the upper hand on Sept. 17."[93]
In front of a record breaking crowd of 51,240, Álvarez regained a world title at light middleweight following a devastating left hook to the body in round nine. Smith was also knocked down once in round seven and once in round eight, in a fight where Álvarez was in control from the opening bell. Álvarez landed 157 punches from 422 thrown with a connect rate of 37%, compared to Smith landing 115 from 403 thrown, a connect rate of 29%. The fight drew an estimate of 300,000 PPV buys.[94][95][96][97]
Golden Boy president Eric Gomez spoke toRing magazine in December, stating that Álvarez had no immediate plans to vacate the WBO title and may fight in the first quarter of 2017 at 154, defending his world title. He also stated that there were still plans for Álvarez to fight Golovkin later in the year.[98]
FollowingJulio César Chávez Jr.'s comeback win againstDominik Britsch in December 2016, he claimed he was back and ready to fight Golovkin at 168 lbs and Álvarez at a 164-pound catchweight. Negotiations began soon after for a potential HBO PPV fight to take place in 2017 on Cinco de Mayo weekend, as there was interest from both sides that a fight take place. De La Hoya said a fight with Golovkin would still be likely for September 2017. Golden Boy president Eric Gomez confirmed a catchweight of 165 lbs was agreed between both sides.[99][100][101] WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman was on board, saying he would likely get his organisation involved in the bout and that it was a "very attractive fight."[102][103] On 18 December,Julio César Chávez Sr. spoke about the ongoing negotiations, saying Golden Boy were offering his son a small amount for the potential big PPV fight. He went on to claim his son was offered a $5 million purse with no mention he would get a cut of the PPV revenue, a counter offer was submitted. A rematch clause was also discussed, which Chávez Jr. and his team had no problem with. Chávez Sr. went on to admit that he was fully aware Álvarez is the A-side in the fight and would settle for no less than 30–35% of the full revenue.[104][105]
On 22 December, the WBO made Álvarez themandatory challenger to the middleweight title, skipping the previous number oneAvtandil Khurtsidze, which was considered controversial due to Álvarez currently not fighting at middleweight. Khurtsidze, who had ten days to appeal decision, decided not to.[106][107] On 24 December, Álvarez and his team gave Chávez Jr. a week to accept the terms, which included a purse of $7 million, or he would consider other options.[108] On 12 January 2017, De La Hoya and Álvarez called for the contract to be signed, which was supposedly sent toAl Haymon, who advises Chávez Jr. and urged him to sign it.[109] A day later, Chávez Jr. claimed he had agreed to all the demands set by Álvarez and said that he would sign the contract. According to Chávez Jr., the new demands included a weight limit set at 164.5 lbs and a $6 million base purse, plus PPV revenue percentages.[110]
On 13 January, Álvarez officially confirmed the fight to take place on 6 May 2017. A rematch clause was also put in place if Chávez Jr. wins the fight and another clause for every pound Chávez Jr. weighs over the limit, he would be fined $1 million.[111][112][113] On 4 February, Golden Boy Promotions announced that the fight would take place at the T-Mobile Arena inParadise, Nevada.[114] On 22 February, Álvarez announced that he planned on vacating his WBO light middleweight title following the Chávez Jr. fight and fighting at middleweight.[115] On 3 March, The fight was announced a sell out on with 20,000 tickets being sold after they initially went on sale to the public on 20 February.[116] On 11 April, Álvarez spoke to boxing reporters in a teleconference and said that he would fight as a 160-pound middleweight after the Chávez Jr. fight.[117]
According to the NSAC, it was reported that Álvarez would earn $5 million and Chávez Jr. would earn $3 million before any shares of PPV. The figures would increase based on PPV sales.[118][119]
In front of a sold-out crowd of 20,510, Álvarez won the fight in dominant fashion via a shutout unanimous decision. All three judges scored it 120–108 for Álvarez. Chávez Jr. was very cautious throughout the fight. At times, he came forward and also had Álvarez against the ropes, but failed to throw any punches. This led to jeers from the crowd in the later rounds due to a lack of action. Álvarez spoke to HBO's Max Kellerman in the post-fight interview, talking about his fighting style, "Tonight, I showed I could move, I could box, I showed as a fighter I can do all things. I thought I was going to showcase myself as a fighter that could throw punches, but he just wouldn't do it. I've shown I can do lots of things in the ring, anything a fighter brings, I've shown I can showcase myself." CompuBox stats showed that Álvarez landed 228 of 604 his punches thrown (38%) and Chávez Jr. landed 71 of 302 (24%). By the end of round five, Álvarez landed 102 punches compared to Chávez Jr.'s 25 landed.[120][121][122] Early figures revealed that the fight generated at least one million buys.[123] A replay was shown on regular HBO a week later and drew an average of 769,000 viewers.[124] This was the first boxing match to generate over a million PPV buys that didn't include Mayweather, Pacquiao or De La Hoya since 2002, which sawLennox Lewis retain his heavyweight world titles against Mike Tyson. Later sources confirmed the fight did close to 1.2 million buys, which means it would have generated around $80 million.[125]
Immediately after the Chávez Jr. fight, Álvarez announced that he would next fight Gennady Golovkin on 16 September 2017, at a location to be determined. Golovkin, who stated he would not attend the fight, was joined by his trainerAbel Sanchez and promoter Tom Loeffler.[126] Golovkin joined him in the ring during the announcement to help promote their upcoming bout. Speaking through a translator, Álvarez said, "Golovkin, you are next, my friend. The fight is done. I've never feared anyone, since I was 15 fighting as a professional. When I was born, fear was gone." When Golovkin arrived in the ring, he said, "I feel very excited. Right now is a different story. In September, it will be a different style – a big drama show. I'm ready. Tonight, first congrats to Canelo and his team. Right now, I think everyone is excited for September. Canelo looked very good tonight, and 100 percent he is the biggest challenge of my career. Good luck to Canelo in September."[120]
On 9 May, Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy Promotions told theLA Times that Álvarez had an immediate rematch clause in place on his contract, whereas Golovkin, if he loses, won't be guaranteed a rematch.[127] De La Hoya later revealed in an interview with ESPN that the fight would also take place at the full middleweight limit of 160 lbs with no rehydration clauses, meaning Golovkin and Álvarez would be able to gain an unlimited amount of weight following the weigh in.[128] On 5 June, the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas was announced as the venue of the fight and would mark the first time Golovkin would fight in the state of Nevada. The AT&T Stadium,Madison Square Garden andDodgers Stadium missed out on hosting the fight.[129] Eric Gomez of Golden Boy Promotions said in a statement that Álvarez would fight for the IBF title, meaning he would participate in the second day weigh in where the IBF requires that each boxer weighs no more than ten lbs over the 160-pound limit. Although he said there was no word on whether Álvarez would fight for the WBC title, Álvarez claimed that he would not be.[130] On 7 July 2017, Golden Boy and K2 Promotions individually announced the tickets had sold out.[131]
On 15 August, Golden Boy matchmaker Robert Diaz revealed that Álvarez would indeed attend the IBF mandatory second day weigh in and fully intended to fight for both the IBF title and the WBA title. He also made it clear that whilst Golovkin would still defend the WBC andIBO title, Álvarez would not pay their sanctioning fees.[132] On 22 August, IBF president Daryl Peoples announced that they would be dropping the mandatory second day weigh in for unification fights, meaning neither fighter is required to participate, however they would still encourage them to do so.[133] It was reported that Álvarez would earn a base minimum $5 million and Golovkin would earn $3 million, before any shares of the revenue are added to their purses.[134]
On fight night, in front of a sold-out crowd of 22,358, Golovkin and Álvarez fought to a split draw (118–110 Álvarez, 115–113 Golovkin, and 114–114). ESPN'sDan Rafael and HBO'sHarold Lederman scored the fight 116–112 in favor of Golovkin. Judge Adalaide Byrd's scorecard of 118–110 in favor of Álvarez was widely ridiculed. Many observers felt that Golovkin had won a narrow, closely contested fight and while a draw was justifiable, a card that wide in favor of Álvarez was inexcusable.[135][136][137] Nevertheless, Bob Bennett, director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, said that he had full confidence in Byrd going forward.[138] Despite the controversy, several mainstream media outlets referred to the bout as a "classic".[139][140] The fight started with both boxers finding their rhythm, Álvarez using his footwork and Golovkin establishing his jab. During the middle rounds, particularly between four and eight, Álvarez started each round quickly, but seemed to tire out after a minute, with Golovkin taking over and doing enough to win the rounds. The championship rounds were arguably the best rounds and Álvarez started to counter more and both fighters stood toe-to-toe exchanging swings, the majority of which missed. The draw saw Golovkin make his 19th consecutive defense, just one behind middleweight greatBernard Hopkins. CompuBox stats showed that Golovkin was the busier of the two, landing 218 of 703 thrown (31%), while Álvarez was more accurate, landing 169 of his 505 thrown (34%). Golovkin out landed Álvarez in ten of the twelve rounds.[141][142] The replay, which took place a week later on HBO averaged 726,000, peaking at 840,000 viewers.[143]
Speaking to Max Kellerman after the fight, Golovkin said, "It was a big drama show. [The scoring] is not my fault. I put pressure on him every round. Look, I still have all the belts. I am still the champion." Álvarez felt as though he won the fight, "In the first rounds, I came out to see what he had. Then I was building from there. I think I won eight rounds. I felt that I won the fight. I think I was superior in the ring. I won at least seven or eight rounds. I was able to counterpunch and made Gennady wobble at least three times. If we fight again, it's up to the people. I feel frustrated over my draw."[144][145][146] Golovkin's trainer Abel Sanchez believed judge Byrd had her scorecard filled out before the first bell rang.[147] Álvarez ruled out another fight in 2017, claiming he would return on Cinco de Mayo weekend in May 2018. At the post-fight press conference, Álvarez said through a translator, "Look, right now I wanna rest. Whatever the fans want, whatever the people want and ask for, we'll do. You know that's my style. But right now, who knows if it's in May or September? But one thing's for sure – this is my era, the era of Canelo".[148] Golovkin's promoter Tom Loeffler stated that they would like an immediate rematch, but Golovkin, who prefers fighting at least three times in a calendar year, reiterated his desire to also fight in December.
