Canelo Alvarez started out his boxing career at the young age of 15. The Mexican legally could not fight in the US, so he ended up fighting grown men in Mexico at the age of 15. As a young prodigy that rose through the ranks to now become the pound-for-pound king, Canelo knows the kind of hard work and dedication that goes into it.
In an interview with COMPLEX, Canelo Alvarez spoke about the young Mexican prospect, Ryan Garcia.
“Look, Ryan has a lot of talent. But to me in my eyes, he’s wasting a lot of time and wasting his talent. I look at him and don’t see him 100 percent dedicated and, to us, that’s a bad signal.”
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Canelo wants Ryan Garcia to be more focused in the gym and more active in the ring. pic.twitter.com/vPSlGwyROw
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) October 28, 2021
“We always remind him as a team to come to the gym, to train, and to learn because you need to be in the gym. You’re learning day-by-day, at the very minimum fighting five times a year. When I was beginning my career, I did 15 fights in one year. That’s where I was at the beginning of my career. So definitely he needs to be a little more dedicated.”
Ryan Garcia is in good spirits after a successful surgery. pic.twitter.com/AJL684JUsY
— ESPN Ringside (@ESPNRingside) October 19, 2021
‘KingRy’ looked to get back in the ring against JoJo Diaz on November 27. However, as Garcia injured his hand and had to undergo surgery, his return to the ring will not come anytime soon.
Also read: Shawn Porter Gets Honest About Bad Intentions Against Terence Crawford
This is how Canelo Alvarez started knocking out fully grown men when he was 15
Canelo Alvarez did not have an ordinary childhood. At 15 years of age, when other kids were eating junk food and running from their homework, Canelo was training every day to become a boxing champion. At 15 years of age, Canelo entered the ring for his professional debut against Abraham Gonzalez.
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In October 2005, just three months after his 15th birthday, Canelo absolutely demolished his opponent. Although he was very raw, Canelo showed glimpses of his trademark style and power as he unloaded a barrage of punches to stop his experienced opponent in the fourth round of the fight.
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Watch this story: Boxing Schedule November 2021: Canelo vs. Plant, Crawford vs. Porter
This was the start of one of the greatest boxing careers. However, at that time, not many may have known it.