In the boxing capital of the world, Las Vegas, Canelo Álvarez once again proved why he’s a force to be reckoned with. Keeping his super middleweight champion title intact, he gave Jermell Charlo a masterclass, ending the fight with a convincing unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena. Scores? A neat 119-109 and a double 118-109. All this action?
Canelo, with his usual swagger, declared, “Consistency is my middle name. No matter the opponent, I stand tall. There’s no beating this version of me.”
From the moment the bell rang, Álvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) was in control, showing Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) just how it’s done. Even as Charlo made a bold move, jumping two weight classes to snag titles, he found Canelo to be a tough nut to crack.
Looking a bit shaken post-fight, Charlo said, “Tonight, I felt a bit off my game. But hey, no excuses here. That’s boxing for you – some days you’re the hammer, some days the nail.”
The first hints of trouble for Charlo appeared early in the game. Álvarez’s powerful jabs seemed to push Charlo into a defensive mode. By the seventh round, a swift right from Álvarez saw Charlo hitting the canvas.
Charlo, reflecting on the night, said, “The extra weight was, well, weighty. I’m king in my usual division. But you know, sometimes you aim for the moon and land among the stars. Proud of my fight tonight, even if I did eat some of Canelo’s best shots. I’m still here, still standing. After all, I’m Charlo.”
During that criticalseventh round, Charlo gave as good as he got, landing some sharp punches. But Álvarez’s precision, both in offense and defense, was evident. The numbers don’t lie: 134 to 71 in punches, with Álvarez throwing in 42 stingers to the body.
“We had a game plan,” Álvarez said, “Zeroing in on the body. We trained hard for it. Three months up in the mountains, away from it all. Dedication pays off.”
The finale? Classic Álvarez. Dancing around, dodging, weaving, and landing punches. And through it all, the electrifying chants of his fans echoing through the arena. And when it was all said and done? A victorious Canelo hinted at his next adventure, “I’m all in for boxing. Always have been. Ready for anyone come Cinco de Mayo. Bring it on!”
In the kick-off for the pay-per-view, Elijah Garcia, a quickly rising middleweight sensation with a record of 16-0, including 13 KOs, took the win with a TKO in the eighth round. This sizzling fight saw him go toe-to-toe with the sturdy Armando Reséndiz, holding a record of 14-2 with 10 KOs.
Elijah, just 20 and full of fire, said, “Man, that was intense! Shoutout to Reséndiz – stand-up guy. He’s made of tough stuff. Sending my best to him. I poured my heart and soul into this one, for sure.”
Reséndiz, reflecting on the evening, mentioned, “I should’ve been all ears to my corner. Maybe I got sidetracked. But hey, Elijah was on his A-game, and I’ll tip my hat to that.”
By round two, it was clear both were hungry for the win. Reséndiz managed to shake Garcia with a few powerful right hands. But Garcia wasn’t having any of that, responding with some fiery punches of his own.
Through the initial rounds, it was anyone’s game. Yet, by round five, Garcia started dancing around Reséndiz differently, allowing him more room to unleash those lethal lefts. With a whopping 46% connect rate on his power punches, Garcia landed 165 against Reséndiz’s 102.
Recounting the strategy, Garcia shared, “I worked the body, then aimed for the noggin. I saw he was staggered. I mean, why hold back? I sensed he was struggling, so I turned up the heat.”
IN Round eight Garcia launched a killer counter right, knocking Reséndiz off balance. Reséndiz did get back up, but Garcia wasn’t letting up. The subsequent barrage forced referee Tony Weeks to wave it off.
“I need to step up my game and truly give my best shot,” said a reflective Reséndiz. “To my supporters, I’m sorry. But trust me; I’ll bounce back.”
Garcia, eyes on the future, shared, “I’ve got my sights set on a title. By my next birthday, I’ll have more under my belt. This fight? A significant learning curve. He dictated a lot of it, more than I would’ve liked.”
In the warm-up to the main event, fans tuning into the SHOWTIME SPORTS YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page witnessed heavyweight top-contender Frank “The Cuban Flash” Sanchez, boasting a 23-0 record, deliver a TKO to Scott Alexander in the fourth round. The energy was high as both exchanged some serious blows, but Sanchez turned the tide with a knockdown in round two, eventually forcing an end to the match in round four.
Also in the lineup, 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha clinched a majority decision over KeAndrae Leatherwood in a dynamic eight-round middleweight fight. And don’t get me started on former light heavyweight champ Oleksandr Gvozdyk – he delivered a thunderous right cross in round two, signaling an early night for Isaac Rodrigues. Referee Tony Weeks called it just 54 seconds in!
