Canelo Alvarez delivers another one-sided win against a fighter not named Gennady Golovkin
Canelo Alvarez put on an offensive clinic on Saturday before 51,240 at AT&T Stadium in his junior middleweight title fight with Liam Smith, winning the WBO belt by knocking out the game-but-overmatched Brit at 2:28 of the ninth round.
This might have been Alvarez at his best, putting on a frightening display of offensive boxing. He was particularly effective to the body and ended the fight with a crushing left hook to the liver.
The fight salvaged the show after a series of dreadful mismatches on the undercard, but it was also a reminder of what could have been.
It could have been the night that Alvarez, one of the sport’s most complete offensive fighters, went head-to-head with WBA/WBC/IBF middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, arguably the sport’s hardest puncher.
But promoter Oscar De La Hoya has steadfastly insisted he won’t make the bout until September 2017, delaying for no logical reason what would be the best fight in the sport could be made.
Alvarez fought with a chip on his shoulder, knocking Smith down three times, including in the final round with a blistering hook to the body.
But the significant talk in the ring was not about his outstanding performance against Smith, which led Alvarez to proclaim he’s the best fighter in the world now.
Rather, he was pushed about fighting Golovkin, who last week stopped Kell Brook.
Based on what both of them have shown, a bout between them would be a breathtaking battle that could draw more than 75,000 fans.
“I fear no one,” Alvarez said after improving his record to 48-1-1 with his 34th knockout. “I was born for this. And even though many people may not like it, I am the best fighter right now. About a month ago, we offered [Golovkin] twice or three times as much to make the fight. I didn’t want to say anything because I respect all my rivals, but about a month ago, we offered him twice or three times, so we’re ready. We’re ready for him. He just didn’t want to accept.”
Golovkin’s promoter, Tom Loeffler, couldn’t be reached for comment, but it was unclear what Alvarez was talking about. Both men had already signed contracts a month ago and were deep in camp.
But the drumbeat will continue, particularly after a performance like Alvarez put on. The pay-per-view undercard was dull, and the B-side had little chance. Of the 90 scored rounds on the undercard, the B-side won only 11.
Alvarez, as he often does, saved the show. He rushed out of his corner at the bell to start the fight and instantly opened up on Smith, who did little to cover up.
Smith was able to open up offensively as the fight went on, but he didn’t hit nearly as hard as Alvarez and he was taking far too many powerful body shots.
Alvarez put him down in the seventh with a three-punch combination, the last being a right to the head. Body shots dropped Smith in the eighth and ninth.
Alvarez landed 157 of 422 total punches, including an incredible 113 of his 220 power punches.
It would have been one of boxing’s best nights in years had it been Golovkin and not Smith on the other side of the ring, but De La Hoya hasn’t shown a willingness yet to change his mind.
While the Nov. 19 Sergei Kovalev-Andre Ward pay-per-view promises fireworks, few fights could match the potential fireworks an Alvarez-Golovkin fight could produce.
Alvarez gave a reminder of that Saturday with a dominant performance against Smith.
