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Canelo Alvarez pays special tribute to person who gave him nickname and made him the boxer he is

Saul turned into "Canelo" a long time ago, and it's thanks to a former trainer.

Canelo Alvarez during his fight against William Scull in Saudi Arabia.
Canelo Alvarez during his fight against William Scull in Saudi Arabia.LAPRESSE

Over the past few years, it has felt like Canelo Alvarez has lost a fair amount of fans. Alvarez's last knockout came in 2021, when he stopped Caleb Plant. Since then, he lost handily to Dmitry Bivol and won his remaining six fights by decision. His latest bout, against William Scull, left a lot to be desired; even for Canelo himself.

Alvarez was visibly perturbed in the ring following the fight. He said that he "hates" boxers who fight like Scull did, avoiding Canelo at all costs. Alvarez didn't work too hard to cut off the ring, though, which made it a very boring fight. Fans didn't love what they saw. But a win is a win, and Canelo celebrated it with his team and family like any other victory.

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Canelo has been active on social media since the fight, and on Tuesday, he revealed something in an Instagram story that not everyone might know. Alvarez wished Jose "Chepo" Reynoso a happy birthday, calling him the "author of my nickname".

Canelo Alvarez / Instagram
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Jose "Chepo" Reynoso gave Canelo Alvarez his nickname

Chepo, who is the father of Alvarez's current trainer Eddy Reynoso, was the one who found Canelo at just 14 years old. He took him under his wing and imparted his wisdom on the young boxer, before Eddy took over the "family business".

When Alvarez was still young, Chepo gave him the nickname "Canelito", due to his red hair, which translates to "little cinnamon". Once Alvarez got older, he dropped the "little" at the end, leaving him to be known as "Canelo". Obviously, it stuck, and it's fair to wonder if Alvarez would be as big as he is if he didn't have such a great nickname.

At 72 years old, Chepo Reynoso has taken a step back from boxing. But Alvarez will never forget what Chepo did for his career.

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