Undisputed tremendous middleweight champion Canelo Álvarez efficiently defended his world titles by dropping Jermell Charlo on his approach to a dominant unanimous choice (119-109, 118-109 twice) within the SHOWTIME PPV primary occasion Saturday night time from T-Cell Enviornment in Las Vegas. Canelo Promotions offered the Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view. Canelo’s seventh-round knockdown may be seen HERE.
“I’m a robust fighter on a regular basis, towards all of the fighters,” mentioned Canelo. “I’m a robust man. No person can beat this Canelo.”
Canelo (60-2-2, 39 KOs) was dominant from begin to end, utilizing the masterful ring IQ and stylish energy that’s made him a future Corridor of Famer to flummox the junior middleweight king Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs). Shifting up two weight courses in an try to reign in two divisions, Charlo was in a position to often land flush however was met with a wall of resistance from Canelo.
“I simply felt like I wasn’t me in there,” mentioned Charlo. “I don’t make excuses for myself, so it’s what it’s. I take my punches and roll with it. It’s boxing. Typically you win, typically you lose.”
Charlo’s protection first confirmed cracks within the early rounds when Canelo’s signature energy hooks to the physique had a transparent impact on him and compelled him to focus largely on protection within the first half of the struggle. In spherical seven, Canelo broke via with a looping overhand proper that shocked Charlo and compelled him to take a knee.
“In truth, I may really feel the distinction within the weight,” mentioned Charlo. “I picked up 14 kilos. I’m undisputed in my weight division. You fall brief typically, however you simply should carry on pushing. My roll don’t cease proper right here. I’m pleased with myself. He hit me with some onerous photographs. I believed I acquired mine off. I’m the little Charlo and I characterize that.”
The remainder of the seventh spherical noticed Charlo struggle intelligently, and even land a few of his cleanest photographs to make it to the bell. Charlo initially confirmed extra urgency however was unable to discourage the surgical precision of Canelo’s offense and protection. Canelo dominated the CompuBox stats in addition to the scorecards, proudly owning a 134 to 71 benefit in whole punches landed, together with a powerful 42 physique photographs.
“We labored on attacking the physique,” mentioned Canelo. “We all know he’s an important fighter. He is aware of how one can transfer within the ring. We labored on attacking the physique for 3 months. For 3 months within the mountains with out my household, with out all the things.”
The championship rounds noticed extra of the identical as Canelo cruised to the ultimate bell whereas being serenaded with chants from his 1000’s of loyal followers in attendance. After thanking his legions of supporters, Canelo declared himself open to dealing with anybody subsequent .
“I nonetheless love boxing,” mentioned Canelo. “I really like boxing a lot. Boxing is my life. Boxing made me the particular person I’m as we speak. That’s why I really like boxing a lot. And I really like boxing a lot due to my followers, too…Cinco de Mayo I’ll face whoever. I don’t care.”
Within the co-main occasion, high tremendous welterweight contender Erickson “Hammer” Lubin (26-2, 18 KOs) took dwelling a unanimous choice over the beforehand unbeaten Jesus “Mono” Ramos Jr. (20-1, 16 KOs) after 12 rounds, profitable on all three playing cards by scores of 117-111, 116-112 and 115-113.
“We went in there to really feel him out and field him and beat him to the punch with counters due to his energy,” mentioned Lubin. “It was working all night time. I used to be sticking and shifting. It was ‘Boxing 101’.”
“I felt like I did a bit of greater than him, however that’s alright,” mentioned Ramos. “Congratulations to Erickson Lubin. He was sharp. He had an excellent sport plan. Congratulations to him, it’s again to the drafting board. We’ll come again.”
Having beforehand misplaced a pair of fights to Jermell Charlo and Sebastian Fundora, Lubin put himself again into rivalry for an additional world title struggle with the win on Saturday. The 27-year-old’s success got here largely off the again foot as he often allowed Ramos to return to him and walked him into counter photographs.
