Jake Paul responded to Canelo Alvarez’s claim that he doesn’t fight Youtubers by showing a signed contract and fight poster.
The [autotag]Canelo Alvarez[/autotag] and [autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] saga continues to heat up.
Alvarez and Paul were reportedly in the late stages of planning a boxing fight to take place May 3 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. However, Saudi Arabia’s General Entertainment Authority chairman Turki Alalshikh got a hold of Alvarez, landing a four-fight deal with the boxing superstar.
The late shift sparked backlash from Paul and his Most Valuable Promotions team, claiming Alvarez ducked the fight. Paul labeled him an “owned slave.”
Alvarez sent a video message to his fans, telling them to ignore Paul.
“Hey guys, don’t pay attention at anything from this f*cking Youtuber,” Alvarez said in a video posted to social media by Ring Magazine. “I just fight real fighters. No f*cking around with Canelo. Come on, let’s go.”
Moments after, Paul posted a video reply of his own, addressing the entire situation surrounding the proposed fight while ripping Alvarez’s business decisions and questioning his loyalty. In the video, Paul included photos of a signed contract and a fight poster that was to be released next week along with an official announcement.
“Oh, Canelo, you puta. Time to expose him,” Paul said in a video posted to Instagram. “So, we had a signed contract to fight. Here, you can see Canelo’s signature and my signature to the right. Claiming he’s not fighting Youtubers? Bullsh*t. Look at the poster. We were announcing Tuesday, Feb. 11. Claiming he fights real fighters, but he fighting Crawford, a 135-pound fighter, and running from a real fighter like David Benavidez, you b*tch.
“The truth is, you can be bought. You’re a money-hungry squirrel chasing your next nut. The truth is, the sportswashing shady characters are paying you hundreds of millions of dollars to stop our fight from happening because they couldn’t fathom the fact that they can’t create a bigger fight than me and you. Al Haymon has made you hundreds of millions of dollars, and you turned your back on him for this check. Disloyal. And you were begging to do this fight on pay-per-view, but I have loyalty. Loyalty to Netflix, doing the biggest numbers. You call me a Youtuber, but you’ve never had a boxing match as big as mine.”
Paul continued:
“Remember you told my team that your daughter came home and asked if you were fighting Jake Paul? She was all excited. You said that was the first time your daughter’s ever asked you about a fight. You’re screwing over all your Mexican fans by doing your fights in Saudi. It just shows what type of person you are. And I promise you one thing Canelo: any fight that you do this year, mine will be bigger. So, go f*ck off to your boss, you Ring Magazine employee. You pink and orange b*tch. And oh, fix that herpe on your lip you dirty puta.”
[autotag]Jake Paul[/autotag] may have pulled off the impossible to land a fight against [autotag]Canelo Alvarez[/autotag].
As many times as the Youtuber-turned-boxer has called out one of the best boxers on the planet, Paul’s dream matchup has apparently become a reality. Throughout his pro boxing journey, many have called for Paul to fight a big name boxer in their prime. Well, it doesn’t get any bigger than Alvarez.
According to a report from ESPN’s Mike Coppinger, Paul and Alvarez are finalizing a deal to box on May 3, 2025, at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The fight will take place at the cruiserweight limit of 200 pounds. The spectacle is expected to broadcast live on Netflix.
Alvarez, 34, is the current WBC and WBO super middleweight champion at 168 pounds. In his last appearance in September, Alvarez dominated Edgar Berlanga by unanimous decision to retain his titles.
Alvarez was recently linked to a massive blockbuster fight against super welterweight champion and arguably boxing’s pound-for-pound best, Terence Crawford. Despite the name value, it was a curious matchup due to the size difference as Crawford has never weighed in at more than 153 pounds.
However, Ring Magazine reported Wednesday the fight planned for September in Las Vegas was off. Now Alvarez is facing a showdown with an even more unlikely opponent.
Paul, 28, is coming off a huge event against 58-year-old boxing legend Mike Tyson at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The fight was the first live sporting event on Netflix, and sold just shy of 60,000 tickets, generating $18.1 million. Paul’s unanimous decision victory was his fifth straight win.
