Canelo Alvarez could fight Avni Yildirim in February and Billy Joe Saunders in May, according to a report.
Canelo Alvarez’s 2021 schedule appears to be falling into place.
The Athletic is reporting that promoter Eddie Hearn and Eddy Reynoso, Alvarez’s trainer and manager, are in talks for a February fight against Avni Yildirim and a May bout with Billy Joe Saunders on DAZN.
The Yildirim fight could take place on Feb. 27 in Guadalajara, Mexico, Alvarez’s hometown, according to reports.
Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) easily outpointed Callum Smith on Dec. 19 in San Antonio to take Smith’s WBA super middleweight title and win the vacant WBC belt. The WBC had ordered the winner of that bout to defend against Yildirim, the sanctioning body’s mandatory challenger.
Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs) is the WBO 168-pound titleholder. A victory over the Londoner would allow Alvarez to hold three of the four major belts. Caleb Plant holds the fourth belt (IBF).
Yildirim (21-2, 12 KOs) is coming off a 10th-round technical-decision loss to Anthony Dirrell in February of last year, meaning the Turk will have been out of the ring for two years if he fights Alvarez this February.
Saunders is coming off a near-shutout decision over Martin Murray on Dec. 4 in London.
Alvarez also presumably will fight again on Sept. 18, two days after Mexican Independence Day. Potential opponents are Plant and rival Gennadiy Golovkin, with whom he has drawn and won a decision.
Canelo Alvarez is the top fighter in the world, according to many observers. Demetrius Andrade is not in that group. The middleweight titleholder, who would like a shot at Alvarez, has other candidates for the No. 1 spot pound-for-pound and isn’t …
Canelo Alvarez is the top fighter in the world, according to many observers. Demetrius Andrade is not in that group.
The middleweight titleholder, who would like a shot at Alvarez, has other candidates for the No. 1 spot pound-for-pound and isn’t shy about sharing them.
In this episode of the Ak & Barak Show, DAZN commentators Akin Reyes and Barak Bess debate Alvarez’s resume with the product of Providence, R.I.
Here’s what they had to say.
The Ak & Barak Show is available on DAZN and Sirius XM Fight Nation, Channel 156.
Canelo Alvarez is the top fighter in the world, according to many observers. Demetrius Andrade is not in that group. The middleweight titleholder, who would like a shot at Alvarez, has other candidates for the No. 1 spot pound-for-pound and isn’t …
Canelo Alvarez is the top fighter in the world, according to many observers. Demetrius Andrade is not in that group.
The middleweight titleholder, who would like a shot at Alvarez, has other candidates for the No. 1 spot pound-for-pound and isn’t shy about sharing them.
In this episode of the Ak & Barak Show, DAZN commentators Akin Reyes and Barak Bess debate Alvarez’s resume with the product of Providence, R.I.
Here’s what they had to say.
The Ak & Barak Show is available on DAZN and Sirius XM Fight Nation, Channel 156.
Logan Paul said that Canelo Alvarez is in no position to criticism his motivation after his own misstep.
Logan Paul threw a vicious counter at Canelo Alvarez.
Alvarez told TMZ Sports recently that YouTube personalities like brothers Logan and Jake Paul are demonstrating a lack of respect to actual fighters by taking part in boxing events, the idea being they’re using the sport to make money.
Logan Paul fired back by calling out Alvarez’s hypocrisy.
“I think he’s the guy that got caught using steroids,” Paul said on the Night Shift Gaming stream. “… We want to talk about disrespecting boxing, talk about a guy who didn’t play by the rules.
“… Just ’cause we’re attempting to do something and put on a great show and putting in the work, doesn’t mean you have to s— on us. Like, what the f—, bro?”
In fact, Alvarez did test positive for Clenbuterol in 2018, for which he was suspended for six months and missed one fight. He blamed the positive test on tainted meat.
[lawrence-related id=16175,16166]
“To say we’re disrespecting the sport, I feel disrespected, especially as it’s coming from a guy who quite literally disrespected and spit on the ethics of the sport. Yeah, it upsets me,” Paul said.
Paul also suggested that Alvarez might be jealous. It was recently announced that Paul will face Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition on Feb. 20. Mayweather is the only fighter to have beaten Alvarez.
“I think he’s salty because I get a chance to beat Mayweather and he lost to him,” he said. “That’s his one loss.”Alvarez is coming off a sensational unanimous-decision victory over Callum Smith this past Saturday.
