Alvarez was happy to edge ahead in the eighth before again retreating to the ropes and when Smith’s activity briefly dipped, he scored a second knockdown; winging in a left to the solar plexus that prompted the champion to sink to his haunches and gasp for air.
Advertisement
But Alvarez, 26, was the star of the show and he lived up to his billing, improving to 48-1-1 with 34 knockouts.
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has accused rival Gennady Golovkin of ducking a lucrative offer to fight.
There’s no reason to assume that Sadam Ali is damaged goods, but he’ll need to prove that tonight against a seemingly overmatched foe in Saul Corral.
Smith’s three brothers are all professional boxers; his younger brother Callum is also a British champion and has been earmarked as a future world champion, and his older brothers Paul and Stephen are also former British champs and world title challengers.
Golovkin is fresh off defeating another Brit, Kell Brook – who had jumped two weight divisions to face the Kazakhstani.
A high-profile battle between the world’s most dominant and marketable middleweights has always been sought after by fans, yet the usual boxing politics thus far seems to have prevented that dream from becoming a viable reality.
“I don’t think he disgraced himself at all against a great fighter”, he said at the post-fight press conference. “I was born for this”. And even though many people may not like it, I am the best fighter right now.
Smith was game, but he was no match for the bigger, faster, more powerful Alvarez, who knocked him down three times, including a brutal left hook to the body, and finished him in the ninth round to win a 154-pound world title Saturday night at AT&T Stadium. Both men had already signed contracts a month ago and were deep in camp.
Smith and Alvarez have a lot of similarities. The pay-per-view undercard was tiresome, and the B-side had little chance.
Diego de la Hoya (16-0, 9 KOs) beat Luis Orlando del Valle (22-3, 16 KOs) via unanimous decision in a ten-round junior featherweight bout by scores of 100-90, 99-91, and 99-91.
Advertisement
Alvarez opened a cut in the corner of Smith’s eye in the fifth round, which ended in a spirited exchange, after which Smith shoved Alvarez at the bell and smiled at him. Smith landed 29 percent (115/403) of his total punches, and 33 percent (68/208) of his power punches. Yes.unfortunately Freddie doesn’t believe one specific fighter involved is capable of creating the demand to support or match the very high purse expectations.