Paul has been calling out Alvarez for years, and finally has the boxing star’s attention.
Prior to fighting Tyson, Paul said he he would make Canelo his next target.
“Canelo is on his way out,” Paul said on the “TimboSugarShow podcast.” “He’s going to want a payday, and I want to show the world that all the sh*t I’ve been talking about beating Canelo is actually true.”
During the post-fight press conference following the Tyson fight, Nakisa Bidarian, co-founder of Paul’s Most Valuable Promotions spoke about the possiblity of a fight with Alvarez when asked about a potential fight against former UFC champion Conor McGregor.
“We believe Canelo would do a cruiserweight fight,” Bidarian said. “There’s no way Conor does a cruiserweight fight with Jake Paul.”
The Youtuber began his pro boxing career in 2020, and has rapidly become one of boxing’s biggest draws, despite fighting against mediocre boxing competition. Paul generated focus by taking on former NBA player Nate Robinson, and then turned his attention to taking out former MMA champions such as Ben Askren, Tyron Woodley and Anderson Silva. The lone loss on his professional record came by split decision against Tommy Fury, brother of retired former heavyweight champion Tyson Fury.
Check out everything you need to know before Canelo Alvarez clashes with Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas.
Boxing star Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is set to enter the ring for a historic battle on the revered Mexican Independence Day weekend to face the undefeated Edgar Berlanga. This epic showdown is scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 14 at the iconic T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Alvarez, with a record of 61-2-2 and 39 KOs, recently defeated fellow Mexican boxer Jaime Munguia in May. Canelo will be defending his WBC, WBO, and WBA super middleweight titles against the undefeated Berlanga. However, a significant title will not be on the table after Canelo was stripped of his IBF super middleweight title for choosing to fight Berlanga instead of the IBF’s No. 1 contender, William Scull.
Edgar Berlanga, with a record of 22-0 and 17 KOs, is on the brink of his first title fight, a moment that boxing fans have been eagerly anticipating. The 27-year-old boxer from Brooklyn, known for his explosive start in the professional circuit with 16 first-round knockouts, is now preparing to face the experienced Alvarez. His most recent fight in February ended with a knockout, further fueling the excitement for this upcoming battle.
Here is everything to know about the Canelo-Berlanga must-watch fight this weekend.
Tom Gray writes: “Canelo is defensively adept and he’s still one of the best counterpunchers in world boxing. The champ excels against heavy hitters and always has done, so it’s difficult to foresee Berlanga having success here. History tells us that you have to outbox Canelo (Mayweather, Bivol, Golovkin 1) and take control of the fight. No one expects Berlanga to finesse the Mexican icon and win on points. Canelo hasn’t scored a stoppage win in almost four years, so the pick is a thoroughly dominant 12-round unanimous decision win.”
DAZN reported Hopkins told Little Green Giant Boxing: “Canelo gets the knockout within six or seven rounds. I’m going with Canelo. I could be wrong, but I doubt it. Anything can happen, right? But if you ask me who I’m going for if I have to put money down, Canelo all day.”
Regis Prograis told Boxing News: “I think it’s an easy fight. Berlanga is, you know, I mean, I think he’s, he’s very limited. He’s, he’s okay, but he’s very limited. You talk about Canelo. Man, Canelo is, I mean, you for me, you always gotta look at the mindset. Man, look who Canelo fought. You know, he fought GGG three times. He fought Bivol. He fought Lara. Canelo fought James Kirkland, everybody…He fought Floyd Mayweather. He fought Cotto. I mean, now you talk about Edgar Berlanga, come on, man, it’s, it’s like, it’s a big difference.”
Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga odds, betting lines
Canelo Alvarez is expected to win the WBC, WBO, and WBA super middleweight titles against Edgar Berlanga, according to the BetMGM odds.
When does the Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga fight start?
The Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga fight card consists of four fights and will begin at 8 p.m. ET. The main event between Alvarez and Berlanga is expected to begin at 11 p.m. ET.
How to watch Canelo Alvarez vs. Edgar Berlanga main event
When: Saturday, September 14
Card details: Undercard fights start at 8 p.m. ET.
