Santos Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez Barragán, born on July 18, 1990, is a celebrated Mexican professional boxer.
Canelo Alvarez Knockouts Ranked by BRUTALITY
Early Career
Álvarez began his professional boxing career at the young age of 15. By 2011, at age 20, he became the youngest boxer to win the World Boxing Council (WBC) light middleweight title. In 2004, he won the silver medal at the Junior Mexican National Championships, held in Sinaloa. He became the 2005 Junior Mexican National Boxing Champion in Tuxtla Gutiérrez at the age of 15. 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 by knockout (KO), but that these fights (apparently in small venues in the Mexican state of Nayarit) were so poorly documented that it was not worth the trouble to seek to have the record corrected.
Early Fights and Development
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. 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. On 6 March 2010, he got a crushing third-round KO over Brian Camechis in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas.
Title Wins and Championship Bouts
Álvarez then defeated José Cotto on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Juan Manuel Márquez. 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. During the post-fight interview, Mexican singer Vicente Fernández gave Álvarez a horse. He next faced the former WBC welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on the Shane Mosley vs. Sergio Mora undercard.
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On 5 March 2011, Álvarez defeated European welterweight champion Matthew Hatton via unanimous decision, for the vacant WBC light middleweight belt. On 17 September 2011, Álvarez successfully defended that same WBC title against The Contender competitor Alfonso Gómez at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, winning via TKO in the sixth round. Álvarez vs. Álvarez defeated Kermit Cintrón via TKO in the fifth round.
Notable Fights
- Austin Trout: On 20 April 2013, Álvarez fought Austin Trout, successfully defending his WBC light middleweight title and winning both the WBA (Regular) and vacant Ring light middleweight titles.
- Floyd Mayweather Jr.: On 14 September 2013, Álvarez faced Floyd Mayweather Jr., losing via majority decision in a high-profile match.
- Alfredo Angulo: On 8 March 2014, Álvarez rebounded with a tenth-round TKO of Alfredo Angulo.
- Erislandy Lara: On 12 July 2014, Álvarez fought Erislandy Lara, winning by split decision in a very close and competitive fight.
- James Kirkland: On 9 May 2015, Álvarez defeated James Kirkland via third-round KO.
- Miguel Cotto: On 21 November 2015, Álvarez won the WBC, and Ring middleweight titles with a unanimous decision victory over Miguel Cotto.
- Gennady Golovkin: In September 2018, Álvarez beat Golovkin to become the WBA (Super version), WBC, and Ring middleweight champion.
Super Middleweight Dominance
In 2019, Álvarez beat Rocky Fielding for the WBA super middleweight title (Regular version) and won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight title from Daniel Jacobs. He then defeated three unbeaten fighters (Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders, and Caleb Plant) to win all four titles at super middleweight within 12 months.
Recent Fights
- Dmitry Bivol: In May 2022, Álvarez returned to light heavyweight but was defeated by Dmitry Bivol via unanimous decision.
- Jermell Charlo: On September 30, 2023, Álvarez successfully defended his world titles against Jermell Charlo with a dominant unanimous decision.
- Jaime Munguia: On May 4, Álvarez defeated Jaime Munguia via unanimous decision, retaining his Undisputed Super Middleweight World Championship.
Fighting Style and Legacy
Known as an excellent counterpuncher, Álvarez exploits openings in his opponents' guards while avoiding punches with head and body movement. He is also known as a formidable body puncher.
Canelo's boxing career is adorned with numerous world titles, making him a four-division world champion. He currently holds all major titles in the Super Middleweight division, cementing his status as the reigning unified champion. He's faced formidable opponents, including boxing legends such as Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, Amir Khan, Miguel Cotto, and Daniel Jacobs. In a remarkable display of skill and power, he ventured into the Light Heavyweight division and easily dominated Sergey Kovalev, despite Kovalev's size advantage.
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.
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Canelo Alvarez Fight Record
Canelo Alvarez's record currently stands at 63 wins, 3 losses, and 2 draws. Of those 63 wins, he has stopped 39 of his opponents, so his current knock-out ratio is 62%. Despite his 3 losses, he has never been stopped.
Key Statistics
- Wins: 63
- Losses: 3
- Draws: 2
- Knockout Percentage: 62%
Canelo is 5' 9" tall, which is 175cm. His reach is 70.5 inches, which is 179 cm. Canelo fights from a traditional orthodox stance, which means he favours his right hand as his power hand when fighting.
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