Hidden behind a lime tree on a featureless street in Guadalajara is a shabby little gym that has become the stuff of legend in Mexican boxing.
The Julián Magdaleno gym has produced five world champions, including Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez, the middleweight champion whose May 7 defense against British boxer Amir Khan could make him the biggest draw in world boxing.
Inside, the walls are covered with peeling posters, photos and newspaper clippings. A teenager dances in front of a mural of Canelo, unleashing a string of blows against a duct tape-covered heavy bag.
At the back of the gym is a creaky, unsteady-looking ring. Sparring partners duke it out under the framed shorts of local heroes, including those Canelo wore in 2011 as he battered his way to the belt. Below the shorts is a hand-painted sign with the gym’s motto, “The worst that can happen is you stop caring if you lose.”
At 25, Canelo is already a world away from this venue. In 2015, he banked more than $10 million for two fights, around 1,700 times the average yearly salary in Mexico. He has already featured in the third most successful pay-per-view fight in history, a decision loss to a very dominant Floyd Mayweather. Yet with Mayweather officially retired, the opportunity exists for a new pay-per-view-king.
Canelo certainly fits the bill: handsome and clean cut in the mold of Oscar de La Hoya, the original “Golden Boy” who now acts as his mentor.
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