Main event ring walks: Scheduled for around 11 p.m. ET.
Oscar De La Hoya had strong words for Canelo for not working with Turki Alalshikh, and accused him of ducking David Benavidez.
[autotag]Canelo Alvarez[/autotag]’s former promoter [autotag]Oscar De La Hoya[/autotag] took time out to send a firey message to boxing’s biggest star for not wanting to negotiate with Turki Alalshikh.
De La Hoya and Alvarez have repeatedly exchanged heated words over the years since falling out. In a social media video De La Hoya calls “Clap Back Thursdays,” the Hall of Fame boxer took aim at Canelo for not wanting to do business with Alalshikh, who has quickly become a major player when it comes to booking the best boxing matchups possible.
Alalshikh recently shared he was no longer interested in trying to make a fight with Canelo against Terence Crawford. The message prompted a public argument between Canelo and Alalshikh.
“So it turns out, I’m not the only one who thinks Canelo is an arrogant piece of sh*t,” De La Hoya said in a video on X. “Turki Alalshikh recently revealed that Canelo refused to meet with him in person, and isn’t entertaining any deals to be done with him.
“Why? Because he’s out-priced himself so much that the Saudis don’t even want to deal with him. And it’s all because he will do anything not to fight David Benavidez. Look, Turki is trying to make the best fights that everybody wants to see, and Canelo continues to take the fights that nobody wants to see.”
In what will be his second fight of the year after a unanimous decision win over Jaime Munguia in May, Canelo is scheduled to defend his WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight titles against Edgar Berlanga on Sept. 14 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the same day Noche UFC takes place at Sphere.
The scheduling conflict has been a frequent topic among boxing and MMA circles, especially for fans who like to watch both combat sports. De La Hoya, as he continued his rant, expressed his opinion about the date, and Berlanga, too.
“He claims he has a whole country behind him?” De La Hoya said. “Edgar, bro, You’re from Brooklyn. I think I’m more Puerto Rican than you are, and I only lived there for six years. Puerto Rico doesn’t claim you, bro.
“And as I said weeks ago, this fight will not do well on Sept. 14. Not only because the matchup is OK, but because they’re going up against the UFC’s debut at the Sphere in Las Vegas. Now that’s a spectacle that everyone and their mother has been waiting to see since it opened up about a year ago. And who is funding it and making it all happen? Turki Alalshikh.”
In conclusion, De La Hoya turned his focus back to Canelo, who he urged to reconsider his position about not wanting to be in business with Alalshikh.
“Canelo, you’re really making the wrong enemies,” De La Hoya said. “But you know what? F*ck you.”
Pound-for-pound: Does No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk leap frog Nos. 1 and 2 Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue to the top of the list?
Oleksandr Usyk gave the performance of a lifetime on Saturday in Saudi Arabia, rallying to defeat gigantic Tyson Fury by a split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight champion in a quarter century.
But was it enough to catapult No. 3-ranked Usyk past Nos. 1 and 2 Terence Crawford and Naoya Inoue on the Boxing Junkie pound-for-pound list?
No.
Usyk (22-0, 14 KOs) deserves consideration for the top spot after taking down Anthony Joshua in back-to-back fights in 2021 and 2022, stopping Daniel Dubois in nine rounds in August and now handing Fury the first loss of his career.
That’s a hell of a run by any standard. And the former cruiserweight champ has done it against naturally larger men, who would have trouble competing with him if he were their size. That obviously works in his favor in the pound-for-pound debate.
So why isn’t he No. 1?
Let’s start with Crawford and Inoue. The gifted lower-weight stars don’t have quite the resume Usyk has but they’ve dominated one contender after another to climb to the top of the list and have shown no signs of weakness.
Remember: We were as amazed when Crawford demolished fellow pound-for-pounder Errol Spence Jr. and Inoue got up from a knockdown to destroy Luis Nery as we are now following Usyk’s historic victory over Fury.
And while we must keep in mind the size difference between Usyk and his heavyweight rivals, he dominated neither Joshua nor Fury and benefitted from a controversial call by the referee – a clean body shot that was ruled a low blow — against Dubois to maintain his perfect record.
