Canelo Alvarez nickname: What is the story behind the Mexican boxer’s nickname?
Canelo Álvarez is one of the greatest boxers in history. However, he was born as Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán. Check out how he got the name Canelo.
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Canelo Álvarez (Image Courtesy - Bleacher Report)
Saúl Canelo Álvarez is one of the greatest boxers of all time. He has only lost two times in his career spanning over sixty fights. Opponents are always careful of their approach to fighting Canelo. Canelo’s counterpunches cause extreme damage as he overwhelms his opponents through guard passing. Fans forget that Canelo is not his first name but a nickname. He was born as Santos Saúl Álvarez Barragán. There is a historical significance to Canelo Álvarez nickname.
Recently, Canelo again joined the list of Forbes’ highest-paid sports athletes. He remained the only combat sports athlete on the list. Surprisingly, he nabbed the fifth spot on the list after Cristiano Ronaldo, Lionel Messi, Kylian Mbappe, and Lebron James. Despite Gervonta Davis claiming to be the face of boxing, financial evidence suggests that Canelo is still the face. Let us learn the significance behind the nickname “Canelo.”
Related: Canelo Alvarez wife net worth: How many girlfriends does the legendary boxer have?
How did Saúl Álvarez become Canelo Álvarez?
At the age of five, Canelo and his family of seven siblings moved to Juanacatlán, Jalisco. He started boxing after watching his elder brother Rigoberto make his professional debut. At that time, he trained under the watchful eye of Jose Reynoso. Reynoso saw Canelo as a short, sweet young kid with orange hair. It was Reynoso who started calling him Canelo.
The word “Canelo” is a shortened version of the Spanish word “Canelito.” It translates to little cinnamon in the Spanish language. Canelo and his mother had primarily red hair or orange hair. Reynoso noticed the unusual orange hair of Álvarez and started to call him Canelo. Ever since then, he has gone by the name of Canelo instead of Saúl Álvarez.
Is there a historical significance behind the nickname of Canelo Álvarez?
Red or orange hair remains rare in Mexico. Hence, people in Mexico always associate it with the Saint Patrick’s Battalion during the Mexican–American War. An Irishman, John Riley, formed the battalion and came to support the Mexicans in the Mexican-American war of 1846-48.
In a way, Canelo pays tribute to the brave Irish warriors who supported Mexico during the war. In an interview, Canelo said, “There might have been an Irish grandfather somewhere back in my past.” Red or orange hairs are closely associated with people from Ireland. Even Canelo thinks he could be of Irish descent, with him and his mother having orange hair. Regardless of what Canelo’s ancestry remains, his nickname was derived from his orange hair.
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