Tag: Avni Yildirim

Canelo Alvarez easy choice for 2021 Fighter of the Year

Canelo Alvarez was an easy choice for Boxing Junkie’s 2021 Fighter of the Year.

I still believe that Canelo Alvarez has been focused too much on titles and not enough on his opponents.

That’s why he fought Avni Yildirim, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant this year instead of potential foes like David Benavidez, Gennadiy Golovkin (a third time) and Jermall Charlo. The latter three, who are more appealing opponents from a fan perspective, didn’t hold belts Alvarez wanted.

And a number of fighters recorded bigger single victories than Alvarez did, including Oleksandr Uysk (Anthony Joshua), Tyson Fury (Deontay Wilder) and Terence Crawford (Shawn Porter).

All that said, no one topped Alvarez’s overall body of work in 2021, which included victories over two previously unbeaten beltholders (Saunders and Plant) and the unification of all four major 168-pound titles.

Thus, the Mexican star was an easy choice for Boxing Junkie’s 2021 Fighter of the Year.

Alvarez, who held the WBC and WBA belts, knocked out sadly overmatched mandatory challenger Yildirim in the third round on Feb. 27. And he was just getting started.

Next came the slick, experienced Saunders, who owned the WBO super middleweight title and had never tasted defeat. The southpaw from England gave Alvarez some trouble … for a while. He was taken out in eight rounds.

Then came Plant, a quick, athletic boxer with a perfect record and a lot of confidence. The IBF beltholder was competitive for most of the fight but was ultimately worn down and stopped in 11, which made Alvarez the first undisputed 168-pound champion in the four-belt era and the first Mexican to win all the belts in any division.

As Alvarez and his team put it, he made history. That’s true, which has to be acknowledged.

I can suggest that Alvarez should ignore titles – which have limited significance because too many of them – and give fans the fights they want most. However, he would argue that fighters are judged to a good extent on the number of belts they collect, the number of divisions in which they collect them and the number of unified titles they’ve held. And when you have a chance to become an undisputed champion, which is uncommon, you have to jump at it.

That’s what Alvarez did. He fought within the prevailing system, which rewards those with the most trinkets. And not only did he achieve his goal of becoming “undisputed,” he was as dominating as ever in the process.

Indeed, Alvarez was never better than he was in 2021.

Canelo Alvarez easy choice for 2021 Fighter of the Year

Canelo Alvarez was an easy choice for Boxing Junkie’s 2021 Fighter of the Year.

I still believe that Canelo Alvarez has been focused too much on titles and not enough on his opponents.

That’s why he fought Avni Yildirim, Billy Joe Saunders and Caleb Plant this year instead of potential foes like David Benavidez, Gennadiy Golovkin (a third time) and Jermall Charlo. The latter three, who are more appealing opponents from a fan perspective, didn’t hold belts Alvarez wanted.

And a number of fighters recorded bigger single victories than Alvarez did, including Oleksandr Uysk (Anthony Joshua), Tyson Fury (Deontay Wilder) and Terence Crawford (Shawn Porter).

All that said, no one topped Alvarez’s overall body of work in 2021, which included victories over two previously unbeaten beltholders (Saunders and Plant) and the unification of all four major 168-pound titles.

Thus, the Mexican star was an easy choice for Boxing Junkie’s 2021 Fighter of the Year.

Alvarez, who held the WBC and WBA belts, knocked out sadly overmatched mandatory challenger Yildirim in the third round on Feb. 27. And he was just getting started.

Next came the slick, experienced Saunders, who owned the WBO super middleweight title and had never tasted defeat. The southpaw from England gave Alvarez some trouble … for a while. He was taken out in eight rounds.

Then came Plant, a quick, athletic boxer with a perfect record and a lot of confidence. The IBF beltholder was competitive for most of the fight but was ultimately worn down and stopped in 11, which made Alvarez the first undisputed 168-pound champion in the four-belt era and the first Mexican to win all the belts in any division.

As Alvarez and his team put it, he made history. That’s true, which has to be acknowledged.

I can suggest that Alvarez should ignore titles – which have limited significance because too many of them – and give fans the fights they want most. However, he would argue that fighters are judged to a good extent on the number of belts they collect, the number of divisions in which they collect them and the number of unified titles they’ve held. And when you have a chance to become an undisputed champion, which is uncommon, you have to jump at it.

That’s what Alvarez did. He fought within the prevailing system, which rewards those with the most trinkets. And not only did he achieve his goal of becoming “undisputed,” he was as dominating as ever in the process.

Indeed, Alvarez was never better than he was in 2021.

Billy Joe Saunders doesn’t plan to be Canelo Alvarez’s next British victim

Billy Joe Saunders said he doesn’t plan to be Canelo Alvarez’s next British victim when they fight on May 8.

Canelo Alvarez hasn’t been too friendly with British opponents in the past, a fact not lost on Billy Joe Saunders, his opponent on May 8.

