Saul Alvarez Net Worth

What is Saul Alvarez's Net Worth and Career Earnings?

Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez is one of the most accomplished boxers of his generation, a Mexican superstar whose career has spanned more than two decades at the highest level. Known for his head movement, counterpunching, and ability to carry power across weight classes, he has won world titles in four divisions: light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight, and light heavyweight. His blend of skill, toughness, and marketability made him not only a pound-for-pound staple but also one of the richest athletes in the world, with a career highlighted by record-breaking purses and blockbuster fights.

Canelo turned professional in 2005 at the astonishing age of 15. By 2011, he had captured the WBC, WBA (Super), and Ring magazine light middleweight titles, showcasing his potential as boxing's next great star. Four years later, he moved up to middleweight, where he added the WBA (Unified), WBC, Ring, and lineal championships. Always willing to test himself, he jumped to light heavyweight in 2019 and won the WBO title by stopping Sergey Kovalev.

His greatest achievement came at super middleweight. Beginning with the WBA (Super), WBC, and Ring belts in December 2020, Álvarez completed the division's sweep by adding the IBF and WBO titles in November 2021. In doing so, he became the first undisputed champion in super middleweight history.

Beyond the ring, Álvarez made headlines in 2018 with a $365 million deal with streaming service DAZN, then the richest contract ever signed by an athlete. His star power made him the face of boxing for much of the 2010s and early 2020s, drawing massive crowds in Las Vegas and beyond.

In September 2025, Canelo suffered a career-defining defeat to Terence Crawford, losing his undisputed super middleweight crown. Though no longer unbeaten at 168, Álvarez's legacy as one of Mexico's greatest champions and one of boxing's modern icons remains firmly intact. Oh, and he earned a minimum of $100 million from the fight. Not a bad consolation.

Business Ventures & Career Earnings

Canelo Álvarez has parlayed his boxing success into a sprawling business empire and hundreds of millions in career earnings. Though best known for his dominance in the ring, Álvarez is equally strategic outside it, with ventures spanning fuel, retail, apparel, and beverages.

In Mexico, he owns Canelo Energy, a growing chain of gas stations, along with more than 20 locations of a convenience store brand called Upper. He has also launched a clothing line and a fitness app, extending his reach into lifestyle and wellness. In 2023, Álvarez entered the beverage industry with two high-profile launches: VMC, a canned tequila-based cocktail brand, and Yaoca, a sports drink positioned to compete with giants like Gatorade.

Unlike many professional athletes who chase dozens of endorsement contracts, Álvarez has historically preferred a selective approach. One of his most notable partnerships is a long-term deal with Anheuser-Busch, worth about $2 million per year, reflecting his strategy of quality over quantity.

DAZN Deal and Lawsuit

In October 2018, Álvarez stunned the sports world by signing a record-breaking $365 million, 11-fight deal with DAZN and Golden Boy Promotions — at the time, the richest contract in sports history. The agreement guaranteed him $35 million per fight, with DAZN paying Golden Boy $40 million per event. His debut under the contract came in December 2018 against Rocky Fielding at Madison Square Garden.

But the partnership unraveled almost as quickly as it began. By 2020, tensions had escalated over opponent selection and purse guarantees. DAZN reportedly sought to exert veto power over potential opponents, while Álvarez insisted that under his contract he retained the right to choose his fights in consultation with Golden Boy. With no bouts scheduled during the pandemic year, Álvarez alleged he was being denied the income he was owed.

In September 2020, he filed a $280 million lawsuit against DAZN, Golden Boy, and Oscar De La Hoya, accusing them of breach of contract. The legal battle highlighted deep fractures: DAZN's reluctance to approve certain matchups, Golden Boy's conflicting commitments, and Álvarez's frustration at being sidelined despite his record-setting deal.

Within months, the case was settled. Álvarez negotiated his release from both DAZN and Golden Boy, instantly becoming the most powerful free agent in boxing. The move allowed him to work directly with promoters and networks on a fight-by-fight basis, giving him unparalleled control over his career and financial destiny. Ironically, he would still appear on DAZN in later years — but now entirely on his own terms.

Aftermath

Canelo's split from DAZN and Golden Boy marked a turning point in his career. Instead of signing another long-term, restrictive contract, he embraced independence and began striking short-term deals on a fight-by-fight basis. His first move was working with Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing, staging his next fights on DAZN while maintaining control over opponents and purses.

