RENO, Nevada\u00a0\u2014\u00a0The history of Mexican boxing features names that transcend generations. From Julio C\u00e9sar Ch\u00e1vez, recognized as the pinnacle of Mexican boxing, to legendary figures such as Juan Manuel M\u00e1rquez, Rub\u00e9n \u2018P\u00faas\u2019 Olivares, Salvador S\u00e1nchez, Ricardo \u2018Finito\u2019 L\u00f3pez and Carlos \u2018Ca\u00f1as\u2019 Z\u00e1rate \u2014 all have proudly carried the name of Mexican flag to the peak of the boxing world.<\/p>\n
The tradition of Aztec dominance has been continued in a big way by Sa\u00fal \u201cCanelo\u201d \u00c1lvarez, who on Oct. 29 will celebrate a historic 20-year professional career that began when he was just 15 years old, when he made his professional debut against Abraham Gonz\u00e1lez. Two decades later, with a legacy built on titles and big stages, \u00c1lvarez paused to reflect on his development from red-headed teenager who dreamed of being the best in the world to the current king of Mexican boxing with 63 victories.<\/p>\n
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Canelo \u00c1lvarez, left; UFC CEO Dana White, center; and Terence Crawford, right, speak during a news conference at at T-Mobile Arena on June 27.<\/p>\n
(David Becker \/ Getty Images for Netflix)<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve achieved everything in boxing, imagine how satisfying that is for me,\u201d \u00c1lvarez told L.A. Times en Espa\u00f1ol during his training camp in Reno, Nev.<\/p>\n
The celebration has already been planned and, like everything else involving \u00c1lvarez, it will be private but \u201con a grand scale.\u201d The magnitude will likely depend on whether he emerges victorious when he defends his four belts against the undefeated Terence Crawford (41-0, 31 KOs) Saturday (6 p.m., Netflix), at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.<\/p>\n
\u201cI think I\u2019ve done some really good things in boxing and I\u2019m very proud of that kid who started out with the dream of being the best in the world,\u201d said the 35-year-old from Jalisco. <\/p>\n
That kid, as his brother, Ricardo, recalls, was no different from any other teen in Guadalajara, except for an unusual obsession: to succeed in a brutal and demanding sport. His journey began in local gyms, under the tutelage of Chepo Reynoso and his son, Eddy, who saw extraordinary potential. It was there that Canelo \u00c1lvarez heard the words that would forever mark his destiny.<\/p>\n
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Boxer Canelo \u00c1lvarez, center, poses alongside his trainers Chepo Reynoso, left, and Eddy Reynoso, right, at MGM Grand in Las Vegas in 2018.<\/p>\n
(Ethan Miller \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\u201c\u2018With the talent you have, you\u2019ll get wherever you want to go,\u2019 is what they always told me, and it stuck in my mind,\u201d Canelo said, recalling his early days with Chepo, his trainer since he was 14 years old.<\/p>\n
Two decades later, Canelo says that advice is still the message he would repeat to himself if he could travel back in time. Because those words not only fueled his hunger, they gave him conviction.<\/p>\n
\u201cI would just tell that kid what he already knows, that \u2018you\u2019re going to get wherever you want to go,\u2019\u201d Canelo said.<\/p>\n
Two decades later, that kid not only fulfilled his promise, but exceeded it. He became a champion in multiple divisions, a global icon and, above all, a man who continues to look ahead.<\/p>\n
The story of Canelo \u00c1lvarez is not just that of a boxer, but of a dream fulfilled through discipline, sacrifice and faith. And yet, as Ricardo often says, \u201che still has a long way to go.\u201d<\/p>\n
Canelo\u2019s journey has not been improvised or meteoric, but rather a project shaped by patience and discipline. Eddy, who has also been Canelo\u2019s trainer since adolescence, recalls constantly learning alongside Canelo.<\/p>\n
\u201cIn 2000, I started training boxers with my dad \u2014 first amateurs and then professionals. We formed a group of kids and teenagers, and that\u2019s where Sa\u00fal came from,\u201d Eddy said.<\/p>\n
That connection, forged in the gyms of Jalisco, was the beginning of one of the most successful partnerships in boxing history. Eddy was inspired by figures such as Juli\u00e1n Magdaleno and Rafael Mendoza, coaches who instilled in him the ambition to be someone great in the sport.<\/p>\n
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Canelo Alvarez celebrates with his family after defeating John Ryder at Akron Stadium in 2023 in Zapopan, Mexico.<\/p>\n
(Hector Vivas \/ Getty Images)<\/p>\n
\u201cI always imagined myself being someone important in boxing,\u201d Eddy said. \u201cAnd with Sa\u00fal, we\u2019ve achieved that.\u201d<\/p>\n
In his two-decade career, Canelo has moved up in weight class, stage and demand. He has done so by facing Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Gennady Golovkin, against whom he fought a memorable trilogy.<\/p>\n
Although he suffered his first career defeat in 2013 against Mayweather, it was the fight that paved the way for his success not only as a champion, but also as an entrepreneur and businessman.<\/p>\n
However, it is the second fight against Golovkin in September 2018<\/a> that holds a special place in Canelo\u2019s heart.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was very emotional for me because of many things surrounding the fight,\u201d Canelo said. \u201cConfirming that I was better than him, everything that had been said. [It] was a very special moment.\u201d<\/p>\n Eddy agrees that that night was a high point. <\/p>\n \u201cI saw him very happy when he beat Golovkin in the second round. Also, when he beat Miguel Cotto<\/a>, or even in his early four-round fights. Every win has had meaning, but that victory over \u2018GGG\u2019 was special.\u201d<\/p>\n Little by little, Canelo learned from his mistakes and cleared his path to become the economic and sporting powerhouse he is today. Along the way, he fell out with Golden Boy Promotions<\/a> and Oscar De La Hoya in 2020<\/a>, with whom he first became a superstar, and made a miscalculation by moving up to light heavyweight and losing for the second time in his career, this time to Dmitry Bivol in 2022<\/a>.<\/p>\n