Fury believes he did enough against Usyk to get the decision, which isn’t far fetched given the tight, back-and-forth war. Had it gone Fury’s way, we wouldn’t even be talking about Usyk as a potential No. 1.
None of the above is meant to denigrate Usyk’s accomplishments. He has demonstrated over the past two years that he not only is the top heavyweight at the moment but also an all-time great, which is the highest praise in boxing.
He just hasn’t done quite enough to leap frog two other future Hall of Famers, Crawford and Inoue.
Of course, we must add one thing: If Usyk fights and beats Fury again — particularly if it’s more convincing the second time — we’ll have to revisit our decision to leave him at No. 3.
What about Fury, who entered Saturday at No. 9? He drops to No. 11 — below Bam Rodriguez and Artur Beterbiev — after his disastrous performance against Francis Ngannou in October and his setback against Usyk on Saturday.
And, obviously, Fury also can change his fortunes if he can turn the tables on Usyk in a rematch.
Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 8 Gervonta Davis will face Frank Martin and No. 15 David Benavidez will take on Oleksandr Gvozdyk on the same card June 15 in Las Vegas.
Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:
BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND
Terence Crawford – Scheduled to challenge 154-pound titleholder
Israil Madrimov on Aug. 3 in Los Angeles.
Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
Oleksandr Usyk – No fight scheduled.
Dmitry Bivol – Fight against No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship, originally scheduled for June 1, was postponed after Beterbiev injured his knee.
Juan Francisco Estrada – Scheduled to defend his 115-pound title against No. 11 Jesse Rodriguez on June 29 in Phoenix.
Canelo Alvarez – No fight scheduled.
Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to defend his 135-pound title against Frank Martin on June 15 in Las Vegas.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – Scheduled to face No. 5 Juan Francisco Estrada for Estrada’s 115-pound title on June 29 in Phoenix.
Artur Beterbiev – Fight against No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship, originally scheduled for June 1, was postponed after Beterbiev injured his knee.
Tyson Fury – No fight scheduled.
Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
Vasiliy Lomachenko – No fight scheduled.
Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduled.
David Benavidez – Scheduled to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15 in Las Vegas.
Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to face Fernando Martinez in a 115-pound title-unification bout in on July 7 in Tokyo); Teofimo Lopez (scheduled to defend his 140-pound title against Steve Claggett on June 29 in Miami); Junto Nakatani (scheduled to defend his 118-pound title against Vincent Astrolabio on July 20 in Tokyo).
Pound-for-pound: Did No. 2 Naoya Inoue do enough in his breathtaking victory over Luis Ney to supplant No. 1 Terence Crawford?
Who’s truly the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound? Depends who you talk to.
Terence Crawford, No. 1 on Boxing Junkie’s list, and No. 2 Inoue are both unbeaten, near-flawless all-around fighters who have dominated almost everyone they’ve faced over an extended period of time.
Inoue (27-0, 24 KOs) was at his glorious best in the early morning hours (U.S. time) Monday in Japan.
Luis Nery shocked everyone watching by putting Inoue down in the opening round but that only hardened Inoue’s resolve. The 122-pound champion responded by destroying a good opponent, putting him on the canvas three times and brutally stopping him in Round 6.
Inoue was nothing short of brilliant. It becomes more and more clear that he’s one of the best to ever do it.
And don’t count the knockdown against him when assessing his pound-for-pound credentials. Almost all the great ones have gone down. The important thing is they get up and demonstrate who’s the better man, as Inoue did in spectacular fashion on Monday.
The question is whether he did enough — or is good enough — to supplant Crawford at No. 1. That answer is no, at least for now.
The resume of Crawford (40-0, 31 KOs) is roughly equal to that of Inoue. Both of them have faced a long list of top contenders but relatively few pound-for-pound-caliber foes, although Crawford is coming a ninth-round knockout of Errol Spence Jr. last July.
And Crawford has been as dominating as Inoue, unleashing an overwhelming combination of skill, speed and power on one opponent after another.
The knockout of Spence, a pound-for-pounder himself, was just as breathtaking as Inoue’s annihilation of Nery at the Tokyo Dome even though Crawford didn’t have to demonstrate that he could overcome adversity.
