Santos Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez Barragán is a Mexican professional boxer from Guadalajara, Jalisco, and the face of his era. He turned pro at just 15 years old on 29 October 2005, and over a 20-year career spanning welterweight to light heavyweight he has held multiple world championships in four weight classes, including unified titles in three of them.
His defining run came at super middleweight: in 2021 he became the first boxer in history to become the undisputed super middleweight champion, beating three unbeaten fighters — Callum Smith, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant — to collect all four major belts inside 12 months. He became a two-time undisputed super middleweight champion in 2025 by beating William Scull, before losing the crown to Terence Crawford that September.
Known as an excellent counterpuncher and a formidable body puncher, Álvarez held The Ring magazine super middleweight title from 2020 to 2025 and was ranked the world’s best pound-for-pound boxer by The Ring from November 2019 to May 2022. One of boxing’s biggest ever pay-per-view stars, he remains one of the highest-paid athletes in the world. This is his complete professional record, fight by fight.
BoxRec-style profile
- Birth name: Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán
- Born: July 18, 1990 — Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
- Nationality: Mexican
- Hometown: Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico (family home in Juanacatlán, Jalisco)
- Height: 5 ft 7½ in (171 cm)
- Reach: 70½ in (179 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Pro debut: October 29, 2005 (fourth-round TKO of Abraham Gonzalez)
- Last bout: September 13, 2025 (loss to Terence Crawford)
- Total rounds boxed: 532 (summed from the bout table below)
- Divisions: Welterweight, Light middleweight, Middleweight, Super middleweight, Light heavyweight
- KO percentage: 61.9% (39 KO wins in 63 wins)
- Titles held (major, with reign dates): WBC light middleweight March 5, 2011 – September 14, 2013; WBA (Regular) and The Ring light middleweight April 20, 2013 – September 14, 2013; WBC and The Ring middleweight November 21, 2015 – May 2016 (WBC vacated); WBO light middleweight September 17, 2016 – 2017 (vacated); WBA (Super), WBC and The Ring middleweight September 15, 2018 – 2019; WBA (Regular) super middleweight December 15, 2018 – 2020; IBF middleweight May 4, 2019 – August 2019 (stripped); WBO light heavyweight November 2, 2019 (vacated); WBA (Super), WBC and The Ring super middleweight December 19, 2020 – September 13, 2025; WBO super middleweight May 8, 2021 – September 13, 2025; IBF super middleweight November 6, 2021 – July 2024 (vacated) and May 3, 2025 – September 13, 2025 — undisputed super middleweight champion November 6, 2021 – July 2024 and again May 3 – September 13, 2025
- Trainer: Eddy Reynoso and his father Chepo Reynoso (Eddy Reynoso is also his manager)
- Promoter: Golden Boy Promotions (Oscar De La Hoya) in that era; his own Canelo Promotions, founded 2010 with the Reynosos
Record at a glance
- Total bouts: 68
- Wins: 63
- Wins by KO: 39
- Losses: 3
- Losses by KO: 0
- Draws: 2
- No contests: 0
- Born: Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán — 18 July 1990, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico
- Nationality: Mexican
- Height: 5 ft 7½ in (171 cm)
- Reach: 70½ in (179 cm)
- Stance: Orthodox
- Divisions: Welterweight, Light middleweight, Middleweight, Super middleweight, Light heavyweight
Fight-by-fight record
| No. | Date | Opponent | Result | Method | Round/Time | Venue / Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 29 Oct 2005 | Abraham Gonzalez | Win | TKO | 4 (4), 0:18 | Arena Chololo Larios, Tonalá, Mexico |
| 2 | 26 Nov 2005 | Pablo Alvarado | Win | KO | 2 (4), 2:25 | Arena Chololo Larios, Tonalá, Mexico |
| 3 | 20 Jan 2006 | Miguel Vázquez | Win | SD | 4 | Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 4 | 10 Feb 2006 | Pedro Lopez | Win | KO | 1 (4), 2:33 | Men’s Club, Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 5 | 17 Jun 2006 | Jorge Juarez | Draw | SD | 4 | Auditorio Fausto Gutierrez Moreno, Tijuana, Mexico |
