Saul “Canelo” Álvarez, boxing’s greatest famous person and consensus No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter, made historical past by turning into the primary Undisputed Tremendous Middleweight World Champion when he stopped IBF champion Caleb Plant Saturday evening stay on SHOWTIME PPV in entrance of 16,586 screaming followers on the sold-out MGM Grand Backyard Area in Las Vegas. Watch the stoppage HERE: https://twitter.com/ShowtimeBoxing/standing/1457204844444454913
“It hasn’t been straightforward to get up to now, however together with your assist, my household and my workforce we’ve gotten actually far,” Álvarez advised SHOWTIME’s Jim Grey by a translator following the historic victory. “That is for everyone, particularly for Mexico. That is one other one for our workforce. We did it tonight.”
After months of an intense buildup to the combat and ten rounds of back-and-forth motion within the ring, the combat got here to a dramatic finish within the eleventh spherical. Canelo linked flush on a left hook that signaled the start of the tip for Plant, who fought valiantly in his pay-per-view major occasion debut. Canelo (57-1-2, 39 KOs) adopted up the left hook with an enormous proper uppercut that despatched Plant to the canvas for the primary time in his profession. Plant (21-1, 12 KOs) returned to his toes, however was by no means capable of recuperate. Canelo pounced on his injured opponent, unleashing a barrage of energy photographs that once more floored Plant. This time, referee Russell Mora stepped in to place an finish to the motion at 1:05 of the eleventh.
“Caleb is an effective fighter,” mentioned Canelo, who shared phrases of encouragement for his opponent within the ring following the combat. “I’ve numerous respect for Caleb Plant. He was a troublesome opponent with numerous potential and I do respect him. We’re each males on the finish of the day. He needed to combat me and nonetheless proceed. I advised him there’s no disgrace. We had an important combat tonight.”
The long run Corridor of Famer Canelo, 31, already a four-division world champion, slowly broke Plant down over the course of the combat with a gradual food plan of physique photographs. 53 of his 117 landed punches have been to the physique and he landed 40 p.c of his energy photographs. Canelo closed the present touchdown 9 of 14 energy photographs within the eleventh spherical.
It was a history-making evening for boxing’s greatest star. Along with turning into the primary undisputed 168-pound champion in historical past, he turned simply the sixth male undisputed champion within the four-belt period and the primary undisputed Mexican fighter in historical past. “This implies a lot for the historical past of Mexico to change into an undisputed champion,” he mentioned. “There are solely six undisputed champions in historical past. It retains me blissful and really motivated to be one of many six.”
Within the co-main occasion, Flint, Michigan’s Anthony Dirrell (34-2-2, 25 KOs) scored a surprising, highlight-reel knockout of Marcos Hernandez (15-5-2, 3 KOs) simply seconds into the fourth-round. Dirrell wound up and unleashed a vicious proper uppercut to ship Hernandez flat on his again and rating the one-punch KO. Hernandez beat the 10-count, however referee Celestino Ruiz known as off the combat when the clearly injured and wobbly fighter rose to his toes.
Watch the KO HERE: https://twitter.com/ShowtimeBoxing/standing/1457184697684045824
“It was a spectacular knockout,” mentioned Dirrell. “It was a punch we have been engaged on. It wasn’t that large. I used to make use of that punch approach again when. I got here up with the shot and he by no means noticed it coming. My brother [Andre] was yelling at me and I mentioned, ‘I bought it.’ I noticed it and I needed to make the most of it. I needed to take it away from him.”
Dirrell, the previous tremendous middleweight titleholder, efficiently rebounded from the disappointing draw in opposition to Kyrone Davis in February, and did so stylishly. The 37-year-old even capped off the KO with a celebratory backflip. Previous to that pivotal punch, Hernandez held a slight 46-40 edge in punches landed.
“I anticipated to cease him, I did,” continued Dirrell, who’s skilled by SugarHill Steward. “I assumed I used to be going to catch him with a proper hand excessive, actually. I knew he thought I used to be going to throw that so I simply got here up with the uppercut. I got here out right here and made an announcement.”
