History of Canelo Álvarez in Timeline
Santos Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez Barragán is a highly accomplished Mexican professional boxer. He has achieved world championships across four weight classes, ranging from light middleweight to light heavyweight, and unified titles in three. Notably, in 2021, he made history as the first undisputed super middleweight champion. He later became a two-time undisputed super middleweight champion in 2025. Álvarez also held the Ring magazine super middleweight title from 2020 to 2025 solidifying his position as a dominant force in boxing.
3 hours ago : Canelo Alvarez to Fight WBC Champ: Undefeated Champion Challenge and De La Hoya's Criticism.
Canelo Alvarez is reportedly set to fight for the WBC super middleweight title. Oscar De La Hoya criticized Alvarez, while Canelo will challenge an undefeated world champion in a highly anticipated return bout.
1978: Attendance Record
In 1978, the Leon Spinks vs. Muhammad Ali II boxing match set an attendance record for indoor boxing in the US, a record which was later surpassed.
1982: Previous Las Vegas Boxing Attendance Record
In 1982, the fight between Larry Holmes and Gerry Cooney drew 29,214 fans, setting the previous Las Vegas boxing attendance record.
July 1990: Canelo Álvarez's Birth
On July 1990, Santos Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez Barragán was born. He is a Mexican professional boxer.
2002: PPV success comparison
In 2002, a PPV event featuring Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson generated 900,000 buys, marking the first time since 2002 that a PPV without Mayweather, Pacquiao, or De La Hoya reached that level.
2002: Comparison with Lewis vs. Tyson PPV buys
Álvarez's fight generated over a million PPV buys, making it the first boxing match since 2002 featuring Lennox Lewis vs. Mike Tyson to achieve this without Mayweather, Pacquiao, or De La Hoya.
2003: Engagement to Marisol González
In 2003, Álvarez was engaged to Marisol González, who is Miss Mexico Universe 2003 and a sports reporter.
2004: Silver Medal at Junior Mexican National Championships
In 2004, Álvarez won the silver medal at the Junior Mexican National Championships, held in Sinaloa.
2005: Junior Mexican National Boxing Champion
In 2005, Álvarez became the Junior Mexican National Boxing Champion in Tuxtla Gutiérrez at the age of 15.
January 2006: Win over Miguel Vázquez
On 20 January 2006, Álvarez won against future IBF lightweight champion Miguel Vázquez in his hometown of Guadalajara, Jalisco.
June 2008: Rematch Victory and Family Fight Night
On 28 June 2008, Álvarez defeated Vázquez again in a rematch, and all six of his brothers fought on the same night.
March 2010: KO Victory Over Brian Camechis
On 6 March 2010, Álvarez achieved a crushing third-round KO over Brian Camechis in Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Chiapas.
2010: Canelo Promotions Established
In 2010, Canelo Álvarez's company, Canelo Promotions, was established.
March 2011: WBC Light Middleweight Belt Win
On 5 March 2011, Álvarez defeated European welterweight champion Matthew Hatton via unanimous decision for the vacant WBC light middleweight belt.
June 2011: WBC Title Defense Against Ryan Rhodes
On 18 June 2011, Álvarez successfully defended his newly awarded WBC title against Ryan Rhodes via TKO in the twelfth round in Guadalajara, Jalisco.
September 2011: WBC Title Defense Against Alfonso Gómez
On 17 September 2011, Álvarez successfully defended his WBC title against Alfonso Gómez at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, winning via TKO in the sixth round.
2011: WBC Light Middleweight Title
In 2011, at the age of 20, Álvarez became the youngest boxer to claim the World Boxing Council (WBC) light middleweight title.
February 2012: Mosley Announced as Next Opponent
On 11 February 2012, Shane Mosley was announced as Álvarez's next opponent for his WBC light middleweight title.
March 2012: Apparel Agreement with Under Armour
In March 2012, Álvarez became the first boxer to sign a multi-year apparel agreement with Under Armour.
