CANELO ALVAREZ SMASHES SMITH TO WIN WBO JUNIOR MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE WITH 9TH ROUND TKO
By Ronnie Nathanielsz
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 18 Sep 2016
Hugely popular Mexican fighter Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez scored a smashing 9th round TKO over Britain?s Liam Smith to win the WBO junior middleweight crown before a record-breaking crowd of 51,240 mostly adoring fans at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, home of Jerry Jones Dallas Cowboys Sunday morning, Manila Time. The crowd was bigger than the 50,944 fans who watched eight division world champion Manny Pacquiao score a lopsided twelve round unanimous decision over Joshua Clottey in a defense of his WBO world welterweight title in 2010 and the 41,734 who returned to the venue to see Pacquiao dismantle Antonio Margarito in a WBC super welterweight title showdown in 2012.
Regarded as one of the best pound for pound fighters in the world, the Mexican challenger dropped Smith in both the 7th and 8th rounds before nailing the British champion with a horrendous left to the body that sent Smith to the canvas in a crumpled heap in the 9th round.
A jubilant Alvarez jumped on the ropes in the corner and raised his hands in triumph as his fans showed their adulation.
With the impressive win, the 26 year old Alvarez improved to 48-1-1 with 34 knockouts while Smith who had eight straight knockouts suffered hiusm first loss to drop to 23-1-1. In a post-fight interview Smith conceded ?If I would have waited a little longer and gotten more experience I would have been able to fight a guy like that better. I am very disappointed. Canelo was too good today. I needed better timing, my timing was off tonight.?
Alvarez recalled ?I started going after him, but in the second round I hurt my hand. I hurt my right hand and had to use the left more often. I felt he was very strong in the beginning, so I had to put the body work and felt he would dwindle, that?s how I did my job. I give big punches with my body shots, and I enjoyed it very much.?
Alvarez said ?I fear no man. I am the best fighter in this. About a month ago, we offered GGG [Gennady Golovkin] three or four times as much to make the fight. We are ready for him and he doesn?t want to accept. I fight the best and I want to fight the best, I am the best at this sport and Viva La Mexico!?
Photo: Canelo Alvarez goes to a neutral corner after dropping Smith with a crunching body shot. Photo by Tom Hogan / HoganPhotos / Golden Boy Promotions.
Click here to view a list of other articles written by Ronnie Nathanielsz.
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