| 6 | 21 Jul 2006 | Juan Hernandez | Win | KO | 2 (6), 0:07 | Arena Coliseo, Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 7 | 15 Sep 2006 | Cristian Hernandez | Win | KO | 2 (6), 0:34 | Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 8 | 29 Sep 2006 | Francisco Villanueva | Win | KO | 5 (6), 1:20 | Tonalá, Mexico |
| 9 | 8 Dec 2006 | Daniel Martinez | Win | KO | 2 (8), 2:59 | Arena Jalisco, Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 10 | 2 Mar 2007 | Javier Martinez | Win | TKO | 8 (10), 1:54 | Casino Los Fresnos, Tepic, Mexico |
| 11 | 30 Mar 2007 | Ivan Illescas | Win | KO | 4 (10), 2:40 | Arena-Casino Los Fresnos, Tepic, Mexico |
| 12 | 19 May 2007 | Víctor Marquez | Win | KO | 4 (10), 1:48 | Auditorio Benito Juarez, Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 13 | 1 Jun 2007 | Jesus Hernandez | Win | TKO | 2 (10), 0:12 | Casino de los Fresnos, Tepic, Mexico |
| 14 | 18 Aug 2007 | Christian Solano | Win | UD | 10 | Arena Coliseo, Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 15 | 31 Aug 2007 | Ricardo Cano | Win | UD | 12 | Coliseo Olímpico, Guadalajara, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Won Jalisco welterweight title |
| 16 | 15 Dec 2007 | Sean Holley | Win | TKO | 2 (10), 3:00 | Auditorio Benito Juarez, Guadalajara, Mexico |
| 17 | 22 Feb 2008 | Axel Rodrigo Solis | Win | KO | 1 (8), 2:55 | Salon Marbet Plus, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico |
| 18 | 14 Mar 2008 | Francisco Villanueva | Win | TKO | 9 (12), 2:32 | Coliseo Olimpico de la UG, Guadalajara, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Retained Jalisco welterweight title |
| 19 | 18 Apr 2008 | Gabriel Martinez | Win | RTD | 11 (12), 3:00 | Salon Marbet Plus, Ciudad Nezahualcóyotl, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBA Fedecentro welterweight title |
| 20 | 6 Jun 2008 | Francisco Villanueva | Win | SD | 10 | Tepic, Mexico |
| 21 | 28 Jun 2008 | Miguel Vázquez | Win | UD | 10 | Palenque Calle 2, Zapopan, Mexico |
| 22 | 2 Aug 2008 | Carlos Adán Jerez | Win | UD | 10 | Auditorio Benito Juárez, Zapopan, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA Fedecentro welterweight title |
| 23 | 24 Oct 2008 | Larry Mosley | Win | UD | 10 | Morongo Casino Resort & Spa, Cabazon, California, U.S. |
| 24 | 5 Dec 2008 | Raúl Pinzón | Win | TKO | 1 (12), 2:30 | Miccosukee Resort & Gaming, Miami, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA Fedecentro welterweight title |
| 25 | 17 Jan 2009 | Antonio Fitch | Win | TKO | 1 (12), 1:52 | Foro Scotiabank, Mexico City, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Won vacant NABF welterweight title |
| 26 | 21 Feb 2009 | Euri González | Win | TKO | 11 (12), 1:36 | Auditorio Benito Juárez, Zapopan, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Retained NABF welterweight title; Won WBO Latino welterweight title |
| 27 | 11 Apr 2009 | Michel Rosales | Win | TKO | 10 (12), 2:53 | Gimnasio Niños Héroes, Tepic, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Retained NABF welterweight title |
| 28 | 6 Jun 2009 | Jefferson Gonçalo | Win | KO | 9 (12), 1:54 | Xcaret Park, Cancún, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Retained NABF welterweight title |
| 29 | 8 Aug 2009 | Marat Khuzeev | Win | KO | 2 (10), 2:33 | Auditorio Benito Juárez, Zapopan, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBC Youth welterweight title |
| 30 | 15 Sep 2009 | Carlos Herrera | Win | TKO | 1 (10), 2:46 | Auditorio Siglo XXI, Puebla, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC Youth welterweight title |
| 31 | 5 Dec 2009 | Lanardo Tyner | Win | UD | 12 | Tepic, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Retained NABF welterweight title |
| 32 | 6 Mar 2010 | Brian Camechis | Win | KO | 3 (12), 0:23 | Palenque de la Feria, Tuxtla Gutiérrez, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Retained NABF welterweight title |
| 33 | 1 May 2010 | José Cotto | Win | TKO | 9 (10), 2:51 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| 34 | 10 Jul 2010 | Luciano Leonel Cuello | Win | TKO | 6 (12), 1:23 | Arena VFG, Guadalajara, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBC Silver light middleweight title |
