The Canelo nickname was something I always wondered about as a fight fan and indeed as a journalist in recent years. The truth behind it as it turns out is a rather simple one.
Recently is was reported that the Mexican will sit out the rest of 2017 with an injury after an explosive 2016 campaign.
This year saw him record two devastating knockout victories over British fighters – Amir Khan (full fight available here) and Liam Smith.
The Canelo nickname for those outside of Mexico or whom are non Spanish speaking might come as a surprise.
‘Canelo’ itself directly means cinnamon which is the common name in Mexico for people with red hair.
The boxer was given the nickname by Jose ‘Chepo’ Reynoso.
Reynoso was responsible for initially uncovering him as a boxing talent in his younger days in Mexico. He also coached and managed Alvarez as he fought his way up the ranks after turning pro at a young age.
Not many know however that Canelo had another nickname early on too.
Reynoso realized early on that Alvarez had a distinct look as a Mexican fighter. He stood out from the norm in Mexico due to the color of his hair and freckles on his face.
When he was around 12 years old Reynoso firstly gave him the nickname of ‘Canelito’. This literally translates to English as ‘little cinnamon’.
This nickname would naturally change to Canelo as time went on. It never left him to this day at the age of 26 and 50 pro fights later (48-1-1-34KO).
The post Where The Canelo Nickname Came From For Saul Alvarez appeared first on %%Boxing News and Views/%%.
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