Canelo took on William Scull in Saudi Arabia earlier in 2025. Analysts critiqued Canelo's performance during the bout as 'boring' due to a lack of knockout power, suggesting that he appeared a step below his usual aggressive style. Nevertheless, the Mexican superstar secured a massive contract with Turki Alalshikh, which kept him financially buoyant. Sportico reveals that this deal spans four fights there.
The real sting came when Canelo squared off against Terence Crawford and lost all his championships. The defeat sent ripples through his career, leading to elbow surgery that sidelined him for recovery and brought discomfort to future plans.
Despite these setbacks, Canelo's financial statements created buzzworthy news. His combined earnings stood at $137 million from sports salaries and endorsements alone. Meanwhile, soccer sensation Cristiano Ronaldo, playing for Al Nassr in Saudi Arabia's League, surpassed even this impressive figure by bagging $260 million. Most of it came from his staggering $200M salary with an additional $60M in sponsorships.
Though success eluded him inside the ring this time around, Canelo Alvarez managed to strengthen his position amongst top earners globally—and that's no small feat—particularly when compared to sporting giants like Cristiano Ronaldo.