| 35 | 18 Sep 2010 | Carlos Baldomir | Win | KO | 6 (10), 2:58 | Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC Silver light middleweight title |
| 36 | 4 Dec 2010 | Lovemore N’dou | Win | UD | 12 | Estadio Universitario Beto Ávila, Veracruz, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC Silver light middleweight title |
| 37 | 5 Mar 2011 | Matthew Hatton | Win | UD | 12 | Honda Center, Anaheim, California, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won vacant WBC light middleweight title |
| 38 | 18 Jun 2011 | Ryan Rhodes | Win | TKO | 12 (12), 0:48 | Arena VFG, Guadalajara, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC light middleweight title |
| 39 | 17 Sep 2011 | Alfonso Gómez | Win | TKO | 6 (12), 2:36 | Staples Center, Los Angeles, California, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC light middleweight title |
| 40 | 26 Nov 2011 | Kermit Cintrón | Win | TKO | 5 (12), 2:53 | Plaza de Toros, Mexico City, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC light middleweight title |
| 41 | 5 May 2012 | Shane Mosley | Win | UD | 12 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC light middleweight title |
| 42 | 15 Sep 2012 | Josesito López | Win | TKO | 5 (12), 2:55 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC light middleweight title |
| 43 | 20 Apr 2013 | Austin Trout | Win | UD | 12 | Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC light middleweight title; Won WBA (Regular) and The Ring light middleweight titles |
| 44 | 14 Sep 2013 | Floyd Mayweather Jr. | Loss | MD | 12 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Lost WBC and The Ring light middleweight titles; For WBA (Super), WBC, and The Ring light middleweight titles |
| 45 | 8 Mar 2014 | Alfredo Angulo | Win | TKO | 10 (12), 0:44 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| 46 | 12 Jul 2014 | Erislandy Lara | Win | SD | 12 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| 47 | 9 May 2015 | James Kirkland | Win | KO | 3 (12), 2:19 | Minute Maid Park, Houston, Texas, U.S. |
| 48 | 21 Nov 2015 | Miguel Cotto | Win | UD | 12 | Mandalay Bay Events Center, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won The Ring and vacant WBC middleweight titles |
| 49 | 7 May 2016 | Amir Khan | Win | KO | 6 (12), 2:37 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBC and The Ring middleweight titles |
| 50 | 17 Sep 2016 | Liam Smith | Win | KO | 9 (12), 2:28 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBO light middleweight title |
| 51 | 6 May 2017 | Julio César Chávez Jr. | Win | UD | 12 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. |
| 52 | 16 Sep 2017 | Gennady Golovkin | Draw | SD | 12 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained The Ring middleweight title; For WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, and The Ring middleweight titles |
| 53 | 15 Sep 2018 | Gennady Golovkin | Win | MD | 12 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBA (Super), WBC, and vacant The Ring middleweight titles |
| 54 | 15 Dec 2018 | Rocky Fielding | Win | TKO | 3 (12), 2:38 | Madison Square Garden, New York City, New York, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBA (Regular) super middleweight title |
| 55 | 4 May 2019 | Daniel Jacobs | Win | UD | 12 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, and The Ring middleweight titles; Won IBF middleweight title |
| 56 | 2 Nov 2019 | Sergey Kovalev | Win | KO | 11 (12), 2:15 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBO light heavyweight title |
| 57 | 19 Dec 2020 | Callum Smith | Win | UD | 12 | Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Won WBA (Super), The Ring, and vacant WBC super middleweight titles |
| 58 | 27 Feb 2021 | Avni Yıldırım | Win | RTD | 3 (12), 3:00 | Hard Rock Stadium, Miami Gardens, Florida, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, and The Ring super middleweight titles |
| 59 | 8 May 2021 | Billy Joe Saunders | Win | RTD | 8 (12), 3:00 | AT&T Stadium, Arlington, Texas, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, and The Ring super middleweight titles; Won WBO super middleweight title |