Logan Paul said that Canelo Alvarez is in no position to criticism his motivation after his own misstep.
Logan Paul threw a vicious counter at Canelo Alvarez.
Alvarez told TMZ Sports recently that YouTube personalities like brothers Logan and Jake Paul are demonstrating a lack of respect to actual fighters by taking part in boxing events, the idea being they’re using the sport to make money.
Logan Paul fired back by calling out Alvarez’s hypocrisy.
“I think he’s the guy that got caught using steroids,” Paul said on the Night Shift Gaming stream. “… We want to talk about disrespecting boxing, talk about a guy who didn’t play by the rules.
“… Just ’cause we’re attempting to do something and put on a great show and putting in the work, doesn’t mean you have to s— on us. Like, what the f—, bro?”
In fact, Alvarez did test positive for Clenbuterol in 2018, for which he was suspended for six months and missed one fight. He blamed the positive test on tainted meat.
[lawrence-related id=16175,16166]
“To say we’re disrespecting the sport, I feel disrespected, especially as it’s coming from a guy who quite literally disrespected and spit on the ethics of the sport. Yeah, it upsets me,” Paul said.
Paul also suggested that Alvarez might be jealous. It was recently announced that Paul will face Floyd Mayweather in an exhibition on Feb. 20. Mayweather is the only fighter to have beaten Alvarez.
“I think he’s salty because I get a chance to beat Mayweather and he lost to him,” he said. “That’s his one loss.”Alvarez is coming off a sensational unanimous-decision victory over Callum Smith this past Saturday.
Here are five fighters who would have a better chance of beating Canelo Alvarez than Callum Smith did.
Canelo Alvarez seems to have a plan in place.
The Mexican star, coming off his victory over Callum Smith to win two 168-pound titles Saturday, will likely defend his WBC title against mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim in February and then face either Caleb Plant or Billy Joe Saunders in a unification bout in May.
All that makes sense. He has to defend against Yildirim or risk losing his belt. And every fighter wants to unify titles, which is a sign of dominance.
The problem is that none of those three fighters has much more of a chance of beating Alvarez than Smith did, which isn’t ideal.
That’s not a knock on Plant or Saunders, who are good fighters and legitimate opponents for Alvarez. They just aren’t the best-possible foes for the fighter many believe is No. 1 pound for pound in the world. Yildirim? Forget it.
Who are the best-possible opponents?
Here are five who could give the Mexican star a stiffer challenge than Smith did and possibly take him down, in order of their chances of winning. We also rate those chances on a scale of 1-10.
***
ARTUR BETERBIEV
Record: 15-0 (15 KOs) Weight class: light heavyweight
Canelo Alvarez has never fought anyone with the strength of Artur Beterbiev . Mikey Williams / Top Rank
Alvarez speaks boldly about taking risks and has done so in the past. OK, Saul, here’s a good one for you.
First of all, Alvarez can’t and wouldn’t say, “Well, I’m a super middleweight and he’s a light heavyweight.” He has already faced a good 175-pounder, Sergey Kovalev. Thus, it’s perfectly legitimate to suggest he move up a weight class for the right challenge even if that’s not his immediate plan.
Beterbiev, who holds two 175-pound titles, could be Alvarez’s worst nightmare. The 35-year-old Russian is a former Olympian with sound fundamentals and immense power, as 15 knockouts in 15 professional fights indicates.
Alvarez, who has honed his skills since he turned pro at 15, probably is a better boxer than Beterbiev and has much more experience at an elite level. However, Beterbiev is a better boxer than Smith and 10 times stronger.
Alvarez would not be able to walk through Beterbiev’s punches like he did against Smith. And it would more difficult for him to hurt Beterbiev, who is accustomed to taking punches from bigger opponents.
One more thing: Alvarez struggled to some degree with Kovalev before he was able to take him out in Round 11. Kovalev is an underrated, crafty boxer. Still, Alvarez showed some vulnerabilities in that fight.
Dmitriy Bivol (left, against Lenin Castillo) has an impressive all-around game. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing USA
Part of Smith’s problem is that he is a basic boxer. The Liverpudlian has solid fundamentals, a solid jab and solid power. Bivol is a completely different animal.
The 30-year-old Russian, another former amateur star, is a skilled technician but also quick, athletic and far more dynamic than Smith. And while he isn’t a knockout artist like Beterbiev, he has heavy hands.
Again, we have to give Alvarez an edge in ability and experience. However, Bivol has demonstrated repeatedly that he’s an unusually good boxer.