May 2012: Mayweather Wins Light Middleweight Title
In May 2012, Floyd Mayweather Jr. won the light middleweight title by outpointing Miguel Cotto.
May 2012: Williams' Motorcycle Accident
On 27 May 2012, Paul Williams was paralyzed in a motorcycle accident, ending his boxing career and cancelling his fight against Álvarez.
September 2012: Possible Opponents
In September 2012, Álvarez was considering possible opponents, including James Kirkland, Austin Trout, Delvin Rodriguez and Victor Ortiz, after Paul William's accident.
April 2013: Fight Against Austin Trout
On 20 April 2013, Álvarez fought against Austin Trout at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
September 2013: Contract Disagreement
In September 2013, a contract disagreement between Álvarez and Mayweather regarding their potential fight occurred, leading Álvarez to headline his own card.
September 2013: Fight Against Floyd Mayweather Jr.
On 14 September 2013, Álvarez fought against Floyd Mayweather Jr. for Álvarez's WBC and Ring light middleweight titles and Mayweather's WBA (Super) light middleweight title, contested at a catchweight of 69 kg (152 lb).
2013: Canelo Promotions Represents Boxers
As of 2013, Canelo Promotions represented 40 boxers throughout Mexico.
2013: Reynoso Statement
In 2013, The elder Reynoso stated that Álvarez had fought ten more times in the first 19 months as a professional, winning all ten by knockout (KO), but that these fights were poorly documented.
2013: WBA and Ring Titles Win and Loss
In 2013, Álvarez beat Austin Trout to win the World Boxing Association (WBA) (Unified version) and Ring titles, but later that year, he lost his WBC and Ring light middleweight titles to Floyd Mayweather Jr.
2013: Álvarez's First Professional Loss Since 2013
In 2013, Álvarez suffered his first professional loss since then, ending a 16-fight unbeaten streak after losing to Dmitry Bivol.
January 2014: Fight Announced Against Alfredo Angulo
On 9 January 2014, a fight between Álvarez and Alfredo Angulo was confirmed to take place on 8 March 2014.
February 2014: Equipment Contract with Everlast
In February 2014, Canelo Álvarez entered an exclusive gloves-and-equipment contract with Everlast.
March 2014: Victory Over Angulo
On 8 March 2014, Álvarez defeated Alfredo Angulo via tenth-round stoppage at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The fight took place at a catchweight of 70 kg (155 lb).
July 2014: Fight Against Erislandy Lara
On 12 July 2014, Álvarez fought Erislandy Lara at the MGM Grand in a non-title match at a 70 kg (155 lb) catchweight, winning via split decision in a controversial outcome.
January 2015: Álvarez agrees to fight James Kirkland
In January 2015, Oscar De La Hoya announced that Canelo Álvarez and James Kirkland had agreed to a non-title light middleweight bout, although the exact date depended on the Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao fight schedule.
May 2015: Álvarez defeats Kirkland via third-round KO
On May 9, 2015, Canelo Álvarez defeated James Kirkland via a third-round knockout at Minute Maid Park in Houston, Texas. Álvarez knocked Kirkland down in the first and third rounds, marking the first fight of Álvarez's HBO contract and drawing high viewership for HBO in 2015. Kirkland was hospitalized for a CT scan after the bout.
November 2015: Álvarez defeats Cotto to win WBC and Ring middleweight titles
On November 21, 2015, Canelo Álvarez defeated Miguel Cotto by unanimous decision at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, winning the WBC and Ring middleweight titles. The fight took place at a catchweight of 155 lb at Cotto's request, with Álvarez being awarded the WBC Diamond middleweight title two months later.
February 2016: Tecate "Born Bold" Campaign
In February 2016, Tecate selected Álvarez to front its "Born Bold" campaign, marking the brewer's first endorsement of an individual athlete.