Alvarez has defeated the following Brits (in chronological order): Matthew Hatton (UD 12), Ryan Rhodes (TKO 12), Amir Khan (KO 6), Liam Smith (KO 9), Rocky Fielding (TKO 3) and Callum Smith (UD 12) over the past decade. And none of the fights have been close.

The oddsmakers have made Saunders a 5-1 underdog, meaning he should be the next victim.

Of course, he doesn’t see it that way. He’s a good, seasoned boxer who is unbeaten, has held his 168-pound title since 2015 and won’t be overwhelmed by the moment. He knows what he’s doing, which he figures gives him a chance against the Mexican star.

“I’m the seventh Brit he’s faced,” Saunders told talkSPORT. “He’s dealt with six of them very comfortably. The Brits like dancing and moving and thinking they’ve gotta run away, but I will be there for him to hit. I will be in range for him to hit.

“I’ll be setting traps, the same as he’ll be setting traps. I don’t think running a million miles an hour is gonna do me any justice. … He’s not got the best engine in the world, Canelo. He’s very good at what he does, extremely good at what he does, but there’s faults there.

“We’ve seen people try to run away and box him, we’ve seen people try to use the brawn, but we’ve only seen one man use his brain and that was Floyd Mayweather. Brain over brawn here. Brain wins this, technical thinking wins this.”

[lawrence-related id=18296,18248,18238,18230,18224,18219,18212,18180]

Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs) doesn’t believe that Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs) is superhuman.

“This is the way I look at it: You have to win every moment, every second in that ring when that bell goes,” he said. “I’m prepared to put everything down, all of the chips down. As long as I get a fair decision then I believe in my heart of hearts that the job is definitely not an impossible job.

“People go on about how good he is, how great he is. But let’s not forget he’s been beat [by Floyd Mayweather] and he got beat in the first fight with Golovkin as well, I thought.”

Alvarez holds the WBA and WBC super middleweight titles, which he won by outpointing Callum Smith on Dec. 19.

Saunders is the WBO titleholder. He won the belt by outpointing Andy Lee in 2015 and has successful defended seven times. He last fought on Dec. 4, when he defeated veteran Martin Murray by a unanimous decision.

Organizers have yet to announce a site for the fight.

Billy Joe Saunders doesn’t plan to be Canelo Alvarez’s next British victim

Billy Joe Saunders said he doesn’t plan to be Canelo Alvarez’s next British victim when they fight on May 8.

Canelo Alvarez hasn’t been too friendly with British opponents in the past, a fact not lost on Billy Joe Saunders, his opponent on May 8.

Alvarez has defeated the following Brits (in chronological order): Matthew Hatton (UD 12), Ryan Rhodes (TKO 12), Amir Khan (KO 6), Liam Smith (KO 9), Rocky Fielding (TKO 3) and Callum Smith (UD 12) over the past decade. And none of the fights have been close.

The oddsmakers have made Saunders a 5-1 underdog, meaning he should be the next victim.

Of course, he doesn’t see it that way. He’s a good, seasoned boxer who is unbeaten, has held his 168-pound title since 2015 and won’t be overwhelmed by the moment. He knows what he’s doing, which he figures gives him a chance against the Mexican star.

“I’m the seventh Brit he’s faced,” Saunders told talkSPORT. “He’s dealt with six of them very comfortably. The Brits like dancing and moving and thinking they’ve gotta run away, but I will be there for him to hit. I will be in range for him to hit.

“I’ll be setting traps, the same as he’ll be setting traps. I don’t think running a million miles an hour is gonna do me any justice. … He’s not got the best engine in the world, Canelo. He’s very good at what he does, extremely good at what he does, but there’s faults there.

“We’ve seen people try to run away and box him, we’ve seen people try to use the brawn, but we’ve only seen one man use his brain and that was Floyd Mayweather. Brain over brawn here. Brain wins this, technical thinking wins this.”

[lawrence-related id=18296,18248,18238,18230,18224,18219,18212,18180]

Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs) doesn’t believe that Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs) is superhuman.

“This is the way I look at it: You have to win every moment, every second in that ring when that bell goes,” he said. “I’m prepared to put everything down, all of the chips down. As long as I get a fair decision then I believe in my heart of hearts that the job is definitely not an impossible job.

“People go on about how good he is, how great he is. But let’s not forget he’s been beat [by Floyd Mayweather] and he got beat in the first fight with Golovkin as well, I thought.”

Alvarez holds the WBA and WBC super middleweight titles, which he won by outpointing Callum Smith on Dec. 19.

Saunders is the WBO titleholder. He won the belt by outpointing Andy Lee in 2015 and has successful defended seven times. He last fought on Dec. 4, when he defeated veteran Martin Murray by a unanimous decision.

Organizers have yet to announce a site for the fight.

Canelo Alvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders: What are the odds?

Canelo Alvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders: What are the odds?