Consider his last five fights, against Sullivan Barrera (TKO 12), Isaac Chilemba (UD), Jean Pascal (UD), Joe Smith Jr. (UD) and Lenin Castillo (UD). In those fights, against good boxers, he lost only 18 of 177 rounds scored (36 rounds in each of the four fights that went the distance, 33 in the fifth). That means none of those opponents gave him a serious challenge.
He’s that good.
Now it’s important to point out that Bivol’s last four opponents went the distance with him. Does that mean that Alvarez could walk through his punches? Absolutely not. He has more than enough power to keep light heavyweights honest. Alvarez, the naturally smaller man, would be no different.
This matchup could actually be more difficult than Beterbiev for Alvarez because of Bivol’s boxing ability.
Jermall Charlo (right) defeated Sergiy Derevyanchenko more easily than Gennadiy Golovkin did.
The opponent who can give Alvarez the most trouble is one who can box, has power and has experience at an elite level. Charlo checks all those boxes.
The slightly older of the Charlo twins is a gifted athlete who can outbox you (Austin Trout and Sergiy Derevyanchenko) and knock you out (Julian Williams and Dennis Hogan). He looked better against Derevyanchenko than Gennadiy Golovkin did, which removed any doubt about the former 154-pound titleholder’s effectiveness at 160.
How does he stack up against Alvarez?
Charlo might be quicker and a better athlete but he certainly isn’t the better boxer and, as the smaller man, he isn’t the puncher Alvarez is. Charlo has a better KO percentage – 71% to 63% — but Alvarez has faced much better opposition.
That disparity in the level of opponents doesn’t work in Charlo’s favor. The victories over Williams and Derevyanchenko were tremendous but Alvarez many more equally as impressive wins.
Still, Charlo has the all-around ability to compete with anyone – including Alvarez – if he puts it all together. If nothing else, this would be a fascinating matchup.
Demetrius Andrade (right against Luke Keeler) has skills that could present problems for Alvarez. Melina Pizano / Matchroom Boxing USA
Andrade is a wild card.
The product of Providence, R.I., seems to be an excellent boxer who is also unusually quick and athletic, strengths that could give Alvarez problems. However, as an unattractive opponent, he hasn’t had the chance to prove how good he is.
Why is he unattractive? Too much risk for too little gain. He’s both good and awkward, which is never ideal for any opponent. Plus, he’s a southpaw. That’s a dangerous trifecta even for a fighter as good as Alvarez.
On top of that, Andrade doesn’t have the following of some of Alvarez’s other potential opponents. That means he isn’t going to generate the buzz – and, in turn, the money – that the others might.
So why take the chance?
However, strictly from a boxing standpoint, Andrade appears to be a threat to Alvarez. He might have the ability to stick and move and frustrate Alvarez, who has evolved into a fine technician but isn’t tremendously quick. Saunders also is a good boxer but isn’t as quick as Andrade and has little power.
I doubt that Andrade has the power to hurt Alvarez – he generally doesn’t sit down on his punches because he’s always moving – but he probably has enough pop to prevent the kind of beat down we saw last Saturday.
Would Alvarez eventually catch up to Andrade and stop him? Maybe … and maybe not.
One more thing: Andrade is naturally a little smaller than Alvarez, who seems to have matured into a full-fledged 168-pounder. That wouldn’t help Andrade’s cause but the size difference probably wouldn’t preclude the possibility of an upset.
Andrade’s chances of beating Alvarez: 4.
***
DAVID BENAVIDEZ
Record: 23-0, 20 KOs
Weight class: super middleweight
It might be a bit too early for Benavidez, who, at 24, probably hasn’t reached his peak as a fighter even though he won his first title at 20. The tools are there, though. He’s strapping, like Smith, but he’s probably a better boxer and has the punching power that the Englishman lacks.
Benavidez’s knockout percentage – 87% — is legit. He can crack to the head and body, as even his best opponents discovered the hard way. He can hurt anyone with the right punch. And he has an imposing demeanor, as if he says with his actions, “I’m going to impose my will on you and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Alvarez isn’t likely to be intimidated by anyone but Benavidez’s confidence and swagger are assets in the ring. Golovkin has similar qualities. And look what he was able to accomplish against Alvarez.
Benavidez’s downfall might be his boxing ability, which is solid but still in development. For example, he can be hit, as we saw in his knockout victory over Anthony Dirrell. And we know what happens when Alvarez touches his opponents.