Crawford has been nothing short of brilliant his entire career, which is why he was Boxing Junkie’s top pound-for-pounder since this feature was initiated in 2019 and hasn’t budged.
How could we justify demoting him under those circumstances? We can’t.
Inoue could reach the top at some point in part because of their respective ages: He’s 31, Crawford 36. That time simply isn’t now.
Another pound-for-pounder was in action on May 4, No. 6 Canelo Alvarez, who defeated Jaime Munguia by a one-sided decision in Las Vegas.
The superstar looked sharp but he was never destined to leap up the list because Munguia was not ranked. However, sitting directly above Alvarez at No. 5 is fellow Mexican Juan Francisco Estrada.
Did Alvarez do enough to swap places with his countryman? That’s a matter of interpretation. We decided to leave Alvarez where he is in good part because Estrada is scheduled to face rising star and No. 10 “Bam” Rodriguez on June 29. Estrada’s fate is in his hands.
Next pound-for-pounder up: No. 13 Vasiliy Lomachenko is scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia..
Here’s what the list looks like at the moment:
BOXING JUNKIE
POUND-FOR-POUND
Terence Crawford – Scheduled to challenge 154-pound titleholder
Israil Madrimov on Aug. 3 in Los Angeles.
Naoya Inoue – No fight scheduled.
Oleksandr Usyk – Scheduled to face No. 9 Tyson Fury for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
Dmitry Bivol – Fight against No. 12 Artur Beterbiev for the undisputed 175-pound championship, originally scheduled for June 1, was postponed after Beterbiev injured his knee.
Juan Francisco Estrada – Scheduled to defend his 115-pound title against No. 11 Jesse Rodriguez on June 29 in Phoenix.
Canelo Alvarez – No fight scheduled.
Jermell Charlo – No fight scheduled.
Gervonta Davis – Scheduled to defend his 135-pound title against Frank Martin on June 15 in Las Vegas.
Tyson Fury – Scheduled to face No. 3 Oleksandr Usyk for the undisputed heavyweight championship on May 18 in Saudi Arabia.
Jesse “Bam” Rodriguez – Scheduled to face No. 5 Juan Francisco Estrada for Estrada’s 115-pound title on June 29 in Phoenix.
Artur Beterbiev – Fight against No. 4 Dmitry Bivol for the undisputed 175-pound championship, originally scheduled for June 1, was postponed after Beterbiev injured his knee.
Errol Spence Jr. – No fight scheduled.
Vasiliy Lomachenko – Scheduled to face George Kambosos Jr. for the vacant IBF 135-pound title May 12 in Australia.
Shakur Stevenson – No fight scheduld.
David Benavidez – Scheduled to fight 175-pounder Oleksandr Gvozdyk on June 15 in Las Vegas.
Honorable mention (alphabetical order): Jermall Charlo (no fight scheduled); Roman Gonzalez (no fight scheduled); Kazuto Ioka (scheduled to face Fernando Martinez in a 115-pound title-unification bout in on July 7 in Tokyo); Teofimo Lopez (reportedly near a deal to defend his 140-pound title against Steve Claggett on June 29 in Miami); Junto Nakatani (no fight scheduled).
Weekend Review: Canelo Alvarez gave a vintage performance in his unanimous decision victory over Jaime Munguia. Is David Benavidez next?
A critical look at the past week in boxing
BIGGEST WINNER
Canelo Alvarez
Alvarez probably isn’t the best fighter in the world pound-for-pound, as he suggested after his one-sided decision over Jaime Munguia on Saturday in Las Vegas. That nod goes to Terence Crawford (Boxing Junkie’s No. 1) or Naoya Inoue these days.
The 33-year-old Mexican star is making a strong case that news of his decline is premature, however.
Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) looked like a fading fighter in his loss to Dmitry Bivol in 2022 and sluggish victories over Gennadiy Golovkin and John Ryder that followed. He looked a lot more like the old sharpshooting Alvarez in decisions over Jermell Charlo and now Munguia.
