Round 12: Charlo starts off by serving Canelo a jab, signaling the urgency for him to ramp up his offense. A neatly executed right hook from Canelo breaches Charlo’s defense, targeting his temple. While Canelo continues his pursuit and maintains the pressure, there’s a noticeable dip in his tempo. As the clock ticks down to the final minute, both fighters exchange a flurry of punches. Charlo strikes with a left hook, prompting a momentarily lowered guard from Canelo who, undeterred, counters with a stinging shot to the body. Canelo’s night is marked by superiority, notably outclassing Charlo in jabs and power shots
Official Scorecards: UD 119-108, 118-109, 118-109 all in favor of Canelo. My scorecard: 119-108 Alvarez
Round 11: Derrick James earnestly informs Charlo that he’s witnessing Canelo outbox him and that he’s trailing in this bout. He goes on to suggest that signs of fatigue are starting to show on Canelo, urging Charlo to seize this opportunity to halt the undisputed super middleweight monarch in his tracks. Charlo found himself cornered against the ropes once more, receiving a hard blow to the body. To his credit, Charlo skillfully clinched to escape the confined space, but Alvarez’s performance remained superior throughout the round . Although Charlo connected with a decent hook, it was met with a direct right from Alvarez. Canelo continues to dominate, the round goes 10-9 in favor of Alvarez, widening the gap to 110-98.
Round 10: Canelo swiftly connects on Charlo with a couple of jabs and follows it up with an uppercut. His relentless focus on the body is evident, exemplified by a particularly fierce left to Charlo’s midsection. Canelo takes a shot at another uppercut, narrowly missing its mark. Charlo manages to string a combination together, though it seems to have little impact on the ongoing narrative of the fight. 10-9 Alvarez (100-89)
Round 9: Alvarez’s superiority in the bout is evident through the punch statistics, landing over double what Charlo has managed to connect with. Charlo’s attempt at a left hook goes astray, while Alvarez manages to drive a solid left to Charlo’s body. Despite this, Charlo counters with a body hook of his own. Alvarez then delivers a precise uppercut to Charlo’s torso, swiftly followed by a right to the jaw. Unyielding, Alvarez keeps up the pressure, even as Charlo lands several hooks. However, Charlo finds himself repeatedly cornered against the ropes. In the latter moments of the round, Alvarez showcases his prowess with an impressive three-punch combo, maintaining consistent superiority as the rounds progress. 10-9 Alvarez (90-80)
Round 8: Canelo comes out with a sharp counter uppercut, complemented by a right to Charlo’s body. Charlo tries to establish distance with a double jab, but finds himself on the receiving end of a straight punch. Attempting to manage the space and restrain Canelo’s advances, Charlo moves fluidly. However, the Mexican sensation is in an assertive mode. He methodically corners Charlo and delivers a flurry of punches. Seeking a breather, Charlo repositions to the ring’s center, but Canelo persists in his suffocating attack, executing a three-punch combo. Charlo fires back with a right, leading to a clinch. Within the clinch, Charlo taps Canelo with a sequence of jabs. Yet, Canelo manoeuvres Charlo back to the corner, unleashing a barrage just as the bell rings. 10-9 Alvarez (80-71)
Round 7: Charlo begins with an aggressive approach, but Canelo swiftly counters, nailing Charlo with a fierce body shot followed by a hook. Charlo hits the canvas! He manages to rise, but an invigorated Canelo is hot on his heels, eyeing a conclusive blow. In his bid for an escape, Charlo connects with a left hook. However, Canelo, resembling a predator in pursuit, lands another telling left hook on Charlo. 10-8 Alvarez (70-62)
Round 6: Charlo appears to be on the defensive, essentially allowing Canelo to dominate the ring space. Canelo delivers a stinging left hook to Charlo’s torso. As the round draws to a close, Canelo skillfully positions Charlo to walk into a well-timed uppercut. The situation is becoming increasingly desperate for Charlo. Canelo is dominating! 10-9 Alvarez (60-54)
Round 5: Canelo consistently targets the body, and the strain is visibly mounting on Charlo. In response, Charlo fires back with a combination, targeting Canelo’s body — perhaps a tactic to reinvigorate his approach. Canelo remains unfazed, continuing his relentless assault on Charlo’s torso. It seems Charlo is shifting gears, possibly looking more for preservation than aggression. While Charlo manages to land a hook, Canelo’s ensuing combination pushes Charlo across the canvas. 10-9 Canelo (50-45 Canelo)
Round 4: Alvarez leans in, delivering a forceful right hook. Charlo, however, manages a quick counter, landing a pair of punches. Despite this, Canelo remains composed, releasing a potent left hook. A significant right hand from Canelo finds its mark atop Charlo’s head. Alvarez persists in dictating the pace, progressing assertively, effectively placing lead hooks, compelling Charlo to fight defensively, often against the ropes. Alvarez connects with an overhand right and a left to the body while Charlo endeavors to decipher the champion’s pressuring tactics. 40-36, Canelo
Round 3: Charlo employs a diversified jab strategy targeting both head and body before moving in for a clinch. Canelo, in turn, swiftly delivers a one-two combo to Charlo’s body. Shifting his focus, Canelo goes after Charlo’s head with a left, prompting another clinch from Charlo. Even as Charlo jabs and seeks a more strategic outside position, Canelo remains undeterred, pressing the action aggressively. It becomes evident that Charlo is hesitant about close-quarters combat with Canelo. While Charlo manages to land a jab, Canelo’s relentless advance continues. 10-9 Canelo (30-27 Canelo)
Round 2: Canelo delivers a precise right hand. As Charlo gets pressed against the ropes, Canelo capitalizes with a sharp body shot. Charlo persists with his jabbing, successfully landing a body shot of his own. Canelo responds swiftly, targeting Charlo’s midsection with a right hook. Later, Canelo skillfully places another body shot and hook on Charlo. With Charlo’s defensive strategy, it’s evident he’s providing Canelo ample opportunities, particularly to the body. 10-9 Canelo (Canelo Alvarez 20-18)
Round 1: Canelo sneaks in some late hooks, hitting Charlo’s arms and defense. A very slow pace in this round, but I’d say Alvarez nabs it, 10-9. (Scorecard: Canelo Alvarez 10-9).
