Canelo happily taking massive pay cut to fight in Mexico

SAN DIEGO: Saul Alvarez says he was determined to fight at home again in Mexico this year. The massive financial sacrifice necessary to make it happen didn’t bother Canelo in the slightest.

“Sometimes it’s not about money,” Alvarez said Thursday. “Sometimes it’s about pride, and it’s that time. I don’t need to say how much I lose, because I don’t care. I feel good to fight in my hometown, and I’m proud.”

When Alvarez steps into the ring in his native Guadalajara on May 6, he will make about half of what he would have made if the fight were held in Las Vegas, promoter Eddie Hearn told The Associated Press on Thursday in San Diego.

Alvarez is eagerly taking that major pay cut — quite possibly more than $10 million — to take on Britain’s John Ryder for all four super middleweight world title belts in front of more than 50,000 frenzied hometown fans at Akron Stadium.

“It’s unbelievable, because it affected me,” Hearn said with a grin. “Actually, I think it’s great. Saul has got a lot of money, so that’s (a factor). but it’s still quite unusual. I’ve not really seen a lot of fighters that would take a lot less to do it at home.”

Although Alvarez (58-2-2, 39 KOs) and trainer Eddy Reynoso were determined to hold the 168-pound champion’s next fight to Guadalajara, Hearn still dutifully fielded offers from Vegas, London and even the Middle East for the next fight from arguably the sport’s most bankable fighter over the past decade.

“The first round (of offers), it was already much more (than Guadalajara),” Hearn said. “And then when we went back and said, ‘No,’ it kept going up. And I kept going back, and in the end, (Álvarez) told me to stop. ‘Stop. Shut up. We’re doing it.’“

Hearn can’t yet give specifics about the size