Net Worth Ranker
What Is Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán Net Worth?
Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán, most famously known as Canelo Álvarez, has amassed a significant net worth through his successful boxing career and various business ventures. His current net worth is estimated to be around $250 million. This figure reflects his earnings from high-profile fights, endorsements, and entrepreneurial activities. Canelo is considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers and has demonstrated remarkable prowess since beginning his professional career at the young age of 15.
Canelo Álvarez’s Career Earnings
Canelo Álvarez has accumulated substantial wealth throughout his boxing career, earning an estimated $600 million pre-tax from all sources. This includes not only fight purses but also revenue from endorsements and other ventures. Several of his major fights have contributed significantly to this total:
- Sugar Shane Mosley: $1.2 million
- Josesito Lopez: $2 million (plus a $100,000 knockout bonus)
- Floyd Mayweather: $12 million
- Miguel Cotto: $5 million
- Amir Khan: $25 million
- Gennady Golovkin I: $40 million
- Gennady Golovkin II: $30 million
Between June 2018 and June 2019, Canelo earned $95 million. In the subsequent 12 months, his earnings totaled $40 million. Between June 2020 and June 2021, he made $90 million.
Details of Major Fight Contracts
On October 17, 2018, Canelo Álvarez signed a lucrative 5-year, $365 million deal with Oscar De La Hoya’s Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN, a sports streaming service. This contract covered 11 fights, commencing with his December 15, 2018, matchup against Rocky Fielding in New York. The deal stipulated that DAZN would pay Golden Boy $40 million per fight, with Canelo receiving a $35 million cut for each bout.
However, in September 2020, Canelo filed a breach of contract lawsuit against DAZN, Golden Boy Promotions, and Oscar De La Hoya. The lawsuit sought $280 million in damages, citing lost sponsorship and gate revenue. The dispute arose from disagreements over the opponents Canelo chose to face, with DAZN reportedly finding them not “premier.” DAZN offered Canelo half of his guaranteed $35 million purse to fight Billy Joe Saunders, an offer he refused. The lawsuit highlighted Canelo’s desire to either be paid the full $35 million to fight his chosen opponents or to exit the contract and pursue fights independently.
Canelo’s Early Life and Entry into Boxing
Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán was born on July 18, 1990, on the outskirts of Guadalajara. His family later moved to Juanacatlan when he was five. He is the youngest of seven siblings, all raised on their family’s farm. Interestingly, all six of Saul’s brothers also pursued professional boxing careers.
Canelo began boxing at the age of 13, inspired by his older brothers. His amateur career was immediately successful. He won a silver medal at the Mexican Junior Championship and a gold medal the following year at the age of 15. Despite being unusually young for a professional debut, Canelo turned pro shortly after winning gold, as other boxers were reluctant to face him.
In 2006, he won the welterweight title. He then moved to light middleweight, securing the WBC silver title in 2010 and becoming the first boxer to knock out Carlos Baldomir that same year.
Key Milestones and Title Wins
Canelo Álvarez has achieved numerous milestones throughout his boxing career, securing world championships in four different weight classes. Some of his major accomplishments include:
- Winning the WBC, WBA (Super), and Ring magazine light middleweight titles in 2011
- Unifying the WBA (Unified), WBC, Ring, and lineal middleweight titles in 2015
- Becoming the first boxer to unify the WBA (Super), WBC, and Ring magazine super middleweight titles in December 2020
- Winning the WBO light heavyweight title in 2019
Notable victories include beating Austin Trout in 2013, Miguel Cotto in 2015, and Amir Khan in 2016. Despite a loss to Floyd Mayweather in 2013, Canelo has consistently proven himself a formidable opponent.
Canelo’s Business Empire and Endorsements
Beyond his boxing career, Canelo Álvarez has established a growing business empire. He owns a chain of gas stations in Mexico called “Canelo Energy,” as well as 20 locations of a convenience store called “Upper.” He also has a clothing line and a fitness app. In 2023, he launched a canned tequila-based cocktail called VMC and a sports drink company called Yaoca.
