Yesterday, Canelo Alvarez celebrated the eighteenth anniversary of his professional boxing debut. It goes without saying that the reigning, undisputed Super Middleweight champion, often hailed as one of the ‘faces of boxing’ and counted among the pound-for-pound best boxers, is marking this occasion following his dominant performance against Jermell Charlo last month.

He shared a message through his Instagram account, along with a short clip. It shows his journey, taking down opponents from 2005 until 2023. Canelo Alvarez wrote, “Eighteen years of my life listening to their screams of support from the ring, I wouldn’t trade them for anything.” Soon, one by one, eager fans joined, congratulating the Mexican icon. Of course, detractors found their way to chime in with their views as well.

An 18-year-long reign: Canelo Alvarez, the ring royalty

One user called Canelo Alvarez, ‘the face of boxing,’ and mentioned that he would never stop having faith in him and always root for him: “Will always be cheering for you, KingNelo. Face of boxing 🇲🇽🇲🇽.” The next user called the Super Middleweight champion a shining illustration of what can be accomplished by dedication to one’s job, self-control, and staying focused: “A great example of persistence, work, and discipline with a wink of a big dream.“

Calling Alvarez the greatest inspiration of his life, this fan said that he is the best boxer in the world: “You are the best boxer in the world. You are my biggest admiration, Saul.” The next fan reminisced about when the Mexican icon first started. The fan remembered tuning into Telemundo on Fridays to watch the boxing great’s battles: “I watched your fights on Telemundo; they were on Fridays when you started.“

The following fan urged Canelo Alvarez to continue with his professional boxing fights. He should ignore the likes of KSI, Jake Paul, Logan Paul, and Tommy Fury, who are nothing better than pretenders: “Bro, KSI, Jake Paul, Logan Paul, Tommy Fury, and all the other so-called boxers are trash; just stop it, leave it to the pros.“

However, as could be expected, where there are supporters, naysayers would be too far away. The following user mentioned that after last year’s defeat at the hands of Dmitry Bivol, he stopped watching Alvarez’s bouts. Nowadays, he does not go against foes who are formidable and skilled. But he instead prefers boxers who are overweight and amateurish. The user said, “I stopped watching them after Bivol. Today, you don’t face real opposition—only inexperienced boxers and others [who are] overweight. That’s why I prefer watching YouTubers.“

A cinnamon affair to follow

The fight against Charlo was Alvarez’s third title defense since he became the undisputed champion in 2021. It was also the first match of the $100 million, three-fight deal he signed with Al Haymon’s PBC. Increasingly, voices have been clamoring for the much-sought-after bout with David Benavidez, who, incidentally, also happens to be Alvarez’s mandatory challenger. But the Super Middleweight champion is free to decide until March 2024.

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In the meantime, he either goes and settles the pending grudge business with Dmitry Bivol or faces another Charlo – Jermall, the WBC Middleweight champion. But, whatever the case, if it’s a Canelo fight, then fans would be eagerly looking forward to it, as they’d been doing so for the last eighteen years.

Which bout of Canelo Alvarez would you term as the marquee that catapulted him onto the world stage? Please share your views with us in the comments below.

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