| 60 | 6 Nov 2021 | Caleb Plant | Win | TKO | 11 (12), 1:05 | MGM Grand Garden Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles; Won IBF super middleweight title |
| 61 | 7 May 2022 | Dmitry Bivol | Loss | UD | 12 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — For WBA (Super) light heavyweight title |
| 62 | 17 Sep 2022 | Gennady Golovkin | Win | UD | 12 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles |
| 63 | 6 May 2023 | John Ryder | Win | UD | 12 | Estadio Akron, Zapopan, Mexico — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles |
| 64 | 30 Sep 2023 | Jermell Charlo | Win | UD | 12 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles |
| 65 | 4 May 2024 | Jaime Munguía | Win | UD | 12 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles |
| 66 | 14 Sep 2024 | Edgar Berlanga | Win | UD | 12 | T-Mobile Arena, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles |
| 67 | 3 May 2025 | William Scull | Win | UD | 12 | ANB Arena, Riyadh, Saudi Arabia — ★ Title fight — Retained WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles; Won IBF super middleweight title |
| 68 | 13 Sep 2025 | Terence Crawford | Loss | UD | 12 | Allegiant Stadium, Paradise, Nevada, U.S. — ★ Title fight — Lost WBA (Super), WBC, IBF, WBO, and The Ring super middleweight titles |
Titles & notes
-
Major title reigns (start–end): WBC light middleweight March 5, 2011 – September 14, 2013 (lost to Floyd Mayweather Jr.); WBA (Regular) and The Ring light middleweight April 20, 2013 – September 14, 2013; WBC and The Ring middleweight November 21, 2015 – May 2016 (WBC vacated); WBO light middleweight September 17, 2016 – 2017 (vacated); WBA (Super), WBC and The Ring middleweight September 15, 2018 – 2019; WBA (Regular) super middleweight December 15, 2018 – 2020; IBF middleweight May 4, 2019 – August 2019 (stripped); WBO light heavyweight November 2, 2019 (vacated); WBA (Super), WBC and The Ring super middleweight December 19, 2020 – September 13, 2025; WBO super middleweight May 8, 2021 – September 13, 2025; IBF super middleweight November 6, 2021 – July 2024 (vacated) and May 3, 2025 – September 13, 2025 — undisputed super middleweight champion November 6, 2021 – July 2024 and again May 3 – September 13, 2025
-
First world title: won the vacant WBC light middleweight title against Matthew Hatton (UD, 5 March 2011).
- Unified at light middleweight by beating Austin Trout (UD, 20 Apr 2013) for the WBA (Regular) and The Ring light middleweight titles.
- Won The Ring and the vacant WBC middleweight titles against Miguel Cotto (UD, 21 Nov 2015) and defended them against Amir Khan (KO 6, 7 May 2016).
- Dropped back to light middleweight to take the WBO title from Liam Smith (KO 9, 17 Sep 2016).
- The Gennady Golovkin trilogy: drew their first middleweight title fight (SD, 16 Sep 2017), won the rematch (MD, 15 Sep 2018) for the WBA (Super) and WBC middleweight titles, and won the trilogy bout (UD, 17 Sep 2022) to retain the undisputed super middleweight crown.
- Won the WBA (Regular) super middleweight title against Rocky Fielding (TKO 3, 15 Dec 2018) and the WBA (Super) super middleweight title against Callum Smith (UD, 19 Dec 2020).
- Won a world title in a fourth division by knocking out Sergey Kovalev (KO 11, 2 Nov 2019) for the WBO light heavyweight title.
- Undisputed at super middleweight: beat Callum Smith (WBA Super, Ring and vacant WBC), Billy Joe Saunders (WBO, RTD 8, 8 May 2021) and Caleb Plant (IBF, TKO 11, 6 Nov 2021) to become the first undisputed super middleweight champion in history.
- Second light heavyweight title challenge ended in his second defeat, a unanimous decision loss to Dmitry Bivol (UD, 7 May 2022) for the WBA (Super) light heavyweight title.
- Defended the undisputed super middleweight crown against Golovkin, John Ryder, Jermell Charlo and Jaime Munguía, then regained the IBF title from William Scull (UD, 3 May 2025) before losing all four belts to Terence Crawford (UD, 13 Sep 2025).
Record source: Wikipedia professional boxing record table (cross-checked against the bout list).
Photo: Box Azteca via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY 3.0) (CC BY 3.0 (Creative Commons Attribution 3.0))