“My jab was touchdown all night time,” mentioned Lubin. “He had all his success once I was on the ropes. My coach was telling me to remain off the ropes, so I used to be making an attempt my greatest to do this. He did not present it an excessive amount of, however I buzzed him just a few instances.”
Though Ramos held a 145 to 92 edge in punches landed, the judges appeared to favor the defensive work and constant jab (378 thrown to 274) of Lubin. Though disenchanted within the consequence, Ramos expressed an eagerness to be taught from the expertise submit struggle.
“I felt like I used to be simply making an attempt to point out totally different dimensions to my sport and never simply come ahead,” mentioned Ramos. “It’s what it’s. I’ll take this loss, come again and be taught from it. I discovered to not let it go to the judges. Perhaps I don’t put it on cruise management subsequent time. A bit extra stress. I’ll be taught from this. It was an excellent expertise.”
Buoyed by the choice victory, Lubin was adamant about his place within the stacked 154-pound division and his perception that he ought to be preventing for a world title earlier than later.
“This reveals that I am no gatekeeper,” mentioned Lubin. “I am one of many high canine within the division. I would like a title shot. If these belts current themselves at 154 kilos, I would wish to struggle for these belts.”
In a battle of former world champions, San Antonio’s Mario “El Azteca” Barrios (28-2, 18 KOs) scored two knockdowns and earned the Interim WBC Welterweight Title with a powerful unanimous choice (117-108, 118-107 twice) over Cuba’s Yordenis Ugas (27-6, 12 KOs) of their pay-per-view undercard attraction.
“I am sore however I am full of pleasure and pleasure proper now,” mentioned Barrios. “All the things from camp paid off tonight. I am proud of my efficiency. I’ve all the time thought very extremely of Ugas and I’ve much more respect for him now. He put up a hell of a struggle and I am grateful to him for the chance.”
Barrios landed the primary momentum-shifting blow of the struggle late in spherical two as he snuck in a robust left hand towards the charging Ugas, sending the previous welterweight champion to the ground. Ugas was unfazed in rising to his toes, however the shot portended the difficulties he’d have in beating the youthful Barrios to the punch.
“The primary knockdown undoubtedly set the tone as a result of early on he caught me with a pleasant liver shot that slowed me down a bit of bit,” mentioned Barrios. “As soon as I settled down and located that fast little jab, that’s once I was in a position to begin choosing up the tempo.”
The velocity discrepancy didn’t cease Ugas from getting again into the struggle as he utilized an elevated physique assault and several other sharp proper palms to attempt to decelerate Barrios. Barrios’ exercise made it troublesome for Ugas to construct momentum, as he out-threw Ugas 810 to 484 and landed extra jabs (107) than Ugas landed whole photographs (101).
The constant assault from Barrios started to put on on Ugas, who’s proper eye swelled up and compelled commentary from the ringside doctor 3 times earlier than the struggle’s remaining three rounds. In spherical 12, Barrios closed the present in type, touchdown a flush counter left hook towards the swelling eye of Ugas, placing him down for the second time within the struggle. Whereas making an attempt to outlive the spherical, Ugas’ mouthpiece fell out twice, prompting referee Tom Taylor to deduct a degree earlier than the ultimate bell. Along with his greatest win at 147 kilos in hand, Barrios set his sights on extra huge fights at welterweight.
“I need to take it additional and contend for the principle WBC title,” mentioned Barrios. “I do know that there are steps to get there. I’m going to take a seat down with my staff and we’re going to see what’s subsequent.”
Within the pay-per-view opener, rising middleweight sensation Elijah Garcia (16-0, 13 KOs) emerged victorious through eighth-round TKO in an electrifying firefight towards Armando Reséndiz (14-2, 10 KOs).
“It was a extremely onerous struggle,” mentioned the 20-year-old Garcia. “Reséndiz is nice individuals. He was actually robust. I want him the very best. This was one hundred pc my hardest struggle up to now. I left all the things I may within the ring.”