Plant is more evolved as a boxer than Benavidez is, which would give him a chance against Alvarez. The Tennessean doesn’t have the physical traits of Benavidez, which might be imperative against Alvarez if you’re not a truly special boxer.
Let’s hope Alvarez vs. Benavidez happens, even if it’s a few years from now.
Here are five fighters who would have a better chance of beating Canelo Alvarez than Callum Smith did.
Canelo Alvarez seems to have a plan in place.
The Mexican star, coming off his victory over Callum Smith to win two 168-pound titles Saturday, will likely defend his WBC title against mandatory challenger Avni Yildirim in February and then face either Caleb Plant or Billy Joe Saunders in a unification bout in May.
All that makes sense. He has to defend against Yildirim or risk losing his belt. And every fighter wants to unify titles, which is a sign of dominance.
The problem is that none of those three fighters has much more of a chance of beating Alvarez than Smith did, which isn’t ideal.
That’s not a knock on Plant or Saunders, who are good fighters and legitimate opponents for Alvarez. They just aren’t the best-possible foes for the fighter many believe is No. 1 pound for pound in the world. Yildirim? Forget it.
Who are the best-possible opponents?
Here are five who could give the Mexican star a stiffer challenge than Smith did and possibly take him down, in order of their chances of winning. We also rate those chances on a scale of 1-10.
***
ARTUR BETERBIEV
Record: 15-0 (15 KOs) Weight class: light heavyweight
Canelo Alvarez has never fought anyone with the strength of Artur Beterbiev . Mikey Williams / Top Rank
Alvarez speaks boldly about taking risks and has done so in the past. OK, Saul, here’s a good one for you.
First of all, Alvarez can’t and wouldn’t say, “Well, I’m a super middleweight and he’s a light heavyweight.” He has already faced a good 175-pounder, Sergey Kovalev. Thus, it’s perfectly legitimate to suggest he move up a weight class for the right challenge even if that’s not his immediate plan.
Beterbiev, who holds two 175-pound titles, could be Alvarez’s worst nightmare. The 35-year-old Russian is a former Olympian with sound fundamentals and immense power, as 15 knockouts in 15 professional fights indicates.
Alvarez, who has honed his skills since he turned pro at 15, probably is a better boxer than Beterbiev and has much more experience at an elite level. However, Beterbiev is a better boxer than Smith and 10 times stronger.
Alvarez would not be able to walk through Beterbiev’s punches like he did against Smith. And it would more difficult for him to hurt Beterbiev, who is accustomed to taking punches from bigger opponents.
One more thing: Alvarez struggled to some degree with Kovalev before he was able to take him out in Round 11. Kovalev is an underrated, crafty boxer. Still, Alvarez showed some vulnerabilities in that fight.
Dmitriy Bivol (left, against Lenin Castillo) has an impressive all-around game. Ed Mulholland / Matchroom Boxing USA
Part of Smith’s problem is that he is a basic boxer. The Liverpudlian has solid fundamentals, a solid jab and solid power. Bivol is a completely different animal.
The 30-year-old Russian, another former amateur star, is a skilled technician but also quick, athletic and far more dynamic than Smith. And while he isn’t a knockout artist like Beterbiev, he has heavy hands.
Again, we have to give Alvarez an edge in ability and experience. However, Bivol has demonstrated repeatedly that he’s an unusually good boxer.
Consider his last five fights, against Sullivan Barrera (TKO 12), Isaac Chilemba (UD), Jean Pascal (UD), Joe Smith Jr. (UD) and Lenin Castillo (UD). In those fights, against good boxers, he lost only 18 of 177 rounds scored (36 rounds in each of the four fights that went the distance, 33 in the fifth). That means none of those opponents gave him a serious challenge.
He’s that good.
Now it’s important to point out that Bivol’s last four opponents went the distance with him. Does that mean that Alvarez could walk through his punches? Absolutely not. He has more than enough power to keep light heavyweights honest. Alvarez, the naturally smaller man, would be no different.
This matchup could actually be more difficult than Beterbiev for Alvarez because of Bivol’s boxing ability.
Jermall Charlo (right) defeated Sergiy Derevyanchenko more easily than Gennadiy Golovkin did.
The opponent who can give Alvarez the most trouble is one who can box, has power and has experience at an elite level. Charlo checks all those boxes.
The slightly older of the Charlo twins is a gifted athlete who can outbox you (Austin Trout and Sergiy Derevyanchenko) and knock you out (Julian Williams and Dennis Hogan). He looked better against Derevyanchenko than Gennadiy Golovkin did, which removed any doubt about the former 154-pound titleholder’s effectiveness at 160.
