Canelo Álvarez didn’t want to tell one of Mexico’s hottest musicians how to produce a hit song, but he felt compelled to offer a few suggestions for building a lively crowd before a fight in Las Vegas. Input was encouraged and there was no overstepping, because this song was specifically made for one of Álvarez’s ring walks, which tend to get just as much attention as his fights.
Álvarez, boxing’s undisputed super middleweight champion, knew the original version wasn’t quite right. The song needed to build anticipation and adrenaline. Luis R. Conriquez sent over a different take with violins and Álvarez loved it. He imagined the violins playing in a dark arena filled with nearly 18,000 spectators, the bows and strings taking their time to entice fans to scream “Canelo! Canelo!” before the focus turned to the four-division champion and the artist of the special ring-walk song.
Once the tweaks were made, the lyrics to “Martes 13” (Tuesday the 13th) did the rest. The song, which ended up being streamed on Spotify more than 72 million times by the end of 2024, starts by saying where Álvarez is proudly from—Guadalajara, Mexico—before reminding his opponents that fight night is bound to be an unlucky one. In Mexico and other Spanish-speaking countries, Tuesday the 13th is similar to Friday the 13th in the United States. The song, which debuted last May before Álvarez’s unanimous decision over Jaime Munguía, goes on to say good luck is for the mediocre.
The kind of preparation Álvarez put into the song shows why he remains the box-office king of boxing. In this sport, the spectacle and buildup are just as important as the skills needed to become a world champion. People have to care in order to sell fights and the 34-year-old has kept their attention as he approaches the back end of his career.
Álvarez has drawn interest by prioritizing Mexican representation on the biggest stage. It’s not just the classic mariachi songs from Vicente Fernández blasting from arena speakers. Álvarez’s collaborations with up-and-coming musicians have brought younger generations to the dying sport. He’s had walkout performances with Fuerza Regida, Santa Fe Klan and many other emerging artists. Some have even benefited from the exposure that comes with singing the Mexican national anthem before an Álvarez megabout.
With the help of Álvarez’s worldwide platform, many Mexican artists have crossed over into the U.S. mainstream. Fuerza Regida, Peso Pluma and Conriquez have landed songs on Billboard’s Hot 100 list. No longer are these Spanish-speaking artists solely staying in their categories of Latin or regional Mexican music.
Álvarez has done what so many businesses in the U.S. have failed to do: appeal to the Latino audience, Mexican Americans who speak English first, but use Spanish with their parents and older relatives. Álvarez’s brand and popularity increased after several interviews of him primarily speaking English went viral the past few years. His command of the language is far from perfect, but many appreciate the effort, not to mention the fact that he doesn’t care what people think about his accent. Álvarez is worth millions and doesn’t need to keep fighting, but he’s found a way to be relatable in his late prime years.
Sports Illustrated: 2024 was a good year for you, defeating and retaining your titles against Jaime Munguía and Edgar Berlanga. But it was also a good year for Mexican music. Peso Pluma, Fuerza Regida, Conriquez, Chino Pacas, Junior H and the list goes on. For you to see Mexican music explode in the U.S. and worldwide, how big was that for you?
Canelo Álvarez: It was huge for me, for all of Mexico, because the Mexican artists are competing with the biggest and best artists in the world. They’re also very young, the Mexican musicians. I’m proud of all of them. I’m very proud of those who have accompanied me to the ring for my fights. Also, very proud to be Mexican and to represent Mexico.
SI: Do you make it a priority to give more attention to newer artists?
CA: Yes. I try to walk into the ring with those that I like, the music that I’m listening to, the right song I want to walk up to. For this occasion, [Conriquez] made me a special song, so we came out with that one. But these are mostly songs that I have listened to, and [the artists] add their twists to highlight me and the upcoming fight. But, yes, I do decide who will be walking out with me for each fight. Honestly, it’s a priority for me to have these special walkouts because you feel proud and energized to be able to walk with these grand artists. People feel proud and excited to see the representation. I can’t stress enough how big this is.
SI: Did you have an idea of how big Luis’s song “Martes 13,” was going to be?
CA: I knew that was going to be a very special song. I knew that was going to be a giant hit. I was involved in the process of making it. Luis sent me the first verse and I said, “No, that’s not right.” What I want when I’m heading toward the ring is to feel the emotions, [be] pumped up, to turn on the adrenaline. I want all of that turned on when I’m walking toward the ring. At the same time, if I’m hyped, then the entire crowd is also going to get hyped. The people are going to feel the energy and it’s going to be a hit song.
The words were excellent. [There were] a few minor changes here and there that were corrected. The words got even better, but when he sent me the other version, I told him, “I really like the violins.” He already had a song with violins. I told him, “I really like that because I imagine the entire arena, all of the lights off, and the violins begin to play, and then the focus is on us. … Soy de GDL [I’m from Guadalajara].”
I loved that. I knew the song was going to be very popular, but I didn’t imagine that he was going to get his first gold record, for Luis R., with that song for “Martes 13.” I was very happy about that.
SI: Did Luis give you a credit for being a producer on the song?
CA: Oh, no. That’s all for Luis and those he works with. I got involved a little bit because it was used for my ring walk. It wasn’t my song. I just needed to feel motivated when the time came to head to the ring. That was it, but all the credit was for them. Luis has the ear and vision for what makes a hit song. When he sent the version that I liked, it didn’t require much from me. That song was already made. I knew that was the right one and on a different level.
SI: “Martes 13” became a heavily used song on social media as part of a trend where users recreated your ring walks. What did you think about that?
CA: It was impressive. I don’t really get much time to see what’s trending on social media during fight week and a few days after the fight. But then I got caught up. After seeing all the videos people made ... I just wanted to interact, and then I followed the trend and made one with my brother [Ricardo Álvarez] and his coworkers at his taco shop, El Pastor Del Rica [in Zapopan]. I just wanted to join in on the fun and am very grateful that people enjoy what I share on fight night. This was for them to enjoy a grand event.
SI: Do you want the next Mexican boxing star to follow your lead by representing your country in various ways during fight night?
CA: I would love that. Records are meant to be broken. I would love for a Mexican boxer to do that and follow in these footsteps and to continue raising the bar from what we’ve already accomplished.
SI: You’ve already had numerous title bouts. Do you still fight because you want Mexico to continue getting this kind of exposure?
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Canelo Álvarez Has Shown Mexican Music and Boxing Are a Match Made in Box-Office Heaven.
