By 
Photos courtesy Esther Lin
Las Vegas, Nevada – September 30, 2023
By Ron Harris – Boxing fans are extremely happy with boxing promoters because the best fighters are fighting each other and that is all true boxing fans want. Fans saw, Davis v Garcia, Crawford v Spence, Haney v Lomachenko and once again two fighters with 8 championship belts faced each other at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday night. Jermell Charlo, the undisputed Jr. Middle Weight champion, (154) moved up 2 weight classes to take on the great Canelo Alvarez, the undisputed super middle weight champion, (168). Charlo fought the fight at 14 pounds over his championship weight of 154 pounds. And it showed. Alvarez dominated the fight, coming just 2 rounds of pitching a shutout and winning a unanimous decision. The judges scored the fight 119-108 and 118-109, twice for Alvarez. Two judges gave Charlo the 5th and the 9th rounds and that was it. The other judge gave him the 9th round only.
Canelo vs Charlo
From round one, Charlo, 33, found out what a naturally bigger man’s punches feel like. Alvarez was hitting anything in his way. Arms, shoulders, mid-section, head with punches coming from down under. Canelo, not known for his jabbing skills, even out jabbed Charlo. Charlo was tentative early and never found a way to give Alvarez any opposition. He seemed to overly respect Alvarez. He moved well but at every turn, Alvarez was right in his face. When Charlo (35-2-1) did land something, it bounced off Alvarez like a balloon. Most people in boxing thought Charlo’s twin brother, Jermall would be fighting Alvarez. He holds the belt in the middle weight division, (160). He’s a naturally bigger man than his smaller brother.
Alvarez (60-2-2) is a pound for pound top 1 or 2 fighter. He has won belts in 4 divisions and even fought as a light heavy weight. He looked so much bigger than Charlo even though they weighed the same at the weigh-in. “I am strong. I’m a strong man. Nobody can beat this Canelo,” said Canelo. He is referring to his last two fights when he had a wrist injury and would sometimes tire in the later rounds. He trained in the mountains of California and was a fresh fighter in the later rounds. Alvarez concentrated on working Charlo’s body with extremely hard left and right hooks from the opening round. Charlo, 33, was feeling the blows as he tried to keep moving each round. “We worked on the body in camp up in the mountains. We knew he is a good fighter and can move good,” says Alvarez. In round 7, Alvarez caught Charlo with an overhand right to the head and a quick left hook as Jermell leaned forward. In a delayed reaction, Charlo took a knee for only the second time in his career. After round 7, the domination was on.
“Boxing is my life. I love boxing. It made me the man I am today,” said a happy Canelo. Asked if he was disappointed in not getting a knockout, he said, “No I am not. That’s why we fight 12 rounds. The best man wins in a 12-round fight. I’m the best, I’m the better fighter in 12 rounds.”
Canelo vs Charlo
Charlo was upbeat after the fight and vowed to go back to the 154-pound division. “I don’t make excuses for myself. It is what it is,” says Charlo. “Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, it is what it is. I could feel the weight difference. I came up 14 pounds for this fight. I’m proud of myself. He didn’t knock me out like some other fighters.” Charlo shouted, loud and clear, “I want Terrence Crawford. I know he’s here in this joint. He can come up to my weight and we can fight.” Charlo was consoled by his twin brother but kept his head up. A good pay day can do that for fighters on this level.
About Ron Harris
Ron Harris, retired college administrator, coach, broadcaster, Internet and TV sports producer and host. Former radio host of a live call-in show. Extremely close to the sports landscape in the Washington, DC metro area. Former radio sports reporter, covering MLB, college sports, major boxing events and much more. Click here to read more articles by Ron Harris.
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