May 2016: Álvarez vacates WBC title, calls out Golovkin
In May 2016, after defeating Amir Khan, Canelo Álvarez invited Gennady Golovkin into the ring to promote a future fight. Subsequently, on May 18, 2016, Álvarez vacated the WBC title, which was then awarded to Golovkin.
May 2016: Álvarez knocks out Khan to retain titles
On May 7, 2016, Canelo Álvarez fought Amir Khan at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Álvarez winning by a knockout in the sixth round to retain his WBC and Ring middleweight titles. The fight generated a live gate of $7,417,350 from 13,072 tickets sold and drew close to 600,000 PPV buys.
September 2016: Álvarez to fight Liam Smith for WBO title
On September 17, 2016, Canelo Álvarez was set to fight Liam Smith for the WBO light middleweight title at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The fight was announced on June 24 and would be broadcast on HBO PPV. Álvarez expressed excitement about fighting Smith, a fighter with knockout power.
December 2016: Negotiations begin for Álvarez vs. Chávez Jr. and potential Golovkin fight
In December 2016, after Julio César Chávez Jr.'s comeback win, negotiations began for a potential HBO PPV fight against Álvarez in 2017, with a catchweight of 164 pounds. De La Hoya also mentioned that a fight with Golovkin would still be likely for September 2017.
2016: WBC, Ring Middleweight Titles and WBO Title
In 2016, Álvarez defeated Miguel Cotto to win the WBC and Ring middleweight titles and beat Liam Smith to win the World Boxing Organization (WBO) title.
January 2017: Álvarez and team give Chávez Jr. a week to accept terms
In January 2017, after the WBO named Álvarez the mandatory challenger to the middleweight title, Álvarez's team gave Julio César Chávez Jr. one week to accept their fight terms, including a $7 million purse. Chávez Jr. later claimed to have agreed to all demands, including a 164.5 lbs weight limit and a $6 million base purse.
May 2017: Álvarez confirms fight with Chávez Jr. and plans to fight at middleweight
In May 2017, Canelo Álvarez officially confirmed the fight against Julio César Chávez Jr. to take place on May 6, 2017. He also announced plans to vacate his WBO light middleweight title and fight at middleweight following the Chávez Jr. fight.
July 2017: Tickets sold out for Álvarez vs. Golovkin
On July 7, 2017, Golden Boy and K2 Promotions announced that tickets for the Álvarez vs. Golovkin fight had sold out. Leading up to this, it was announced that the fight would take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and that Álvarez would fight for the IBF title, adhering to the IBF's second-day weigh-in requirements.
September 2017: Álvarez announces fight against Golovkin
Following his win against Chávez Jr., Álvarez announced that he would fight Gennady Golovkin on September 16, 2017, at a location to be determined. Golovkin joined Álvarez in the ring to promote the upcoming bout.
September 2017: Potential Golovkin fight mentioned
In December 2016, De La Hoya mentioned that a fight with Golovkin would still be likely for September 2017.
September 2017: Hennessy Endorsement
In September 2017, LVMH-owned cognac brand Hennessy added Canelo Álvarez to its global "Never Stop. Never Settle." platform.
December 2017: Golovkin Open to Fighting in December
Immediately after the controversial ending, talks began for a rematch between Álvarez and Golovkin. Golovkin was open to fighting in December 2017.
2017: Golovkin and Álvarez Disagree on Fight Outcome
In 2017, after the fight, Golovkin claimed that it was a big drama show and that the scoring was not his fault. Álvarez felt as though he won the fight. Álvarez ruled out another fight in 2017, claiming he would return on Cinco de Mayo weekend in May 2018. Golovkin's promoter stated that they would like an immediate rematch, but Golovkin reiterated his desire to also fight in December.
2017: Fight Against Gennady Golovkin
In 2017, Álvarez fought unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, resulting in a split draw.
