Has Canelo Alvarez been more active than Mike Tyson?- A deeper analysis of Saul’s and Iron Mike’s legendary careers
Canelo Alvarez and Mike Tyson share several common factors that will parallel their names when the final boxing story is penned.
Hailing from two different timelines, Canelo made his professional debut four months after ‘Iron Mike' called off his legendary pro career. The two also bagged the iconic WBC belts in their respective maiden world title victories.
Having accomplished his own credentials in the sport, Canelo Alvarez can look into the eyes of Mike Tyson after seventeen years. Aged 32, Alvarez is one of the most active fighters of the modern era and is hardly seen taking a lay-off.
Regardless of what the outcome of the fight is, Canelo Alvarez doesn’t like to stay away from the ring. He might remind many people about prime Mike Tyson, who used to accept fights every here and then. That said, statistical representation cites Alvarez as being more active than Tyson.
Watch Canelo's best boxing moments below:
In an active career of 17 years, Canelo Alvarez has appeared in 62 professional fights. This means he has fought an average of 3.64 times per year so far. Mike Tyson’s retired career shows him to have had 56 fights in 20 years, which is 2.8 times a year on average. Tyson spent three years in prison from 1992-1995, which would affect any statistics negatively.
Fortunately, Alvarez hasn’t been in much controversy and his injuries have been the only reason why the Mexican fighter took small lay-offs in between. That said, Canelo wouldn’t come close to Tyson when it comes to accepting multiple fights in a single calendar year. Here’s a comparison of it.
Canelo Alvarez:- Notable appearances in single calendar years
Canelo Alvarez fought twice in 2005, his debut year, and then went on a tear in 2006 by fighting seven times. He won six of those fights and one of them resulted in a draw. Canelo continued the run by going 7-0 in 2007. The saga didn’t stop as Alvarez scored 8 wins/8fights in 2008 and scripted another 7-0 run in 2009.
Mike Tyson:- Notable appearances in single calendar years
Mike Tyson grabbed the entire spotlight right from the beginning of his professional career. He fought 15 times in his debut year in 1985, something which modern-day fighters consider almost unachievable.
Watch Mike Tyson's KOs below:
Tyson then appeared 13 times in 1986. By the time he was three years into his career as a pro boxer, ‘Iron Mike' was a world champion and a heavyweight cash cow.
‘Iron Mike' or Saul Alvarez: Who took more time to become a world champion?
Mike Tyson became a world champion less than two years into his professional debut. 'Iron Mike' debuted in March 1985 and knocked the WBC heavyweight belt out of Trevor Berbick's hands in November 1986. This cemented him as the youngest heavyweight champion ever, beating Muhammad Ali's record. We are yet to find a new champion who can take over ‘Iron Mike’.
Canelo Alvarez took his time in becoming a world champion. He appeared in several non-title bouts and also fought for minor belts. His first shot at world championship gold happened in 2011, six years after his pro-debut. Canelo fought Matthew Hatton for the vacant WBC super welterweight belt and scored a unanimous decision win.
Meanwhile, Alvarez has become a world champion in four weight-classes (super welterweight, middleweight, super middleweight, and light heavyweight).
The similarities between Mike Tyson and Canelo Alvarez go deeper
Canelo and Tyson had short amateur careers, becoming professionals at an early age. According to reports, Alvarez’s trainers couldn’t find a suitable opponent for him in the amateurs, and instead turned him into a pro at the age of 15.
Tyson, on the other hand, lost the 1984 Olympic qualifier to Henry Tillman and became a professional. ‘Iron’ later avenged the loss by knocking out Tillman on the professional stage.
While Tyson and Canelo have bullied their opponents in-ring, it is said that they both went through similar treatment in their respective childhoods.
Mike Tyson and Canelo Alvarez were harshly bullied as kids. They didn’t know how to fight back until one day they did and everything changed after that. Amidst all the hate, losses and criticisms, there's no denying that Mike Tyson and Canelo Alvarez will go down as two of the greatest to have embraced the sport of boxing.