Saul Alvarez Net Worth

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

Saul Alvarez, AKA "Canelo," is a professional Mexican boxer in the Light Middleweight division who has a net worth of $300 million. Widely regarded as one of the greatest pound-for-pound fighters of his era, Canelo has won world titles in four weight classes—light middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight, and light heavyweight. Known for his exceptional head movement, power, and counterpunching skills, he has been a dominant force across multiple divisions.

Canelo turned professional at just 15 years old and quickly rose through the ranks. In 2011, he captured the WBC, WBA (Super), and Ring magazine light middleweight titles. He later won the unified WBA (Unified), WBC, Ring, and lineal middleweight championships in 2015. In 2019, he jumped to light heavyweight and claimed the WBO title.

In December 2020, Álvarez unified the WBA (Super), WBC, and Ring super middleweight titles, and by November 2021, he added the IBF and WBO belts, becoming the first undisputed super middleweight champion in boxing history. In addition to his in-ring success, Canelo signed a landmark $365 million deal with DAZN in 2018, one of the most lucrative contracts in sports history at the time.

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, and more than 20 locations of a convenience store brand called Upper. He also launched his own clothing line and fitness app, further cementing his presence in the lifestyle space. In 2023, Canelo entered the beverage market with two new ventures: VMC, a line of canned tequila-based cocktails, and Yaoca, a sports drink designed to compete with giants like Gatorade.

While many professional athletes pursue dozens of endorsement deals, Canelo has historically taken a more selective approach. One of his most notable partnerships is a $2 million-per-year deal with Anheuser-Busch, reflecting his preference for quality over quantity.

DAZN Deal and Lawsuit

In October 2018, Canelo signed a groundbreaking $365 million, 11-fight deal with DAZN and Golden Boy Promotions—at the time, the richest contract in sports history. The deal guaranteed him $35 million per fight, with DAZN paying Golden Boy $40 million per event. It began with his December 2018 bout against Rocky Fielding at Madison Square Garden.

However, the partnership quickly soured. In September 2020, Canelo filed a $280 million breach-of-contract lawsuit against DAZN, Golden Boy, and Oscar De La Hoya. The dispute stemmed from disagreements over opponent selection, with DAZN allegedly refusing to approve certain fighters and attempting to renegotiate Canelo's guaranteed purse. Canelo claimed that under his contract, he had the right to select opponents in conjunction with Golden Boy, while DAZN reportedly had a separate agreement allowing veto power. After months of stalling and the cancellation of all fights in 2020, Canelo sought damages for lost income and ultimately negotiated an exit from both contracts, freeing him to become an independent free agent.

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.

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) – $12 million guaranteed (estimated $25–30 million total with PPV)
• Erislandy Lara (2014) – $1.5 million
• Miguel Cotto (2015) – $5 million guaranteed (estimated $15–20 million total with PPV)
• Amir Khan (2016) – $3 million guaranteed (estimated $25 million total with PPV share)
• Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (2017) – $5 million guaranteed (estimated $20–25 million total)
• Gennady Golovkin I (2017) – $5 million guaranteed (estimated $40 million total)
• Gennady Golovkin II (2018) – $5 million guaranteed (estimated $30–35 million total)
• Daniel Jacobs (2019) – $35 million (under DAZN deal)
• Sergey Kovalev (2019) – $35 million (DAZN)
• Callum Smith (2020) – $20–25 million (estimated)
• Billy Joe Saunders (2021) – $30–35 million (reported combined purse and incentives)
• Caleb Plant (2021) – $40 million (guaranteed + PPV upside, via Showtime)
• Dmitry Bivol (2022) – $45 million (reported)
• Gennady Golovkin III (2022) – $45–50 million (reported)
• Jermell Charlo (2023) – $35–40 million (reported)

Total = $462 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.

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