It was a short night at the office for Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 55-1-2 (37) as the WBC and WBA super middleweight champion walked down and stopped Avni ‘Mr Robot’ Yildirim 21-3 (12) in three rounds at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida on Saturday night.
The 30-year-old Mexican superstar put it on Yildirim early and the Turkish fighter, 29, simply had no answers for the questions put to him.
It was all one-way traffic.
The victory clears the path for Alvarez to face WBO 168-pound champion Billy Joe Saunders 30-0 (14) on May 8.
“We want to unify the division,” said Alvarez. “[Billy Joe Saunders] is a world champion, we want to go for it and we need to go for it. He’s a very difficult fighter and has a championship, the WBO.
“People [like Saunders] talk but I’m a very mature fighter and I know how to control myself. All I need to do is go into the ring, win and make history.
“It’s because [being undisputed] hasn’t been done, no one has done it in Latin America. In the world only a few fighters have done it, the best. I want to make history and be one of the best in the world.”
Saunders, 31, was originally scheduled to face Alvarez on Cinco de Mayo last year before the global coronavirus pandemic hit and forced the cancellation of the bout.
“Canelo, I’m ready to rock and roll,” said Saunders. “You have to dare to be great and you aren’t going to be a great if you don’t beat the greats. I believe I am the only one with the footwork, know-how, skillset, mindset and brain to unlock that door in Canelo.
“He’s the main man in the sport and the face of boxing. You have to give him respect, he hasn’t ducked anyone, he’s beaten good names, but nobody is unbeatable, and I believe I have got the tools to beat him if I use them properly and if the game plan comes off that I believe works.
“I am looking at the golden ticket to cement my legacy and that’s how you have to go in there to beat him. I’ve won everything from Southern Area to world titles, I could say ‘I’ve won it all, been to the Olympics, I’m unbeaten – I’ll see you later’. But I’ve only just turned 31, I’ve got no miles on the clock, haven’t taken any punishment – I believe he’s been in harder fights than me and has more miles, so I want to cement my legacy and beat him.”
Promoter Eddie Hearn said of the fight: “Last year we missed out on Cinco de Mayo, but this year it’s going to be a very special occasion. He will continue his bid to unify the division, May 8 against Billy Joe Saunders, the WBO world champion who is 30-0.”
