For those who saw Canelo Alvarez slip during his unspectacular win over John Ryder in Mexico on May 6 and expected him to be postponed to Saturday, well, it didn’t happen.
Alvarez dominated the taller, slimmer Jermell Charlo at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday in a battle of undisputed champions. The two were fighting for Alvarez’s undisputed super middleweight titles and there was no competition for most of the time.
Alvarez won by unanimous decision to retain his titles 118-109 and 119-108. Yahoo Sports made it 119-108 for Alvarez.
Alvarez scored the only knockdown of the fight in the seventh round by hitting Charlo on the head with a huge right when the two were fighting in a neutral corner. Charlo did not fall immediately, but while Alvarez was looking for the finisher, Charlo fell on the screen. There were about 90 seconds left in the round, but Charlo managed to survive.
.@Canelo DROPS Charlo in round 7 😱#CaneloCharlo pic.twitter.com/Uycn3U4fDU
— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) October 1, 2023
Alvarez showed why many believed he was the world’s No. 1 weightlifter before the rise of undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford. He dictated the pace of the fight, threw Charlo down and hit him on the body with crushing shots.
The few times Charlo let go of his hands, Alvarez moved his head well. And he was always able to cut the ring and take Charlo to where he wanted. Charlo just wasn’t aggressive enough and didn’t land his punch with the authority he needed to stop Alvarez’s attack.
“Boxing has made me the person I am today,” Alvarez said. That’s why I love boxing so much. I love boxing.
It was a masterful performance by Alvarez, who never got into trouble and accompanied Charlo from the first moments of the fight.
“I’m the best,” Alvarez said. Who is better? No one can beat Canelo.
Charlo was ten centimeters taller and had a reach of seven centimeters, but he never wore them. He allowed Alvarez to support him and did not give Alvarez anything that could worry him.
Charlo had little to say. It’s boxing. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose.
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