LOS ANGELES – NASCAR announced today that Mexican professional boxer and current super middleweight undisputed champion of the world Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will serve as the Grand Marshal for the Busch Light Clash at the Coliseum on Feb. 4.
“Canelo is synonymous with strength, victory and triumph,” said Ben Kennedy, NASCAR’s Senior Vice President, Racing Development and Strategy. “He’s a fan favorite in Los Angeles and Mexico, and we’re honored to have him give the command to start engines for the Busch Light Clash.”
Born in Guadalajara, Mexico as the youngest of eight siblings, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez grew up in a family of fighters where he utilized boxing as a method to take out his frustrations on those who teased him for his appearance. As a result, he found his way to the renowned Julian Magdaleno Gym, where the father-and-son training team of Chepo and Eddy Reynoso quickly took notice and nicknamed him, “Canelo,” the Spanish word for “Cinnamon.” Canelo thus began his amateur career at the age of 13 where he would go 44-2 (12KOs) and earn Junior Mexican National Champion honors. And after only two years, he was led to turn pro as they could no longer find amateur opponents to face him.
Since then, Canelo has turned his passion into one of the most successful fighting careers of all-time. With a professional record of 60-2-2 (39KOs), Canelo has won titles in four different divisions, including light heavyweight, middleweight, junior middleweight, and the first and only boxer in history to become undisputed champion at super middleweight. He has faced an array of formidable opponents, including boxing legends such as Gennady “GGG” Golovkin, Amir Khan, Miguel Cotto, and Daniel Jacobs. Known for his versatility, tactical skills, exceptional punching power, and high fight IQ, Canelo has become the blueprint for boxing excellence.
On Sunday, Feb. 4, racing begins on the Coliseum’s temporary, quarter-mile asphalt track at 1:30 p.m. with the NASCAR Mexico Series’ King Taco LA Batalla en El Coliseo followed by the NASCAR Cup Series’ Busch Light Clash at 5 p.m.
The third-annual Busch Light Clash is the NASCAR Cup Series’ season-opening exhibition featuring the sport’s top stars. NASCAR on FOX will once again carry the broadcast for the Busch Light Clash while the NASCAR Mexico Series Race will be on FS1, Fox Deportes, Fox Sports 3 in Mexico, and available pan regionally on Claro Sports and the D Motors channel on DirecTV.
A single ticket purchased is good for both races, and fans are encouraged to get their tickets now while supplies last by visiting www.nascarclash.com.
About NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing (NASCAR) is the sanctioning body for the No. 1 form of motorsports in the United States and owner of 14 of the nation’s major motorsports entertainment facilities. NASCAR sanctions races in three national series (NASCAR Cup Series™, NASCAR Xfinity Series™, and NASCAR CRAFTSMAN Truck Series™), four international series (NASCAR Brasil Sprint Race, NASCAR Mexico Series, NASCAR Canada Series, NASCAR Whelen Euro Series), four regional series (ARCA Menards Series, ARCA Menards Series East & West and the NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour) and a local grassroots series (NASCAR Advance Auto Parts Weekly Series). The International Motor Sports Association™ (IMSA®) governs the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship™, the premier U.S. sports car series. NASCAR also owns Motor Racing Network, Racing Electronics, and ONE DAYTONA. Based in Daytona Beach, Florida, with offices in five cities across North America, NASCAR sanctions more than 1,200 races annually in 12 countries and more than 30 U.S. states.
For more information visit www.NASCAR.com and www.IMSA.com, and follow NASCAR on Instagram, YouTube, Facebook, X and Snapchat
About The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a living memorial to all who served in the U.S. Armed Forces during World War I, has been a civic treasure for generations of Angelenos. Located in the Exposition Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, CA, the Coliseum is a 77,500 capacity multi-purpose stadium which opened in 1923. Home to the USC Trojans, the legendary stadium has been named as one of the nation’s 40 best stadiums to experience college football by Sporting News, and ranked USC football at the Coliseum as the nation’s No. 3 stadium experience by StadiumJourney.com. Following a recent renovation in 2019, the stadium is now home to a newly added seven-story suite and press tower which includes luxurious suites, loge boxes, club seats, a new press box, and the rooftop 1923 Club with a 360-degree view of the Los Angeles basin; along with several upgrades including new seating, updated technology and concession stands, additional food options for guests, and much more.
The legacy of events and individuals hosted in nine-plus-decades reads like no other, including the only venue to host two Opening and Closing Ceremonies, and the Track and Field Competition for the Summer Olympics (Xth Olympiad in 1932, XXIIIrd Olympiad in 1984) and soon a third (XXXIVth Olympiad in 2028); home to college football’s USC Trojans since 1923 and the UCLA Bruins (1928-1981); professional football’s Los Angeles Rams (1946-1979 and 2016-2019); appearances by U.S. Presidents Franklin D Roosevelt, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Lyndon Johnson, Richard Nixon, and Ronald Reagan; and international dignitaries such as Martin Luther King, Jr., Cesar Chavez, Pope John Paul II, the Dalai Lama, and Nelson Mandela, to name a few. Additionally, the Coliseum, designated a National Historic monument in 1984, has hosted some of the greatest acts in entertainment, including Bruce Springsteen, The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, Prince, and many more. For more information please visit lacoliseum.com.
Source: NASCAR