Lubin Narrowly Seals Victory over Ramos
Erickson Lubin managed to nab a win over Jesus Ramos, with the scorecards reading 115-113, 116-112, and 117-111. An outcome that’s left a few of us scratching our heads, to be honest.
Frankly, this wasn’t Lubin’s fight to win, but somehow, the stars aligned for him. It’s a wild world in the ring, and last night was no exception.
It’s fair to say, Lubin might want to send those judges a thank you card, or maybe a fruit basket. Just saying, a little appreciation for the unexpected gift! Keep it classy, Lubin!
Barrios Triumphs Over Ugas, Seizes WBC Interim Title
Former WBA light welterweight champ, Mario ‘El Azteca’ Barrios (28-2, 18 KOs), was on fire tonight, securing a dominating victory over ex-WBA 147-lb kingpin, Yordenis Ugas (27-6, 12 KOs). The night ended in Barrios’ favor, clinching the WBC interim title with unanimous decision scores of 117-108, 118-107, and (yet again) 118-107.
The 28-year-old Barrios showed no mercy, flooring the seasoned Cuban Ugas not once, but twice. Round two witnessed Barrios’ lethal jab, while round twelve had Ugas tasting canvas courtesy of a cracking left hook. Talk about adding insult to injury! Ugas, 37, lost a point in the final round, thanks to a not-so-subtle ejecting of his mouthpiece post getting rattled.
Throughout the duel, Ugas battled not just Barrios, but also a swollen left eye that seemed to have its own pulse! The ringside doc did some periodic check-ins, but the green light was given for Ugas to soldier on.
Elijah Garcia Dominates with TKO Over Resendiz
Phoenix’s star middleweight, Elijah Garcia (16-0, 13 KOs), delivered a masterclass, putting the brakes on a spirited Armando Resendiz (14-2, 10 KOs) from Nayarit, Mexico. Garcia’s dynamite hands finally caught up with Resendiz, sealing a technical knockout in round eight of a fiery ten-round dance. Garcia, showcasing his power and finesse, has surely stamped his authority in the division, making fans wonder, “Who’s next?” On the other side, Resendiz showed heart, but on this night, Garcia was simply too hot to handle.
Frank Sanchez Seals Victory
Frank Sanchez came into the fight with great expectations and showcased his skill and determination by securing the victory against Scott Alexander, keeping his undefeated status intact.
The first round saw Alexander displaying an aggressive stance, unleashing a constant barrage of uppercuts, which Sanchez successfully smothered. However, Sanchez dominated the second round, landing a powerful right-hand counter that floored Alexander. Despite recovering, Alexander continued to suffer substantial hits from Sanchez. The third round witnessed Sanchez receiving warnings for pushing Alexander’s head down, yet he continued his offensive, convincing Alexander’s corner to call off the fight at the end of the fourth round.
With this victory, Sanchez, who had a notable weight advantage, remained undefeated, securing the WBC Continental Americas belt.
Terrell Gausha vs KeAndrae Leatherwood
In a tightly-contested middleweight fight, 2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha, operating out of Encino, CA, earned a win against the seasoned KeAndrae Leatherwood from Tuscaloosa, AL. The fight was characterized by close-quarters combat, with both fighters struggling to land clean, definitive shots, but managing to connect a few to the head and body.
The majority of the eight rounds were marked by both fighters displaying respectable skill and determination, although neither managed to hurt the other significantly.
The final scores reflected the tight nature of the bout, with one judge marking it a 76-76 draw, while the others scored it 78-74 in favor of Gausha, awarding him the majority decision.
Oleksandr Gvodyk vs Isaac Rodrigues
Former light heavyweight champion Oleksandr Gvodyk, hailing from Oxnard, CA, marked his return by stopping Isaac Rodrigues from Ananindeua, Brazil, in the second round of their scheduled eight-round fight. Gvodyk skillfully connected a double jab followed by a right hand, leading to Rodrigues stumbling to the canvas. Rodrigues managed to rise, but the fight was concluded 54 seconds into the second round by referee Tony Weeks, without any contestation from Rodrigues.
Gabriel Valenzuela vs Yeis Gabriel Solano
The opening fight from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas featured Gabriel Valenzuela from Guadalajara, MX stopping Yeis Gabriel Solano from Columbia in the sixth round of the scheduled eight, via a body shot.
Abilkhan Amankul vs Joeshon James
In a fight between undefeated contenders, Abilkhan Amankul from Taraz, Kaz, and Joeshon James from Sacramento, CA battled to a draw over four rounds, with neither taking clear control of the fight, leading to scores of 39-37 for Amankul and 38-38 twice for the majority draw.
You can watch the Canelo vs. Charlo fight on September 30 at 9 p.m. ET from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Sowtime PPV for $84.99.