The fight surpassedMayweather–Álvarez to achieve the third highest gate in boxing history. ESPN reported the fight generated $27,059,850 from 17,318 tickets sold. 934 complimentary tickets were given out, according to the NSAC. Mayweather vs. Álvarez sold 16,146 tickets to produce a live gate of $20,003,150.[149]
The replay, which took place a week later on HBO averaged 726,000, peaking at 840,000 viewers.[143] The Los Angeles Times reported the fight generated 1.3 million domestic PPV buys. Although HBO didn't make an official announcement, it is believed that the revenue would exceed $100 million.[150]
Immediately after the controversial ending, talks began for a rematch between Álvarez and Golovkin. Álvarez stated he would next fight in May 2018, whereas Golovkin was open to fighting in December 2017. ESPN reported that Álvarez, who only had the rematch clause in his contract, must activate it within three weeks of their fight. On 19 September, Golden Boy Promotions president Eric Gomez told ESPN that everyone on their side was interested in the rematch and they would hold discussions with Tom Loeffler in the coming days.[151] Ringtv reported that the negotiations would begin on 22 September.[152] On 24 September, Gomez said the rematch would likely take place in the first week of May 2018 or as early as March if a deal could be worked.[153] Despite ongoing negotiations for the rematch, at the 55th annual convention inBaku, Azerbaijan on 2 October, the WBC officially ordered a rematch. Gomez reacted by telling ESPN, "Regardless of if they did or didn't order the rematch, we are going to try to make it happen. We'll do whatever it takes to make it happen."[154][155] On 7 November, Gomez indicated the negotiations were going well and Álvarez would make a decision in regards to the rematch in the following weeks. It was believed that Golden Boy would wait until afterDavid Lemieux andBilly Joe Saunders fought for the latter's WBO title on 16 December 2017, before making a decision.[156] On 15 November,Matchroom'sEddie Hearn, promoter ofDaniel Jacobs, stated that he approached Tom Loeffler regarding a possible rematch between Golovkin and Jacobs if the Álvarez–Golovkin rematch failed to take place.[157] On 20 December, Gomez announced that the negotiations were close to being finalized after Álvarez gave Golden Boy the go-ahead to write up the contracts.[158] On 29 January 2018, HBO finally announced the rematch would take place in May on Cinco de Mayo weekend.[159][160] On 22 February, the T-Mobile Arena was again selected as the fight's venue.[161] According to WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman, Álvarez would fight Golovkin for their title this time around.[162]
In March 2018, Álvarez tested positive for the banned substanceclenbuterol ahead of the fight.[163] Adding to the controversy, Golovkin's trainer Abel Sanchez claimed that Álvarez had his hands wrapped in an illegal manner for the first fight.[164] On 23 March, the NSAC temporarily suspended Álvarez due to his two positive tests for the banned substance clenbuterol. Álvarez was required to appear at a commission hearing, either in person or via telephone, on the issue on 10 April. The commission would decide at the hearing whether the fight would be permitted to go ahead as scheduled.[165] On 28 March,MGM Resorts International, who own the T-Mobile Arena, started to offer full refunds to anyone who had already purchased tickets for the bout. They wrote, "In the event a fan requested a refund, they could get one at the original point of sale and in full." TheLas Vegas Review-Journal reported the news.[166][167] The hearing was rescheduled for 18 April, as Bob Bennett filed a complaint against Álvarez.[168][169] On 3 April, Álvarez officially withdrew from the rematch. Golden Boy mentioned during a press conference it was hinted that Álvarez would likely not be cleared at the hearing and they would not have enough time to promote the fight.[170]
On 13 April, an unofficial source stated that Álvarez had checked into a private hospital in Guadalajara for anarthroscopy knee surgery.[171] A spokesperson for Golden Boy later said it was acosmetic surgery.[172] After surgery, Álvarez posted a picture on social media with a caption reading, "I share that today I had to undergo an arthroscopic surgery to repair the internal femoral cartilage and eliminate a pathological fold of my right knee." Eric Gomez of Golden Boy later confirmed that Álvarez had "acyst taken out of his knee" and there were no serious issues with his knee.[173][174]
At the hearing, Álvarez was given a six-month suspension, backdated to his first drug test fail on 17 February, meaning the ban would end on 17 August 2018. The Voluntary Anti-Doping Association (VADA) stated that Álvarez was not enrolled in their testing program. His promoter De La Hoya then announced that Álvarez would return to the ring onMexican Independence Day weekend.[175][176]
According to Golovkin on 27 April, before he defeatedVanes Martirosyan, a fight with Álvarez in the fall was still a priority. During a conference call, he stated it was the "biggest fight in the world" and beneficial for all parties involved. Although Golovkin stated the rematch had a ten percent chance of happening, Eric Gomez and Tom Loeffler agreed to meet and start negotiating after 5 May.[177][178][179] One of the main issues preventing the rematch to take place was the purse split. Álvarez wanted 65–35 in his favor, the same terms Golovkin agreed to initially, however Golovkin wanted a straight 50–50 split.[180]
On 6 June, Golovkin was stripped of his IBF title due to not adhering to the IBF's rules. The IBF granted Golovkin an exception to fight Martirosyan, although they would not sanction the fight and told Golovkin's team to start negotiating and fight mandatory challengerSergiy Derevyanchenko by 3 August 2018.[181] The IBF released a statement in detail explaining its decision to strip Golovkin of the belt.[182][183] On 7 June, Golovkin's team stated they would accept a 55–45 split in favor of Álvarez.[184] Five days later on 12 June, Golden Boy gave Golovkin a 24-hour deadline to accept a 57½–42½ split in Álvarez's favor or they would explore other fights. At this time, Golden Boy were already in light negotiations with Eddie Hearn for a fight against Daniel Jacobs instead. At the same time, Loeffler was working closely withFrank Warren to match Saunders with Golovkin at the end of August.[185] Golovkin declined the offer and De La Hoya stated there would be no rematch. Despite this, some sources indicated both sides were still negotiating after a "Hail Mary" idea came to light.[186][187] Hours later, De La Hoya confirmed via hisTwitter account that terms had been agreed and the fight would indeed take place on 15 September at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.[188][189] Golovkin revealed to ESPN he agreed to 45%.[190] Álvarez started training for the bout on 14 June and stated his intention to apply for his boxing license on 18 August.[191] It was confirmed that both boxers would not physically come face to face with each other until the fight week. A split-screen press conference took place on 3 July.[192] On 3 September, due to a majority vote of the panel, it was announced that the vacantRing middleweight title would be contested for the bout. Doug Fischer wrote, "We posed the question to the ratings panel, which, in a landslide, voted in favor the magazine's 160-pound championship being up for grabs when the two stars clash at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas."[193] The IBO's middleweight title was only at stake for Golovkin as Canelo refused to pay the sanctioning fee.[194]
In front of a sell out crowd of 21,965, the fight was again not without controversy as Álvarez defeated Golovkin viamajority decision after twelve rounds. Álvarez was favored by judges Dave Moretti and Steve Weisfeld, both scoring the bout 115–113, the third judge Glenn Feldman scored it 114–114. The result was disputed by fans, pundits and media. Of the 18 media outlets scoring the bout, ten ruled in favor of Golovkin, seven scored a draw while one scored the bout for Álvarez.[195][196] The scorecards showed how close the bout was, with the judges splitting eight rounds. After nine rounds, all three judges had their scorecards reading 87–84 for Álvarez.[197]
The fight was much different from the first bout in terms of action. Álvarez who was described by Golovkin's team as a "runner", altered his style and became more aggressive. Both boxers found use of their respective jabs from the opening round with Golovkin using his jab more as the fight went on. Big punches were landed by both fighters during the bout, with both Álvarez and Golovkin showing excellent chins. Despite the tense build up, both boxers showed each other respect after the fight. Álvarez made good use of his body attack, landing 46 compared to Golovkin's six landed. CompuBox stats showed that Golovkin landed 234 of 879 punches thrown (27%) and Álvarez landed 202 of his 622 punches (33%). Golovkin had the edge in jabs, landing 118 out of 547 (21.6%) compared to 59 out of 256 (23%) for Álvarez. However, Álvarez had the edge in power punches, landing 143 out of 366 (39.1%) compared to 116 out of 332 (34.9%) for Golovkin. In eight of the rounds Golovkin outlanded Álvarez in total punches whereas Álvarez outlanded him in power punches in 9 of the rounds.[198][199]
