Saul Alvarez Mexican professional boxer Date of Birth: 18.07.1990 Country: Mexico

1. Early Life and Amateur Career
2. Early Professional Career
3. WBC Light Middleweight Champion
4. Undefeated Champion
5. First Loss
6. Post-Mayweather Comeback
7. Middleweight Success
8. The Canelo-Golovkin Rivalry
9. Personal Life

Early Life and Amateur Career

Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán, known as "Canelo," was born in Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, on July 18, 1990. His parents, Santos Álvarez and Ana María Barragán, hailed from Los Reyes, Michoacán. Álvarez grew up with six siblings, all of whom were involved in sports. Among his brothers are professional boxers Ramón Álvarez and Ricardo Álvarez, and WBA light middleweight champion Rigoberto Álvarez. Inspired by his brother Rigoberto's professional debut, Saúl began boxing at the tender age of 13. Alvarez earned the nickname "Canelo" ("Cinnamon"), due to his reddish hair and freckles.

Early Professional Career

Álvarez made his professional debut in 2005, quickly gaining a reputation for his power. He won his first two fights by knockout and continued to impress with victories over Miguel Vasquez in 2006 and Gabriel Martinez in 2008. Álvarez captured his first regional title, the WBA Fedecentro light welterweight belt, in 2008.

Over the next few years, Álvarez rapidly climbed the rankings, winning titles in the NABF, WBO Latino, WBC Youth, and WBC Silver light middleweight divisions. He defended his WBC title against former champion Carlos Baldomir in 2009, refusing to accept a penalty fee from his overweight opponent. Álvarez continued to shine, successfully defending his belt against Lovemore N'dou in 2010.

WBC Light Middleweight Champion

In 2011, Álvarez achieved his greatest triumph to date, capturing the WBC light middleweight championship with a dominant victory over Matthew Hatton. He successfully defended his title against Ryan Rhodes, Alfonso Gomez, and Kermit Cintron, with each fight ending in a knockout.

Undefeated Champion

In 2012, Álvarez faced off against former three-division world champion Shane Mosley, emerging victorious after a one-sided bout. Six months later, he defeated Josesito Lopez, who had previously broken Victor Ortiz's jaw. Álvarez's winning streak continued with a close split-decision victory over Austin Trout in 2013.

First Loss

Álvarez's undefeated record came to an end in 2013, when he lost a highly anticipated pay-per-view fight to Floyd Mayweather. Despite the loss, Álvarez earned a significant payday and maintained a high level of popularity.

Post-Mayweather Comeback

After his loss to Mayweather, Álvarez embarked on a successful comeback tour, defeating Alfredo Angulo, Erislandy Lara, and James Kirkland. In 2015, he faced Miguel Cotto, winning a close but decisive unanimous decision.

Middleweight Success

In 2016, Álvarez continued his winning ways, knocking out Amir Khan in the sixth round. He then defeated Julio César Chávez Jr. and later challenged Gennady Golovkin for the WBA, WBC, and IBF middleweight titles. The match ended in a controversial draw, although many felt Golovkin had deserved the victory.

The Canelo-Golovkin Rivalry

Álvarez and Golovkin agreed to a rematch, which took place in 2018. The majority of judges awarded Álvarez a narrow victory, despite Golovkin's perceived edge in skill and power.

Personal Life

Saúl Álvarez has been in relationships with several public figures, including model Barbara Turbay, actress Kate del Castillo, Fernanda Gómez, and model Shannon de Lima. He was engaged to Marisol Gonzalez, a former Miss Universe contestant. Álvarez has a daughter from a previous relationship.