Canelo Álvarez Height, Age, Girlfriend, Wife, Children, Family, Biography & More

Some Lesser Known Facts About Canelo Álvarez

• Alvarez is known as the first and only boxer in history to become an undisputed champion at super middleweight. From being an excellent counterpuncher to a powerful body puncher, Canelo Álvarez is one of the highest-paid athletes in the world.

• Canelo’s parents, father Santos Álvarez and mother Ana María Barrera, were born, grew up, and married in Los Reyes, Michoacán.

• When Canelo was five years old, his parents moved to Jalisco due to economic demands, and they eventually settled in Juanacatlán, located 60 kilometers from the capital of Jalisco, on the banks of the Santiago River, where Canelo grew up.
  

  Canelo Alvarez’s childhood photo

• Canelo’s father, Santos, opened the pallet shop in Juanacatlán, and when it didn’t work in one community, Santos went to another, and the young Canelo would assist his father without any complexes. While talking about this, Santos says,
  

  I gave my children a percentage for each palette they sold to motivate them and so they wouldn’t be embarrassed.”

• According to Canelo’s sister Ana Elda, he was tremendous, hyperactive, and very naughty. Ana says that when she locked the door of the house to not let the children go out into the street without completing their homework, Canelo would use the laundry room as a ladder to jump over the fence and escape to play soccer at the Reforma Club.

• Canelo loved playing video games. Cartoons and horses were other passions that he enjoyed while growing up.

• When he was eight years old, he brought a horse home; however, a week later, he returned it to the same place where he took it. According to his family, Canelo’s attachment to that horse resolved until he became a professional boxer when he bought two horses, Dandy, and Bombón. ^[21]La Opinion

• When Canelo was 10 years old, his eldest brother, Rigoberto Álvarez, gifted him a pair of gloves; at that time, Canelo dreamed of being a soccer player. After gifting the gloves, Rigoberto told Canelo,
  

  You are going to be a boxer, not a paletero.”

  From then on, Canelo trained alongside his brothers and neighbors in the garage of his small house in Juanacatlán.

  

  A young Saúl Canelo Álvarez straightens out some hand wraps in the gym

• At the age of 13, Canelo started his amateur boxing career. In 2004, he participated in the Junior Mexican National Championships, held in Sinaloa, where he bagged a silver medal.

• In 2005, the 15-year-old Canelo won the Junior Mexican National Boxing Championship, held in Tuxtla Gutiérrez. His amateur record stands at 44–2 with 12 knockouts.
  

  A young Canelo Alvarez after winning a bout

• At the age of 15, Alvarez turned professional, and he was trained by the father-and-son team Chepo and Eddy Reynoso at that time.
  

  A young Canelo Alvarez and his long-time trainer Eddy Reynoso (left)

• Alvarez won 11 out of 13 fights in his first 19 months as a professional; all his opponents were significantly older.

• In the initial three years as a professional, Alvarez’s weight fluctuated including two documented fights within the light welterweight limit of 140, he eventually settled in the welterweight division at 147 lbs. ^[22]Box Rec

• Canelo’s early career as a professional included a win over Miguel Vázquez on 20 January 2006, a crushing third-round KO over Brian Camechis on 6 March 2010, and WBC-NABF welterweight title that he retained after defeating José Cotto on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Shane Mosley on 1 May 2010. ^[23]Los Angeles Times

• On 28 June 2008, he again defeated Miguel Vázquez in a rematch, and on the same night, Canelo and his brothers created history by holding the title for most siblings to fight in the same professional boxing event when they fought at an event in Zapopan, Mexico. ^[24]Guinness World Records
  

  Canelo Alvarez and his siblings hold the Guinness World Record for the title of most siblings to fight in the same professional boxing event

• In July 2010, he defeated Luciano Leonel Cuello for the WBC Silver light middleweight title, held at the Vicente Fernández Arena, following which Mexican singer Vicente Fernández gifted Álvarez a horse; the mayor of Tepic also gifted him a horse over this win. ^[25]Los Angeles Times

• In July 2010, he defeated the former WBC welterweight champion Carlos Baldomir at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California, on the Shane Mosley vs. Sergio Mora undercard, becoming the second boxer ever to stop Carlos Baldomir and the first boxer ever to knock him out; Alvarez even declined to take the extra $12,000 from Baldomir as Baldomir was overweight, and in California, an overweight fighter is penalized 20% of his purse, which is given to the other fighter. ^[26]Boxing Scene

• Later, in light middleweight, Alvarez defeated many renowned fighters. He defeated Kermit Cintrón on 26 November 2011; the fight averaged 1.5 million viewers on HBO: Boxing After Dark.

• He then defeated Shane Mosley on 5 May 2012 via unanimous decision after twelve rounds.

• On 15 September 2012, he defeated Josesito López; the fight averaged 1.04 million on Showtime.

• On 20 April 2013, he defeated Austin Trout.

• Alvarez lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. on 14 September 2013, in front of a sold-out crowd of 16,746 at the MGM Garden. ^[27]The New York Times
  

  Alvarez lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr. on 14 September 2013

• After tasting success in light middleweight, Alvarez shifted to catchweight and defeated many renowned fighters. His first fight was against Alfredo Angulo who he defeated on 8 March 2014; it was Alvarez’s first 155-pound catchweight.

