Canelo Álvarez’s destiny was not always tied to the boxing ring. The champion himself once admitted that he had imagined a different path if success in the sport had eluded him.
Saúl’s story reflects a humble beginning rooted in family effort, with his father’s ice cream business standing as a possible route that could have defined his life away from sports.
Canelo Álvarez
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The life Canelo Álvarez might have led without boxing
From an early age, Álvarez recognized that he had an alternative career path if boxing did not become his reality.
In past interviews, he recalled how his father owned a solid business and how he frequently took part in it.
His father drove ice cream trucks and ran a family ice cream shop.
Canelo worked there from the age of five until he was 17.
His father wanted him to study and avoid a career in boxing.
In a 2021 interview with The Mirror, Álvarez recalled: “My father advised me not to start boxing. He wanted me to study and work with him selling ice cream in the shop he had.”
The fighter added that this was a routine part of his childhood for over a decade: “I helped him a lot when I was little. He sold ice cream from trucks, and I helped him from the age of five until 17.”
His words reveal how boxing emerged as an unexpected alternative to a secure future within the family business.
Canelo Álvarez and the choice that changed his future
Álvarez’s admission shows that behind the world champion was once a young man unsure of his path.
His father’s advice was meant to steer him away from punches and toward a more traditional life.
However, when the opportunity arose to dedicate himself fully to boxing, the decision was immediate—and it defined the rest of his career.
Today, Canelo boasts titles, records, and accolades, but his reflections highlight the importance of having chosen a path different from the one that seemed predestined by his upbringing.