Undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is trading the seaside for a small mountain town ahead of his matchup against Jermell Charlo in Las Vegas on Sept. 30.

Citing the desire to train in a high-altitude location, Alvarez has moved from his longtime training camp location and residence in San Diego and instead opted for isolation by building a training compound in Truckee, California.

Truckee sits at 5,817 feet above sea level and has an estimated population of over 17,000. Alvarez has been in the incorporated town that sits just 12 miles away from Lake Tahoe ever since camp started. 

“It's good. I'm in Truckee, California for the altitude because, you know, when I fought in Guadalajara, Mexico [and beat John Ryder in May], I felt the difference in the altitude. I felt better. My body felt better. I was still in rehab for my hand. But I felt better in everything. So that's why I chose to come here to train in the altitude. My body feels good,” Alvarez told BoxingScene.com in an interview. 

Alvarez (59-2-2, 39 KOs) could be looking for answers and the need to change things up, especially since he’s openly wondered if he’s lost a step over his last three fights dating back to May 2022 and the second loss of his career to Dmitry Bivol. 

Alvarez trained in San Deigo for the last decade, including for the first part of his camp preparing for Ryder before relocating camp near his hometown of Jalisco. At the time, Alvarez was coming off left wrist surgery following his win against Gennadiy Golovkin last fall.

The avid golfer Alvarez is no stranger to the Lake Tahoe area, as he’s participated in several celebrity tournaments in the region over the years.

Training in near isolation is also nothing new for the 33-year-old four-division champion.

Alvarez has also previously held camps in Big Bear, California, the popular mountainside training location preferred by boxers like Gennadiy Golovkin, Oscar De La Hoya, and Sugar Shane Mosley, among others. 

Manouk Akopyan is a sports journalist, writer, and broadcast reporter. He’s also a member of the Boxing Writers Association of America and the MMA Journalists Association. He can be reached on Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube at @ManoukAkopyan, through email at manouk[dot]akopyan[at]gmail.com, or via www.ManoukAkopyan.com.