Mexican boxing star Saúl "Canelo" Álvarez has revealed that as he approaches the twilight of his career, he has a venue in mind for his farewell fight that holds special personal significance.
Álvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs), from Guadalajara, Mexico, shared with ESPN that he dreams of closing out his career at the iconic Estadio Azteca in Mexico City
"I want my last fight to be in Mexico," Álvarez said. "When I was there as a fan supporting the national team [in the World Cup in June], I was at Estadio Azteca [in Mexico City] and it's a stadium that gives you an incredible vibe – a very good feeling. I pictured myself fighting there."
Álvarez’s journey began in Mexico with his professional debut against Abraham Gonzalez on Oct. 29, 2005, where he secured
a knockout victory, and over the years, he fought 33 additional times in Mexico. His most recent homecoming bout was in 2023 at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara, where he defeated John Ryder by unanimous decision.
Álvarez also said he has already discussed staging a fight at Estadio Azteca with Emilio Azcárraga, chairman of Televisa and owner of Club América. According to Alvarez, he told Azcárraga he could envision himself stepping into the ring at the legendary stadium before hanging up his gloves for good.
Before that dream can become reality, Álvarez is focused on his immediate challenge, a high-stakes bout titled "Mexico vs. The World" against Christian Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) for the WBC super middleweight championship on Oct. 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
The upcoming fight marks his return to the ring after a unanimous-decision loss to Terence Crawford, which ended his reign as undisputed super middleweight champion.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Canelo Alvarez envisions final fight of career at Mexico's Estadio Azteca