What was the difference? He’s healthy. His surgically repaired left wrist, which dogged him through is worst performances, is now 100%.
He certainly looked to be near his best against Munguia, who unloaded a lot of punches but couldn’t pierce Alvarez’s secure defense consistently enough to make the fight close. And Alvarez, who throws fewer punches but makes them count, landed almost at will. He landed 49.7% of his power punches, according to CompuBox.
The result was arguably Alvarez’s best performance since he dominated Callum Smith in 2020, one that certainly maintains his membership in the exclusive pound-for-pound club.
However, it’s important not to get carried away. Impressive victories over Charlo and Munguia carry limited weight because the former moved up two divisions for the fight and Munguia is still developing. Even Alvarez alluded to a glaring weakness on the part of the latter after the fight.
“He’s strong, but he’s a little slow. I can see every punch [coming],” Alvarez said.
Alvarez has one obvious way of proving beyond doubt that he is the same fighter who climbed to the top of many pound-for-pound lists and remained there for years: Beating David Benavidez, a formidable fighter many believe he has been ducking.
He was asked again after his victory over Munguia whether he’d be willing to finally face Benavidez, who is scheduled to take on Oleksandr Gvozdyk at 175 pounds on June 15.
Alvarez made it clear that he would do so if the money is right, meaning he demands that his payday be commensurate with the risk of facing his biggest threat at 168. And, while he was still inside the ropes, he saw Benavidez in the crowd, locked eyes with him and pointed to the ring as if to say, “I’ll meet you here.”
Let’s hope he’s serious. The fans want to see that fight, assuming Benavidez defeats the capable Gvozdyk. And Alvarez needs to make a better case that he really is the best.
BIGGEST LOSER
Jaime Munguia
Jaime Munguia left the ring a disappointed man. Christian Petersen / Getty Images
Munguia said his first setback was painful. Of course, it was. The 27-year-old from Tijuana had a chance to make history and fell short.
He shouldn’t be too hard on himself, however, He must remember who beat him, a future Hall of Famer with more experience in big fights than anyone else in boxing. A lot of good fighters have lost to Alvarez.
I believe the Munguia we saw on Saturday night could beat almost anyone else in the division. He might not be quick by Alvarez’s standards but he’s fast enough to land punches consistently against good opponents, as we saw in his victories over Sergey Derevyanchenko and John Ryder.
No one can dent the chin of Alvarez, it seems, but Munguia also has the power to hurt or at least gain the respect of any other opponent. He became the first to stop the rugged Ryder in January, which Alvarez couldn’t do.
And he showed a lot of grit. I thought the end might be near when he was knocked down by a perfect right uppercut in Round 4. Instead, he weathered the storm, continued to fight his heart out and never gave up even though Alvarez controlled the rest of the bout.
The point is that Munguia is an excellent fighter, especially after working with trainer Freddie Roach for his last two fights. It’s still too easy to hit him but he has and can continue to improve in that department.
In fact, he could follow the lead of Alvarez, who evolved from a solid defensive fighter into a one of the best in the world by working at it.
If Munguia maintains his confidence after the first loss of his decade-long career and continues to evolve, he could still become the dominating force he and his handlers have envisioned for him.
“It’s just like Floyd Mayweather versus Canelo,” said Oscar De La Hoya, Munguia’s promoter. “Canelo got schooled and then he became the face of boxing.”
Indeed, his time isn’t now but it could come soon.
