Canelo Alvarez is quite arguably the biggest boxing star in the world.
Alvarez, 32, has been boxing professionally since he was 15 years old. He has won multiple world titles in four different weight classes, including his most recent fight, when he jumped up two weight classes in November and knocked out Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round to win the WBO light heavyweight title.
In October 2018, Alvarez signed a five-year, 11-fight contract worth at least $365 million with the sports streaming service DAZN. The deal was the biggest in sports at the time (Los Angeles Angels outfielder Mike Trout would later sign an 12-year, 426.5 million deal). Alvarez's deal eclipsed the terms of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s six-fight, 30-month contract with Showtime that had a guarantee of $200 million, although Mayweather earned additional money from the PPV revenue generated from the deal.
Here's a look at what Alvarez has done up to this point in his historic career.
Canelo Alvarez career fight results
|
Fight results | Date |
| Canelo Alvarez def. John Ryder by unanimous decision | Sept. 17, 2022 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Gennadiy Golovkin by unanimous decision | Sept. 17, 2022 |
| Dmitry Bivol def. Canelo Alvarez via unanimous decision | May 7, 2022 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Caleb Plant by 11th-round TKO | Nov. 6, 2021 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Billy Joe Saunders by eighth-round RTD | May. 5, 2021 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Avni Yildirim by third-round RTD | Feb. 27, 2021 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Callum Smith by unaminous decision | Dec. 19, 2020 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Sergey Kovalev by 11th-round KO | Nov. 2, 2019 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Daniel Jacobs by unanimous decision | May 4, 2019 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Rocky Fielding by third-round TKO | Dec. 15, 2018 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Gennadiy Golovkin by majority decision | Sept. 15, 2018 |
| Canelo Alvarez and Gennadiy Golovkin, split draw | Sept. 16, 2017 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. by unanimous decision | May 6, 2017 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Liam Smith by ninth-round KO | Sept. 17, 2016 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Amir Khan by sixth-round KO | May 7, 2016 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Miguel Cotto by unanimous decision | Nov. 21, 2015 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. James Kirkland by third-round KO | May 9, 2015 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Erislandy Lara by split decision | July 12, 2014 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Alfredo Angulo by 10th-round TKO | March 8, 2014 |
| Floyd Mayweather def. Canelo Alvarez by majority decision | Sept. 14, 2013 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Austin Trout by unanimous decision | April 20, 2013 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Josesito Lopez by fifth-round TKO | Sept. 15, 2012 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Shane Mosley by unanimous decision | May 5, 2012 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Kermit Cintron by fifth-round TKO | Nov. 26, 2011 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Alfonso Gomez by sixth-round TKO | Sept. 17, 2011 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Ryan Rhodes by 12th-round TKO | June 18, 2011 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Matthew Hatton by unanimous decision | March 5, 2011 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Lovemore N'dou by unanimous decision | Dec. 4, 2010 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Carlos Baldomir by sixth-round KO | Sept. 18, 2010 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Luciano Leonel Cuello by sixth-round TKO | July 10, 2010 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Jose Cotto by ninth-round TKO | May 1, 2010 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Brian Camechis by third-round KO | March 6, 2010 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Lanardo Tyner by unanimous decision | Dec. 5, 2009 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Carlos Leonardo Herrera by first-round TKO | Sept. 15, 2009 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Marat Khuzeev by second-round KO | Aug. 8, 2009 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Jeferson Luis Goncalo by ninth-round KO | June 6, 2009 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Michel Rosales by 10th-round TKO | April 11, 2009 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Euri Gonzalez by 11th-round TKO | Feb. 21, 2009 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Luis Antonio Fitch by first-round TKO | Jan. 17, 2009 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Raul Pinzon by first-round TKO | Dec. 5, 2008 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Larry Mosley by unanimous decision | Oct. 24, 2008 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Carlos Adan Jerez by unanimous decision | Aug. 2, 2008 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Miguel Vazquez by unanimous decision | June 28, 2008 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Francisco Villanueva by split decision | June 6, 2008 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Gabriel Martinez by retirement in the 11th-round | April 18, 2008 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Francisco Villanueva by ninth-round TKO | March 14, 2008 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Axel Rodrigo Solis by first-round knockout | Feb. 22, 2008 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Sean Holley by second-round TKO | Dec. 15, 2007 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Ricardo Cano by unanimous decision | Aug. 