Canelo Alvarez Weight Class – His Full Career Timeline

Canelo
Álvarez
is
not
just
another
boxing
champion.
He
has
dominated
multiple
weight
classes,
proving
he
can
take
on
bigger
opponents
and
still
come
out
on
top.
Most
fighters
stay
in
one
division,
but
Canelo
moved
through
different
weight
classes
and
won
world
titles
in
each.

His
ability
to
adjust
his
speed,
power,
and
strategy
separates
him
from
others.

Moving
up
or
down
in
weight
is
not
simple.
Fighters
must
adapt
to
stronger
or
faster
opponents
while
keeping
their
own
skills
sharp.

Canelo
made
each
move
at
the
right
time,
picking
his
battles
wisely.
His
career
shows
how
strategy
and
skill
go
beyond
just
punching
power.

Canelo
Álvarez
is
not
done
yet.
More
fights,
more
weight
classes,
and
more
history
to
make.
The
rest
of
this
article
will
break
down
his
journey.

A
Young
Fighter
With
Big
Dreams

Canelo
Álvarez
was
not
born
into
boxing
royalty.
He
grew
up
in
a
working-class
family
in
Guadalajara,
watching
his
older
brothers
fight
before
stepping
into
the
ring
himself.
By
the
time
he
was
15,
he
had
no
interest
in
waiting.

Most
fighters
start
their
careers
as
amateurs,
but
Canelo
skipped
that
path
and
turned
professional
while
still
a
teenager.
His
first
fights
took
place
in
small
venues,
but
his
power
and
skill
stood
out.

Older,
more
experienced
fighters
could
not
break
him.
He
moved
fast,
fighting
frequently
and
collecting
wins
against
tougher
opponents.

Starting
at
welterweight,
he
had
to
prove
himself
against
bigger
names.
His
knockout
power
made
him
a
crowd
favorite
in
Mexico,
but
his
defense
and
counterpunching
showed
that
he
was
more
than
just
another
brawler.

By
the
time
he
reached
20,
he
had
already
built
an
undefeated
record.
It
was
clear
that
he
would
not
stay
at
welterweight
for
long.
Bigger
challenges—and
bigger
opponents—were
waiting.

Climbing
the
Ranks
–
Winning
Titles
in
Different
Weight
Classes

Canelo
Álvarez
never
planned
to
stay
in
one
weight
class.
He
started
at
welterweight,
but
his
body
and
skill
set
pushed
him
to
take
on
bigger
opponents.
As
he
moved
up,
he
did
not
just
survive.
He
dominated.

Each
new
division
brought
stronger
rivals,
but
Canelo
kept
proving
he
belonged
at
the
top.

Light
Middleweight
–
The
First
World
Title

By
2010,

Canelo
had
outgrown
welterweight.
His
power
and
durability
made
him
a
natural
fit
for
light
middleweight,
where
he
got
his
first
real
shot
at
a
world
title.
In
2011,
he
faced
Matthew
Hatton
for
the
vacant
WBC
Light
Middleweight
Title.

The
fight
was
one-sided,
with
Canelo
controlling
every
round.
When
the
final
bell
rang,
there
was
no
doubt—he
was
now
a
world
champion
at
only
20
years
old.

Winning
the
title
was
just
the
start.
Over
the
next
few
years,
he
defended
his
belt
against
respected
fighters
like
Kermit
Cintrón,
Josesito
López,
and
the
legendary
Shane
Mosley.
Each
fight
showed
a
different
side
of
Canelo.

He
had
knockout
power,
speed,
and
a
defensive
style
that
kept
him
out
of
trouble.
By
2013,
he
was
not
just
a
young
champion—he
was
a
real
star.

Middleweight
–
Taking
on
the
Best

After
ruling
light
middleweight,
Canelo
moved
up
again.
In
2015,
he
fought
Miguel
Cotto
for
the

WBC
Middleweight
Title.
Cotto
was
a
veteran
with
power
and
experience,
but
Canelo
outboxed
him
for
12
rounds.

The
judges
gave
Canelo
the
win,
making
him
a
two-division
world
champion.

The
middleweight
division
was
full
of
killers.
The
biggest
challenge
came
in
2017,
when
Canelo
faced
Gennadiy
Golovkin.

Their
fight
ended
in
a
controversial
draw,
with
many
thinking
Golovkin
won.
Canelo
demanded
a
rematch,
and
in
2018,
he
won
a
close
decision.
That
victory
proved
he
could
beat
the
best
of
the
best.

Super
Middleweight
–
Becoming
Undisputed
Champion

Canelo
Álvarez
had
already
conquered
multiple
divisions,
but
super
middleweight
(168
lbs)
would
define
his
legacy.
Instead
of
fighting
for
one
belt
at
a
time,
he
wanted
them
all.

No
Mexican
boxer
had
ever
been
an
undisputed
champion
in
any
division.
Canelo
planned
to
change
that.

Moving
Up
and
Winning
His
First
Super
Middleweight
Title

In
December
2018,
Canelo
fought
Rocky
Fielding
for
the

WBA
Super
Middleweight
Title.
It
was
a
brutal
mismatch.
Canelo
knocked
Fielding
down
four
times
in
three
rounds,
proving
he
was
more
than
ready
for
the
weight
class.
That
win
gave
him
his
first
belt
at
168
lbs,
but
he
was
not
done.