How does he stack up against Alvarez?
Charlo might be quicker and a better athlete but he certainly isn’t the better boxer and, as the smaller man, he isn’t the puncher Alvarez is. Charlo has a better KO percentage – 71% to 63% — but Alvarez has faced much better opposition.
That disparity in the level of opponents doesn’t work in Charlo’s favor. The victories over Williams and Derevyanchenko were tremendous but Alvarez many more equally as impressive wins.
Still, Charlo has the all-around ability to compete with anyone – including Alvarez – if he puts it all together. If nothing else, this would be a fascinating matchup.
Demetrius Andrade (right against Luke Keeler) has skills that could present problems for Alvarez. Melina Pizano / Matchroom Boxing USA
Andrade is a wild card.
The product of Providence, R.I., seems to be an excellent boxer who is also unusually quick and athletic, strengths that could give Alvarez problems. However, as an unattractive opponent, he hasn’t had the chance to prove how good he is.
Why is he unattractive? Too much risk for too little gain. He’s both good and awkward, which is never ideal for any opponent. Plus, he’s a southpaw. That’s a dangerous trifecta even for a fighter as good as Alvarez.
On top of that, Andrade doesn’t have the following of some of Alvarez’s other potential opponents. That means he isn’t going to generate the buzz – and, in turn, the money – that the others might.
So why take the chance?
However, strictly from a boxing standpoint, Andrade appears to be a threat to Alvarez. He might have the ability to stick and move and frustrate Alvarez, who has evolved into a fine technician but isn’t tremendously quick. Saunders also is a good boxer but isn’t as quick as Andrade and has little power.
I doubt that Andrade has the power to hurt Alvarez – he generally doesn’t sit down on his punches because he’s always moving – but he probably has enough pop to prevent the kind of beat down we saw last Saturday.
Would Alvarez eventually catch up to Andrade and stop him? Maybe … and maybe not.
One more thing: Andrade is naturally a little smaller than Alvarez, who seems to have matured into a full-fledged 168-pounder. That wouldn’t help Andrade’s cause but the size difference probably wouldn’t preclude the possibility of an upset.
Andrade’s chances of beating Alvarez: 4.
***
DAVID BENAVIDEZ
Record: 23-0, 20 KOs
Weight class: super middleweight
It might be a bit too early for Benavidez, who, at 24, probably hasn’t reached his peak as a fighter even though he won his first title at 20. The tools are there, though. He’s strapping, like Smith, but he’s probably a better boxer and has the punching power that the Englishman lacks.
Benavidez’s knockout percentage – 87% — is legit. He can crack to the head and body, as even his best opponents discovered the hard way. He can hurt anyone with the right punch. And he has an imposing demeanor, as if he says with his actions, “I’m going to impose my will on you and there’s nothing you can do about it.”
Alvarez isn’t likely to be intimidated by anyone but Benavidez’s confidence and swagger are assets in the ring. Golovkin has similar qualities. And look what he was able to accomplish against Alvarez.
Benavidez’s downfall might be his boxing ability, which is solid but still in development. For example, he can be hit, as we saw in his knockout victory over Anthony Dirrell. And we know what happens when Alvarez touches his opponents.
Plant is more evolved as a boxer than Benavidez is, which would give him a chance against Alvarez. The Tennessean doesn’t have the physical traits of Benavidez, which might be imperative against Alvarez if you’re not a truly special boxer.
Let’s hope Alvarez vs. Benavidez happens, even if it’s a few years from now.
Who’s next for Canelo Alvarez? This fighter is favored to be selected.
Who will be Canelo Alvarez’s next opponent?
That’s a question all boxing fans are asking after his impressive unanimous-decision victory over Callum Smith to capture two super middleweight titles Saturday in San Antonio.
Will it be one of the other 168-pound titleholders, Caleb Plant or Billy Joe Saunders? Will it be rival Gennadiy Golovkin, who stopped Kamil Szeremeta in defense of his middleweight title on Friday? Will it be a light heavyweight? Will it be someone we haven’t considered?
The online sportsbook MyBookie has made Plant the favorite to tangle with Alvarez next. Here are the odds:
Who will Canelo Alvarez fight next?