• He then defeated Erislandy Lara on 12 July 2014; the result of the fight was controversial as many found it far too wide.

• On 9 May 2015, he defeated James Kirkland; it was the first fight of Álvarez’s lucrative HBO contract, and it was the highest viewership for HBO in 2015 with an average of 2.146 million viewers. ^[28]Bad Left Hook

• On 21 November 2015, he defeated Miguel Cotto in front of a sold-out crowd of 11,274 at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

• On 7 May 2016, he defeated Amir Khan at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

• After returning to light middleweight, Alvarez defeated Liam Smith on 17 September 2016, regaining a world title at light middleweight in front of a record-breaking crowd of 51,240.
  

  Alvarez defeated Liam Smith on 17 September 2016

• After returning to catchweight, Canelo defeated Julio César Chávez Jr. on 6 May 2017, in front of a sold-out crowd of 20,510 at the T-Mobile Arena in Paradise, Nevada. ^[29]Boxing Scene In the post-fight interview, Alvarez said,
  

  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.”

  

  Canelo defeated Julio César Chávez Jr. on 6 May 2017

• After defeating Julio César Chávez Jr., Alvarez shifted to middleweight, and in the first fight, Alvarez and Gennady Golovkin fought to a split draw (118–110 Álvarez, 115–113 Golovkin, and 114–114) on 16 September 2017. After Mayweather–Álvarez, the fight became the third highest gate in boxing history.

• On 15 September 2018, Álvarez defeated Golovkin via majority decision in a rematch. Although the result was controversial, in the post-fight interview, Alvarez described it a ‘clear victory’ and said,
  

  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.”

  

  Álvarez defeated Golovkin via majority decision in a rematch in September 2018

• In October 2018, Canelo Alvarez announced his switch from middleweight to super middleweight. On 15 December 2018, he defeated 31-year-old British boxer Rocky Fielding at Madison Square Garden in New York City, clinching the WBA (Regular) super middleweight title.

• In 2019, he returned to middleweight and defeated IBF middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs via unanimous decision on 4 May 2019, at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
  

  Canelo defeated IBF middleweight champion Daniel Jacobs via unanimous decision on 4 May 2019

• On 13 September 2019, Alvarez took to social media to announce his switch to light heavyweight to challenge WBO light heavyweight titleholder Sergey Kovalev, and on 2 November 2019, Alvarez defeated Sergey at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, making Alvarez the only former junior middleweight champions in history to win a title at light heavyweight after Thomas Hearns, Sugar Ray Leonard, and Mike McCallum. ^[30]BBC Later, The Ring Magazine, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and the Boxing Writers Association of America named Alvarez “the Fighter of the Year” for his 2019 campaign. ^[31]The Ring
  

  Canelo Alvarez’s on the cover of The Ring magazine

• On 17 November 2020, Canelo announced his return to super middleweight, and in his first encounter, he defeated Callum Smith on 19 December 2020, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas. He then defeated Avni Yıldırım on 27 February 2021, at the Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida; Alvarez later revealed he had contracted Covid-19 prior to the fight.

• On 8 May 2021, Alvarez defeated Billy Joe Saunders at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

• On 6 November 2021, he defeated Caleb Plant at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. ^[32]USA Today

• After defeating Caleb Plant in super middleweight, Caleno returned to light heavyweight. On 7 May 2022, he lost to Dmitry Bivol; this was the second defeat of Alvarez’s professional career. Reportedly, Alvarez was outlanded by Bivol in every single round of the fight. In his post-fight interview, Alvarez expressed his desire for a rematch and said,
  

  I don’t feel like I lost the fight… Personally, I felt he (Bivol) only won four or five rounds. We want the rematch, and we’re going to do better in the rematch.”

  

  Dmitry Bivol defeated Canelo on 7 May 2022

• After being defeated by Dmitry Bivol in light heavyweight, Alvarez returned to super middleweight and defeated Gennady Golovkin on 25 June 2022. In a pre-fight conference in Los Angeles, Alvarez described his rivalry with Golovkin as personal rather professional and said,
  

  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.”

  He then defeated John Ryder on 6 May 2023, at Estadio Akron in his hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico.

  

  Canelo defeated John Ryder on 6 May 2023

• Canelo is a passionate golf player, and in 2020, he stated that he would play golf every day in retirement. ^[33]Independent
  

  Canelo Alvarez playing golf

• Canelo actively promotes boxing through his company, Canelo Promotions, which he established in 2010 along with his trainers, father-and-son team Chepo and Eddy Reynoso. ^[34]Primera Hora
  

  Canelo Promotions

• In 2023, he made a cameo appearance in Creed III, an American sports drama film.
  

  Canelo Alvarez made a cameo appearance in Creed III

• Canelo prefers egg whites with ham and orange juice for breakfast, chicken with carrots, squash, broccoli, and cauliflower for lunch, apples, cucumbers, grapes, and jicama as snacks, and protein shake with no carbs for dinner. ^[35]GQ

• When Canelo was 14 years old, his parents separated, at 15, he had a stepbrother, at 17, he welcomed his first daughter, at 19, he accumulated 60 fights, and at 23, he aspired to become the best boxer in the world. In an interview, his sister, Ana Elda, described his growth to become a boxer and said,
  

  I didn’t want my little brother to grow up so fast, to leave so quickly, but that’s how life is and Saúl always liked to blow it up.”