Saúl Álvarez has picked where his career ends, and it isn’t Mexico City. Speaking to reporters Wednesday, the Mexican star shot down talk that his farewell fight was headed for Estadio Azteca. He pointed instead to Guadalajara, the hometown where he first laced up.
“My comments were taken out of context; I never said that’s where my final fight would be,” Álvarez said, according to USA Today, in a story Yahoo Sports also carried. “If and when I retire, my wish is to have my last fight in Guadalajara, the city where I was born,” he added, calling it the place where his boxing career got its start.
Note the “if and when.” He isn’t announcing a retirement date. He’s marking a spot on the map for whenever that day comes.
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Guadalajara has already given him one big night. Álvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs) fought at Estadio Akron in 2023 and beat John Ryder by unanimous decision. That card was a full homecoming party and his first fight on Mexican soil since 2011. That’s a 12-year gap for the most famous fighter the country has produced in a generation.
Azteca is still in play
The stadium in Mexico City isn’t off the table. It just isn’t the last stop. Álvarez said he has already talked with Emilio Azcárraga, the Televisa chairman who owns Club América, about bringing a major event to the venue.
“It’s absolutely realistic to host a major bout at Azteca,” Álvarez said. “Although it wouldn’t be my retirement fight, I can definitely envision stepping into the ring there. The stadium has an incredible history and energy that would make for an unforgettable night.”
He was in the building for the 2026 World Cup. He described the atmosphere as electric and talked about the national pride he felt in the crowd. Picture that same bowl roaring for a ring walk instead of a free kick. You can see why the idea keeps coming back.
First, Riyadh
None of this happens without wins. Álvarez hasn’t fought in more than a year, since Terence Crawford beat him by unanimous decision in September 2025. He returns Oct. 31 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, headlining the Mexico vs. The World card against undefeated Christian Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) with the WBC super middleweight title on the line. Canelo wants that belt back.
Mbilli has finished 24 of the 30 men he’s faced and has never lost. That’s a dangerous assignment for a 63-3-2 legend coming off a long layoff and a clear defeat.
My take: the plan is perfect, with Azteca for the spectacle and Akron for the goodbye, the same stadium where he ended a 12-year exile from Mexican rings. But a farewell tour only works if the guy on it is still winning. Mbilli doesn’t care about anyone’s itinerary, and on Oct. 31 we find out whether Canelo’s road home still runs through a title.
