LAS VEGAS — The animosity between Canelo Alvarez and Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. has been palpable for weeks leading up to Saturday night’s big Cinco de Mayo showdown at the T-Mobile Center here before a sold-out, frenzied crowd of 20,510 mostly Mexican fans.
And right on cue, Canelo came out with hate in his eyes and payback in his blue and white gloves. And he proved one thing: That size doesn’t always matter.
This night, it certainly didn’t. Those four inches of height advantage for Chavez meant nothing. And with the raucous crowd solidly in his corner, chanting Ca-Ne-Lo, Ca-Ne-Lo, Alvarez proceeded to take Chavez apart, punch by punch, round-by-round, beads of sweat flying off Chavez’s head with every punch that Canelo landed, and there were many.
By the ninth round, Chavez’s face was clearly showing the beating Canelo was administering. His left eye was nearly closed and he was bleeding from the nose.
When it was over, it was as one-sided as a big, highly anticipated fight ever gets. It was all Canelo, all the time. Chavez, who came in in the best shape of his life, had no answer. That is, no defense. While Chavez Jr. last all 12 rounds, it really didn’t matter. It was just more punishment that Canelo inflicted. And the judges had this one right: all three scored it 120-108, a whitewashing for Canelo, who improved to 49-1-1 with 34 KOs. Chavez Jr. fell to 50-3-1 (32 KOs).
?Tonight I showed I could move, I could box, I showed as a fighter I can do all things,? said Canelo. ?I thought I was going to showcase myself as a fighter that could throw punches, but he just wouldn?t do it. Ive shown I can do lots of things in the ring, anything a fighter brings?I?ve shown I can showcase myself. I wanted to try something new, I never sit down in sparring and I didn?t want to sit here. GGG?you are next my friend. The fight is done. I?ve never feared anyone, since I was 16 fighting as a professional. When I was born, fear was gone. I never got my share of fear. I?m very happy, and the rivalry is going to show my skills even more. I?ve had difficult fights, and that will no doubt be a tough fight. But, I always say, Canelo Alvarez is the best because I fight the best.”
More important, it sets up a Gennady Golovkin-Canelo fight, which both fighters said would be Sept. 16, likely in Las Vegas, possibly at this same arena on Mexican Independence weekend (Sept. 15). Canelo has been criticized by many of his Mexican fans for possibly ducking Triple G. But no more. the deal was signed and sealed last week.
The storyline coming into the fight was the high degree of animosity between the two most popular fighters in Mexico today. Chavez Jr., the son of the greatest Mexican boxer of all time, and Canelo, the self-made star and the face of boxing in the USA. When it was over, there was no hugging, as is the trademark of sportsmanship in this brutal sport.
