Canelo, five boxing brothers and a $400 million deal with Saudi Arabia

Canelo Álvarez (63-2-2, 39 KOs) is, without question, the face of boxing and its most recognized fighter today. The Mexican, a four-weight world champion, shakes up the combat sports world every time he steps into the ring. On September 13, at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, he will defend his undisputed super middleweight crown against Terence Crawford (41-0-0, 31 KOs).

The Guadalajara native comes from a humble family. He was born in Guadalajara and grew up in Juanacatlán, a nearby municipality. His father sold ice cream and ice cream, and Canelo helped with the business from a very young age. He also worked on the family ranch, planting maguey and tending to the cows. He has seven siblings, and, including him, six of them are or have been professional boxers. They broke a Guinness record by all fighting in the same event in 2010.

One of his most striking features is his pale, freckled skin and red hair, which stood out even more in childhood. In Mexico, such traits are rare, and he was often teased by classmates, prompting him to defend himself in frequent fights. At 10, his brother Rigoberto – his first coach – gave him his first pair of gloves, and by 13 he was training regularly. Canelo had a short amateur career, turning professional at just 15 years and three months old. He won his debut by fourth-round TKO against an opponent three years older with more than a dozen fights of experience.

His road to stardom ran through Óscar De La Hoya. On the Los Angeles radio show Piolín Show, the host praised Álvarez’s skills to the Golden Boy, who took notice and signed him to his promotion company. Even so, their relationship has since soured. Years later, in 2018, he signed a blockbuster $365 million, 11-fight deal with DAZN.

Canelo claimed his first world title at super welterweight in 2011. His defining moment – and turning point – came at age 23, when he lost his crown and unbeaten record to Floyd Mayweather (50-0-0, 27 KOs) by majority decision. The defeat proved a valuable lesson, shaping him into the fighter he is today. His career surged from there, and he earned $12 million that night. The Mexican has since reigned in four divisions: super welterweight, middleweight, super middleweight and light heavyweight.

He fought one of boxing’s most famous trilogies againstGennady Golovkin (42-2-1, 37 KOs), winning two bouts and drawing the other. He wouldn’t lose again for another decade, untilDmitry Bivol (24-1-0, 12 KOs)handed him defeat. Today, Álvarez is managed by Turki Al-Sheikh after signing a $400 million, five-fight contract. He remains the public’s favorite – not just for his skills in the ring, but for his charisma outside it.As the undisputed super middleweight champion, Canelo stops the sporting world in its tracks every time he fights.

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