Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez put on a dominant performance to defeat Jermell Charlo by
unanimous decision in Las Vegas.
Judges scored the fight 119-108, 118-109, 118-109 in favour of the Mexican superstar who held on to his undisputed super-middleweight status.
Alvarez was in control of the fight from the start, pressing Charlo against the ropes and unleashing body shots on the American.
The 33-year-old Alvarez scored the only knockdown of the fight in the seventh round with an overhand right and an uppercut.
It was just the second time in his career Charlo had been knocked down, but he was quick to get back to his feet.
Alvarez continued to dominate and while failing to get the knockout blow, came away with a statement victory
Charlo, who had not fought since May last year and jumped up two weight classes for this fight, landed some solid punches but offered nothing that could stop his opponent.
The win improves Alvarez’s record to 60-2-2 as he successfully defended his world titles for the second time this year, having defeated Britain’s John Ryder on May 6 in Mexico.
“Nobody can beat this Canelo,” Alvarez said after the fight. “We know he’s a great fighter. He knows how to move in the ring. We worked on attacking the body for three months. For three months in the mountains without my family, without everything.
“I wasn’t disappointed not to get the knockout. I feel great. That’s why we fight 12 rounds. If I don’t get the knockout, I get 12 rounds to show I’m the best, that I’m the better fighter. That’s why it’s 12 rounds, to show who’s better.”
Charlo says he would now love to take on 40-0 Terence Crawford, the reigning welterweight and super welterweight champion.
He said: “I just felt like I wasn’t me in there. I don’t make excuses for myself, so it is what it is. I take my punches and roll with it.
“I’ll move back to 154 (pounds). This morning, I weighed like 172 or 173 pounds. I’ll grandfather myself into this. I’m proud of myself. He didn’t knock me out. He knocked all them other guys out. He hit me with some hard shots. I thought I got mine off.