Canelo Alvarez faced a harrowing personal challenge just days before his WBA super-middleweight title fight against Rocky Fielding in December 2018.
In an interview on In Depth with Graham Bensinger in April 2021, Canelo revealed the kidnapping of his brother Victor Alvarez in Mexico, a situation he handled with extraordinary courage and composure.
Canelo recounted negotiating over the phone with the kidnappers for three days to secure his brother’s safe release. Despite the intense ordeal, he maintained composure, emphasizing that the public, police, and authorities were unaware of the situation as he prepared for his fight that weekend:
“In 2018, the Monday before the fight. I was informed. Over the phone, I negotiated everything for his release. For three days, I negotiated with those a**holes so that they would let him go. And after I negotiated, I was still thinking, imagine if this had been my daughter, my mother, my father. For me, it would have been even more difficult.”
Throughout this personal trial, Canelo demonstrated remarkable focus and strength, ultimately dominating Rocky Fielding in the ring with a third-round knockout victory, despite the challenges he faced behind the scenes.
In addition to his boxing prowess, Canelo and his seven brothers achieved a Guinness World Record on June 8, 2008, when they all fought on the same boxing card in Zapopan, Jalisco. This significant milestone highlights the Alvarez family’s deep connection to the sport and their collective impact on boxing history.
Currently, Canelo Alvarez is preparing for a high-stakes defense of his WBA, WBC, WBO, and IBF super-middleweight titles against undefeated Mexican challenger Jaime Munguia in a 12-round main event scheduled for this weekend at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