“I ought to have listened to my nook much more,” mentioned Reséndiz. “Perhaps I acquired too distracted, however Elijah was the higher fighter and I’ve to just accept that.”
The back-and-forth motion started heating up in spherical two as each males unloaded heavy photographs. Halfway via the spherical, Reséndiz appeared to buckle Garcia with a sequence of unanswered proper palms, earlier than Garcia rallied to lend a number of energy photographs of his personal to shut out the body.
The competition remained nip and tuck via the early rounds, till Garcia adjusted his sample of motion in spherical 5 to maintain himself from squaring as much as a circling Reséndiz. This gave Garcia ample area to land energy left palms, which buoyed his spectacular 46% join fee on energy punches. Total, Garcia held a 165 to 102 edge in energy punches landed.
“I countered to the physique and got here as much as the top,” mentioned Garcia. “I hadn’t doubled up on my hook. I noticed that he was damage. I do what I do. I completed. I knew he was damage on the ropes. I used to be hitting him with some actually onerous punches. He was actually robust, however I completed him off.”
Garcia’s changes proved fruitful early in spherical eight as he linked on a blistering counter proper hand that wobbled Reséndiz and despatched him to the mat. Though he was in a position to get to his toes, Garcia gave him little room to breathe and adopted up with a sequence of hooks that pressured referee Tony Weeks to name off the struggle 1:23 into the eighth.
“Moreover listening extra to my nook, I want to redeem myself and provides it my all as soon as once more quickly,” mentioned Reséndiz. “I want to apologize to my followers, however I promise I’ll come again stronger.”
“I need to be a compulsory for a title fairly quickly,” mentioned Garcia. “I will be 21 in April and I am gonna preserve taking it one step at a time. I discovered so much on this struggle. I nonetheless let him management the struggle an excessive amount of.”
Previous the pay-per-view, motion streaming reside on the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing® Fb web page was topped by heavyweight contender Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez (23-0, 16 KOs) scoring a fourth-round TKO over Scott Alexander (17-6-2, 9 KOs). After each males ate huge energy photographs in spherical one, Sanchez grabbed the momentum with an early knockdown in spherical two, earlier than finally inciting a flurry late in spherical 4 that triggered an finish to the bout between rounds.
The stream additionally featured 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha (24-3-1, 12 KOs) incomes a majority choice (76-76, 78-74 twice) over KeAndrae Leatherwood (23-9-1, 13 KOs) after eight rounds of middleweight motion. Plus, former gentle heavyweight world champion Oleksandr Gvozdyk (20-1, 16 KOs) delivered a proper cross in spherical two that ended the night time for Isaac Rodrigues (28-5, 22 KOs), as referee Tony Weeks halted the struggle 54 seconds into the body.
Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer hosted the SHOWTIME PPV telecast whereas versatile fight sports activities voice Mauro Ranallo dealt with blow-by-blow motion alongside Corridor of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champion Abner Mares. Three Corridor of Famers rounded out the telecast staff – Emmy®-winning reporter Jim Grey, world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon, Jr., and boxing historian Steve Farhood, who served as unofficial scorer. 4-time Emmy® Award winner David Dinkins, Jr. executive-produced the telecast with Bob Dunphy directing. Sportscaster Alejandro Luna known as the motion in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP) with former world champion and SHOBOX: The New Era® commentator Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez serving because the skilled analyst. Felix DeJesus served as Spanish language interpreter.
The SHOWTIME PPV COUNTDOWN present was hosted by award-winning MORNING KOMBAT reside digital speak present hosts Luke Thomas and Brian Campbell.
The principle occasion of Canelo vs. Charlo will premiere on SHOWTIME on Saturday, October 7 at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT adopted by the premiere of the EMMY Award profitable sequence ALL ACCESS: CANELO VS. JERMELL CHARLO EPILOGUE.
The occasion was promoted by Canelo Promotions and TGB Promotions.