The story of Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez is like a fairy tale.

The red-haired boy who sold ice cream on the street in Guadalajara, the Mexican city where he was born, became a world boxing champion and is one of the most successful sporting heroes in the world.

Alvarez will defend his WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight titles against Edgar Berlanga on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The Mexican champion enters the match with a record of 61 wins (39 knockouts), two losses and two draws, while his challenger, born in New York to Puerto Rican parents, has an unbeaten record of 22 wins, 17 of them by knockouts.

Alvarez is a highly praised boxer, but there are many things fans don’t know about him. Here are a few:

He overcame bullying

The Mexican fighter often shows his prowess in the ring, a quality he acquired after being bullied as a child, when he learned to defend himself with his fists.

What was his first salary?

The Guadalajara native began boxing at age 13, once confessing that the pay for his first fight was $45. Alvarez now earns more than $45 million per fight.

What is his favorite food?

Canelo indulges his taste buds in different parts of the world, but he has his favorite dishes. He is a fan of tacos al pastor and prefers a delicious beef broth. In addition, the champion is a sushi lover.

He lives from his interests

Alvarez doesn’t need to fight to make millions. With what he has earned in recent years, he currently lives solely on the interest generated by his businesses. The boxer revealed that his investments yielded a monthly profit of $1.5 million.

How many children does he have?

The super middleweight champion has four children, all with different partners: Emily Cinnamon, Mía Ener, María Fernanda and Saúl Adiel.

What are his hobbies?

He is a horse lover, luxury car collector and an avid golfer.

He is a top athlete

Canelo remains in the top 15 highest-paid athletes in the world. With earnings of $85 million last year, Canelo ranked 14th on Forbes’ list. Forbes used earnings between May 1, 2023, and May 1, 2024 to compile the list.

This report was compiled using information from the Agencia Reforma news agency.

How to watch the fight

The card kicks off at 7pm (Dallas time) on Saturday and will be available as a Prime Video pay-per-view. It costs $89.95 and can be purchased here.

The broadcast includes middleweight champion Erislandy Lara taking on Danny Garcia, Caleb Plant taking on undefeated Trevor McCumby and Rolando “Rolly” Romero battling Manuel Jaimes.

More sports coverage from The Dallas Morning News can be found here.