Regardless of the outcome, Tapatio pugilist Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will walk away from Saturday’s big fight in Arlington, Texas (see story right), a mere $US22 million the richer.
While Canelo insists that winning belts and “undisputed” world championships at different weights means far more to him than the bottom line of his bank balance, the material rewards that come with being the world’s best “pound-for-pound” fighter are not lost on the 30-year-old who, as a shy child, was dispatched by his father to sell popsicles on Guadalajara city buses to supplement the meager family income.
Fortunately, Canelo realized his vocation at a young age, while fending off bullies who teased him about his red hair (thus his nickname from canela, or cinnamon). After learning the boxing craft in a Guadalajara gym, he made his professional debut at age 15, pocketing 800 pesos after knocking out an opponent three years his senior in the fourth round of a one-sided bout.
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