By Jeff Zimmerman
Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) made his 2020 debut at The Alamodome in San Antonio, TX against WBA super middleweight champion Callum “Mundo” Smith (27-1, 19 KOs) in front of 11,423 fans and streamed live on DAZN.
Canelo put on a dominating one-sided performance against the game Smith, but he was no match for the power and overall arsenal that Canelo brought to the table. Smith certainly did his best to hang with Canelo but could never slow him down. Canelo won a unanimous twelve round decision 119-109 twice and 117-111 and came away with Smith’s WBA super middleweight belt, plus the vacant WBC title and Ring Magazine, clearly cementing himself as the #1 pound for pound fighter on the planet.
This was Canelo’s first fight since splitting with his long-time promoter Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy Promotions that ironically included DAZN and a 10-fight $365 million he signed in 2018. Eddie Hearn and his Matchroom Boxing wasted little time and swooped in to sign Canelo to a one fight deal to showcase him against Smith, who’s the younger brother of Liam “Beefy” Smith, who Canelo knocked out in the ninth round in 2016 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, TX.
And it just so happens in a weird twist of fate, Gennady “GGG” Golovkin fought last night on DAZN, so perhaps it will lead to Canelo-GGG 3 which is the fight that boxing fans want after two controversial decisions and seemed to lead in some ways to the parting of ways of Canelo and Golden Boy when that fight never got made and varying contracts were signed with DAZN.
Promoter Eddie Hearn went so far and stated before the fight that GGG wants big fights in 2021 after his knockout win Friday night and of course no fight would be bigger than Canelo, as GGG at 38, is in the twilight of his career.
Canelo first had to get by Smith, 30, like Canelo, was rated the #1 rated super middleweight in the world and posed a different threat to Canelo as he towered over him by 7 inches as Smith stands 6’3” to the stocky Canelo at only 5’8”, but that never became an issue in the fight as Canelo just walked down the taller Smith.
In the first few rounds, Canelo was clearly looking for his big left hook, while Smith looked to keep Canelo at bay with the jab and an occasional counter uppercut. Both guys had moderate success early on, but by the 4th round, Canelo was landing combos upstairs on Smith who continuously was moving backward. Canelo mixed up the attack by going to the body, trying to chop down the lanky Smith. Like a lion on the hunt, Canelo continued to stalk Smith and cut off the ring, where Smith had nowhere to retreat. Canelo let his hands go and landed some of his right-hand power shots and didn’t seem to feel any power coming back from Smith as he continued to push forward through the first six rounds.
By the 7th round, Canelo began to let his hands go even more and as Smith tried to counter, it just opened him up for more punishment, liked a big uppercut while against the ropes. The 8th round saw great back and forth action punctuated by a big right uppercut by Canelo, however, Smith landed a few combinations of his own that slowed down Canelo momentarily. The ninth through twelfth rounds were all Canelo as he mixed it up to the head and body and landed several vicious shots and somehow Smith was still on his feet and lasted to the final bell in a valiant effort.
Canelo stated after the fight he wants to unify and he wants all the belts. When specifically asked about GGG by Chris Mannix inside the ring, Canelo stated he wants to fight the best.
Promoter Eddie Hearn believes GGG is at the top of the list for Canelo in 2021 although he mentioned Andrade and Munguia as potential opponents for DAZN as well.
Now with their schedules aligned, boxing can only hope the “stars align” too and a Canelo-GGG 3 can happen before GGG finally calls it a career. In the crazy year that is 2020, that would be something else if Hearn is able to pull it off and Canelo-GGG 3 comes full circle in 2021.
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