20 little-known facts about Canelo Alvarez

NEW YORK CITY - JUNE 20: Hennessy, the world's best-selling Cognac, presents Lineal and RING Magazine Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez with a custom engraved bottle of Paradis Imperial during the Canelo vs. Golovkin press tour at The Theater at Madison Square Garden. Hennessy recently announced its partnership with Canelo who, like Hennessy, has a passion for pushing the limits of potential to Never stop. Never settle. (Photo by Rob Kim/Getty Images for Hennessy) /

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LAS VEGAS, NV – MAY 05: (L-R) Shane Mosley hugs Canelo Alvarez after Alvarez defeated Mosley by unanimous decision during their WBC super welterweight title fight at the MGM Grand Garden Arena on May 5, 2012 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Al Bello/Getty Images) /

16. Canelo vs. Mosley was a ratings juggernaut in Mexico

Canelo Alvarez vs. Shane Mosley wasn’t a headlining fight – instead, it was the co-main event to Mayweather vs. Cotto – but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t significant interest in it. And even though Canelo was fighting in Mexico sparingly, he was still extremely beloved in his home country.

Look no further for proof than Mexico’s TV ratings for his fight with Mosley. On a fight card that drew 1.5 million buys, an undercard bout drew a staggering 26.1 rating on the Mexican station Televisa. For perspective, this fight was in 2012, the same year as the London Olympics. That was the year the Mexican national team beat Brazil 3-2 to claim a gold medal in soccer. The rating for that game was 19.1, which then-CEO of Golden Boy Richard Schaefer described as a 30 percent difference.

In other words, one of the biggest wins in El Tri’s nearly 100-year old history was outdone by a 21-year-old boxer. That being said, Canelo’s fight was during Cinco de Mayo, meaning it was a huge deal no matter what. It helps, too, that he dominated one of the best boxers in the world that night. But those were unprecedented ratings, and speaks volumes about how big of an icon he is in his homeland.

Canelo’s fights have always drawn well in Mexico. Some other big numbers include 22.6 million viewers for his showdown with Mayweather, and 18 million for his glorified bar brawl with Liam Smith. While this upcoming fight will undoubtedly be the biggest of Golovkin’s career, the same might not be true for Canelo. Either way, it’ll be a big deal for his countrymen.

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