While Canelo has historically been selective with his endorsement partners, he does have a $2 million per year contract with Anheuser-Busch. This endorsement deal underscores his marketability and brand appeal.
Details of Canelo’s Style and Strategy
Canelo Álvarez is renowned for his exceptional counterpunching abilities, identifying and exploiting even the smallest openings in his opponents’ defenses. He is also recognized for his powerful body punches, often targeting the liver to end fights. His head movement is another key aspect of his strategy, making him a challenging target while creating opportunities for his own attacks. Canelo’s intelligence in the ring is evident in his ability to set traps and employ creative combinations that keep his opponents guessing. When Canelo lands more than three punches in a combination, it often signals the end of the fight.
Canelo Álvarez’s Major Purse History
Examining some of the biggest purses in Canelo Álvarez’s career provides further insight into his earnings potential. Some notable figures include:
- Sugar Shane Mosely: $1.2 million
- Josesito Lopez: $2 million
- Floyd Mayweather: $12 million
- Miguel Cotto: $5 million
- Amir Khan: $25 million
- Gennady Golovkin I: $40 million
- Gennady Golovkin II: $30 million
These figures represent the guaranteed purse amounts for these fights and do not include any potential bonuses or percentages of pay-per-view revenue that Canelo may have earned.
Canelo Álvarez’s Earnings Over the Years
While specific year-by-year earnings details may not always be publicly available, we can piece together some information based on reported figures. Between June 2017 and June 2018, Saul earned $44 million from endorsements and boxing purses. His fight with Golovkin brought in more than $40 million, and their rematch in September 2018 guaranteed Canelo $25 million just to show up.
Between June 2018 and June 2019, Canelo earned a total of $95 million, driven by his DAZN deal and various endorsements. In the following 12 months, his earnings were $40 million. Between June 2022 and June 2023, Canelo earned $110 million from all sources.
Details on the DAZN Deal and Subsequent Lawsuit
In 2018, DAZN entered into a $365 million agreement with Álvarez, ensuring that his upcoming ten fights would be broadcast through their platform. At the time, this was recognized as one of the most significant contracts in sports history. Thanks in large part to this agreement and numerous endorsement deals, between June 2018 and June 2019, Canelo accumulated $95 million from diverse income streams. The arrangement specified that DAZN would provide Golden Boy $40 million per fight across ten fights spanning 2019 and 2020, with Canelo receiving $35 million per fight.
However, in September 2020, Canelo initiated a breach of contract lawsuit against DAZN, Golden Boy Promotions, and Golden Boy’s CEO, Oscar De La Hoya. At the time of the filing, his last fight had occurred in November 2019 against Sergey Kovalev. The lawsuit sought $280 million in damages, as well as compensation for lost sponsorship and gate revenue. The dispute arose from ongoing disagreements among the parties, which, at the time of filing, indicated that Canelo would not have a single fight for the entirety of 2020. Reportedly, DAZN was displeased with the caliber of opponents Canelo had chosen, deeming them insufficiently “premier.” DAZN purportedly offered Canelo half of his guaranteed $35 million purse to fight a boxer named Billy Joe Saunders, which he declined.
The core of the lawsuit revolved around Canelo’s demand to either receive the full $35 million he believed he was entitled to, in order to fight the opponents he proposed and selected with DAZN and Golden Boy, or to be released from his contract so that he could pursue fights independently. Canelo contended that, according to the contract, he had the authority to select future opponents with Golden Boy. He further asserted that Golden Boy had a separate agreement that granted DAZN the right to approve or reject potential opponents.
The Evolution of Canelo’s Net Worth
Canelo Álvarez’s net worth has grown substantially over the course of his career, reflecting his success in the ring and his astute business decisions. From his early purses to the massive DAZN deal, each milestone has contributed to his current financial standing. His ability to command significant purses for his fights, combined with his entrepreneurial ventures, has solidified his position as one of the wealthiest athletes in the world. His net worth is a testament to his skill, dedication, and business acumen.
The projected growth of his business interests will likely enhance Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán net worth in the coming years.
