Canelo Álvarez Is Unfazed Jay-Z Lost $250,000 Betting Against Him: “I don’t give a f━k”

Canelo also admitted that it feels satisfying to prove people wrong when they doubt him.

The bet was a side wager between Oscar De La Hoya, Canelo’s promoter at the time, and Jay-Z, with the money going to charity.

Canelo was questioned about the 2015 fight with Miguel Cotto, whose promotional company was founded by Jay-Z. (Roc Nation Sports managed and promoted boxer Miguel Cotto, having signed a multi-fight agreement with the company in March 2015.

Jay-Z had placed a $250,000 bet on Cotto to win, and Canelo won the fight by unanimous decision.

During an interview with Speedy Morman for Complex, Mexican boxer Canelo Álvarez was questioned about the incident when Jay-Z placed a bet against him in his fight with Miguel Cotto, leading to a loss of thousands of dollars.

At approximately the 9:40 mark of the interview shown above, Álvarez was questioned about whether it feels satisfying when people bet against him and end up losing money. "Yeah, because you know show them who's the best," Canelo said. "When people talk about lot, or bad against you, or talk shit about you and everything... The most satisfaction you need to have is like that. Show them you're the best."

Speedy then mentioned the time when Jay-Z wagered $250,000 on Miguel Cotto to win their fight in November 2015, which Álvarez ended up winning by unanimous decision. "Yeah, he lose," Álvarez grinned. "Bad bet." Morman asked how it feels to specifically make Jay-Z lose money, he replied, "I don't care if he's Jay-Z, or whatever. I don't give a fuck."

With Jay-Z's net worth estimated at around $2.5 billion as of 2025, it's improbable that the music mogul and entrepreneur is overly concerned about the loss. Álvarez was favored to win the match, which is understandable given his career record; he has emerged victorious in most of his bouts. To date, he has participated in 67 fights, winning 63, with 39 of those victories by knockout. Of the four fights he didn't win, two were losses and two were draws.

Watch his full interview with Speedy Morman below.