For a musician, the goal is to someday perform in an iconic venue like Madison Square Garden. For an artist, it’s to see one’s painting hanging in The Louvre. For a professional fighter? It’s stepping into the squared circle in the Boxing Capital of the World.
So it should come as no surprise that when he was slugging his way through boxing clubs in and around his hometown of Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, Saul “Canelo” Álvarez dreamt that his iron fists would someday lead him to the bright lights of Las Vegas. On May 1, 2010, that dream became a reality when Álvarez knocked out Jose Miguel Cotto at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
What Alvarez wouldn’t have known at the time of that victory? That he’d get to relive his dream again and again for the next nine years … and counting. In fact, on May 4, Álvarez (51-1-2, 35 KOs) will lace up the gloves in Las Vegas for a 12th time when he faces fellow 160-pound world champion Daniel Jacobs (35-2, 29 KOs) in a title unification showdown at T-Mobile Arena.
Clearly, Álvarez—a proud Mexican whose first 22 fights (and 30 of his first 32) occurred in his native country—has found a second home in this desert metropolis.
“Coming up as a young boxer, fighting in Las Vegas was always a dream of mine,” Álvarez said recently during a break from training camp. “I’m glad I was able to accomplish that goal, and I’m happy to once again be fighting in Las Vegas. The people and the city have always treated me well, and I feel very comfortable there.”
It’s easy to understand why: Álvarez has won nine of his 11 fights on the Strip, the only exceptions being a narrow majority-decision loss to all-time-great Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September 2013 and a draw with then-unbeaten knockout artist Gennady Golovkin in September 2017. While Álvarez never got a second shot at Mayweather, he was able to hand Golovkin his first defeat, eking out a majority decision in their rematch exactly a year later.
Now it’s on to Jacobs, who represents not only Álvarez’s eighth world title fight in Las Vegas but his fifth fight here during Cinco de Mayo weekend. “It’s a big thing for Mexican fighters, including myself, to fight over Cinco de Mayo,” he said. “It’s an important date for our country, and I’m very honored to be able to fight and represent Mexicans on (that holiday). It’s something I hope to continue doing.”
While Álvarez acknowledged that he expects a difficult tussle with Jacobs—whom he calls “an excellent, very skillful fighter with good technique and a lot of intelligence”—the 28-year-old, multidivision champion is a sizeable favorite to post the 52nd victory in what is already a legendary career. And with nine fights remaining on the historic 11-fight, $365 million deal he signed last year with streaming service DAZN, Álvarez is likely to remain a Vegas headliner for years to come.
“My goal is to continue to make history,” Álvarez said. “I love taking on difficult challenges—it’s what I’ve done my whole career, and what I want to keep doing. I want to continue giving fans the best fights against the biggest names out there and (solidify) my legacy as one of the best in boxing history.”
T-Mobile Arena, 2:15 p.m. May 4, starting at $305 plus tax and fee. 888.929.7849 AXS
