Santos Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez Barragán, born on July 18, 1990, is a Mexican professional boxer who has etched his name in the annals of boxing history.
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Álvarez is known as an excellent counterpuncher, and is able to exploit openings in his opponents' guards while avoiding punches with head and body movement. He is also known as a formidable body puncher. Here, we delve into the details of his career, highlighting key fights and results that have defined his path to greatness.
Early Career and Championship Beginnings
Álvarez began his professional boxing career at the young age of 15. By 2011, at age 20, he became the youngest boxer to claim the World Boxing Council (WBC) light middleweight title. In 2004, he won the silver medal at the Junior Mexican National Championships, held in Sinaloa. In 2005, he became the Junior Mexican National Boxing Champion in Tuxtla Gutiérrez at the age of 15.
In his first 19 months as a professional, he knocked out eleven of his 13 documented opponents, all of whom were significantly older. Álvarez's third official bout of his career was a win over future IBF lightweight champion Miguel Vázquez on 20 January 2006, in his home town of Guadalajara, Jalisco. On 28 June 2008, Álvarez defeated Vázquez again in a rematch.
Notable Fights and Results
2010: Securing the WBC Silver Light Middleweight Title
On March 6, 2010, Álvarez scored a crushing third-round KO over Brian Camechis in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas. He then defeated José Cotto on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. His sixth-round technical knockout (TKO) win over Luciano Leonel Cuello for the WBC Silver light middleweight title was held at the Vicente Fernández Arena.
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2010: Victory Over Carlos Baldomir
Álvarez faced former WBC welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir on the Shane Mosley vs. Sergio Mora undercard at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. In the sixth round, Álvarez landed a crushing blow that knocked Baldomir out cold.
2011: Winning the WBC Light Middleweight Belt
On March 5, 2011, Álvarez defeated European welterweight champion Matthew Hatton via unanimous decision for the vacant WBC light middleweight belt. The bout was televised on HBO and took place at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. 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.
2011-2012: Title Defenses Against Gómez and Cintrón
On September 17, 2011, Álvarez successfully defended his WBC title against Alfonso Gómez at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, winning via TKO in the sixth round. Álvarez defeated Kermit Cintrón via TKO in the fifth round.
2013: Triumph Over Austin Trout
On April 20, 2013, Álvarez faced Austin Trout at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. In front of 39,247 fans, Álvarez defended his WBC light middleweight title and won both the WBA (Regular) and vacant Ring light middleweight titles. All three judges' scorecards were in favor of Álvarez with a fair margin 115-112 from Filipino judge Rey Danseco, 116-111 from Texas' judge Oren Shellenberger, and 118-109 from South African official Stanley Christodoulou.
2013: Loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
On September 14, 2013, Álvarez fought against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a highly anticipated match. Mayweather defeated Álvarez via majority decision in front of a sold-out crowd of 16,746 at the MGM Garden. 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%).
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2014: Victory Over Alfredo Angulo
On March 8, 2014, Álvarez faced Alfredo Angulo at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Álvarez scored a tenth-round stoppage over Angulo punctuated by a lead left uppercut in front of 14,610 at the MGM.
2014: Close Win Against Erislandy Lara
Álvarez fought Erislandy Lara on July 12, 2014, at the MGM Grand in a non-title match. 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. According to CompuBox, Lara landed 55 jabs to nine from Álvarez, who landed the jab at a five percent connect rate.
2015: Knockout Win Over James Kirkland
On May 9, 2015, Álvarez defeated James Kirkland via third-round KO at the Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Álvarez landed 87 of 150 punches thrown (58%) and Kirkland landed 42 of 197 (21%).
2015: Winning the WBC and Ring Middleweight Titles
On November 21, 2015, Álvarez won the WBC and Ring middleweight titles with a unanimous decision victory over Miguel Cotto at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The fight took place at a catchweight of 70 kg (155 lb) at Cotto's request.
2017-2018: Battles with Gennady Golovkin
- First Fight (2017): Álvarez fought unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin to a split draw.
- Rematch (2018): Álvarez beat Golovkin to become the WBA (Super version), WBC, and Ring middleweight champion.
2019: Capturing More Titles
- Beat Rocky Fielding for the WBA super middleweight title (Regular version).
- Won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight title from Daniel Jacobs.
2021-2022: Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion
- Beat three unbeaten fighters (Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, and Caleb Plant) to win all four titles at super middleweight within 12 months.
- In May 2022, he returned to light heavyweight and challenged for the WBA (Super) light heavyweight title, but was defeated by Dmitry Bivol via unanimous decision.
September 13, 2025: Loss to Terence Crawford
In a highly anticipated match on September 13, 2025, Terence Crawford defeated Canelo Álvarez by unanimous decision to win the undisputed and Ring magazine super middleweight titles. The fight took place at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas before 70,482 fans. The judges scored the fight 116-112, 115-113, 115-113 in favor of Crawford.
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| Fight | Winner | Method | Round |
|---|---|---|---|
| Canelo Alvarez vs. Terence Crawford | Terence Crawford | UD | 12 |
| Callum Walsh vs. Fernando Vargas Jr. | Callum Walsh | UD | 10 |
| Christian Mbilli vs. Lester Martinez | Draw | Draw | 10 |
| Mohammed Alakel vs. Travis Crawford | Mohammed Alakel | UD | 10 |
| Brandon Adams vs. Serhii Bohachuk | Brandon Adams | UD | 10 |
| Jermaine Franklin Jr. vs. Ivan Dychko | Jermaine Franklin Jr. | Winner | N/A |
| Reito Tsutsumi vs. Javier Martinez | Reito Tsutsumi | Winner | N/A |
| Sultan Almohamed vs. Martin Caraballo | Sultan Almohamed | Winner | N/A |
| Raiko Santana vs. Steven Nelson | Raiko Santana | Winner | N/A |
| Marco Verde vs. Sona Akale | Marco Verde | Winner | N/A |
Legacy and Impact
Canelo Álvarez's journey is a testament to his skill, dedication, and relentless pursuit of greatness. Known for his versatility, tactical skills, and exceptional punching power, Canelo has faced some of the biggest stars in boxing history. Beyond the ropes, Canelo is renowned for his humility and unwavering dedication to his Mexican heritage. He actively contributes to the community and continuously strives to be a better human being.