Álvarez stated that the fight was a "clear victory" and that "in the end, it was a victory for Mexico. And again, it was an opportunity. And I want to shout out to my opponent, the best in the sport of boxing. I am a great fighter, and I showed it tonight. If the people want another round, I'll do it again. But for right now, I will enjoy time with my family." Golovkin did not take part in the post-fight and made his way backstage where he received stitches for a cut over his right eye. He later responded to the defeat, explaining that "I'm not going to say who won tonight, because the victory belongs to Canelo, according to the judges. I thought it was a very good fight for the fans and very exciting. I thought I fought better than he did." Both fighters were open to a trilogy.[200]
The fight generated a live gate of $23,473,500 from 16,732 tickets sold. This was lower than the first bout, but still the fourth largest-grossing gates in Nevada boxing history. The fight sold 1.1 million PPV buys, lower than the first bout; however, due to being priced at $84.95, it generated more revenue at around $94 million.[201][202]
In October 2018, Álvarez announced that he would move up to the super middleweight division for the first time in his career to fight 31-year-old British boxerRocky Fielding (27–1, 15 KOs) atMadison Square Garden inNew York City,New York on 15 December 2018, for the WBA (Regular)super middleweight title.[203] On 17 October 2018,DAZN announced that it had signed a five-year, $365 million deal with Álvarez, under which his next eleven fights would be broadcast in the U.S. by the subscription sports streaming service. The deal would begin with Álvarez vs. Fielding and replace his expired contract with HBO (which had also announced its discontinuation of boxing telecasts).[204][205]
Álvarez would dominate the bout, with the taller Fielding not attempting to establish the range but instead he was dropped in each of the first two rounds with left hands to the body. Fielding was able to land some combinations of his own but they lacked the power required to trouble Canelo. A right to the jaw again dropped Fielding in round three, prompting the referee to warn the brit that "one more" would end the bout. Later in the round another left to the body dropped Fielding for the fourth time at which point referee Ricky Gonzalez stopped the bout.[206] According toCompuBox, Álvarez would land 73 of 141 (52%) of his punches against just 37 of 183 (20%) of Fielding's[207][208] Speaking after the bout said Alvarez "Fortunately for me he came to attack, that was the error he made and I did my thing in there." Fielding would admit he made a tactical error in trading with Canelo saying that "I stood there too long, thought I could mix it with him and shouldn't have, with my height, I should have kept the fight long, at distance. The better man won."[209]
In January 2019, Álvarez announced he would return to the middleweight division to faceDaniel Jacobs in an attempt to unify hisWBA,WBC andThe Ring belts with Jacobs'IBF title on 4 May 2019 at theT-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The bout included a rehydration clause of 10 pounds, but Jacobs came in 3.7lb over a contracted rehydration limit of 170lbs the morning of the bout (a stipulation demanded by Álvarez’s team), costing him nearly $1,000,000 of his $10,000,000 guaranteed purse.[210][211]
Álvarez defeated Jacobs via unanimous decision, 115–113, 115–113, 116–112, to unify his WBA (Super), WBC, andRing middleweight titles with Jacobs' IBF middleweight title.[212][213][214]
On 25 July 2019, it became known thatSergey Kovalev (34-3-1, 29 KOs) was again negotiating a deal to fight Álvarez for October 2019, in a fight that would see Álvarez make his light heavyweight debut. There was reports implying the fight withAnthony Yarde, who the WBO ordered Kovalev to fight, would be scrapped ifGolden Boy Promotions andMain Events successfully negotiated a deal. Álvarez was ordered by the IBF to defend the title againstSergiy Derevyanchenko.John Skipper, who wasDAZN's executive chairman, where Álvarez was tied into a contract, stated the steaming service would only approve Kovalev or a trilogy fight withGennady Golovkin as Álvarez's next fight. According to Egis Klimas, an agreement was in place for Kovalev to fight Álvarez, if he was to defeat Yarde.[215][216] On 8 August, Álvarez decided to wait until after Kovalev's fight with Yarde to decide his next opponent.[217] Yarde revealed he was approached multiple times for step aside offers. He was first offered less than his purse for the Kovalev fight, then offered the same amount. Yarde joked that these offers needed to be more than double his purse for him to consider stepping aside.[218] During fight week, Kovalev spoke to reporters to explain the reason why he turned down a last minute eight-figure offer from Álvarez was due to the Yarde fight only being three weeks away. Tickets were already on sale and being sold. Also the matter that Kovalev was defending his world title in front his own fans in his hometown, having fought the majority of his career in the United States. Speaking toSteve Bunce, Kovalev said he wanted five more fights and a chance to become undisputed champion.[219][220]
A few weeks after Kovalev defeated Yarde, the fight between Kovalev and Álvarez was formally announced to take place on November 2, 2019 at theMGM Grand in Las Vegas, exclusively onDAZN. The fight would see Álvarez move up in weigh again in attempt to become a four-division world champion and only the second Mexican to win a world title at light heavyweight. Álvarez was looking to make history. He said, "The second phase of my career is continuing just as we had planned, and that's why we are continuing to make great fights to enter into the history books of boxing. That's also why I've decided to jump two weight classes against one of the most feared champions of recent years. Kovalev is a dangerous puncher, and he's naturally the bigger man, but that's the kind of challenges and risks that I like to face." Kovalev said of the fight, "In order to be the best you have to beat the best. I have always tried to fight the toughest opponents in my division, but many have ducked me throughout my career. Canelo wanted to fight me; to step up to higher weight and challenge for my belt." The ideal location for the fight was theT-Mobile Arena, but was not available due toVegas Golden Knights having anNFL game on November 2.[221][222]
According to Eric Gomez ofGolden Boy Promotions, completing the deal with Main Events was easy. The hurdles came before that where different parties tried to jeopardise the fight.[223] Kovalev's former trainer John David Jackson stated the only reason Team Canelo picked Kovalev was due to him being the weakest of the champion in the division. At the time, the other champions wereBeterbiev,Bivol, andGvozdyk. He said, "I’m not saying Kovalev can’t beat them because he can punch. At this stage of his career he’s on the decline compared to them.” Álvarez said he picked Kovalev because 'he’s the best in his division, he’s one of the best [in the sport]'. The event was criticised byUFC bossDana White for going head-to-head withUFC 244, which was being aired onESPN+, a rival network.[224][225][226]
There was talk amongst the boxing media whether Álvarez would utilise the full 175 pound weight limit or whether he would weigh lighter. During a media call, Álvarez said he planned on weighing at the limit. This was Kovalev's 17th consecutive title fight.[227] Kovalev towered over Álvarez being four full inches taller. At the weigh-in, Álvarez weighed 174½ pounds. At first, Kovalev stepped on the scales at 176 pounds, a pounds above the limit. He then expected to make the weight by removing his necklace, only to weigh 175½ pounds. He removed his clothes to step on the scales a third time, but was still over, this time at 175¼ pounds. He was given an hour by theNSAC to lose the extra weight. Kovalev returned a few minutes and weighing in at the 175 pounds limit. Both boxers had to adhere to the rehydration clause where neither could weigh above 185 pounds on the morning of the fight.[228][229]
There was a crowd of 14,490 in attendance, mostly pro-Álvarez. There was over an hour delay before the main event started. DAZN wanted to wait for the UFC 244 main event to finish, to maximise the amount of subscribers to tune into the boxing.MGM Grand were granted permission from ESPN+, the UFC broadcaster, to allow them to show the UFC main event in the arena, whilst the crowd waited. The boxing began at 1:18 a.m. ET.