For
the
next
two
years,
he
fought
at
both
middleweight
and
light
heavyweight
before
fully
committing
to
super
middleweight
in
2020.
By
then,
Callum
Smith
was
the
man
to
beat.
Smith
was
undefeated,
had
a
huge
height
and
reach
advantage,
and
held
the
WBA
and
Ring
Magazine
titles.

None
of
that
mattered.
Canelo
dominated
him
for
12
rounds,
taking
his
belts
and
cementing
himself
as
the
top
fighter
in
the
division.

Unifying
the
Division
–
One
Belt
at
a
Time

Canelo
did
not
stop
with
Smith.
He
wanted
every
belt
at
168
lbs.
In
May
2021,
he
faced
Billy
Joe
Saunders
for
the

WBO
title.
Saunders
was
an
undefeated,
slick
boxer
who
talked
a
lot
before
the
fight.

Canelo
let
his
fists
do
the
talking.
After
eight
rounds
of
pressure,
he
landed
a
brutal
uppercut
that
shattered
Saunders’
orbital
bone.
The
fight
was
over.
Another
belt
was
his.

Only
one
man
stood
in
the
way
of
undisputed
status—Caleb
Plant,
the

IBF
champion.
The
fight
took
place
in
November
2021,
and
Canelo
came
in
with
one
goal:
end
it
before
the
final
bell.

Plant
fought
well
early,
but
Canelo
kept
closing
the
distance.
In
the
eleventh
round,
a
left
hook
followed
by
an
uppercut
sent
Plant
crashing
to
the
canvas.

The
referee
stopped
the
fight
seconds
later.
Canelo
was
now
the
undisputed
super
middleweight
champion,
holding
all
four
major
titles.

Light
Heavyweight
–
Stepping
Into
a
Bigger
Challenge

Canelo
Álvarez
had
already
made
history
at
super
middleweight,
but
he
was
never
satisfied
with
staying
in
one
division.
Light
heavyweight
(175
lbs)
was
a
different
challenge.

Fighters
at
this
weight
were
naturally
bigger,
stronger,
and
harder
to
break
down.
That
did
not
stop
Canelo
from
taking
the
risk.

Winning
a
Title
at
175
lbs

In
November
2019,
Canelo
moved
up
to
challenge
Sergey
Kovalev
for
the

WBO
Light
Heavyweight
Title.
Kovalev
was
a
seasoned
champion
known
for
his
power
and
jab.
Many
questioned
if
Canelo
could
handle
the
size
difference.

The
fight
was
competitive
early,
but
Canelo’s
patience
paid
off.
In
the
11th
round,
he
landed
a
devastating
left
hook
followed
by
a
straight
right
hand
that
knocked
Kovalev
out
cold.

With
that
victory,
Canelo
became
a
four-division
world
champion.
Most
fighters
would
have
stayed
to
defend
the
belt,
but
Canelo
had
other
plans.

He
dropped
back
down
to
super
middleweight,
focusing
on
unifying
the
division
instead
of
staying
at
light
heavyweight.

The
Bivol
Fight
–
A
Rare
Defeat

In
2022,
Canelo
returned
to
light
heavyweight
to
challenge
Dmitry
Bivol
for
the

WBA
(Super)
Light
Heavyweight
Title.
Bivol
was
younger,
bigger,
and
technically
sound.
Unlike
Kovalev,
Bivol
was
in
his
prime.

Canelo
struggled
to
close
the
distance.
Bivol
used
his
reach,
footwork,
and
disciplined
defense
to
control
the
fight.
Canelo
landed
some
big
shots,
but
Bivol
never
broke
down.

After
12
rounds,
the
judges
gave
Bivol
a
unanimous
decision
win.
It
was
Canelo’s
first
clear
defeat
since
Floyd
Mayweather.

Despite
the
loss,
Canelo
did
not
lose
his
status
as
the
top
fighter
in
boxing.
Instead
of
chasing
a
rematch
immediately,
he
returned
to
super
middleweight
to
defend
his
undisputed
titles.

The
loss
showed
that
light
heavyweight
was
a
tough
challenge,
but
Canelo’s
legacy
was
already
secure.

Recent
Fights
and
What
Comes
Next

Canelo
continues
to
prove
he
is
not
slowing
down.
After
the
Bivol
loss,
he
defended
his
super
middleweight
titles
against
Gennadiy
Golovkin
in
their
trilogy
fight,
winning
by
unanimous
decision.
He
also

defeated
John
Ryder
in
2023,
showing
that
he
was
still
at
the
top
of
his
game.

The
Future
–
Who’s
Next
for
Canelo?

The
boxing
world
keeps
asking
the
same
question—who
can
beat
Canelo
at
super
middleweight?
Fighters
like
David
Benavidez
and
Jermall
Charlo
have
been
mentioned
as
potential
challengers.

There
is
also
the
possibility
of
a
Bivol
rematch
if
Canelo
decides
to
give
light
heavyweight
another
shot.

At
this
stage
of
his
career,
Canelo
has
nothing
left
to
prove.
He
has
won
titles
in
multiple
divisions,
beaten
some
of
the
best
fighters
in
the
world,
and
established
himself
as
one
of
boxing’s
greatest
champions.

The
only
thing
left
is
to
see
how
much
longer
he
wants
to
fight
and
if
there
is
one
more
historic
moment
left
in
his
career.

Last
Words

Canelo
Álvarez
built
a
career
on
skill,
discipline,
and
taking
on
the
toughest
challenges.
He
moved
through
weight
classes,
won
world
titles,
and
proved
himself
against
the
best.
His
place
in
boxing
history
is
set.