MEXICAN superstar Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez revealed he will retire by 37 before dropping the boxing gloves for golf clubs.
The 29-year-old took over from Floyd Mayweather – the only man to beat Canelo in 56 fights – as the sport’s top attraction after the American officially retired in 2017.
Canelo Alvarez plans on playing golf after he retires from boxing
And with wins against Gennady Golovkin, Miguel Cotto, Amir Khan, and most recently Sergey Kovalev – which won him a belt in his fourth division – Alvarez is already planning for life outside of the ring.
Canelo saw his proposed world title fight against WBO super-middleweight champion axed amid the coronavirus pandemic, though the multimillionaire boxer continues to train.
But he warns the hard work and dedication will only last for a “max” eight more years as he eyes life on the golf green after he hangs up the gloves.
He told Box Azteca: “Boxing is my life. My body asks me to fight. I keep training because I love boxing.
“I train whether I have a fight or not – 36 years old, for me that’s a good time to retire, 37 years old at the max.
“I’ll dedicate myself to my business and playing golf every day.”
Canelo beat Liverpool’s Rocky Fielding in December 2018 to win the WBA’s secondary world title.
But in a bid to cement himself as a true four-weight champion, he was due to challenge unbeaten Brit Saunders.
Saunders, though, had his fighting license suspended by the British Board of Boxing Control after a controversial video leaked of the 30-year-old appearing to show men how to hit women during lockdown.
It led to suggestions Canelo could now focus on a third fight with rival Golovkin – who he beat in 2018 after fortunately walking away with a draw in their first fight a year earlier.
Despite the uncertainty about when he will next fight, Canelo vows to remain focused, as he said: “I always have discipline, work ethic, and dedication.
“The only thing that has changed are my successes, I train every day as if I was a rookie.”
Canelo beat Sergey Kovalev in his last fight to win the WBO light-heavyweight title
Four-division world champion Canelo Alvarez works on his jab while carrying his daughter
Source: Boxing - thesun.co.uk
