Canelo Reveals Dream Venue For Final Fight

Canelo Alvarez wants his final professional fight to take place at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

The four-division champion told ESPN that the venue, which holds over 87,500 fans and sits more than 7,000 feet above sea level, gave him chills when he attended World Cup matches there earlier this year. "When I was there as a fan supporting the national team, I was at Estadio Azteca, and it's a stadium that gives you an incredible vibe – a very good feeling. I pictured myself fighting there," Alvarez said, per The Ring.

Canelo's Timeline Before Retirement

Alvarez, who turned 36 in July, estimates he has four or five fights remaining before he hangs up the gloves. The Mexican star faces WBC middleweight/" class="internal-link text-bone underline decoration-ash/30 hover:decoration-gold underline-offset-2">super middleweight titleholder Christian Mbilli on October 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, where he will attempt to regain the belt and become a three-time champion at 168 pounds. The bout will stream on DAZN pay-per-view.

Azteca Stadium would mark a career bookend for Alvarez, who previously fought in front of roughly 51,000 fans at Estadio Akron in Guadalajara when he beat John Ryder in May 2023. According to The Ring, Alvarez has already discussed the possibility with Emilio Azcarraga, chairman of Televisa and owner of Club America, the football team that calls Azteca home.

Alvarez is currently training in Valencia, Spain alongside heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk as he prepares for the Mbilli assignment. He acknowledged his body still feels capable of competing but said other ambitions outside the ring are pulling him toward the exit. "I think four or five more fights would be enough," he told ESPN. "I've already done everything I needed to do in boxing."

Source: ringmagazine.com