Relentless and at the top of his boxing, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez made super middleweight history, unifying the titles with a victory at the expense of Caleb Plant, by referee stoppage in the 11th.e resumption, Saturday in Las Vegas.
• Read also: Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will have the desired fight
As a bout dominated by the Mexican head and shoulders, the question was not whether the American could create an improbable sensation, but whether he would end up standing.
The penultimate cover answered it, when “Canelo” found for the umpteenth time the opening of this terrible left-right-left hook sequence, which brought down Plant for the first time. Struggling to get up and keep his balance, this circle was counted and then allowed to continue.
It is a similar sequence, but reversed in right-left-right which got the better of him, the referee putting an end to the ordeal, although he was again raised. Well taken, after this show of force of the fighter of Guadalajara who was already exulting while climbing on the ropes.
“It took a bit of work for me, he’s a good fighter. He has all my respect, ”commented the 31-year-old Mexican.
Thanks to this 57th victory (including 39 before the limit) in 60 fights (2 draws, 1 loss), he added to his record the IBF belt, until then the property of his opponent, in the WBA, WBC and WBO he had. already.
Sixth unified
Since 1988 and the era of the four belts, he is the sixth boxer to join the “unified” club, after the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk (light heavy) and the Americans Bernard Hopkins (middle), Jermain Taylor (middle), Terence Crawford (welterweight), Josh Taylor (welterweight).
“You are going to witness something that you will remember for a long time,” had promised “Canelo” who will have been in two of the three resounding fights of the year. In May, he had indeed beaten the Briton Billy Joe Saunders, by breaking his orbital floor, in front of more than 70,000 spectators in Arlington (Texas), in the den of the American football team (NFL) of the Dallas Cowboys. , for the biggest indoor sporting event since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
One month after the extraordinary clash won by Tyson Fury at the expense of Deontay Wilder, who wrote one of the most beautiful pages in the premier heavyweight category, boxing has again given itself a great publicity, “Canelo” showing off his pugilistic superiority against a rival who was not unworthy, but turned out to be far below.
In an MGM Grand Garden Arena filled with 16,586 spectators, including a very large Mexican colony who chanted the nickname of his favorite throughout, “Canelo” was patient during the first three rounds. He notably took 1 min 12 before landing his first shot of the evening. All under the eyes of Mike Tyson, who predicted Alvarez’s victory, judging him as the best boxer of his generation.
“Canelo” in his hand
Plant, benefiting from a greater reach, was able to place his jab at times, but without hurting “Canelo” who was then a steamroller. His left hook – his “weak” arm – proved destructive in the long run. He was so easy at times that he dodged the opposing blows of neck movements, as if to humiliate the American.
Even paying himself the luxury of not sitting down between several rounds, while Plant took a few seconds longer than the bell to be healed, he finished as he had announced: before the twelve rounds.
In essence, boxing is a sport where hurting the other the most is the sine qua non of victory. For “Canelo”, it has been coupled with a personal motivation since Plant insulted his mother in September at an electric press conference in Los Angeles, where a few blows had been exchanged.
After his victory, the world champion in four different categories (super-welterweight, middleweight, super-middleweight, light heavyweight) said he forgave Plant, who apologized for his inappropriate words, when they got caught. in the arms at the end of an unusually long conversation between two boxers.
Definitely, boxing came out of it enhanced.