RABBIT PUNCHES
Welterweight contender Eimantas Stanionis made a strong statement in his unanimous decision victory over Gabriel Maestre on the Alvarez-Munguia undercard even though he was returning from a two-year layoff. The secondary titleholder used intelligent pressure to control the fight, attacking relentlessly behind his heavy jab while maintaining a strong defensive guard. Maestre (6-1-1, 5 KOs) had his moments but couldn’t cope long term. Stanionis (15-0, 9 KOs) looked like a bigger, perhaps better version of Isaac Cruz, another elite fighter who uses pressure to overwhelm opponents. I don’t know whether Stanionis can beat the gifted Jaron Ennis but everyone else in the 147-pound division should be wary of this fighting machine. Maestre? He clearly is a good fighter. I hope the 37-year-old gets at least one more big fight to prove what he can do. … Welterweight contender Mario Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) and Fabian Maidana (22-3, 16 KOs) served up a dud on the Alvarez-Munguia card, with Barrios winning a unanimous decision. Blame Maidana, the brother of Marcos Maidana. He let his hands go here and there but largely came to survive and had the ability to do so, which made it difficult for Barrios to look good. Barrios obviously could’ve done a better job of cutting off the ring but he deserves a pass given his opponent’s tactics. …
Featherweight contender Brandon Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs) got off to a slow start against a surprisingly effective Jessie Magdaleno (29-3, 18 KOs) but found his rhythm by mid-fight and then ended matters with a brutal left to the liver in the ninth round after 14 months out of the ring. I don’t know what was going on in the first third of the fight. Maybe it was rust. Maybe it was Magdaleno, whose stick-hold-and-move strategy worked well for a while. Maybe it was something else, maybe Figueroa was trying to prove in the first few rounds that he’s not a mere brawler, that he can box too. Obviously, he can box. It takes skill to build a successful record even if you’re a pressure fighter. He doesn’t need to prove that. He should stick with what woks from the opening bell, which is to smother his opponents in punches. … News broke on Wednesday that samples provided by Ryan Garcia before his victory over Devin Haney on April 20 tested positive for the banned substance Ostarine. Garcia said he would never knowingly take steroids, which is the standard line in such a situation. Doesn’t matter. I’ve said this a million times: Fighters are responsible for what goes into their bodies. If an investigation confirms that he had PEDs in his system, it’s on him.
Canelo Alvarez showed Jaime Munguia that he’s still the top dog in Mexico, winning a one-sided decision Saturday in Las Vegas.
It’s still Canelo Alvarez’s time.
The undisputed 168-pound champion dropped and defeated a determined, but overmatched Jaime Munguia by a unanimous decision to retain his title in an all-Mexican battle Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
The official scores were 117-110, 116-111 and 115-112. Boxing Junkie also had it 117-110 for Alvarez, nine rounds to three.
“I take my time,” said Alvarez, 33. “… I have a lot of experience. Jaime Munguia is a great fighter, he’s strong, he’s smart. I take my time. I have 12 rounds to win he fight and I did.
“I did really good, and I feel proud about it.”
Canelo Álvarez makes the fourth defense of his undisputed super middleweight title against Jaime Munguia, winning by unanimous decision (117-110, 116-111, 115-112) scoring a 4th round knockdown along the way. pic.twitter.com/e8mvSVxdVt
The fight followed a pattern from the early rounds on. Munguia (43-1, 34 KOs) threw more punches than Alvarez (61-2-2, 39 KOs) but landed at a relatively low percentage, a result of the champion’s superb defensive abilities.
Meanwhile, Alvarez, who values accuracy over volume, consistently landed the harder, cleaner shots. He seemed to pick the challenger apart at times.
One of Alvarez’s clean shots came in Round 4, resulting in the most dramatic moment of the fight. He landed a perfect, head-snapping right uppercut that put Munguia on the canvas for the first time in his career and had viewers wondering whether they were about to see an early knockout.
Munguia wouldn’t allow that to be the beginning of the end, however. He continued to fight his heart out, staying busier than Alvarez and finding the target on many occasions.
The problem for the younger fighter was that the pattern continued until the final bell, Munguia connecting on one in four punches while Alvarez landed almost one of two. And the latter’s punches were more punishing.
According to CompuBox, Alvarez landed 234 of 536 punches overall, 43.7%. He connected on 49.7% of his power shots, a number that makes it extremely difficult for an opponent to win.
Munguia landed 177 of 663 punches, 25.6%, which isn’t disgraceful given the opponent but not high enough to win the fight.
“He’s strong, but he’s a little slow,” Alvarez said of Munguia. “I can see every punch. Sometimes he got me because I get so confident. But, you know, like I say .. I have this kind of experience. That’s why I’m the best.”
The best?
“I’m the best fighter right now, for sure,” he said.
Munguia might not dispute that.
The 27-year-old from Tijuana was proud of his effort but he seemed to recognize that he didn’t do enough to have his hand raised.