2017: Álvarez's plans for 2017
In December, Eric Gomez from Golden Boy Promotions indicated that Álvarez had no immediate plans to vacate the WBO title and might defend it in the first quarter of 2017 at 154 pounds. Plans were still in place for Álvarez to fight Golovkin later in 2017.
January 2018: Álvarez-Golovkin Rematch Announced
On January 29, 2018, HBO announced the rematch between Álvarez and Golovkin would take place in May on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
March 2018: Álvarez Tests Positive for Clenbuterol
In March 2018, Álvarez tested positive for the banned substance clenbuterol ahead of the fight. On March 23, the NSAC temporarily suspended Álvarez due to his two positive tests for clenbuterol. On March 28, MGM Resorts International started to offer full refunds to anyone who had already purchased tickets for the bout. On April 3, Álvarez officially withdrew from the rematch.
May 2018: Álvarez Plans Return
After his fight, Álvarez ruled out another fight in 2017 and claimed he would return on Cinco de Mayo weekend in May 2018.
May 2018: Álvarez vs. Golovkin Rematch
Talks began for a rematch between Álvarez and Golovkin immediately after their controversial ending. Álvarez stated he would next fight in May 2018. On January 29, 2018, HBO announced the rematch would take place in May on Cinco de Mayo weekend. On February 22, the T-Mobile Arena was again selected as the fight's venue.
August 2018: Álvarez's Suspension Ends
At the hearing, Álvarez was given a six-month suspension, backdated to his first drug test fail on 17 February, meaning the ban would end on August 17, 2018. Álvarez would return to the ring on Mexican Independence Day weekend.
October 2018: Álvarez to Fight Fielding and Signs with DAZN
In October 2018, Álvarez announced that he would move up to the super middleweight division for the first time in his career to fight Rocky Fielding on December 15, 2018, for the WBA super middleweight title. On October 17, 2018, DAZN announced that it had signed a five-year, $365 million deal with Álvarez.
December 2018: Roger Dubuis Brand Ambassador
In December 2018, Swiss watchmaker Roger Dubuis appointed Canelo Álvarez as a brand ambassador and later issued a limited-edition Excalibur "Canelo" timepiece.
December 2018: Álvarez to Fight Fielding
In October 2018, Álvarez announced that he would move up to the super middleweight division for the first time in his career to fight Rocky Fielding on December 15, 2018, for the WBA super middleweight title.
2018: Victory over Golovkin
In 2018, Álvarez beat Gennady Golovkin to become the WBA (Super version), WBC, and Ring middleweight champion.
January 2019: Álvarez to Fight Jacobs
In January 2019, Álvarez announced he would return to the middleweight division to face Daniel Jacobs on May 4, 2019.
February 2019: Yıldırım's Technical Split Decision Loss
Avni Yıldırım had not been in the ring since he lost a technical split decision to Anthony Dirrell two years prior in February 2019.
May 2019: Álvarez vs. Jacobs
In January 2019, Álvarez announced he would return to the middleweight division to face Daniel Jacobs on May 4, 2019.
July 2019: Álvarez Negotiating Fight with Kovalev
On July 25, 2019, Sergey Kovalev was again negotiating a deal to fight Álvarez for October 2019, in a fight that would see Álvarez make his light heavyweight debut.
October 2019: Álvarez to Fight Kovalev
On July 25, 2019, Sergey Kovalev was again negotiating a deal to fight Álvarez for October 2019, in a fight that would see Álvarez make his light heavyweight debut.
November 2019: Álvarez vs. Kovalev Announced
A few weeks after Kovalev defeated Yarde, the fight between Kovalev and Álvarez was formally announced to take place on November 2, 2019, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, exclusively on DAZN. The fight would see Álvarez move up in weight again in attempt to become a four-division world champion.
November 2019: Ranked World's Best Boxer
From 7 November 2019, to 7 May 2022, The Ring ranked Álvarez as the world's best boxer, pound for pound.
2019: Álvarez Named Fighter of the Year
For his 2019 campaign, Álvarez was named the fighter of the year by The Ring Magazine, ESPN, Sports Illustrated, and the Boxing Writers Association of America.
