Khan’s head snapped back when he hit the canvas and he appeared out for several minutes before being revived.
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“Many people talk about my power but I’ve got many more qualities in the ring. I like to surprise everyone”.
But once Canelo found his range he began to find Khan’s body with a number of shots, and his work downstairs opened up the opportunity to win the fight midway through the sixth round.
Alvarez, who knelt beside Khan to check he was okay after delivering the knockout blow, stressed he was prepared to next fight the fearsome WBA and IBF champion Gennady Golovkin – who was present at the T-Mobile Arena – in a unification title fight.
“He’s a fast fighter, but I knew time would come to my favor and you saw that”, Alvarez said after the fight. Not that he’ll find it hard to find work, but getting knocked out so many times takes its toll on a fighter outside the ring.
It all led to the crushing closer, when 25-year-old Alvarez again showed the brute strength that has now carried him to a record of 47-1-1 (33 knockouts). I’ll fight him right now.
We think Amir won’t have too much to say about this KO though. If we’re going to fight we’re going to fight for honor and pride. “We don’t come to play in this sport – I don’t fear anyone”.
At Friday’s weigh-in, both boxers scaled 155 pounds, bang on the catch-weight limit.
Cheered on by a large Mexican crowd during the Cinco de Mayo weekend, Alvarez retained his 160-pound world title in his first defence, six months after defeating Miguel Cotto.
Even when the Mexican did put punches together, Khan responded straight away; a fantastic five-punch barrage in the third suggested speed not power could be the deciding factor.
Alvarez’s promoter Oscar De La Hoya praised Khan for taking on the challenge of moving up.
Khan insists he will not retire and plans to make his comeback at the end of the year in a rematch against WBC welterweight champ Garcia. I don’t want to just fight him, I want to beat him…
Canelo Alvarez overcame a very slow start Saturday night and crushed Amir Khan the way virtually everyone expected.
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“I’m one of those fighters who will step in the ring with whoever”, Khan said in his post-fight comments.