“I think at the beginning I was winning some of those rounds,” he said through a translator.” It was going well. I let my hands go. But he’s a fighter with a lot of experience, obviously.
“Unfortunately he beat me. The loss hurts.”
What’s next for Alvarez? The fans would suggest longtime 168-pound rival David Benavidez, who some believe the champion is avoiding.
Benavidez is scheduled to fight Oleksandr Gvozdyk at 175 pounds on the Gervonta Davis-Frank Martin card on June 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
However, he made it clear in an interview before the fight on Saturday that he’d be more than happy to move back down to 168 to take on the undisputed champion if things go well against Gvozdyk.
Alvarez said it could happen if he’s paid enough. And, then again, maybe not.
“I don’t know right now,” he said. “I’m going to rest, I’m going to enjoy my family. … But if the money is not right, I can fight right now. I don’t give a s—t.”
It’s only a matter of money?
“Yeah,” he said. “… At this point everybody is asking for everything, right? When I fought with [Erislandy] Lara, [Austin] Trout, Miguel Angel Cotto, Mayweather, … Billy Joe Saunders. They said I didn’t want to fight them and I fought all of them.
“Right now I can ask for whatever I want, and I can do whatever I want.”
Mario Barrios dropped and defeated a reluctant Fabian Maidana by a unanimous decision on the Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia card Saturday.
Mario Barrios wasn’t great, but he was good enough.
The welterweight contender dropped and defeated a defense-minded Fabian Maidana by a unanimous decision in a 12 round fight on the Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia card Saturday in Las Vegas.
All three official judges had the same score, 116-111, eight rounds to four.
Neither fighter was particularly active. Barrios (29-2, 18 KOs) stalked Maidana (22-3, 16 KOs) for most of the fight but his feet were busier than his hands, as he threw mostly single punches.
The winner also fought with a right eye that was swollen shut by the end of the fight, which didn’t help his cause.
Meanwhile, Maidana, the brother of Marcos Maidana, fought only in shot spurts. He spent the majority of the time in survival mode instead of taking the risks necessary to win the biggest fight of his career, which made it difficult for Barrios to look good.
The most dramatic moment came in Round 3, when Barrios poked out a weak jab and then followed with a perfect right that put Maidana on the canvas.
The 31-year-old Argentine, who wasn’t seriously hurt, got up quickly and resumed fighting. However, that experience might’ve contributed to his reluctance to mix it up.
The result was a boring fight.
Barrios has won three consecutive bouts since he lost back-to-back outings against Keith Thurman (UD) and Gervonta Davis (TKO 8). He was coming off a strong performance in September, when he easily outpointed former titleholder Yordenis Ugas.
Brandon Figueroa knocked out Diego Magdaleno with a body shot in Round 9 on the Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia card on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Brandon Figueroa took some time to get rolling. Once he did, he rolled over Jessie Magdaleno.
Figueroa, the volume-punching featherweight contender, knocked out Magdaleno with a single left to the body in the ninth round of their scheduled 12-round fight on the Canelo Alvarez-Jaime Munguia card Saturday in Las Vegas.
The skillful Magdaleno (29-3, 18 KOs) got off to a strong start, striking quickly when he had openings and then either holding or using his quick feet to prevent a strangely inactive Figueroa from getting into a rhythm.
Figueroa hadn’t fought in 14 months, which might’ve created rust he had difficulty shedding.
However, by around the fourth or fifth round, Figueroa began to pick up his work rate and land more consistently. Magdaleno remained competitive but he also started to slow down, the obvious result of Figueroa’s pressure.
The ending was brutal. Figueroa was pounding Magdaleno against the ropes when he slipped in a perfect left to the gut in the final seconds of Round 9, which forced Magdaleno to drop to his knees in pain.
He was counted out with one second remaining in the round, giving Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs) a successful defense of his WBC “interim” title and his third consecutive victory since he was narrowly outpointed by Stephen Fulton in 2021.
Magdaleno came in 2.6 pounds over the division limit on Friday. However, neither that nor his skill set could overcome Figueroa’s relentless attack.
