How Saul Canelo Alvarez’s May 7th fight against Dimitry Bivol relates to the desire to grow from within by taking huge risks. 

Being the king of the arena is a place that only few people in this world get to experience. At one point, a current head honcho worked his way to get to the position to either dethrone a former king, or take their place. It isn’t easy to be the big dog of the yard, as many contenders strive to earn the same crown. But when a person is very talented, trains to sharpen those talents, and works those talents, a person can make it to the finish line. 

However, when a champion is at the top of their game, there are others ready to dethrone them. But after winning for so long, a person can get used to having their way. That is, until someone with unparalleled talent and an indomitable will steps up to the plate. 

That champion I’m describing is Saul Canelo Alvarez, one of the most gifted, talented, and mighty pound for pound boxers in the world. He wields an impressive boxing resume, defeating powerful fighters in different weight divisions, and making history in November 6th, 2021 to become the first undisputed super-middleweight champion. 

If you follow the sport of boxing like me, you’ll know that on May 7th, 2022, Canelo faced the biggest challenge since his two classic bouts with Gennady “GGG” Golovkin between 2017-2018. And by facing Dimitry Bivol, the bigger, quick, and focused boxer, Canelo was beat to the punch throughout the entire fight. 

It was Canelo’s first loss since being “schooled” by Floyd “Money” Mayweather back in September of 2013. It’s a loss that boxing fans and casuals will wait eagerly to see if Canelo will eventually avenge. The chances of that are still in the cards. However he is still putting on the gloves to leave a lasting legacy in the sport of boxing. Part of his legacy will involve finishing a trilogy clash with Gennady “GGG” Golovkin on September 17th. 

Now you maybe wondering, why am I writing about boxing, and how does Canelo’s loss have to do with finances? If you asked that, here’s why:

Canelo’s loss to Bivol had to do with the fact that he was willing to take a risk to better himself. 

The undisputed super-middleweight champion wanted to see if he had what it took to defeat a larger, but highly skilled fighter who is his prime. However, he may not have fully realized how tough that challenge was until after the dust settled. Even so, he had the willpower to step up to the challenge. 

Canelo got to where he is today from hard work, dedication and again, from utilizing his talents and strengths. Champions are made from being pushed and stretched beyond their comfort zones.

Most people won’t achieve this level of greatness in their field, but most won’t even try to achieve greatness. This is why most also never achieve financial freedom. 

NO RISK = NO REWARD

Most people don’t want to push themselves to elevate their inner selves, and would rather settle for the bare minimum. Then there are those people who don’t want to push themselves, but are disciplined enough to do so. These people have a better chance of growing their bank account than those who don’t take the plunge at all. 

Also, several people don’t invest their funds after suffering heavy financial losses from a bad investment or business deal. 

While Canelo is dealing with the first loss in almost 9 years, many people are dealing with the loss of their fortune or savings from the heavy nose dive in stocks and cryptocurrency in 2022. 

Though losing a boxing match and losing money are two different things, the feeling of losing something that matters to you so much can be the same. And it’s how you respond to loss that will determine your future. 

When Canelo lost to Mayweather, he took that defeat as a learning experience. From there he trained harder, sharpened his offense, and elevated his defense. He bounced back and became a household name in boxing. 

A champion like Canelo who suffers a loss to the better man is bound to bounce back. However, the average man, especially from suffering a devastating loss, may hang up the gloves and never step into the ring again. 

So how people may respond to losing their hard earned savings maybe to never invest again. To them, the risk is not worth it. 

I’m not saying that you should work hard to become the richest person in the world or try and launch a tech company that attempts to take all of Tesla’s market share. 

But what I am saying is that to upgrade your finances, and reach financial freedom, you have to step out of your comfort zone. Work on discovering what your talents are, and keep striving to improve and utilize your talents with the goal to strengthen your income. 

Again, Canelo made a valiant effort to defeat a bigger, stronger, more resilient fighter, but came up short. But he did so by doing the one thing most people won’t do, by making the decision to pass a tough test to bring self growth.