On Saturday night, September 30, the unified 168-pound champion Canelo Alvarez dominated Jermell Charlo at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, securing a unanimous decision victory. This win brought Canelo’s record to an impressive 60 wins, 2 defeats, 2 draws, and 39 knockouts. On the other hand, Charlo suffered his second loss, making his record 35-2-1 with 19 knockouts.
For the past decade, Canelo has been known as the biggest attraction in boxing. However, his move to DAZN has reduced his mainstream exposure, despite being paid a significant sum of money. On June 22, 2023, Canelo announced on Instagram that he would be fighting under Premier Boxing Champions on Showtime PPV. He further revealed that this would be the first of three fights as part of a multi-bout contract with PBC.
Initially, it was assumed that Canelo would face WBC middleweight champion Jermall Charlo on September 16 to coincide with Mexican Independence Day Weekend. However, it was later announced that Jermell Charlo, Jermall’s twin brother and a junior-middleweight titleholder, would be Canelo’s first opponent on September 30. Canelo was guaranteed a minimum of $40 million for this fight.
Both Charlo brothers have established themselves within the PBC universe, often fighting mediocre opponents. Jermall hasn’t fought in over two years, while Jermell has not lived up to expectations since his impressive first-round knockout of Erickson Lubin in 2017.
During the press conferences prior to the fight, both camps maintained a respectful demeanor towards each other. Charlo recognized Canelo’s accomplishments but emphasized that it was now his time to shine. Canelo, on the other hand, expressed his determination to utilize his experience, power, and skills to secure victory.
The significance of boxing’s belts was diminished in recent years, making fans care less about the “undisputed” champions. There was also some family drama surrounding the Charlo brothers, with Jermell discussing his strained relationship with Jermall and the latter’s undisclosed mental health issues.
Amidst the ongoing discussions surrounding future fights and Showtime’s involvement in boxing, Canelo and Charlo both weighed in at 167.4 pounds. Despite Charlo’s height advantage, Canelo’s size, experience, and quality of opposition gave him the edge in the predictions.
On fight night, a pro-Canelo crowd gathered at T-Mobile Arena, with Charlo facing the biggest challenge of his career. However, Charlo appeared visibly intimidated by Canelo’s power, retreating and avoiding engagements throughout the fight. Canelo’s tendency to throw single punches instead of combinations was a minor flaw, but it did not hamper his dominance against Charlo.
Source link