Canelo Alvarez explains that he wants to become the first fighter in 81 years to simultaneously hold world titles in three different weight divisions, in the same manner that Henry Armstrong achieved in 1938.
In addition, he could become the second Mexican to get a world championship in the light heavyweight division and the fourth four division world champion in Aztec boxing.
That mission will go forward on November 2 when he goes to the MGM Grand Garden Arena to try to dethrone WBO light heavyweight world champion Sergey Kovalev.
If Canelo were to win, then he would hold the middleweight belts of the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council, the WBA's "regular" super middleweight and the light heavyweight belt of the WBO.
He then could make title defenses at 160, 168 and 175 pounds.
The Armstrong achievement in 1938 is a historic landmark for boxing, because in that year he conquered the lightweight and welterweight division, but a year earlier he had conquered the featherweight championship, at 126 pounds. So Armstrong was champion in three divisions, fighting so until 1939.
"I didn't know much about history, but the truth makes me very happy and motivates me more because it is what I want, to make history and so many years go by and they remember how you did something just like the fighters who did it in 1938. Being able to do it motivates me a lot and in the end it is what I am looking for," Canelo told ESPN Deportes.
Eddy Reynoso, the head trainer for Canelo, celebrated that Canelo wants to leave a mark in history.
"Only the great fighters and those who leave their mark take these kinds of risks," Eddy said.
"We know Kovalev very well and we know what we are facing, a tremendous boxer who leaves everything in the ring, strong, with a punch that can end a fight. We know what we are facing, but we want to leave a mark , we want Saul to be a four-time world champion and after so many years, since 1938 with Henry Armstrong, there has not been a fighter who held three world titles in different division simultaneously and we want that fighter to be a Mexican."