Canelo Alvarez's 4th division title came on a stunning right hook
With a vicious right hook, Canelo Alvarez delivered a knockout to Sergey Kovalev in the 11th round of their fight on Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The punch left a limp-legged Kovalev in a heap on the ropes — Alvarez burrowed his way deeper into boxing history.
He won the light heavyweight world title. The 29-year-old is the fourth Mexican boxer to log four division title wins in his career. Alvarez, the reigning middleweight world champion, moved up two weight classes and 15 pounds to fight Kovalev. While Kovalev, who had a 4-inch advantage in height and reach, clearly presented a physical challenge for Alvarez, the fight’s momentum turned in an instant, with Alvarez landing a combo of punches, including the final K.O. hook.
Here’s a look at the final sequence.
“The plan overall was patience, that was basically it — to have patience,” Alvarez told reporters, via CBS Sports.com. “We knew it was going to be five, six rounds and it was going to take some time for me to get him. But honestly, he’s a great fighter. I’m new at this weight, new in this division. Much credit to him, he’s a great fighter, but we stuck to our game plan. It was delayed a little bit but overall it was successful.”
Alvarez kept the door open for his next fight. He didn’t seem opposed to the idea of taking on Kovalev for a third fight. Alvarez also wouldn’t commit to a weight division for his next fight. He wouldn’t even rule out fighting middleweight rival Gennady Golovkin.
“If it represents business, why not?” Alvarez said.