The fight was competitive through out up until round 11 were Álvarez knocked out Kovalev to claim his WBO light heavyweight title. Kovalev worked off his jab from the opening round, finding success and winning rounds. Álvarez starting landing more power shots in the second half of the fight, but at the same time, Kovalev's jab was still connecting, frustrating Álvarez. Kovalev had his best round in the eighth pushing Álvarez on the backfoot. In the ninth and tenth rounds, Kovalev had further success out-landing Álvarez 34-22 in punches landed. Everything changed in the eleventh. Álvarez caught Kovalev with a left hook to the head which badly staggered him. He then followed with a accurately placed right hand to the chin, which had Kovalev knocked out against the second rope. Referee Russell Mora didn’t start a count and immediately stopped the fight with the official time of the stoppage being 2:15 of round 11.[230][231] Kovalev was stopped for just the third time in his career. At the time of the stoppage, Álvarez led 96–94 on two of the judges' scorecards, with the other scorecard even at 95–95. Some within the media had Kovalev was ahead, including ESPN'sDan Rafael, who had it 97-93.[232] Álvarez joinedThomas Hearns,Sugar Ray Leonard, andMike McCallum as the only formerlight middleweight champions in history to win a title at light heavyweight.[233][234] According toCompuBox, Álvarez landed 133 of 345 punches thrown (39%) while Kovalev landed 115 of 745 thrown (15%). Kovalev threw a career-high 577 jabs, landing only 63 of them.[235]
Speaking after the fight, Álvarez said, "The plan overall was patience, that was basically it -- to have patience. We knew it was going to be five, six rounds, and it was going to take some time for me to get him. 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." Kovalev was gracious in defeat, "I'll be back. I'll be back much stronger. I know that I can be a unified champion. Nobody wants to fight me in my division. This guy [Álvarez] is more fresh. He came into my division more fresh. He has more stamina, but it's OK. It's a good experience for me." Kovalev went to hospital for precautionary purposes.
Álvarez's purse for the fight as part of his DAZN deal was $35 million. Kovalev received a base purse of $3 million, however would earn more from the $12 million his promoter received from Golden Boy Promotions.[236] Álvarez admitted it would be difficult to lose weight to safely get back down to 160 pounds and was keeping his options open.[237]
Immediately after the bout, many fight fans started asking Kovalev on social media about why he allegedly took a dive. The former champion answered via several videos on hisInstagram page,:[238]
"It was impossible for me to win that fight because of all the demands and contract clauses I have signed, and my physical conditioning problems. But financially it was very interesting for me... so, yeah, I accepted the fight I was not supposed to win."[239]
Álvarez responded by calling Kovalev a "bad loser".[240]
For his 2019 campaign, Álvarez was named the fighter of the year byThe Ring Magazine,ESPN,Sports Illustrated, and theBoxing Writers Association of America.[241][242][243]
On 6 November 2020, Álvarez was released from his contract with Golden Boy Promotions after a lawsuit was settled for breach of contract.[244]
On 17 November via social media, Álvarez announced he would be facing undefeatedWBA (Super) andThe Ring super middleweight championCallum Smith on 19 December 2020, with the vacantWBC title also at stake.[245] The fight was held at theAlamodome inSan Antonio, Texas.[246] Álvarez's trainer Eddy Reynoso revealed that his fighter had been sparring with undefeated heavyweightFrank Sánchez in preparation for the bout.[247] On the night, Álvarez controlled the action over twelve rounds, inflicting Smith with a detached left biceps injury as he won by unanimous decision with scores of 119–109, 119–109, 117–111. After the win Canelo became a four division world champion.[248][249]
It was announced on 20 January 2021 that Álvarez would be defending his titles against WBCmandatory challengerAvni Yıldırım on 27 February at theHard Rock Stadium,Miami Gardens, Florida.[250] The bout attracted criticism due to many perceiving Yıldırım, who had not been in the ring since he lost a technical split decision toAnthony Dirrell two years prior in February 2019, to be vastly over-matched. Yıldırım had been named to the mandatory position as a result of the controversial nature of his loss to Dirrell, however, he had remained sidelined due to injury and theCOVID-19 pandemic.[251] Álvarez, who was mandated to face Yıldırım in order to retain the WBC title despite being heavily favored, was dismissive of the critics, saying "I really don't have to give any explanation because they're never gonna be happy with anything... He [Yıldırım] has lots of courage. He can be dangerous at any moment because he is a strong fighter."[252][253]
In a one-sided fight, Álvarez defeated Yıldırım by third-round corner retirement after Yıldırım's corner threw in the towel at the end of the third round. According to CompuBox stats, Álvarez outlanded Yıldırım 67 (40%) to 11 (11%) in total punches and 58 (59%) to 4 (22%) in power punches. In the third round, Álvarez threw 53 power punches.[254] Álvarez later stated that he had contractedCOVID-19 prior to the fight and only had one month to train.[255]
After Álvarez's successful defense againstAvni Yıldırım, promoterEddie Hearn confirmed Álvarez would be facing WBO titleholder and undefeated two-weight world championBilly Joe Saunders in a unification bout on May 8 at theAT&T Stadium inArlington, Texas.[256] Prior to the fight, there was a dispute between the two fighters' camps regarding the size of the ring: Saunders was unhappy with the proposed 18-foot ring. He instead wanted a 24-foot ring and threatened to pull out of the fight if his request wasn't met, despite having boxed primarily in 20-foot rings in his bouts in the past in the United Kingdom. He ultimately settled for a 22-foot ring after Álvarez said, "I don't care about the size of the ring, I'm just gonna go in there and do my job. It's not the only excuse he's had. He's had plenty of excuses,"[257] referencing when Saunders had previously voiced his concerns about the selection of judges for the fight.[258]
In front of a record breaking crowd of 73,126 for boxing attendance at an indoor facility in the United States, Álvarez won via eighth-round corner retirement when Saunders' team threw in the towel due to Saunders having suffered a fractured orbital bone as a result of an uppercut landed by Álvarez. At the time of the stoppage, Álvarez was winning on the scorecards 78–74 (twice) and 77–75.[259] Throughout the fight, Álvarez outlanded Saunders 73 to 60 in total punches and landed 53% of his power punches.[260]
The bout set the record for the largest attendance for an indoor boxing match in US history, surpassing the record set byLeon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II in 1978.[261]
In the immediate post-fight press conference, Álvarez was confronted by undefeated WBO middleweight championDemetrius Andrade who asked him when they were going to fight, before accusing Álvarez of ducking him. Álvarez responded to him in English dismissively, calling him a "horrible fighter", and criticizing his resume: "Man, you fight with nobody. You are a champion but you fight with nobody." Before Andrade was removed from the press conference, Álvarez told him, "Get the fuck outta here. Please, get the fuck outta here. Get the fuck outta here because I'm gonna fuck you up right now motherfucker."[262]
After months of negotiations, Álvarez announced on his social media on 19 August 2021 that he would be facing undefeatedIBF championCaleb Plant on 6 November at theMGM Grand Garden Arena inLas Vegas, in anundisputed showdown for all four major world titles in the super middleweight division, with the winner set to become the first ever undisputed champion at that weight class.[263] On 21 September 2021, the two fighters were engaged in a brief onstage scuffle during their first press conference, in which Álvarez initiated physical contact during their face-off when he shoved Plant. Álvarez stated that he had done this because he took offense to Plant's use of the word "motherfucker", interpreting it as an insult to his mother. Plant denied to reporters that he had used the common American curse word in that context. Moreover, he drew attention to Álvarez's hypocrisy, accurately indicating that Álvarez had previously used the same slur againstDemetrius Andrade on the night of 8 May 2021 in the aftermath of hisfight against Billy Joe Saunders inArlington, Texas.[262][264]
On fight night, Álvarez won the bout via eleventh-round technical knockout. He had knocked his opponent to the canvas with a left hook right uppercut combination in the penultimate round, before closing in to drop Plant again, prompting referee Russell Mora to call off the bout.[265][266][267] At the time of the stoppage, Álvarez was ahead on the scorecards with 98–92, 96–94, and 97–93.[268][269] With this win, he became the first fighter to unify all four belts at super middleweight division.[270]
At the WBC Convention on 15 November 2021 inMexico City, the WBC approved the request of Álvarez's trainer and manager, Eddy Reynoso, to have Álvarez challengeIlunga Makabu for his WBCcruiserweight title. Álvarez has never competed at cruiserweight, so Reynoso had needed to petition the WBC to allow the title fight. The cruiserweight limit was 200 pounds, but it had recently been reduced to 190 pounds by the WBC due to the introduction ofbridgerweight. The fight had been rumored to take place in May 2022.[271][272] This ultimately did not materialize, as Makabu was forced into a mandatory defense of his title in a rematch againstThabiso Mchunu on 29 January 2022, which Makabu won via split decision.[273] Instead, it was announced on 25 February 2022 that Álvarez had signed a two-fight deal withMatchroom Boxing; the first fight would see him returning to the light heavyweight division to challenge undefeated WBA (Super) championDmitry Bivol on 7 May in a bout that would be televised as sports streaming serviceDAZN's firstpay-per-view offering in the United States and Canada.[274][275]
