In becoming the biggest star in world boxing, Mexico’s Canelo Álvarez has left a trail of devastation in his wake. Here are 10 of his best wins.
- Gennady Golovkin
After being held to a draw by Golovkin in 2017, Álvarez was forced to serve a six-month PED suspension the following year before coming back to best his great Kazakh rival in their rematch, winning a majority decision. - Sergey Kovalev
Álvarez, a former welterweight, ended up going all the way to light-heavyweight in 2019 to not only defeat Sergey Kovalev but to do it in 11 rounds. - Daniel Jacobs
Jacobs, Canelo’s main middleweight rival not named Gennady Golovkin, gave the Mexican all he could handle in 2019 but was ultimately edged on the scorecards after 12 competitive rounds. - Callum Smith
Deemed a difficult test for Canelo at the time, Smith, a six-foot-three super-middleweight, proved no match for the Mexican and was outboxed and outfought for pretty much every minute of the 12 rounds they shared in 2020. - Erislandy Lara
Long before his two controversial fights with Gennady Golovkin, Canelo was considered lucky to get away with beating Cuba’s fleet-footed Lara via split-decision in 2014. - Austin Trout
In what was his final fight before facing Floyd Mayweather, and suffering his first pro loss, Álvarez recorded a unanimous decision win against Trout in 2013. - Miguel Cotto
Though no longer in his prime, Cotto was on a decent run of form as a middleweight when Álvarez, outpointing him over 12 rounds, proved too fresh, strong and quick for him in 2015. - Shane Mosley
Mosley was past his best and coming off a loss to Manny Pacquiao when Álvarez got hold of him in 2012, but he still managed to take Canelo 12 rounds and taught him a thing or two along the way. - Billy Joe Saunders
An easier fight than many expected, Álvarez met Saunders in May 2021 and got to grips with the Brit’s supposedly awkward style early, never letting Saunders settle until an eye injury brought a premature end to proceedings after eight rounds. - Liam Smith
Smith gave a good account of himself at Arlington’s AT&T Stadium in 2016, but was stopped inside nine rounds, much to the delight of Álvarez’s Mexican fans.