Former WBC Tremendous Bantamweight World Champion Rey Vargas (35-0, 22 KOs) confirmed no indicators of ring rust in his first combat in over two years, cruising to a unanimous resolution over Leonardo Báez (21-5, 12 KOs) in a Mexico vs. Mexico matchup within the second combat of the telecast. Two judges scored the combat a shutout, 100-90, whereas the third decide scored it 99-91.
Combating for the primary time at 126 kilos, Vargas used his important top and attain benefit to dictate the tempo of all the matchup. Vargas’ vicious physique assault – he landed 71 physique photographs within the ten-round combat – broke down the a lot smaller and overmatched Báez, whose awkward fashion led to a number of unintentional head clashes all through the bout.
“We knew what we have been in for,” mentioned the 30-year-old Vargas. “We have been ready for a robust fighter. And we deliberate to outbox him. We had numerous good exchanges and there have been moments after I stood in entrance of him and landed my punches. I’m extra of a technical fighter and never a brawler. The plan was to combat and to field and punch with out getting punched. I needed to stand there and throw large punches. However that’s a part of the sport.”
Already a former champion at 122 kilos, Vargas now has his sights set on turning into a two-division champion. “I used to be shocked he went all the distance. He’s a great fighter and I don’t take something away from him. I’m wanting ahead to my subsequent combat being for a world title.”
Within the opening bout of the SHOWTIME PPV telecast, the hard-hitting Elvis Rodriguez (12-1-1, 11 KOs) bounced again from his first profession loss in scintillating style, scoring a fifth-round knockout over the beforehand undefeated Juan Pablo Romero (14-1, 9 KOs) in a brilliant light-weight bout scheduled for 10 rounds. Watch the stoppage HERE: https://twitter.com/ShowtimeBoxing/standing/1457161373495054338
The Dominican southpaw Rodríguez landed a straight left hand that despatched Romero to the canvas for the second time within the combat, and the second time in his profession, at 2:49 within the fifth spherical. Resigned to defeat, Romero sat and watched as referee Robert Hoyle reached the depend of 10. Rodríguez’s highly effective left hand was additionally chargeable for flooring Romero within the fourth spherical.
“I’m absolutely conscious that I began out sluggish within the first two rounds, however then I noticed indicators of wear and tear and tear on his face and I gained the higher hand,” mentioned the 25-year-old Rodríguez, who’s skilled by Corridor of Famer Freddie Roach. “Romero is a quick starter by nature, however I’m the opposite approach round. Then I used to be capable of straighten out.”
After his sluggish begin, Rodríguez out-landed Romero 47-36 within the fourth and fifth rounds. 159 of the 169 mixed landed punches within the slugfest have been energy photographs.
“I’ve bought to provide my opponent credit score, it’s by no means nearly you,” mentioned the 31-year-old Romero, who represented Mexico within the 2016 Olympics. “I made a decision to not put my well being on the road anymore with the intention to come again and combat once more sooner or later. Tonight simply wasn’t my evening.
“The division already is aware of who I’m after having seen most of my fights,” Rodríguez added. “I suffered a bit of setback, however I feel that everybody is aware of that Elvis Rodríguez brings highly effective, high quality punches in every combat.”
ALL ACCESS: CANELO VS. PLANT EPILOGUE premieres instantly following subsequent week’s stay telecast of David Benavidez vs. Kyrone Davis. The Emmy® Award-winning collection ALL ACCESS was behind-the-scenes all week in Las Vegas to seize never-before-seen moments from combat week. The epilogue will reveal intimate scenes from the locker room earlier than and after the combat and contained in the ropes from tonight’s motion.
Veteran sportscaster Brian Custer hosted the SHOWTIME PPV telecast whereas versatile fight sports activities voice Mauro Ranallo dealt with blow-by-blow motion alongside Corridor of Fame analyst Al Bernstein and three-division world champion Abner Mares. Three Corridor of Famers rounded out the SHOWTIME telecast workforce – Emmy® award successful reporter Jim Grey, unofficial scorer Steve Farhood and world-renowned ring announcer Jimmy Lennon Jr. The manager producer was four-time Emmy® award winner David Dinkins, Jr. The telecast was directed by Bob Dunphy. Former junior middleweight world champion Raúl “El Diamante” Marquez and sportscaster Alejandro Luna served as knowledgeable analysts in Spanish on Secondary Audio Programming (SAP).