2019: WBA Super Middleweight and IBF Middleweight Titles
In 2019, Álvarez beat Rocky Fielding for the WBA super middleweight title (Regular version) and won the International Boxing Federation (IBF) middleweight title from Daniel Jacobs. He also knocked out Sergey Kovalev to claim the WBO light heavyweight title.
2019: Forbes List 2019
In 2019, Álvarez made Forbes' list as one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, ranking 4th with $94 million.
November 2020: Álvarez Released From Golden Boy Promotions
On November 6, 2020, Álvarez was released from his contract with Golden Boy Promotions after a lawsuit was settled for breach of contract.
December 2020: Álvarez to Face Callum Smith
On November 17, Álvarez announced he would be facing Callum Smith on December 19, 2020, with the vacant WBC title also at stake. Álvarez won by unanimous decision and became a four division world champion.
2020: Ring Magazine Super Middleweight Title
From 2020 to 2025, Canelo Álvarez held the Ring magazine super middleweight title.
2020: Plans to Retire and Play Golf
In 2020, Canelo Álvarez stated his intentions to retire from boxing by age 37 and dedicate himself to his business and playing golf every day.
January 2021: Álvarez to Defend Titles Against Yildirim
It was announced on January 20, 2021, that Álvarez would be defending his titles against Avni Yıldırım on February 27.
May 2021: Álvarez Marries Fernanda Gómez
In May 2021, Canelo Álvarez married his longtime partner Fernanda Gómez in a ceremony at the Guadalajara Cathedral in Guadalajara, Mexico.
May 2021: Álvarez used a slur against Demetrius Andrade
In May 2021, Canelo Álvarez used a slur against Demetrius Andrade after his fight against Billy Joe Saunders.
August 2021: Álvarez Announces Fight Against Caleb Plant
In August 2021, Canelo Álvarez announced on social media that he would face IBF champion Caleb Plant on November 6 in Las Vegas for all four major world titles in the super middleweight division.
September 2021: Álvarez and Plant Scuffle at Press Conference
In September 2021, during the first press conference for their fight, Canelo Álvarez and Caleb Plant engaged in a physical altercation after Álvarez took offense to Plant's language.
November 2021: WBC Approves Álvarez's Cruiserweight Title Challenge
In November 2021, at the WBC Convention, the WBC approved Eddy Reynoso's request for Álvarez to challenge Ilunga Makabu for the WBC cruiserweight title.
2021: Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion
In 2021, Álvarez became the first boxer in history to become the undisputed super middleweight champion.
2021: Sportico List 2021
In 2021, Álvarez made Sportico's list as one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, ranking 12th with $63 million.
January 2022: Makabu wins fight via split decision
On January 29, 2022, Makabu won his title defense fight against Thabiso Mchunu via split decision.
February 2022: Álvarez Signs Two-Fight Deal with Matchroom Boxing
In February 2022, Álvarez signed a two-fight deal with Matchroom Boxing, with the first fight set to be against Dmitry Bivol for the WBA (Super) light heavyweight title on May 7, to be televised on DAZN as a pay-per-view event.
May 2022: Álvarez Announces Trilogy Fight with Golovkin
In May 2022, Canelo Álvarez announced he would defend his super middleweight titles against Gennady Golovkin in a trilogy fight on September 17, despite expressing interest in a rematch with Dmitry Bivol. Golovkin would compete in the super middleweight division for the first time.
May 2022: Rumored Fight
In May 2022, the rumored fight between Álvarez and Makabu did not materialize after Makabu was forced into a mandatory title defense.
May 2022: Defeat by Dmitry Bivol
In May 2022, Álvarez returned to light heavyweight and challenged for the WBA (Super) light heavyweight title, but was defeated by Dmitry Bivol via unanimous decision.