In 2022, he inked a short arrangement with Premier Boxing Champions (PBC), headlining on Showtime pay-per-view in a major fight against Jermell Charlo. Later, he returned to DAZN for select events, proving that he was no longer bound to any single promoter or broadcaster.

This flexibility dramatically increased his leverage, allowing him to shop his services to the highest bidder for each bout. The strategy ultimately paved the way for historic guarantees like the $100 million minimum purse he will earn against Terence Crawford in 2025, cementing his place as both boxing's biggest star and one of its savviest businessmen.

Early Life

Saul Alvarez's full name is Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán, and he was born on July 18th of 1990. Alvarez was born on the outskirts of Guadalajara, although his family moved to Juanacatlan when he was five. Alvarez is the youngest among seven siblings, and the children were raised on their family's farm. All six of Saul's brothers also became professional boxers. In his youth, Saul enjoyed horseback riding. Alvarez is well-known for his red hair, which is quite rare in Mexico. The nickname "Canelo" means "cinnamon" in Spanish, and it's a reference to Alvarez's hair color.

Saul Alvarez first started boxing when he was 13 years old, following in the footsteps of his older brothers. His amateur record was immediately impressive, and he won the silver medal in the Mexican Junior Championship before winning gold the next year at the age of 15.

Career

After winning gold at the Junior Nationals, Canelo Álvarez turned professional at just 15 years old—an unusually young age in boxing. He made the leap largely because amateur opponents were unwilling to face him. Despite often being matched against older and more experienced fighters, Álvarez quickly made a name for himself by knocking out many of his early opponents. In 2006, he won the Jalisco State welterweight title.

Álvarez transitioned to the light middleweight division, where he claimed the WBC Silver title in 2010. That same year, he became the first boxer to knock out veteran Carlos Baldomir. He continued to rise through the ranks, defending his titles and eventually defeating Austin Trout in 2013 in a unification bout. Later that year, he suffered his first professional loss—by majority decision—against the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr., in one of the most lucrative fights in boxing history.

Canelo bounced back with a decisive win over Alfredo Angulo in 2014. In 2015, he scored a high-profile victory over Miguel Cotto, earning the WBC, Ring magazine, and lineal middleweight titles. He defended them with a highlight-reel knockout of Amir Khan.

In 2016, Álvarez dropped back down to light middleweight to challenge Liam Smith for the WBO title, which he won with a punishing body shot. He then moved up again to face Julio César Chávez Jr. in a long-anticipated showdown, winning via unanimous decision and setting the stage for a blockbuster matchup against Gennady "GGG" Golovkin.

Negotiations for the Golovkin fight had been in the works for years. When it finally happened in September 2017, the bout ended in a controversial split draw. A rematch was scheduled for May 2018, but was delayed after Álvarez tested positive for clenbuterol, resulting in a six-month suspension. Golovkin was later stripped of one of his titles, further fueling the rivalry.

The rematch took place in September 2018, and Álvarez emerged victorious via majority decision—another result mired in controversy, as many fans and analysts believed Golovkin had done enough to win. Nevertheless, Canelo became the unified middleweight champion.

Álvarez continued to chase greatness by defeating Daniel Jacobs in 2019 to unify more middleweight titles. Later that year, he jumped two weight classes to light heavyweight and knocked out Sergey Kovalev to claim the WBO title—becoming a four-division world champion in the process.

After claiming the WBO light heavyweight title against Sergey Kovalev in 2019, Álvarez returned to the super middleweight division with a mission to become the undisputed champion. In December 2020, he defeated Callum Smith to win the WBA (Super) and vacant WBC super middleweight belts.

In 2021, Álvarez successfully defended those titles against Avni Yildirim and Billy Joe Saunders, the latter of whom he defeated in front of over 73,000 fans at AT&T Stadium in Texas—a record crowd for an indoor boxing event in the U.S. That victory added the WBO belt to his collection. Later that year, Canelo defeated Caleb Plant via 11th-round TKO to capture the IBF title, becoming the first boxer in history to unify all four major super middleweight belts (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO).

In 2022, Álvarez moved back up to light heavyweight to challenge undefeated Dmitry Bivol for the WBA (Super) title. Despite being a heavy favorite, Canelo suffered a surprising unanimous decision loss—just the second defeat of his professional career.

