CANELO ALVAREZ revealed his five-year-old son is already dreaming of following in his footsteps – but first he needs to learn to take a punch.
The Mexican superstar was inspired into a career of fighting after watching his older brothers in action.
And amazingly, by 15 Canelo was a professional knocking out fully grown men.
Now, his young son Saul Adiel wants to continue the family trade and is already convinced he will headline in Las Vegas like his famous father.
In an exclusive interview with SunSport, Canelo said: "He loves boxing. He told me, ‘Hey, when am I going to fight in Vegas?’
“I said, ‘OK, take it easy. When you grow up and you’re 18 years old, maybe you can fight in Vegas. First you’re going to take the first punch and then let me know if you want to be a boxer or not.’”
READ MORE IN BOXING
I'VE GOT A TEXT!
How to join The Sun's brilliant new WhatsApp channel in three easy steps
KING OF THE RING
Ring Magazine's top 10 heavyweight boxers leaves fans confused over No1
Canelo, a doting dad also to his daughters Emily, Mia and Maria, has sacrificed half his life to the sport that has made him millions.
And he warned his son would have to be willing to show that same dedication in order to get his blessing to box.
Canelo said: “He needs to love boxing, he needs to have that discipline. He needs to be able to handle that sacrifice that comes with boxing.
"Plus that talent, because if you don’t have talent, find another sport.”
Most read in Boxing
LLEW BEAUTY
Apollonia Llewellyn almost suffers wardrobe malfunction with Instagram post
LAURA LOVE
Laura Woods hailed by fans as ‘absolutely divine’ as TNT Sports presenter stuns
WEMBLEY WAY
Hearn rules out ‘dangerous’ Joshua fight but suggests stunning Wembley bout
CONN AIR
Benn WINS in boxing return as Brit beats Orozco in first fight since suspension
CASINO SPECIAL – BEST CASINO WELCOME OFFERS
For Canelo, boxing is a family affair with older brothers Ramon, Ricardo and Rigoberto all fighters.
So for as difficult and nerve-wracking as it could be as a father, the four-division champion will not stand in Saul Jr's way of doing the same.
He said: “Boxing is hard and you have your kid there who loves boxing it’s hard, it’s going to be hard for me.
“But if he loves boxing that much then I need to support him no matter what.”
Canelo last year topped Forbes' sporting rich list as the highest-paid fighter on the planet after earning £90MILLION.
And in 2021, he cemented his place further by winning all four super-middleweight belts to become undisputed 168lb king.
But even after 63 fights and 18 years in the ring, Canelo still continues to make history.
As on Saturday he will take on American Jermell Charlo, 33, marking the first time two current undisputed champions have fought.
Charlo moves up TWO divisions to do so and Canelo has vowed to make the light-middleweight champ pay for his previous trash-talk.
Ahead of the Showtime PPV fight, he said: "I love boxing and I love these kind of fights.
“And it motivates me more and more because he never believed in my skills, he’s always calling me out, always talking s*** about me.
READ MORE SUN STORIES
BIG CHANGES
Big Brother in huge shake up for launch as ITV clears schedules for first night
POO KNEW?
The truth about 'marble' poos – and how it's a sign you need to act now
“He never believed in my skills and right now, I’m able to show him my skills and why I’m here. That motivates me.
“And I love boxing. I love being in training camp, I love training so my routine is something I enjoy a lot.”
Source: Read Full Article
