Suffering just a pair of losses in his professional career, Mexican star Canelo Alvarez found himself fortunate to keep his chin intact much earlier in his run.
Dropping just two losses over the course of his gleaming career in the ring, undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez was almost put to the sword in devastating fashion.
And eventually sharing the ring with the above-mentioned Floyd Mayweather, Canelo would fight on the undercard of the Michigan puncher time and time again during his initial rise.
During one of these appearances, however, Canelo came too close for comfort on the wrong side of a hellacious finish.
Canelo Alvarez survived a huge scare to beat Jose Cotto
Featuring beneath the memorable pairing of Mayweather and another future opponent in the form of Shane Mosley, Canelo would take on Jose Cotto — the elder brother of Miguel Cotto — who he would also fight, in his first foray with the Puerto Rican family.
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Eventually taking out the elder Cotto sibling in the ninth round of their showdown in 2010, Canelo was forced to the ropes early on in frightening fashion.
Finding himself on the receiving end of a huge left hook from Cotto, Canelo reeled to the ropes, and ate a lengthy barrage of mostly unanswered shots before circling away on wobbly legs.
Just 19 years of age at the time, Canelo survived the onslaught from Cotto, before lodging his own definitive finish in the ninth frame of their pairing.
Canelo Alvarez faceplanted Carlos Baldomir in a brutal win
Later that same year, Canelo, who had just won the WBC silver light middleweight crown against Luciano Leonel Cuello — was pitted against Carlos Baldomir, who had sent the late Arturo Gatti into retirement years earlier.
Putting his crown on the line against the veteran Argentine, Canelo would stop Baldomir with a savage knockout in the sixth round of their clash.
Rolling his shoulder to unleash a devastating left hook, Canelo, who had rocked Baldomir during an earlier exchange, sent the disgraced veteran to the canvas face-first for a horrifying knockout win.