Later that year, he returned to super middleweight to complete a trilogy with Gennady Golovkin. Álvarez won the third bout by unanimous decision, bringing closure to one of boxing's most iconic rivalries.

In 2023, Álvarez defended his undisputed super middleweight crown against undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo. Canelo dominated the fight and retained all four belts via unanimous decision.

In September 2025, Álvarez faced Terence Crawford in a blockbuster showdown at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas. Despite entering as the natural super middleweight and heavy favorite, Canelo was outboxed over 12 rounds and lost by unanimous decision. The defeat cost him his undisputed titles and marked the third official loss of his career. Even with the setback, Álvarez remains one of the most decorated and influential fighters of the modern era, a four-division champion who defined boxing in the 2010s and early 2020s.

Career Earnings

Canelo Álvarez has earned more than $600 million pre-tax over the course of his boxing and business career.

Manny Pacquiao was offered a whopping $65 million to face Saul in Mexico, but Pacquiao declined.

Alvarez would have many more opportunities to earn big money on major fights. On May 5th, 2012, Saul Alvarez earned a purse of $1.2 million when he faced and subsequently defeated Sugar Shane Mosley. On September 16th, 2012, Saul Alvarez defeated Josesito Lopez and earned a $2 million purse, plus a $100,000 knockout bonus from Golden Boy Promotions.

For the Mayweather fight, Saul earned a $5 million purse plus a percentage of PPV profits, bringing his total up to $12 million. On November 21, 2015, Saul Alvarez earned a purse of $5 million when he defeated Miguel Cotto. During that fight, HBO reported 900,000 PPV buys, which amounted to $58 million in domestic revenue. In May 2016, Saul Alvarez earned an estimated $15 – $25 million when he defeated Amir Khan. The NCAS reported a live gate of over $7 million.

Between June 2017 and June 2018, Saul earned $44 million from endorsements and boxing purses. Alvarez earned more than $40 million from the Golovkin fight, during which ESPN reported a live gate of over $20 million. When they fought again in September 2018, Canelo was guaranteed $25 million just to show up. The rematch generated more than $94 million in PPV buys.

Between June 2022 and June 2023, Saul earned $110 million from all sources. He earned $80 million between 2023 and 2024.

Saul Alvarez Major Purse History

• Sugar Shane Mosley (2012) – $1.2 million
• Josesito Lopez (2012) – $2 million
• Floyd Mayweather (2013) – $25 million (including PPV share)
• Erislandy Lara (2014) – $1.5 million
• Miguel Cotto (2015) – $15 million
• Amir Khan (2016) – $25 million
• Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (2017) – $25 million
• Gennady Golovkin I (2017) – $40 million
• Gennady Golovkin II (2018) – $35 million
• Daniel Jacobs (2019) – $35 million
• Sergey Kovalev (2019) – $35 million
• Callum Smith (2020) – $25 million
• Billy Joe Saunders (2021) – $35 million
• Caleb Plant (2021) – $40 million
• Dmitry Bivol (2022) – $40 million
• Gennady Golovkin III (2022) – $45 million
• Jermell Charlo (2023) – $40 million
• Jaime Munguía (2024) – $35 million
• Terence Crawford (2025) – $100 million

Adding these purses together: $640.7 million

Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Boxing Style

Saul Alvarez is known for his terrific counterpunching ability, and he finds and fully exploits small gaps in his opponents' guards. Alvarez is also renowned for his powerful body punches, often ending punches with a strike to the liver. Additionally, he is known for his head movement, which makes him vulnerable – but this tactic comes with its own set of rewards. Canelo has shown his extraordinary intelligence in almost every fight, setting traps for his opponents with creative combinations that keep everyone guessing. Canelo often ends fights with these combinations, so when you see him land more than three punches, the fight is usually over.

Personal Life

Canelo Álvarez is known for keeping much of his personal life private, but he has four children with different partners. In 2022, he married Fernanda Gómez, a Mexican model and businesswoman with whom he shares a daughter. Outside the ring, Álvarez is passionate about horses and owns a ranch in Mexico. He also enjoys golf and has participated in celebrity tournaments. Despite his global fame, he often emphasizes his humble roots and maintains strong ties to his hometown of Guadalajara, where he remains a beloved national figure and source of pride for Mexican boxing fans.

Who's Richer?

Saul
Alvarez

Compare!

Jermell
Charlo