The oddsmakers don’t think much of Billy Joe Saunders’ chances of beating Canelo Alvarez in their 168-pound title-unification fight on May 8.

Alvarez, coming off a third-round knockout of overmatched Avni Yildirim on Feb. 27 in Miami, is a 5-1 favorite to Saunders, according to BetMGM.

Alvarez is -650, meaning you’d have to bet $650 to make $100. Saunders is -350. A $100 bet pays $350. The odds of a draw are +2500.

Alvarez (55-1-2, 37) holds the WBA and WBC super middleweight titles, which he won by outpointing Callum Smith on Dec. 19.

Saunders is the WBO titleholder. He won the belt by outpointing Andy Lee in 2015 and has successfully defended seven times. He last fought on Dec. 4, when he defeated veteran Martin Murray by a unanimous decision.

Organizers have yet to announce a site for the fight.

[lawrence-related id=18248,18238,18230,18224,18219,18212]

Canelo Alvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders: What are the odds?

Canelo Alvarez vs. Billy Joe Saunders: What are the odds?

The oddsmakers don’t think much of Billy Joe Saunders’ chances of beating Canelo Alvarez in their 168-pound title-unification fight on May 8.

Alvarez, coming off a third-round knockout of overmatched Avni Yildirim on Feb. 27 in Miami, is a 5-1 favorite to Saunders, according to BetMGM.

Alvarez is -650, meaning you’d have to bet $650 to make $100. Saunders is -350. A $100 bet pays $350. The odds of a draw are +2500.

Alvarez (55-1-2, 37) holds the WBA and WBC super middleweight titles, which he won by outpointing Callum Smith on Dec. 19.

Saunders is the WBO titleholder. He won the belt by outpointing Andy Lee in 2015 and has successfully defended seven times. He last fought on Dec. 4, when he defeated veteran Martin Murray by a unanimous decision.

Organizers have yet to announce a site for the fight.

[lawrence-related id=18248,18238,18230,18224,18219,18212]

Watch it: Canelo Alvarez’s KO of Avni Yildirim from canvas level

Here is a video of Canelo Alvarez’s knockout of Avni Yildirim from canvas level.

Canelo Alvarez had dominated Avni Yildirim for two-plus rounds when he landed the decisive punch Saturday in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

The Mexican champion landed a left jab followed by a straight right that split Yildirim’s guard and sent the Turkish challenger to the canvas about a minute into Round 3.

Yildirim survived the round but evidently couldn’t recover sufficiently to continue fighting. His corner stopped the bout before the start of Round 4.

Here is a look at the knockdown from canvas level.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CL2aRw6g9x5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

[lawrence-related id=18233,18230,18224,18219,18212,18209,18180]

 

Watch it: Canelo Alvarez’s KO of Avni Yildirim from canvas level

Here is a video of Canelo Alvarez’s knockout of Avni Yildirim from canvas level.

Canelo Alvarez had dominated Avni Yildirim for two-plus rounds when he landed the decisive punch Saturday in Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

The Mexican champion landed a left jab followed by a straight right that split Yildirim’s guard and sent the Turkish challenger to the canvas about a minute into Round 3.

Yildirim survived the round but evidently couldn’t recover sufficiently to continue fighting. His corner stopped the bout before the start of Round 4.

Here is a look at the knockdown from canvas level.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CL2aRw6g9x5/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

[lawrence-related id=18233,18230,18224,18219,18212,18209,18180]

 

Video: Recap of Canelo Alvarez’s KO of Avni Yildirim

Canelo Alvarez didn’t need much time to put Avni Yildirim away on Saturday. The Mexican star stopped his mandatory challenger at the end of three rounds to successfully defend his two super middleweight titles at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Alvarez …

Canelo Alvarez didn’t need much time to put Avni Yildirim away on Saturday.

The Mexican star stopped his mandatory challenger at the end of three rounds to successfully defend his two super middleweight titles at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Alvarez put Yildirim down in the final round and the Turk never recovered.

In this video, titled “Beyond the Bell,” DAZN commentators Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora recap the fight. They are joined by lightweight contender Ryan Garcia.

Here’s what they had to say.

[jwplayer OhkDfozb]

 

 

Video: Recap of Canelo Alvarez’s KO of Avni Yildirim

Canelo Alvarez didn’t need much time to put Avni Yildirim away on Saturday. The Mexican star stopped his mandatory challenger at the end of three rounds to successfully defend his two super middleweight titles at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami. Alvarez …

Canelo Alvarez didn’t need much time to put Avni Yildirim away on Saturday.

The Mexican star stopped his mandatory challenger at the end of three rounds to successfully defend his two super middleweight titles at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami.

Alvarez put Yildirim down in the final round and the Turk never recovered.

In this video, titled “Beyond the Bell,” DAZN commentators Chris Mannix and Sergio Mora recap the fight. They are joined by lightweight contender Ryan Garcia.

Here’s what they had to say.

[jwplayer OhkDfozb]