In an upset, all three judges scored the bout 115–113 in Bivol's favor to hand Álvarez the second defeat of his professional career.[276][277] Bivol fought behind the jab in the opening round while Álvarez attacked his body. Álvarez gained Bivol's attention when he landed a clean right uppercut on his chin to close the fourth round. Bivol used his excellent footwork and took control of the fight during the middle rounds. Bivol was warned by referee Russell Mora in the seventh round for pushing Álvarez down. He was not deducted any points. Álvarez began to tire from round 8 as Bivol continued to outwork him.[278][279]
Bivol's arms were bruised due to Álvarez's tactics, the same tactic he had used in his win over Callum Smith where he targeted his arms. Bivol said, "He beat my arm up but not my head. He kept hitting me in the arms, and I kept hitting him in the face ... I expect that. I watched the fight against Callum Smith." Bivol claimed he was the best in the division and apologised to his promoter Eddie Hearn, who had recently had theÁlvarez-Golovkin trilogy fight signed for September 2022. Speaking after the fight, Álvarez planned to activate the rematch clause in the contract. He said, "It doesn't end like this. No excuses, I lost today; he is a great boxer ... I felt his power. He comes in and he goes out. He manages his distance really well." This was also Álvarez's first professional loss since 2013 and was on a 16-fight unbeaten streak. He felt Bivol only won 5 rounds.[280]
According toCompuBox punch statistics, Bivol had outlanded Álvarez in every round of the fight, for a total of 152 punches landed out of 710 thrown (21%), compared to Álvarez's 84 of 495 (17%).[281] Many media reporters and pundits drew attention to the judges' official scorecards: all three judges had scored Álvarez the winner of the first four rounds, something that was roundly criticized, and described byESPN reporter Mike Coppinger as "puzzling".[282][283][284] Despite the widespread public opinion that Bivol was the deserved winner, Álvarez initially disagreed with this notion, stating in his post-fight interview: "I don't feel like I lost the fight... Personally, I felt he [Bivol] only won four or five rounds." He later acknowledged defeat and alluded to an issue hampering his training regimen, "It’s another reason, but I don’t want to say anything and make any excuses. I lost and that’s it. I got tired and that’s it. I couldn’t train like usually, but it is what it is."[285] He went on to express his desire to fight Bivol again: "We want the rematch, and we're going to do better in the rematch."[282]
According to Dan Rafael, the PPV did 520,000 buys worldwide generating between $35 million to $40 million in revenue. The PPV numbers were much lower than the 1 million they had forecasted.[286][287] According to reports, Álvarez was to take home a $15 million base up, rising up to $53 million. Bivol was guaranteed $2 million base up to $5 million, depending on PPV revenue, his highest career purse.[288]
Despite this, a rematch between Álvarez and Bivol did not materialize immediately, as the former opted to face WBA (Super) and IBF middleweight championGennady Golovkin in a trilogy bout as his opponent for his next fight instead.[289]
Despite Álvarez expressing his desire to avenge his loss against WBA (Super) light heavyweight championDmitry Bivol in a rematch,[282] on 24 May 2022 it was announced that Álvarez would instead be returning to the super middleweight division to defend his undisputed titles againstGennady Golovkin in a trilogy bout on 17 September. The bout would see Golovkin, the WBA (Super) and IBF middleweight champion, compete in the super middleweight division for the first time in his career, while it was Álvarez's sixth bout in the same weight class.[289]
In the first pre-fight press conference on 25 June 2022 in Los Angeles, Álvarez described the rivalry between him and Golovkin as "personal" rather than simply competitive. Álvarez stated of his opponent: "He always pretends to be a nice guy but he's an asshole. He's an asshole person... He's talking a lot of things about me. That's why it's personal." Álvarez went on to express his excitement at the prospect of sending his opponent into retirement, and admitted that he received gratification from making Golovkin wait four years for a trilogy bout on his own terms, in his preferred weight class of super middleweight: "It makes me feel good."[290][291]
On fight night, Álvarez defeated Golovkin via unanimous decision with the scores of 115–113 (twice) and 116–112.[292]
On 14 March 2023, it was announced that Álvarez would be making the second defense of his undisputed super middleweight titles against WBO interim championJohn Ryder atEstadio Akron in his hometown ofGuadalajara, Mexico on 6 May. The bout would mark Álvarez's first bout in his home nation in over eleven years.[293]
Álvarez won via unanimous decision after the judges scored the fight 118–109 (twice) and 120–107 in his favor after 12 rounds.[294]
 | This sectionshould include only abrief summary of another article. SeeWikipedia:Summary style for information on how to properly incorporate it into this article's main text.(June 2025) |
In June 2023, it was announced, instead of defending his titles against his mandatory challengerTim Tszyu,Jermell Charlo (35-1-1, 19 KOs) would instead move up two-weight divisions to challenge Álvarez in September 2023. In order to make the fight, Álvarez, signed a 3-fight deal with Charlo's handlers, PBC. For months, rumours circulated Álvarez would be fightingJermall, so the news that he was fighting Jermell came as a shock to many in the boxing industry, mostly because Charlo had never competed above 154 pounds at championship level. The fight was expected to be on PPV.[295][296][297]
The fight was being billed as"Undisputed vs. Undisputed". The WBO would allow Charlo to enter the ring and be announced by the MC as the undisputed super middleweight champion, however, after the first bell rung, he would be stripped of the WBO title, elevating Tszyu to full championship status. Charlo spoke on the matter calling it unfair by the WBO, as he only recently won the title and fully intended to fight at the light middleweight division after the fight with Álvarez.[298][299] Despite what many believed, the fight was not announced to take place onMexican Independence Weekend, but instead on September 30, at theT-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.[300]
At the time of the fight announcement, Álvarez was surprised he was not offered Jermall, as he was closer to his weight, however felt Jermell was the superior boxer, with the better resume.[301] During the two-city press tour, Charlo was respectful towards Álvarez, which came to a shock, as Charlo was usually confrontational towards his past opponents. Álvarez appreciated this and said it showed that there does not need to be controversy to sell a fight.[302] For Charlo, it would be 16-months out of the ring, by the time the fight took place. On the previous hand injury, Charlo said there was no issues.[303] For this fight, Álvarez moved his full training camp toLake Tahoe, a high-altitude location, rather than his usual camp which takes place in San Diego. Álvarez stated he preferred to be more isolated, and chose to settle inTruckee, which had a population of around 20,000 residents and 5,817 feet above sea level.[304]
The WBC announced the winner would receive the Puebla belt, a commemorative belt, created for the bout.[305] During fight week, Showtime'sStephen Espinoza revealed the event was projected to exceed $20 million in ticket revenue.[306] Both boxers weighed the same 167.4 pounds for the fight, a career-high for Charlo.[307]
Both fighters were cautious early, but from the second round Álvarez would largely control the pace the bout, backing Charlo into the ropes and landing heavy punches to the body. About minute into the 7th round, Álvarez sent Charlo on to his knee with a right hook and right uppercut. It was just the second time that Charlo had been knocked down in his career. Charlo beat the count but by this time, appeared to be focused on just trying to survive and see the final bell. Whenever Álvarez cut inside, Charlo moved out of range without engaging.[308][309][310] At the end of 12 rounds, all three judges scored the bout for Álvarez with scores of 119–108, 118–109 and 118–109 giving him a unanimous decision victory.[311][312][313]
During the post-fight interviews, Álvarez said, "Nobody can compete with this Canelo. Two months in the mountains [training near Lake Tahoe] without my family. I still love boxing. I love boxing so f---ing much. Boxing is my life. Boxing made me the person I am today." Charlo said, "I feel like it wasn't me in there. I don't make excuses. You win some, you lose some. I'm undisputed in my weight; I was daring to be great. I'm proud of myself. He didn't knock me out; he knocked all the other guys out." When asked who he would like to fight next, Álvarez replied, "Whoever. I don't f---ing care." According to Compubox, Álvarez landed 134 of 385 punches thrown (35%) compared to Charlo, who landed 71 of his 398 thrown (18%). Both landed just one punch each in the opening round.[314][315]
Álvarez was asked aboutTerence Crawford being a potential opponent in the future, to which he responded, “You know, I always say if the fight make sense, why not? But he is not in the plan. ... You know, like I say, if it makes sense, maybe. I don’t know right now. I just wanna enjoy this fight and please, let me enjoy this fight. And then you’re gonna know what is next for sure.”[316]
According to Dan Rafael, the PPV sold up to 700,000 units, generating $59,500,000 in revenue, which was in the top 3 PPV's for the year afterDavis-Garcia sold 1.2 million andSpence-Crawford sold around 700,000 PPV's.[317]
On February 27, 2024, it was reported that Canelo would defend his undisputed super middleweight title againstJaime Munguia on May 4 in Las Vegas, Cinco de Mayo weekend.[318] The fight was confirmed on March 12, 2024.[319][320][321] Despite a bright start from Munguia, Canelo managed to halt Munguia's momentum by scoring a knockdown in the fourth round. In what appeared to be a competitive fight, it was Canelo who ultimately won the fight by unanimous decision, with the scores of (117–110, 116–111, 115–112).[322]
Álvarez defended his WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight titles againstEdgar Berlanga at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on September 14, 2024.[323][324] He had been stripped of his IBF title after failing to defend the belt against mandatory challengerWilliam Scull. Álvarez won the fight by UD, knocking down Berlanga in the third round.
