Mexican boxing icon fights drug cartels in latest bout

Boxing legend Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez is battling Mexico’s drug cartels.
Alvarez has teamed up with Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum — Mexico’s first female president, sworn in on Oct. 1 — who has targeted the country’s drug syndicates, and their stronghold on Mexican youth.
The super middleweight world champion and Mexico’s biggest star, Álvarez is promoting an alternative to the drug trade that has impacted parts of Mexico, fueling widespread corruption and violence.
“First of all, I think it comes from the parents. … Sports are important so people can get out of that cycle,” Álvarez, who hails from Guadalajara, said during Sheinbaum’s “La Mañanera,” last week. “I personally have seen many adolescents that used drugs, that were lost … they immersed themselves into the world of boxing and now they have a totally different life.”
According to semafor.com, Mexico registered more than 30,000 murders in 2023, for the sixth year running, marking the most violent period in Mexico’s recent history.
Hence, on April 6, 2025, the country will host the world’s largest boxing class on the International Day of Sports for Development and Peace, to buck the trend.
“We want to make this happen in every city square around the country,” Sheinbaum added. “We invite all mayors and governors to join us with what we will be doing in Mexico City.”
Todderick Hunt covers Sports and Culture and Recruiting. Have a story idea or a tip? He can be reached at [email protected].