Years After Selling Ice Cream to Make Ends Meet, Here’s How Once Poor Canelo Alvarez Built His $200 Million Fortune

The sport of boxing has transformed numerous lives over the years. Yet one name shines brighter than the rest. Canelo Alvarez! He is a legend in the boxing community and a ferocious fighter in the boxing ring. Over the years, he has put on a show every time he entered the square ring, amassing millions along the way. From selling ice cream on the streets of Juanacatlán to amassing a staggering $200 million fortune, his life is the perfect example of rags to riches.

Despite his towering success today, things were very different in the plot of Canelo Alvarez’s story. The 36-year-old Mexican boxer was born in the vibrant city of Guadalajara to a family of farmers. But that did not stop a young Canelo from dreaming big. Who would have known? One day, those dreams would turn into reality. Despite having nothing to begin with, Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán worked his way up to stardom. And everything began at the most unusual place – an ice cream truck.

Canelo Alvarez’s incredible journey: From selling ice cream to becoming ‘Face of Boxing’

Coming from a family of modest means, Canelo and his brothers contributed to the family’s earnings. His parents established an ice cream truck, where Canelo sold ice cream for most of his childhood. It’s also where a spark ignited his interest in boxing. How? Well, while selling ice cream, the world champion was bullied by people for his appearance. His red hair and face full of freckles made him a laughing stock. Interestingly, that’s also the reason behind his moniker ‘Canelo,’ meaning ‘Cinnamon’ in English. 

However, that’s when one of Canelo’s brothers, Rigoberto Álvarez, bought him boxing gloves. It kick-started his passion for boxing. He even quit school to focus on his ice cream-selling job and boxing. Soon, Canelo started his amateur boxing career, claiming a silver medal in the Junior Mexican National Championships in 2004. Later, he secured the Junior Mexican National Boxing Champion in 2005. At this point, his coach Chepo, and Eddy Reynoso decided it was time for Canelo to go pro.

So, at the age of 15, Canelo turned pro and made his debut in October 2005. Following his debut, the 59-2-2 record holder zoomed through his first handful of fights. Soon, he found himself facing off against Jose Cotto in the undercard of Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley. Much like his previous bouts, Canelo defeated the Puerto Rican regional champion in May 2010. 

Also Read: How Tall Is Canelo Alvarez and How Much of a Height Disadvantage Does He Have Against Jermell Charlo?

After two years of climbing through the ranks, Canelo found himself against Shane Mosley. The same fighter in whose undercard he defeated Cotto a couple of years ago. It was the biggest fight of his career till that day. Canelo did not just win against Mosley; he took home a purse of $1.2 million. Later that same year, Canelo defeated Josesito Lopez and took home a purse of $2 million. 

However, Canelo soon met Floyd Mayweather in the ring and saw his first career defeat. But even with a loss, Canelo made massive amounts of money from the fight. His total earnings were $12 million, which included a base of $5 million and a share of the PPV profits. In the following years, the numbers kept going up as Canelo became an elite boxer. As of 2023, Canelo’s net worth is $200 million, as reported by Celebrity Net Worth. Interestingly, Canelo has even bought his family’s ice cream truck, a truly remarkable testament to his beginning.

As of now, Canelo is nearing his fight against Jermell Charlo in what is being called one of the most anticipated fights of the year. Given such a rise to success in boxing, what’s your take on Canelo’s come up in boxing?

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