In February 2025, it was reported that an agreement was in place for Álvarez to defend his super middleweight titles againstTerence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) in a mega-fight in September 2025. Both boxers had met withTurki Alalshikh separately and agreed personal terms. The fight would headline aRiyadh Season card, likely scheduled for a venue in Las Vegas. Early rumours reported theAllegiant Stadium as the frontrunner to host the event. Álvarez had been ignoring call outs from Crawford and Alalshikh since 2024 for a fight.[325][326] A few days later,Ring Magazine reported the fight was cancelled.[327] Álvarez began negotiations to fightJake Paul and on February 7, the plans fell through when it was announced that Álvarez signed a 4-fight deal with Riyadh Season, which meant the Crawford fight was back on.[328]
On February 8, 2025 it was reported that Álvarez will fightWilliam Scull for the undisputed super-middleweight title on May 3 inRiyadh, Saudi Arabia. Álvarez won the bout by unanimous decision with the judges scoring the fight 115-113, 116-112, and 117-110 all to Álvarez. Both boxers' performances were regarded by the media as underwhelming for their lack of action. The fight set a new record for the fewest punches thrown in a 12-round fight tracked by CompuBox in the punch counter's 40-year history, with just 445 punches: Canelo throwing 152 and Scull throwing 293.[329][330][331][332]
Following his win over Scull, he was joined in the ring by Crawford as the fight was formally announced.[333] No TV platform was confirmed, however the Allegiant Stadium was announced as the venue. As per Alalshikh's new partnership withTKO, the card was scheduled to be the first TKO boxing event, and the first to be promoted byDana White.[334] On May 13, mixed reports began circulating stating a date had not been confirmed. Both September 12 and 13 were the dates discussed. There would be a clash on September 13, as White had UFC Noche scheduled for that date inGuadalajara, Mexico. There was five possible US locations being discussed.[335][336] On May 18, Alalshikh revealed the fight was to be promoted bySELA. This implied that TKO and Dana White were no longer promoted the event.[337]
On June 7, followingUFC 316, a reporter questioned Dana White about the card. White replied that he would be promoting the fight. Alalshikh then posted onX to back what White had said. With TKO back on board, Netflix was likely to broadcast the event.[338] On June 10, the fight was officially announced, along with a three-city press tour scheduled for Riyadh, New York and Las Vegas. The fight was to take place on September 13, streaming live onNetflix.[339][340][341][342] On June 17, theAllegiant Stadium was officially confirmed as the host venue. It was reported that a deal was done to re-arrange aCollege Football, which was scheduled for that day.[343] At the kick-off presser, Al-Sheikh announced there would be a knockout bonus for future Riyadh Season cards promoted by him. He said, "We will not have [Tom & Jerry fights] anymore," Alalshikh said. "We will have in this fight and our next fights a bonus for a KO." Starting with the Álvarez-Crawford fight. Dana White later stated it would be an "over six figures" bonus.[344][345]
Álvarez isCatholic.[346] He was engaged toMarisol González, who isMiss Mexico Universe 2003 and a sports reporter forTelevisa Deportes.[347][348] In May 2021, Álvarez married his longtime partner Fernanda Gómez in a ceremony at theGuadalajara Cathedral inGuadalajara, Mexico.[349] He has three daughters and one son, all with different women.[350][351][352]
He is an avid car collector, owning aFerrari LaFerrari, aBugatti Chiron, aLamborghini Aventador SVJ, aShelby Mustang, aMercedes-AMG G 63 6x6, aRolls Royce Ghost, and aTesla Model X.[353][354][355] He also owns severalmotorcycles, includingHarleys andDucatis.[355]
Álvarez enjoys playinggolf; in 2020 he stated his intentions to retire from boxing by age 37 and "dedicate himself to his business and playing golf every day" in retirement.[356]
Álvarez is involved in several business ventures including real estate and convenience stores.[357] He served as executive-producer for the filmThe Long Game (2023).[358] He is also a boxing promoter in Mexico. His company, Canelo Promotions, was established in 2010 and his business partners are his trainers, father-and-son team Chepo and Eddy Reynoso. As of 2013, Canelo Promotions represented 40 boxers throughout Mexico.[359]
He is also involved in philanthropic work, particularly in his home country. He has supported various charitable organizations and causes, specifically those focused on helping underprivileged children and families.[360]
Álvarez made a cameo appearance inCreed III (2023),[361] and features on the cover of the boxing video gameUndisputed.[362]
| 67 fights | 63 wins | 2 losses |
|---|---|---|
| By knockout | 39 | 0 |
| By decision | 24 | 2 |
| Draws | 2 | |
| No. | Result | Record | Opponent | Type | Round, time | Date | Location | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 67 | Win | 63–2–2 | William Scull | UD | 12 | 3 May 2025 | Anb Arena,Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, andThe Ring super middleweight titles; Won IBF super middleweight title |
| 66 | Win | 62–2–2 | Edgar Berlanga | UD | 12 | 14 Sep 2024 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, andThe Ring super middleweight titles |
| 65 | Win | 61–2–2 | Jaime Munguía | UD | 12 | 4 May 2024 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, andThe Ring super middleweight titles |
| 64 | Win | 60–2–2 | Jermell Charlo | UD | 12 | 30 Sep 2023 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, andThe Ring super middleweight titles |
| 63 | Win | 59–2–2 | John Ryder | UD | 12 | 6 May 2023 | Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, andThe Ring super middleweight titles |
| 62 | Win | 58–2–2 | Gennady Golovkin | UD | 12 | 17 Sep 2022 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, andThe Ring super middleweight titles |
| 61 | Loss | 57–2–2 | Dmitry Bivol | UD | 12 | 7 May 2022 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | ForWBA (Super) light heavyweight title |
| 60 | Win | 57–1–2 | Caleb Plant | TKO | 11 (12),1:05 | 6 Nov 2021 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, andThe Ring super middleweight titles; WonIBF super middleweight title |
| 59 | Win | 56–1–2 | Billy Joe Saunders | RTD | 8 (12),3:00 | 8 May 2021 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S. | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, andThe Ring super middleweight titles; WonWBO super middleweight title |
| 58 | Win | 55–1–2 | Avni Yıldırım | RTD | 3 (12),3:00 | 27 Feb 2021 | Hard Rock Stadium,Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, andThe Ring super middleweight titles |
| 57 | Win | 54–1–2 | Callum Smith | UD | 12 | 19 Dec 2020 | Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | WonWBA (Super),The Ring, and vacantWBC super middleweight titles |
| 56 | Win | 53–1–2 | Sergey Kovalev | KO | 11 (12),2:15 | 2 Nov 2019 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | WonWBO light heavyweight title |
| 55 | Win | 52–1–2 | Daniel Jacobs | UD | 12 | 4 May 2019 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBA (Super), WBC, andThe Ring middleweight titles; Won IBF middleweight title |
