In July 2018 Rocky Fielding earned the most important win of his profession by beating Tyron Zeuge in Germany. The fifth spherical TKO earned the Liverpudlian the WBA “Common” Tremendous-Middleweight title.
Two months later in a massively anticipated rematch in Las Vegas Canelo Alvarez defeated rival Gennadiy Golovkin to retain his two middleweight world titles. Nonetheless, the Mexican fancied a short dip into super-middleweight territory earlier than returning to 160lbs.
The person chosen to be his opponent was Fielding. “Rocky from Stocky” was about to obtain the chance of a lifetime and be properly paid for what seemed like an inconceivable job on December 15, 2018, at Madison Sq. Backyard, New York
Forward of Canelo’s undisputed super-middleweight title defence towards Jaime Munguia on Saturday (Might 4) Boxing Information has dipped into the archives to carry you John Dennen’s report on Canelo’s first struggle at 168lbs.
Authentic headline: King of New York – Canelo Alvarez demolishes Rocky Fielding
THERE is a lesson we realized. Preventing Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is a painful expertise. Solely the elite of the game thrive towards him. Rocky Fielding is a strong fighter, an enormous super-middleweight with weight in his punches. However although Canelo was transferring past his pure division, he was too good, too quick and with out mercy.
He gave Fielding no room to maneuver or breathe. He compelled his recreation on Fielding and he did all of it with livid pace.
Rocky started to jab, attempting to push out his left lead and push Alvarez away. However in a short time Canelo was on him.
Each time that they had gone face to face, proper up till the referee’s last directions earlier than the primary bell, the Englishman had towered over Alvarez. Fielding did look gigantic. But it surely made no distinction. Canelo tore via the hole between them, absorbing the area, all of the oxygen of the ring and snatched the wind from Rocky’s physique. A thumping left hook slammed into Fielding’s facet and compelled the Liverpudlian to take a knee within the first spherical.
It was a disastrous begin. Fielding wanted to start with confidence, he wanted to impose himself on Alvarez, let his dimension serve a warning and attempt to inflict at the least of sliver of doubt within the Mexican’s thoughts, that he was an unwelcome visitor within the super-middleweight division. As a substitute it was Canelo who dictated all of the phrases from the very starting.
On a knee early on, at this level Fielding may have unravelled. However he didn’t bounce straight again to his ft. He caught his breath, he watched referee Ricky Gonzalez’s rely and rose to see out the rest of the primary spherical. As he settled down on his stool within the first break of the competition his coach Jamie Moore ordered him to breathe.
Fielding couldn’t afford to lose his composure. He wanted to time, time to acclimatise to the rarefied air of elite competitors. However Alvarez wasn’t about to offer him that. He burned via his defences within the second spherical too.
Canelo let a proper hook unfastened into Rocky’s physique. Fielding was combating simply to ward Alvarez off. The Briton threw his pictures rapidly. They cuffed into the Mexican with out the form or type of the punches Canelo unleashed. Once more a nasty left hook streaked spherical the skin of Rocky’s elbow, knocking towards his ribs. In reply the Briton curved a left hook into Alvarez’s head. However up shut, Canelo’s proper uppercut was a shot of close to magnificence. It jolted Rocky’s head again with savage authority.
Fielding wanted to drive him again, get him off the within, the place Canelo’s work was so brutally environment friendly. However comfy within the pocket, Alvarez had locked on to the goal. But once more his left hook to the physique set the Briton down on a knee.
Rocky was courageous. He stood up. He fought on into the third spherical. He started the session with a mixture, his proper uppercut-left hook tagging Saul. The Mexican tapped his jab excessive, touching Rocky’s guard, triggering one other Canelo proper hook to crash into the physique. Battling towards the stress, Fielding let his palms go, throwing a straight one-two. He cranked out his jab, stretching his left arm ahead, earlier than stepping in, reaching out in an effort to carry Canelo in a clinch.
Fielding hooked in his proper, then the left. He continued chucking punches at his tormentor. However Canelo snuffed out the rally. As Rocky backed in the direction of the ropes, Alvarez’s proper hook swept via excessive. It clipped Rocky’s head, the sheer weight of the punch driving Fielding off his ft, again all the way down to the canvas.
Fielding was confounded. His mouth hung open, as if he may cry out in frustration. He was searching for solutions. However none have been forthcoming.
There’s a reality to boxing, that the nice large man will beat the nice little man. Fielding was large however not adequate, at the least not for this opponent. There’s one other lesson too, one that’s typically repeated however solely realized within the doing. That there are ranges to this sport. Canelo, even with a deficit in top and attain, was too good for him.
Actuality struck. There aren’t any Christmas miracles and Rocky triumphs are for the flicks. Alvarez ended the lesson the identical punch he began it with. His left flicked out an uppercut solely to arrange a hook to the physique off the identical fist. It thundered in and Fielding was down once more, for the fourth time in three rounds. That was sufficient. Referee Gonzalez ended it at 2-38.
Unrequired judges have been Eric Marlinski, John McKaie and Kevin Morgan.
“I knew the place I used to be, I knew every thing,” Rocky mentioned ruefully. “I attempted to struggle again however I bought caught. I dared to be nice. I lived the dream. I’ll come once more. I’ll come again.”
“That subsequent degree energy, he’s bought it. The timing, the pace. He places his pictures collectively properly. I believe he can combine it with any super-middleweight,” Fielding continued. “I stood there too lengthy. I believed I may try to combine it with him. I shouldn’t have. You’ve seen the peak of me in comparison with him. I ought to have stored it lengthy. I stood there with somebody who’s elite and who’s sturdy. I gave it every thing.”
Canelo was ruthless, as nice fighters must be. “He dedicated the error by starting to change with me,” the Mexican mentioned with a touch of that chilly ferocity. “That’s what we labored on, to work arduous to the physique and thank God every thing went properly.”
Alvarez has come via his shut controversial fights with Gennady Golovkin to reign because the king of this sport. His yr started with him going through a short suspension as soon as traces of clenbuterol from tainted beef have been detected in his system. It’s ended along with his first struggle in New York promoting out Madison Sq. Backyard, to kick off an unlimited broadcast cope with DAZN that’s making him probably the most extremely paid energetic boxer on the earth at this time. Profitable Rocky’s WBA secondary super-middleweight title means Alvarez will even think about himself a three-weight world champion.
“I’m simply completely satisfied to be marking historical past,” Canelo mentioned with a smile.
