BoxRec

Mexican superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (49-1-2, 34 KOs), 27 years old, is planning to retire from the sport by age 35.

This coming October, Canelo will celebrate 13 years in the sport of boxing.

Canelo has already captured world titles at junior middleweight and middleweight.

During this period of his career, he wants to make the biggest fights possible to financially secure his future.

"It's very difficult to say how long (I plan to fight for). I can say until I'm 50, but I have the idea of ??retiring at 35, so I want to do everything I can during these years and at 35 years old I can retire and enjoy my life, enjoy what I did and the business I have," Canelo told ESPN Deportes.

"In boxing it takes everything, to make history in my life and in boxing, to do what I can do in this sport and walk away satisfied. I'm satisfied with what I've done and achieved as much as possible."

Canelo wants to reach the Hall of Fame, like his countrymen Marco Antonio Barrera and Erik Morales.

"I'm very proud as a Mexican and as a fighter [of their achievements]. They are an example for us who are in this sport, to motivate us and make us want to be there. It is a very important step in the career of a great fighter," Canelo said.

When he asked how tough it was to carry the flag of Mexican boxing, Canelo said he considers it an honor.

"I assume it with responsibility, discipline, I always give a hundred percent of myself in boxing, I try to do my best to give the public great fights, it's a big responsibility to the great fighters who left this flag for me, but I feel proud," Canelo said.

35 is a good age considering he’s been a pro for nearly 13 years and is currently 27.

A lot he can do still, considering he fights at least twice a year, possibly 16 more fights? He can still make a lot of money.

At least he has a plan. I think he’ll be one if those that retires and just steps away from boxing completely. Like a Hagler.

Is be surprised if he can box for another eight years, he turned professional at fifteen so I would expect injuries might start to take their toll sooner than that...

chinarich wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 06:53 Is be surprised if he can box for another eight years, he turned professional at fifteen so I would expect injuries might start to take their toll sooner than that...

What injuries?

He hardly takes any damage.

Eight more years seems like too much mileage considering he already has 52 fights and turned pro at the very tender age of 15.

He can do it at that arbitrary rate of 2 fights per year, but the question is what calibre of athlete will Canelo still be in say, 3 or 4 more years?

Thirty-five isn't really that old in boxing anymore, but it's often more than the actual age that's important.

A steady diet of world rated fighters plus all the wear and tear of training figures to take it's toll several years before Canelo turns 35.

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 06:56

chinarich wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 06:53 Is be surprised if he can box for another eight years, he turned professional at fifteen so I would expect injuries might start to take their toll sooner than that...

What injuries?

He hardly takes any damage.

He’s already had several surgeries, I believe, and elite athletes can expect their bodies to naturally start breaking down after years of intense training. I would posit that Canelo will struggle more with injuries in his early thirties. Of course I could be wrong...

..if you have achieved everything by that time and your bank account allows it, 35 years seems like a reasonable age to retire..

Good for Canelo but Is this a subtle dig at golovkin?

lazboy wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 07:44 Good for Canelo but Is this a subtle dig at golovkin?

Canelo has been a pro longer than GGG hasn’t he?

lazboy wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 07:44 Good for Canelo but Is this a subtle dig at golovkin?

Of course. Oh how he wishes GGG would just melt away into the sunset!

Boxing is the most notorious sport for getting old suddenly. In other sports you might get a testimonial, in boxing you get smashed up.

With Canelo and GGG it remains to be seen who retires first.

Thomastearns wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 09:12
With Canelo and GGG it remains to be seen who retires first.

... or who retires who first ... :) ...

...

Ruthless-RKO wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 08:51

lazboy wrote: ↑30 Jun 2018, 07:44 Good for Canelo but Is this a subtle dig at golovkin?

Canelo has been a pro longer than GGG hasn’t he?

Yeah, Alvarez turned pro a year before Golovkin did.

Not unusual for Mexicans to turn pro as early as 14.

Economic realities force many Mexicans to entirely skip amateur boxing and directly head to the pro ranks.

For the moment he didn't appear to be in the fight, that could have taken much from him. Even Golovkin fight wasn't like that. Canelo is becoming better with the safe, rational, defensive style. So maybe he will remain on top by that time and retire on his terms.

I think he will retire at 29.

He‘s only 27 FFS! You wouldn’t think it, he’s been at the top that long.

If he does go on for that long then he'd have put in one hell of a shift. About to turn 28, so another 7 years and 2 fights per year would mean he'd end up on around 65 fights, with probably about 30 world title fights.