Four-weight world champion, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, has been honoured with a new statue in his hometown of Juanacatlan in Mexico.
Alvarez has had a stellar career, accumulating 58 wins along the way to becoming the undisputed super-middleweight champion after dominating in the lower weight classes.
His hometown has shown its support with the unveiling of the statue. Designed by plastic artist Sigifredo Islas, who created the two-and-a-half meter bronzed figure in two months, the statue will sit proudly on the boardwalk of Juanacatlan, according to Marca.
On his Instagram, Canelo posted that he was grateful for the support and recognition from the government.
“It is a great honor for me to be recognized in the place that saw me grow up and made the person I am today. Thanks to the government of Juanacatlan for this recognition and to all the people who attended.”
“I feel very proud, it is an honor for me. Thanks to everyone who made it possible and to my family who is always supporting me. One day I was like you, here in Juanacatlan, with many dreams of being someone, of getting ahead, of getting my family ahead and if I got ahead, you can too, it’s just a matter of discipline,”
This year has been the most testing in a long time for the Mexican superstar. A first loss since defeat to the great Floyd Mayweather almost eight years ago has cost Canelo his place as the pound-for-pound king in the opinion of many boxing fans. In September, Alvarez followed up the defeat to Dmitry Bivol with a win over longtime rival, Gennady Golovkin.
As Bivol now threatens that he will drop down to the super-middleweight division to fight for Canelo’s undisputed crown, 2023 could prove to be a pivotal year for the legacy of the Mexican.
Canelo’s injury is not as bad as first thought, and he is now expected to return to fight around Cinco De Mayo (early May) and could even be fighting in the UK, with his most likely opponent being John Ryder.
The fight has been rumoured to be in talks to take place at the Emirates Stadium, London, home of Ryder’s beloved Arsenal FC, meaning Alvarez would fight outside of North America for the first time in his sixty-two fight career.