It won't be much longer before one of the most anticipated sporting events of the year takes place on September 14 in Las Vegas, where Mexican boxer Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez takes on his rival, the undefeated American boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr.
But who is "Canelo" Álvarez and why has the 23-year-old boxer created such a stir that he is considered to have a chance to beat one of the most representative boxers in recent years, a task boxers like Oscar de la Hoya could not accomplish?
Álvarez, the unified superwelter champion of the WBC and the WBA, is currently considered to be one of the best boxers in the world pound-for-pound, and has become one of the most popular fighters in the Latino community. However, not everyone remembers that the Mexican boxer made his surprising debut just three months after he turned 15, on October 29, 2005, when he beat Abraham González in four rounds in a match that took place in Tonalá, in his native Jalisco, Mexico.
Since that day, the redheaded fighter has enjoyed a large collection of victories, with 2008 being one of the best years of his career. During that year, he won the AMB welterweight title when he beat the previously undefeated Gabriel Martínez. In August of that same year, Álvarez defended his title with a victory by unanimous decision after 10 rounds against veteran Carlos Adán Jerez. On October 24, he made his debut in the USA, with a victory after 10 rounds against Larry Mosley in the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabezón, California.
Since then, the young pugilist has distinguished himself through his fierce fighting style. The highlight of his career came in 2011, when he was crowned the World Boxing Council (WBC) Super Welterweight Champion after beating Matthew Hatton. Álvarez successfully defended his crown against American rival "Sugar" Shane Mosley in 2012.
This is why the September 14 fight has been considered a sporting event that will break attendance records and pay-per-view viewers. Eric Gómez, vice president of Golden Boy Promotions, the company sponsoring the event, said, "We look to have the biggest show of the year and we expect records in the Canelo vs. Floyd fight, with great effort from the promoter. There should be over 1.5 million purchases. I expect it to get to two million, but we hope to beat that number," reported El Informador.