SAUL “Canelo” Alvarez landed a devastating right hook to knock out Amir Khan in the sixth round and claim the World Boxing Council middleweight title clash in Las Vegas on Saturday.
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Unless Floyd Mayweather unexpectedly remains retired, the richest fight in boxing would be between Alvarez, who in the American’s absence has succeeded him as Las Vegas’ biggest draw, and WBA and IBF champion Gennady Golovkin, incidentally present at the T-Mobile Arena.
While he was on the canvas, Alvarez knealt next to him to make sure Khan was all right.
“I’m seen as the underdog in this fight against Canelo but I feel this is the year of the underdog”, Khan said earlier this week.
His opponent, Amir Khan, was moving up two weight divisions to challenge the heavy-handed Mexican superstar.
Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KO) was behind on many scorecards on social media and what not, either three rounds to two (48-47) or four rounds to one (49-46), including 49-46 on my card, and the same on Wil Esco’s card.
“(But) I’m not going to say they cheated me or anything, because I took the fight.
In the sixth, with Khan getting a bit careless, Canelo had an opening for an absolute bomb of a right hand, and he made it count.
“No, I just stepped up too far”, Khan said, when asked if he had considered retirement following the defeat.
Khan all but ruled out remaining at middleweight for his next fight and is thought to prefer a return to welterweight, where he remains unbeaten. I have many more qualities in the ring and I showed that. I didn’t make it to the end, but I tried my best. ‘I’m not afraid of anyone, I’m willing to fight any time.
The Canelo right back hand that felled Khan flat on his back and out before he hit the ground, was a peach of a punch and wasn’t expected.
“I don’t fear anyone”, Alvarez said. “Like I said in Mexico, “We don’t f– around.’ We don’t come to play in this sport”.
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“Amir Khan is one of the bravest fighters on the planet”, De La Hoya said. The weight at which their fight would be contested figures to be a major issue whenever negotiations begin, though.