| 54 | Win | 51–1–2 | Rocky Fielding | TKO | 3 (12),2:38 | 15 Dec 2018 | Madison Square Garden,New York City, New York, U.S. | WonWBA (Regular) super middleweight title |
| 53 | Win | 50–1–2 | Gennady Golovkin | MD | 12 | 15 Sep 2018 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Won WBA (Super), WBC, and vacantThe Ring middleweight titles |
| 52 | Draw | 49–1–2 | Gennady Golovkin | SD | 12 | 16 Sep 2017 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | RetainedThe Ring middleweight title; ForWBA (Super), WBC, andIBF middleweight titles |
| 51 | Win | 49–1–1 | Julio César Chávez Jr. | UD | 12 | 6 May 2017 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 50 | Win | 48–1–1 | Liam Smith | KO | 9 (12),2:28 | 17 Sep 2016 | AT&T Stadium,Arlington, Texas, U.S. | WonWBO light middleweight title |
| 49 | Win | 47–1–1 | Amir Khan | KO | 6 (12),2:37 | 7 May 2016 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBC andThe Ring middleweight titles |
| 48 | Win | 46–1–1 | Miguel Cotto | UD | 12 | 21 Nov 2015 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | WonThe Ring and vacantWBC middleweight titles |
| 47 | Win | 45–1–1 | James Kirkland | KO | 3 (12),2:19 | 9 May 2015 | Minute Maid Park,Houston, Texas, U.S. | |
| 46 | Win | 44–1–1 | Erislandy Lara | SD | 12 | 12 Jul 2014 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 45 | Win | 43–1–1 | Alfredo Angulo | TKO | 10 (12),0:44 | 8 Mar 2014 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 44 | Loss | 42–1–1 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | MD | 12 | 14 Sep 2013 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Lost WBC andThe Ring light middleweight titles; ForWBA (Super) light middleweight title |
| 43 | Win | 42–0–1 | Austin Trout | UD | 12 | 20 Apr 2013 | Alamodome,San Antonio, Texas, U.S. | Retained WBC light middleweight title; WonWBA (Unified) and vacantThe Ring light middleweight titles |
| 42 | Win | 41–0–1 | Josesito López | TKO | 5 (12),2:55 | 15 Sep 2012 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBC light middleweight title |
| 41 | Win | 40–0–1 | Shane Mosley | UD | 12 | 5 May 2012 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | Retained WBC light middleweight title |
| 40 | Win | 39–0–1 | Kermit Cintrón | TKO | 5 (12),2:53 | 26 Nov 2011 | Plaza de Toros, Mexico City, Mexico | Retained WBC light middleweight title |
| 39 | Win | 38–0–1 | Alfonso Gómez | TKO | 6 (12),2:36 | 17 Sep 2011 | Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Retained WBC light middleweight title |
| 38 | Win | 37–0–1 | Ryan Rhodes | TKO | 12 (12),0:48 | 18 Jun 2011 | Arena VFG, Guadalajara, Mexico | Retained WBC light middleweight title |
| 37 | Win | 36–0–1 | Matthew Hatton | UD | 12 | 5 Mar 2011 | Honda Center,Anaheim, California, U.S. | Won vacantWBC light middleweight title |
| 36 | Win | 35–0–1 | Lovemore N'dou | UD | 12 | 4 Dec 2010 | Estadio Universitario Beto Ávila,Veracruz, Mexico | Retained WBC Silver light middleweight title |
| 35 | Win | 34–0–1 | Carlos Baldomir | KO | 6 (10),2:58 | 18 Sep 2010 | Staples Center,Los Angeles, California, U.S. | Retained WBC Silver light middleweight title |
| 34 | Win | 33–0–1 | Luciano Leonel Cuello | TKO | 6 (12),1:23 | 10 Jul 2010 | Arena VFG, Guadalajara, Mexico | Won vacantWBC Silverlight middleweight title |
| 33 | Win | 32–0–1 | José Cotto | TKO | 9 (10),2:51 | 1 May 2010 | MGM Grand Garden Arena,Paradise, Nevada, U.S. | |
| 32 | Win | 31–0–1 | Brian Camechis | KO | 3 (12),0:23 | 6 Mar 2010 | Palenque de la Feria,Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico | Retained NABF welterweight title |
| 31 | Win | 30–0–1 | Lanardo Tyner | UD | 12 | 5 Dec 2009 | Tepic, Mexico | Retained NABF welterweight title |
| 30 | Win | 29–0–1 | Carlos Herrera | TKO | 1 (10),2:46 | 15 Sep 2009 | Auditorio Siglo XXI,Puebla, Mexico | Retained WBC Youth welterweight title |
| 29 | Win | 28–0–1 | Marat Khuzeev | KO | 2 (10),2:33 | 8 Aug 2009 | Auditorio Benito Juárez, Zapopan, Mexico | Won vacantWBC Youth welterweight title |
| 28 | Win | 27–0–1 | Jefferson Gonçalo | KO | 9 (12),1:54 | 6 Jun 2009 | Xcaret Park,Cancún, Mexico | Retained NABF welterweight title |
| 27 | Win | 26–0–1 | Michel Rosales | TKO | 10 (12),2:53 | 11 Apr 2009 | Gimnasio Niños Héroes, Tepic, Mexico | Retained NABF welterweight title |
| 26 | Win | 25–0–1 | Euri González | TKO | 11 (12),1:36 | 21 Feb 2009 | Auditorio Benito Juárez, Zapopan, Mexico | Retained NABF welterweight title; WonWBO Latino welterweight title |
| 25 | Win | 24–0–1 | Antonio Fitch | TKO | 1 (12),1:52 | 17 Jan 2009 | Foro Scotiabank,Mexico City, Mexico | Won vacantNABF welterweight title |
| 24 | Win | 23–0–1 | Raúl Pinzón | TKO | 1 (12),2:30 | 5 Dec 2008 | Miccosukee Resort & Gaming,Miami, Florida, U.S. | Retained WBA Fedecentro welterweight title |
| 23 | Win | 22–0–1 | Larry Mosley | UD | 10 | 24 Oct 2008 | Morongo Casino Resort & Spa,Cabazon, California, U.S. | |
| 22 | Win | 21–0–1 | Carlos Adán Jerez | UD | 10 | 2 Aug 2008 | Auditorio Benito Juárez, Zapopan, Mexico | Retained WBA Fedecentro welterweight title |
| 21 | Win | 20–0–1 | Miguel Vázquez | UD | 10 | 28 Jun 2008 | Palenque Calle 2,Zapopan, Mexico | |
| 20 | Win | 19–0–1 | Francisco Villanueva | SD | 10 | 6 Jun 2008 | Tepic, Mexico | |
| 19 | Win | 18–0–1 | Gabriel Martinez | RTD | 11 (12),3:00 | 18 Apr 2008 | Salon Marbet Plus, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico | Won vacantWBA Fedecentro welterweight title |
| 18 | Win | 17–0–1 | Francisco Villanueva | TKO | 9 (12),2:32 | 14 Mar 2008 | Coliseo Olimpico de la UG, Guadalajara, Mexico | Retained Jalisco welterweight title |
| 17 | Win | 16–0–1 | Axel Rodrigo Solis | KO | 1 (8),2:55 | 22 Feb 2008 | Salon Marbet Plus,Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico | |
| 16 | Win | 15–0–1 | Sean Holley | TKO | 2 (10),3:00 | 15 Dec 2007 | Auditorio Benito Juarez, Guadalajara, Mexico | |
| 15 | Win | 14–0–1 | Ricardo Cano | UD | 12 | 31 Aug 2007 | Coliseo Olímpico, Guadalajara, Mexico | WonJaliscowelterweight title |
| 14 | Win | 13–0–1 | Christian Solano | UD | 10 | 18 Aug 2007 | Arena Coliseo, Guadalajara, Mexico | |
| 13 | Win | 12–0–1 | Jesus Hernandez | TKO | 2 (10),0:12 | 1 Jun 2007 | Casino de los Fresnos, Tepic, Mexico | |
| 12 | Win | 11–0–1 | Víctor Marquez | KO | 4 (10),1:48 | 19 May 2007 | Auditorio Benito Juarez, Guadalajara, Mexico | |
| 11 | Win | 10–0–1 | Ivan Illescas | KO | 4 (10),2:40 | 30 Mar 2007 | Arena-Casino Los Fresnos, Tepic, Mexico | |
| 10 | Win | 9–0–1 | Javier Martinez | TKO | 8 (10),1:54 | 2 Mar 2007 | Casino Los Fresnos,Tepic, Mexico | |
| 9 | Win | 8–0–1 | Daniel Martinez | KO | 2 (8),2:59 | 8 Dec 2006 | Arena Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico | |
| 8 | Win | 7–0–1 | Francisco Villanueva | KO | 5 (6),1:20 | 29 Sep 2006 | Tonalá, Mexico | |
| 7 | Win | 6–0–1 | Cristian Hernandez | KO | 2 (6),0:34 | 15 Sep 2006 | Guadalajara, Mexico | |
| 6 | Win | 5–0–1 | Juan Hernandez | KO | 2 (6),0:07 | 21 Jul 2006 | Arena Coliseo, Guadalajara, Mexico | |
| 5 | Draw | 4–0–1 | Jorge Juarez | SD | 4 | 17 Jun 2006 | Auditorio Fausto Gutierrez Moreno,Tijuana, Mexico | |
| 4 | Win | 4–0 | Pedro Lopez | KO | 1 (4),2:33 | 10 Feb 2006 | Men's Club, Guadalajara, Mexico | |
| 3 | Win | 3–0 | Miguel Vázquez | SD | 4 | 20 Jan 2006 | Guadalajara, Mexico | |
| 2 | Win | 2–0 | Pablo Alvarado | KO | 2 (4),2:25 | 26 Nov 2005 | Arena Chololo Larios, Tonalá, Mexico | |
