Canelo Alvarez did what everyone honestly expected tonight in Miami, striking Avni Yildirim in three rounds to retain his WBC and WBA super middleweight titles, and creating a May 8 fight with WBO title Billy Joe Saunders.
“It’s Canelo against Saunders on May 8, a place announced soon,” said Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn after the fight. “It will be one of the biggest fights of the year.”
Canelo (55-1-2, 37 KO) had his way from the start, easily winning the first two rounds against the provisional Yildirim (21-3, 12 KO), while unleashing hard force shots into the body. Yildirim fell in the third round, but finished the frame, before being interrupted in the corner after coach Joel Diaz told the Turkish challenger that he would only give him one more round. The team decided, instead, not to make more rounds.
Here are some highlights we had:
Yildirim suffered a lot of post-fight heat from the DAZN team, which was arguably unfair. He was a 15 to 1 underdog and the odds were downright generous and meant only to generate money. He is not among the 10 super middleweight and was no match for Canelo on paper or in the ring.
Expected to be aggressive, Yildirim instead offered nothing, really, and Canelo simply took it apart. The march is now for further unification at 168 pounds.
“I come here to do my job, I come to win and I come to make history,” said Alvarez through a translator after the fight. “I feel strong, fast and comfortable (at 168). I will fight anyone. I always fight with the best. It does not matter. I had to fight Yildirim (as required) to (continue) to unify 168. ”
So Billy Joe Saunders (30-0, 14 KO’s) is next as expected. It is a much more intriguing fight than this. Who did you buy on May 8th?