Undisputed super middleweight champion Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez 60-2-2 (39) credited his high altitude training camp and a perfect game plan for delivering him victory over former undisputed junior middleweight champion Jermell Charlo 35-2-1 (19) at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada on Saturday night.
The 33-year-old Mexican superstar comprehensively outboxed Texan Charlo, 33, dropping him in the seventh round en route to a wide unanimous decision win. The scores were 109-108 and 118-109 twice.
After a feeling out round to open proceedings, Alvarez found his rhythm while prevent Charlo to get into his groove. Attacking the body relentlessly in the early rounds, Alvarez was able to slow Charlo down and open him up for heavy blows to the head later in the fight.
Before the fight some fans and pundits were questioning whether Alvarez had seen better days after it looked like he had lost half a step in recent fights against Dmitry Bivol, Gennadiy Golovkin and John Ryder.
Alvarez proved his doubters wrong.
“I’m a strong fighter all the time, against all the fighters,” Alvarez said. “I’m a strong man. Nobody can beat this version of Canelo.
“We worked on attacking the body. We know he’s a great fighter. He knows how to move in the ring. We worked on attacking the body for three months. For three months in the mountains without my family, without everything.”
Before the fight Alvarez admitted he was closing in on the twilights of his career.
“I think I at least have four more years in me, maybe five,” Alvarez said to The Breakfast Club.
“I’ve been a professional boxer since I was 15 years of age. That is almost 18 years of fighting professionally.
“I always said I would retire when I was 36 or 37, around that age… that should be more than enough, it’s so many years of boxing. By then, I will have accomplished many things and then I will have to enjoy life with the family and all.”
But in the ring after the fight Alvarez spoke of his passion for boxing and how important it is to his life.
“I still love boxing,” he said. “I love boxing so much. Boxing is my life. Boxing made me the person I am today. That’s why I love boxing so much. And I love boxing so much because of my fans, too…Cinco de Mayo I’ll face whoever. I don’t care.”
In a separate interview before the Charlo bout Alvarez cited lingering injuries for the reason he had looked less than his best in recent fights.
“I feel 100% right now,” Alvarez said to Premier Boxing Champions. “I can say a lot of things but I want to show you Saturday. You’re going to see a different Canelo Saturday night.”
Based on last Saturday, a fully fit Alvarez is a dangerous proposition to anyone in the 168-pound weight class.
