Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is one of the most famous boxers in the present day, but he wasn’t always well-known. Behind the victories and fame, there is a story of a young kid from Mexico who rose to the top and became a role model for millions. His story is one filled with pain and losses, yet it serves as a reminder that if you don’t give up even when things get tough, good things will follow. Canelo was not born rich or famous; instead, he was born into a poor family in Guadalajara, Mexico, a family that often struggled financially to take care of their 8 children. This would force all of the Alvarez brothers into boxing, while the youngest, Saul, would constantly be bullied due to having white skin and red hair, and his bullies would call him “Canelo,” which translates to cinnamon in English due to his red hair.
Despite this, a young Saul would do his best to support his family, which would force him to start selling popsicles so he could earn money for his family. Later on, his older brother Rigoberto Alveraz would become a professional boxer, inspiring a 13-year-old Saul to pursue boxing. After two years of hard training, Saul would go pro in boxing at the age of 15, and he would now adopt the name “Canelo.” In the same year, his parents would get a divorce, which would break Canelo’s heart as he loved both of his parents deeply. This is when he would make his two goals, which were to make enough money to support his family and to one day become the world champion in boxing.
One of the many inspiring aspects of Canelo is his humbleness even in defeat, which is rare in the profession that he is in. One of his most notable losses was in 2013 when he fought Floyd Mayweather, a fight that he lost, but instead of being angry, he saw it as a lesson that would help him become a better boxer. That is why I truly believe that Canelo is someone who should be looked up to, and despite his losses, he would never blame the other person but see it as a lesson. Canelo is known for not only being one of the best fighters but also for his philanthropy. He has such a soft spot and pride for his home country of Mexico that, despite his wealth, he would donate millions of dollars to Mexico through charity and aid in natural disaster relief. The reason that Canelo is so loved in Mexico is not just because he was born there, but because of his constant support of his home country and giving back to the country and people who made him. Many people look up to him not only as a person that they want to be when it comes to boxing, but also as a type of person that you should aspire to be, someone who never forgot where he came from and his deep love for his family. The love of his family was so great that he would even go against the cartels because, in 2018, one of his brothers was kidnapped by the cartel, which Canelo would handle himself. The reason he did it himself is that he felt that the police would do nothing, so he negotiated with the cartels to release his brother. Despite his loss last week to Crawford, which would result in him losing all his belts and titles to me and many others, he is still someone who inspires all of us to do better. It was not his belts or numerous titles that made me feel inspired, but instead it was his heart and his belief in helping those who do not have the means to help themselves that made him a role model that people look up to.