31, 2007 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Christian Solano by unanimous decision | Aug. 18, 2007 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Jesus Abel Hernandez by second-round TKO | June 1, 2007 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Víctor Marquez by fourth-round KO | May 19, 2007 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Ivan Illescas by fourth-round KO | March 30, 2007 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Javier Martinez by eighth-round TKO | March 2, 2007 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Daniel Martinez by second-round KO | Dec. 8, 2006 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Francisco Villanueva by fifth-round KO | Sept. 29, 2006 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Cristian Hernandez by second-round KO | Sept. 15, 2006 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Juan Hernandez by second-round KO | July 21, 2006 |
| Canelo Alvarez and Jorge Juarez, split draw | June 17, 2006 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Pedro Lopez by first-round KO | Feb. 10, 2006 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Miguel Vazquez by split decision | Jan. 20, 2006 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Pablo Alvarado by second-round KO | Nov. 26, 2005 |
| Canelo Alvarez def. Abraham Gonzalez by fourth-round TKO | Oct. 29, 2005 |
Canelo Alvarez age, height, weight class, reach, titles
- Birth name: Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán
- Nickname: Canelo (Cinnamon)
- Birthday: July 18, 1990
- Age: 33
- Birthplace: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
- Nationality: Mexican
- Division: Junior Middleweight, Middleweight, Super Middleweight, Light Heavyweight
- Height: 5-9
- Reach: 70 1/2 inches
- Stance: Orthodox
- Total Fights: 56
- Career record: 53-1-2
- Wins by knockout: 36
- World titles held (current): Unified WBA (Super), WBC (Franchise) Ring magazine and lineal middleweight champion and WBA (Regular) super middleweight champion
- World titles held (past): WBA (Unified), WBC, WBO and Ring junior middleweight champion, IBF middleweight title, WBO light heavyweight titleholder
- Last fight: Win against John Ryder in May 2023
- Next fight: Jermell Charlo September 30 live on DAZN in UK and ROI only
Notable career highlights
Canelo Alvarez's first fight: Oct. 29, 2005
Everyone has to start somewhere. For Alvarez, his pro debut took place on Oct. 29, 2005 at Arena Chololo Larios in Tonala, Mexico against Abraham Gonzalez. Alvarez garnered the first win and stoppage of his career, beating Gonzalez by fourth-round TKO.
Unanimous decision win over Shane Mosley: May 5, 2012
In the first 40 fights of his career, Alvarez hadn't really faced a name fighter that would resonate with the American audience. He got that opportunity when he was featured on the undercard of Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s showdown with Miguel Cotto, clashing with three-division world champion and future Hall of Famer Shane Mosley.
Alvarez made easy work of Mosley, winning a lopsided unanimous decision to retain his WBC junior middleweight title for his first signature win.
Unanimous decision victory over Miguel Cotto to become middleweight champion: Nov. 21, 2015
There were several questions heading into Alvarez's bout with Miguel Cotto: How would Alvarez handle the pressure of a big fight coming off his first-career loss, against Mayweather? What did he learn from the Mayweather fight? How he would handle fighting for the first time in his career above 154 pounds?
Those questions were all answered in emphatic fashion as Alvarez matured and became a more complete boxer against Cotto. Alvarez showcased improvements both offensively and defensively as he utilized his proficient counterpunching to propel him to a unanimous decision victory and the WBC middleweight championship.
The fight did better than expected on PPV, generating more than 900,000 buys and $58 million at the time to become the first event not headlined by Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao or Oscar De La Hoya to do over 900,000 PPV buys.
This fight made Alvarez one of the top stars in the sport, as it showed he could carry the load and deliver numbers that only a select few could do.
Dethroning "GGG" to reign supreme at 160 pounds: Sept. 15, 2018
Questions surrounded Alvarez coming into the rematch with Golovkin. Many felt Golovkin did enough to win their first fight in September 2017. Alvarez's reputation was also on the line after receiving a six-month suspension for a pair of failed drug tests in February 2018, which postponed the second clash from May to September.
Instead of allowing Golovkin to be the aggressor, Alvarez altered his counter-punching style and showed a willingness to stand toe-to-toe with GGG, as he met his rival in the middle of the ring and slugged it out with him from the opening bell.
Alvarez was able to walk down GGG during several key moments of the fight and pounded the body with his signature left hook. The nip-and-tuck affair was tightly contested as both had their moments, but Alvarez's shift in the game plan and aggressive approach earned the majority decision nod to capture the WBA (Super) and WBC middleweight belts.
Making history vs. Sergey Kovalev: Nov. 2, 2019
Alvarez had three of the four major middleweight world titles at middleweight. But instead of trying to become the undisputed 160-pound champion, Alvarez dared to make more history by jumping up two weight classes to battle WBO light heavyweight champion Sergey Kovalev.
Kovalev had reigned supreme over the 175-pound division for the majority of the decade, but his better days were behind him. Kovalev performed better than expected by utlizing the jab to perfection and having Alvarez on the ropes. Ultimately, though, Alvarez's power showed it could have an effect 15 pounds above his usual fighting weight, as he knocked out Kovalev to become a four-division world champion.