Caleb Plant +150
Billy Joe Saunders +200
GGG +250
David Benavidez +350
Dmitry Bivol +450
Artur Beterbiev +500
Jermall Charlo +550
Demetrius Andrade +650
Floyd Mayweather +1100
Oscar De La Hoya +3000
MyBookie also set on odds on Golovkin’s next opponent. Here they are:
Who will Gennadiy Golovkin fight next?
Billy Joe Saunders +200
Demetrius Andrade +250
Canelo Alvarez +250
Daniel Jacobs +300
Jermall Charlo +400
David Benavidez +550
Caleb Plant +600
Oscar De La Hoya +2000
Who’s next for Canelo Alvarez? This fighter is favored to be selected.
Who will be Canelo Alvarez’s next opponent?
That’s a question all boxing fans are asking after his impressive unanimous-decision victory over Callum Smith to capture two super middleweight titles Saturday in San Antonio.
Will it be one of the other 168-pound titleholders, Caleb Plant or Billy Joe Saunders? Will it be rival Gennadiy Golovkin, who stopped Kamil Szeremeta in defense of his middleweight title on Friday? Will it be a light heavyweight? Will it be someone we haven’t considered?
The online sportsbook MyBookie has made Plant the favorite to tangle with Alvarez next. Here are the odds:
Who will Canelo Alvarez fight next?
Caleb Plant +150
Billy Joe Saunders +200
GGG +250
David Benavidez +350
Dmitry Bivol +450
Artur Beterbiev +500
Jermall Charlo +550
Demetrius Andrade +650
Floyd Mayweather +1100
Oscar De La Hoya +3000
MyBookie also set on odds on Golovkin’s next opponent. Here they are:
Who will Gennadiy Golovkin fight next?
Billy Joe Saunders +200
Demetrius Andrade +250
Canelo Alvarez +250
Daniel Jacobs +300
Jermall Charlo +400
David Benavidez +550
Caleb Plant +600
Oscar De La Hoya +2000
Canelo Alvarez pummeled Callum Smith en route to a unanimous-decision victory Saturday in San Antonio.
Callum Smith can tell his grandchildren that he went 12 rounds with the great Canelo Alvarez. But he paid a price for the privilege.
Alvarez didn’t just beat Smith to take his super middleweight title Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio, he beat him up in a fight that was about as one-sided as it gets at the elite level of sport.
Smith’s ability to hear the final bell is a testament to his durability but that was his only accomplishment. He simply had neither the ability nor the power to make the fight competitive, meaning only fans of Alvarez were happy afterward.
The Englishman, unbeaten going into Saturday, seemed to have some hope on paper and in body structure going into the fight.
He has proved over and over again in his career that he’s a capable boxer and his physical advantages over Alvarez were obvious: He was seven inches taller than the challenger, depending on who was doing the measuring.
However, once the fight started, it was clear that height doesn’t win fights.
Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) used the first half of the first round to size up his much taller opponent and then began to walk him down, never stopping until the final bell sounded.
And why would he have stopped? Smith, the more natural 168-pounder, had nothing to throw at Alvarez that dissuaded him from coming forward. Most of the champion’s punches missed the mark – he landed only 18% of his shots, according to CompuBox – and Alvarez walked threw the ones that landed.
Meanwhile, Alvarez landed more and more bruising power shots to both the head – his uppercuts were his best punch — and body as the fight went on. In the end, he landed an absurd 57% of his power shots.
The fight was essentially over two thirds into the fight, when the same scenario played out round after round and it was clear that Smith (27-1, 19 KOs) couldn’t hurt Alvarez if he dropped his hands and stood still.
The only thing left Alvarez was to score a knockout. And he tried for one in the 12th round, when he unloaded one power punch after the other. However, Smith, who has never been down in his career, went into full survival mode and simply wouldn’t allow the fight to end inside the distance.
The final scores were 119-109, 119-109 and 117-111 in favor of Alvarez, who took Smith’s WBA title and also won the vacant WBC belt. Boxing Junkie had it 119-109, 11 rounds to one.
Alvarez has now won major titles in in four divisions – 154 pounds, 160, 175 against Sergey Kovalev in his last fight and 168 on Saturday – to bolster his credentials as one of the best fighters pound for pound.
What’s next for him?
He said after the fight that he wants to further unify the super middleweight titles, which means either Caleb Plant (IBF) or Billy Joe Saunders (WBO) could be his next opponent.
Alvarez also was asked about bitter rival Gennadiy Golovkin, with whom he has a draw and a close victory. He rolled his eyes when Triple-G’s name was mentioned but then said he was open to any challenge.
