CANELO STOPS YILDIRIM IN THREE, EYES SAUNDERS NEXT
By Dong Secuya
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 28 Feb 2021
The pre-fight noise was more entertaining but the moment was too big and the lights were too bright for the Turkish upstart Avni Yildirim who showed nothing in front Mexican superstar Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez who completely dominated the fight before Yildirim was unable to answer the bell for the 4th round. Canelo thus easily retained his WBC, WBA and Ring lineal super middleweight belts in front of full house crowd of 15,000, the first such huge crowd in the pandemic, at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, Florida Saturday night (Sunday in Manila).
Yildirim who got the call to fight Canelo as the WBC mandatory challenger, fought cautious and deliberate and was an easy target practice for the faster and sharp Mexican superstar. Canelo threw a variety of punches - right and left uppercuts and straights to the head against the stationary challenger who was never able to connect a worthwhile punch.
Top photo: Canelo (R) connects with a right straight that sent Yildirim to the canvas.
Canelo throws loads of uppercuts that broke the will of Yildirim who refused to come out in the 4th round.
A right straight by Canelo clipped Yildirim to the jaw in the third round that dropped the Turkish to the canvas for the first time. Yildirim beat the count as Canelo looked to finish the fight early but Yildirim survived the round on his feet.
At Yildirim's corner, trainer Joel Diaz told the Turk to show him something in the next round or he would stop the fight. Diaz however had seen enough of his fighter and did not allow Yildirim to answer the bell in the fourth round.
Alvarez (55-1-2, 37KOs) would now possibly face WBO super middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders of Britain as both Canelo and Saunders are being promoted by Eddie Hearn's Matchroom Boxing.
Mexican lightweight sensation and Canelo stablemate Ryan Garcia who was in the Canelo-Yildirim fight as one of the broadcasters, said Canelo personally told him that he wants to fight Saunders next.
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