Canelo Alvarez vs. Jermell Charlo: Date, time, how to watch, background
Canelo Alvarez is scheduled to defend his undisputed 168-pound championship against Jermell Charlo on pay-per-view Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
CANELO ALVAREZ (59-2-2, 39 KOs)
VS. JERMELL CHARLO (35-1-1, 19 KOs)
Jermell Charlo arrives Tuesday for his fight against Canelo Alvarez. Esther Lin / Showtime
Date: Saturday, Sept. 30
Time: 8 p.m. ET / 5 p.m. PT (main event later in show)
Where: T-Mobile Arena, Las Vegas
TV/Stream: Pay-per-view
Division: Super middleweight (168 pounds)
At stake: Alvarez’s IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles
Odds: Alvarez 3½-1 favorite (average of multiple outlets)
Pound-for-pound: Alvarez No. 7, Charlo No. 8
Also on the card: Jesus Ramos Jr. vs. Erickson Lubin, junior middleweights; Yordenis Ugas vs. Mario Barrios, welterweights; Elijah Garcia vs. Armando Resendiz, middleweights; Frank Sanchez vs. Scott Alexander, heavyweights
Prediction: Alvarez KO 10
Background: Alvarez is fighting to remain at the pinnacle of the sport. The former top pound-for-pounder has looked vulnerable in his last three fights, a loss to 175-pound king Dmitry Bivol in May of last year and uninspiring decisions over Gennadiy Golovkin last September and John Ryder this past May. Many believe the 33-year-old Mexican star is in decline after 18 years as a professional. He says injuries – including one to his left wrist that required surgery – played a role in his sub-par performances and he promises to look better against Charlo now that he’s healthy. He’s 6-0 (3 KOs) in 168-pound title fights. Charlo, the undisputed 154-pound champion, is moving up two divisions for the fight. The 33-year-old from Houston has failed to win twice, a decision against Tony Harrison and draw with Brian Castano. He avenged both disappointments in one-sided rematches, stopping both rivals. The second Castano fight – his most recent outing – took place in May of last year, meaning Charlo will have been out of the ring for more than 17 months. He would become a top figure in the sport with an upset victory.