| 1 | Win | 1–0 | Abraham Gonzalez | TKO | 4 (4),0:18 | 29 Oct 2005 | Arena Chololo Larios,Tonalá, Mexico |
| No. | Date | Fight | Billing | Buys | Network | Revenue |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 14 September 2013 | Mayweather vs.Canelo | The One | 2,200,000[363] | Showtime | $150,000,000 |
| 2 | 8 March 2014 | Canelo vs.Angulo | Toe to Toe | 350,000[364] | $20,000,000 | |
| 3 | 12 July 2014 | Canelo vs.Lara | Honor and Glory | 300,000[365] | $18,000,000 | |
| 4 | 21 November 2015 | Cotto vs.Canelo | Cotto–Canelo | 900,000[83] | HBO | $58,000,000 |
| 5 | 7 May 2016 | Canelo vs.Khan | Power vs. Speed | 600,000[90] | $30,000,000 | |
| 6 | 17 September 2016 | Canelo vs.Smith | Canelo–Smith | 300,000[97] | $20,000,000 | |
| 7 | 6 May 2017 | Canelo vs.Chávez | Civil War | 1,000,000[125] | $80,000,000 | |
| 8 | 16 September 2017 | Canelo vs.Golovkin | Supremacy | 1,300,000[150] | $110,000,000 | |
| 9 | 15 September 2018 | Canelo vs.Golovkin II | Final Judgment | 1,100,000[201] | $120,000,000 | |
| 10 | 6 November 2021 | Canelo vs.Plant | Road to Undisputed | 800,000[366] | Showtime | $64,000,000 |
| 11 | 7 May 2022 | Canelo vs.Bivol | Legacy is Earned | 520,000[367] | DAZN | $36,400,000 |
| 12 | 17 September 2022 | Canelo vs.Golovkin III | The Trilogy | 550,000[368] | $79,500,000 | |
| 13 | 6 May 2023 | Canelo vs.Ryder | The King is Coming Home | 450,000[369] | $29,250,000 | |
| 14 | 30 September 2023 | Canelo vs.Charlo | Undisputed vs Undisputed | 700,000[370] | Showtime | $59,500,000 |
| 15 | 4 May 2024 | Canelo vs.Munguia | Canelo-Munguia | 560,000[371] | Amazon Prime Video/DAZN | $50,400,000 |
| 15 | 14 Sep 2024 | Canelo vs.Berlanga | Canelo-Berlanga | 650,000 | Amazon Prime Video/DAZN | $58,500,000 |
| Total sales | 12,280,000 | $983,550,000 | ||||
| No. | Date | Fight | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 15 December 2018 | Canelo vs.Fielding | DAZN |
| 2 | 4 May 2019 | Canelo vs.Jacobs | |
| 3 | 2 November 2019 | Canelo vs.Kovalev | |
| 4 | 19 December 2020 | Canelo vs.C. Smith | |
| 5 | 27 February 2021 | Canelo vs.Yıldırım | |
| 6 | 8 May 2021 | Canelo vs.Saunders | |
| 7 | 7 May 2022 | Canelo vs.Bivol | |
| 8 | 17 September 2022 | Canelo vs.Golovkin III | |
| 9 | 6 May 2023 | Canelo vs.Ryder | |
| 10 | 4 May 2024 | Canelo vs.Munguia | Amazon Prime Video/DAZN |
| 11 | 14 September 2024 | Canelo vs.Berlanga |
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Media related toSaúl Álvarez at Wikimedia Commons| Sporting positions | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Regional boxing titles | ||||
| Vacant Title last held by Joel Julio | WBA Fedecentro welterweight champion 18 April 2008 – January 2009 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Hugo Valdez | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Jesús Soto Karass | NABF welterweight champion 17 January 2009 – July 2010 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Shawn Porter | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Jorge Daniel Miranda | WBO Latino welterweight champion 21 February 2009 – April 2009 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Diosbelys Hurtado | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Oliver Guettel | WBC Youth welterweight champion 8 August 2009 – July 2010 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Danny García | ||
| New title | WBC Silver light middleweight champion 10 July 2010 – 5 March 2011 Won world title | Vacant Title next held by Vanes Martirosyan | ||
| World boxing titles | ||||
| Vacant Title last held by Manny Pacquiao | WBClight middleweight champion 5 March 2011 –14 September 2013 | Succeeded by | ||
| New title Unified againstAustin Trout | WBAlight middleweight champion Unified title 20 April 2013 – 14 September 2013 Failed to winSuper title | Title discontinued | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Winky Wright | The Ringlight middleweight champion 20 April 2013 – 14 September 2013 | Succeeded by Floyd Mayweather Jr. | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Miguel Cotto | WBC middleweight champion 21 November 2015 – 18 May 2016 Vacated | Succeeded by | ||
| Preceded by Miguel Cotto | The Ring middleweight champion 21 November 2015 – 12 June 2018 Stripped | Vacant Title next held by Himself | ||
| Preceded by | WBOlight middleweight champion 17 September 2016 – 21 May 2017 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Miguel Cotto | ||
| Preceded by Gennady Golovkin | WBA middleweight champion Super title 15 September 2018 – 1 January 2021 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Ryōta Murata | ||
| WBC middleweight champion 15 September 2018 – 26 June 2019 Promoted toFranchise champion | Succeeded by | |||
| Vacant Title last held by Himself | The Ring middleweight champion 15 September 2018 – 2 January 2021 Vacated | Vacant | ||
| Preceded by | WBAsuper middleweight champion Regular title 15 December 2018 – 19 December 2020 Won Super title | Vacant Title next held by David Morrell | ||
| Preceded by | IBF middleweight champion 4 May 2019 – 1 August 2019 Stripped | Vacant Title next held by Gennady Golovkin | ||
| Preceded by | WBOlight heavyweight champion 2 November 2019 – 17 December 2019 Vacated | Vacant Title next held by Joe Smith Jr. | ||
| Preceded by | WBAsuper middleweight champion Super title 19 December 2020 – present | Incumbent | ||
| Vacant Title last held by David Benavidez | WBCsuper middleweight champion 19 December 2020 – present | |||
| Preceded by Callum Smith | The Ringsuper middleweight champion 19 December 2020 – present | |||
| Preceded by | WBOsuper middleweight champion 8 May 2021 – present | |||
| Preceded by | IBFsuper middleweight champion 6 November 2021 – 26 July 2024 Stripped | Vacant Title next held by William Scull | ||
| Inaugural champion | Undisputed super middleweight champion 6 November 2021 – 26 July 2024 Titles fragmented | Vacant Title next held by Himself | ||
| Preceded by William Scull | IBFsuper middleweight champion 3 May 2025 – present | Incumbent | ||
| Vacant Title last held by Himself | Undisputedsuper middleweight champion 3 May 2025 – present | |||
| Awards | ||||
| Previous: Daniel Jacobs | ESPN Prospect of the Year 2010 | Next: Gary Russell Jr. | ||
| Previous: Terence Crawford | ESPN Fighter of the Year 2015 | Next: Carl Frampton | ||
| Previous: Carl Froch KO8 George Groves | The Ring Knockout of the Year KO3James Kirkland 2015 | Next: Canelo Álvarez KO6 Amir Khan | ||
| Previous: Wladimir Klitschko KO5Kubrat Pulev | ESPN Knockout of the Year KO3 James Kirkland 2015 | Next: Hassan N'Dam N'Jikam KO1Alfonso Blanco | ||
| Previous: Canelo Álvarez KO3 James Kirkland | The Ring Knockout of the Year KO6 Amir Khan 2016 | Next: David Lemieux KO3Curtis Stevens | ||
| Previous: Anthony Joshua vs. Wladimir Klitschko | The Ring Fight of the Year vs. Gennady Golovkin II 2018 | Next: Naoya Inoue vs. Nonito Donaire | ||
| Previous: Oleksandr Usyk | The Ring Fighter of the Year 2019 | Next: Tyson Fury and Teófimo López | ||
| BWAA Fighter of the Year 2019 | Next: Teófimo López | |||
| Previous: Tyson Fury and Teófimo López | The Ring Fighter of the Year 2021 | Next: Dmitry Bivol | ||
| Achievements | ||||
| Preceded by | The Ring pound for pound #1 boxer 7 November 2019 – 7 May 2022 | Succeeded by Oleksandr Usyk | ||
| BWAA pound for pound #1 boxer 18 December 2019 – 26 June 2022 | Succeeded by Terence Crawford | |||