June 2022: Álvarez Describes Rivalry with Golovkin as Personal
In June 2022, at the first pre-fight press conference in Los Angeles, Álvarez described the rivalry between him and Golovkin as personal and expressed his desire to retire Golovkin.
September 2022: Álvarez-Golovkin trilogy fight signed
In September 2022, the Álvarez-Golovkin trilogy fight was signed after Bivol apologized to his promoter Eddie Hearn.
2022: Forbes and Sportico List 2022
In 2022, Álvarez made Forbes' list as one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, ranking 8th with $90 million, and also made Sportico's list, ranking 5th with $89 million.
March 2023: Álvarez to Fight John Ryder in Guadalajara
In March 2023, it was announced that Canelo Álvarez would defend his super middleweight titles against John Ryder in Guadalajara, Mexico, on May 6, marking his first fight in his home country in over eleven years.
2023: Cameo Appearance and Video Game Cover
In 2023, Canelo Álvarez made a cameo appearance in Creed III and featured on the cover of the boxing video game Undisputed.
2023: Forbes List 2023
In 2023, Álvarez made Forbes' list as one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, ranking 5th with $110 million.
2023: Executive Producer
In 2023, Álvarez served as executive-producer for the film The Long Game.
February 2024: Report of Canelo Defending Title Against Munguia
In February 2024, reports surfaced that Canelo Álvarez would defend his undisputed super middleweight title against Jaime Munguia on May 4 in Las Vegas.
March 2024: Confirmation of fight between Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia
In March 2024, the fight between Canelo Alvarez and Jaime Munguia was confirmed. Canelo ultimately won the fight by unanimous decision.
September 2024: Álvarez Defends Titles Against Berlanga
In September 2024, Canelo Álvarez defended his WBA, WBC, and WBO super middleweight titles against Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas, winning by unanimous decision. He had been stripped of his IBF title for failing to defend it against William Scull.
2024: Álvarez Ignoring Call Outs
Since 2024, Álvarez had been ignoring call outs from Crawford and Alalshikh for a fight.
February 2025: Álvarez Agrees to Fight Crawford
In February 2025, an agreement was reportedly in place for Álvarez to defend his super middleweight titles against Terence Crawford in September 2025, headlining a Riyadh Season card.
February 2025: Álvarez to Fight Scull
In February 2025, it was reported that Canelo Álvarez would fight William Scull for the undisputed super-middleweight title on May 3 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
May 2025: Global Ambassador for 1win
In May 2025, Álvarez was named global ambassador for the online sportsbook 1win under a multi-year agreement.
September 2025: Mega-fight scheduled
In September 2025, the mega-fight with Crawford was scheduled to take place.
October 2025: Álvarez to Undergo Elbow Surgery
In October 2025, Álvarez was scheduled to undergo elbow surgery to address loose bodies in his left elbow.
December 2025: Crawford announces retirement
In December 2025, Crawford announced his retirement.
2025: Two-Time Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion
In 2025, Álvarez became a two-time undisputed super middleweight champion.
2025: Sportico List 2025
In 2025, Álvarez made Sportico's list as one of the highest-paid athletes in the world, ranking 2nd with $137 million.
January 2026: Álvarez Announces "Mexico Against the World" Event
In January 2026, Canelo Álvarez, alongside Turki Al-Sheikh, announced the inaugural event promoted by Canelo Promotions titled "Mexico Against the World," to be held in Riyadh on September 12, 2026. Álvarez did activate the rematch clause against Crawford, however, Crawford announced his retirement in December 2025.
February 2026: Álvarez Planned Ring Return
February 2026, Álvarez was originally planning on making a ring return.
April 2026: Ranked Among Highest-Paid Athletes of All Time
In April 2026, Sportico ranked Álvarez among the 50 highest-paid athletes of all time, with an estimated inflation-adjusted income of $870 million.
September 2026: "Mexico Against the World" Event
In September 2026, the "Mexico Against the World" event was scheduled to occur in Riyadh.
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