▶ Watch Video: Boxer Canelo Álvarez explains his relentless drive to win and break records
After a year away from the ring following elbow surgery, professional boxer Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez said he’s prepared to make his comeback.
“I always give my best in the ring and this is not going to be the exception,” the 36-year-old told “CBS Mornings” in an exclusive interview that aired on Friday.
When Álvarez steps into the ring to face Christian Mbili in October in Riyadh, it will be his 69th professional fight and his first fight since his loss last year to Terence “Bud” Crawford, which ended Álvarez’s run as the undisputed super middleweight champion.
“Even if I did everything correctly, the things sometimes don’t go your way,” he said, reflecting on the fight. “I learned that, you know, sometimes we forget the basics and I forgot the basics in that fight.”
Building his career
For more than two decades, Alvarez built a career on proving himself – fighting his way from a small town in Mexico to the top of the sport.
He left school to turn pro at just 15 years old. By 17, Álvarez said he had “already beat everybody in Mexico” and was ready to take his talents to the U.S.
“So I’m just waiting to turn 18 to come to USA and fight my … debut here in USA,” he explained. “I was so excited. To come here to the USA and based on what I hear about all the stories when they come and fight here and everything – that was my dream.”
The Mexico native would go on to win his first title at age 20.
Family ties
Álvarez’s success in the sport includes more than 60 wins, earning world titles across four weight divisions – but boxing wasn’t just his path, it’s a family affair.
All seven brothers have boxed professionally, and they even set a Guinness World Record for the most siblings to fight on the same professional card.
Álvarez, the youngest of the eight, credits his father, Santos Álvarez, for helping to shape his career and teaching him hard work, honesty and discipline.
“He is always working for his family,” Álvarez said about his father. “Every single day, I work with him for many years, and he supported his whole family, eight kids.”
Future in the sport
Álvarez says there’s “not very much” left for him to accomplish in boxing, but at 36, he continues to do it because of his passion.
“Every time I fight, I break some records, and that’s my motivation.”
But he admitted if there was a way to entice Crawford, who retired last year, back into the ring, he would be up for a rematch.
“We always, as a fighter, we always want revenge,” Álvarez said. “I always do good … in my rematch. I know what is wrong, what I did wrong. So, yeah, if the opportunity is there, it would be amazing.”
While he still feels “good,” Álvarez said he has other things he wants to accomplish outside of the sport and will know when it’s time to retire.
“When I’m there in the gym and I take a lot of punches and then my body doesn’t respond in the same way, then I know,” he said.