Photo by Isaac Brekken/Getty Images
The Era of Canelo Begins: Alvarez Wins Middleweight Crown with Decision Win Against Miguel Cotto
As the 25-year-old Mexican superstar proclaimed after his 12-round unanimous decision victory against Miguel Cotto(40-5, 33 KOs) to win the WBC and Ring Magazine Middleweight titles at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino, the era of Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) has begun.
Alvarez was stronger and faster than the 35-year-old Puerto Rican veteran, but he was crafty as well and won with scores of 118-110, 119-109, and 117-111.
Both men engaged in a bit of a boxing match in the early rounds as Cotto looked to establish his footwork, while Canelo tried to impose his size.
Cotto managed to land shots on the outside, but by Rounds 3 and 4, Alvarez seemed to find his distance and began setting up right hands with jabs to the body.
Ostensibly, the gameplan for Cotto was to try to frustrate Alvarez with his foot work, but Alvarez would have none of it. Instead of chasing Cotto, Alvarez stood his ground and landed shots from a distance.
Because Cotto was shorter and smaller, he was forced to work on the inside—this is where Alvarez found his opportunities to land hooks to the body and uppercuts to Cotto’s chin.
“We knew going into this fight that it would be a difficult journey, but I feel that I was the faster and stronger fighter tonight, “said Alvarez.
“I wasn’t hurt by his punches,” said Alvarez, who seemed to easily defend Cotto’s shots with his gloves, shoulders and head movement
Cotto left to his locker room before HBO’s Max Kellerman could ask any post-fight questions, but did say that it only mattered if Freddie Roach was okay after the right.
As for Roach, he believed the fight was much closer than the scorecards suggested.
“We thought it was much closer than the score cards showed,” Roach said.
“It was a very competitive fight. Miguel’s defense was unbelievable,” Roach said.
Photo by Ismael Gallardo/RBRBoxing
As for Alvarez’s future in the Middleweight division, we’ll have to stay tuned for that.
When asked about Gennady Golovkin, who holds the WBA, IBF and interim WBC titles, Alvarez was confident in his response.
“With all due respect, I can answer you now. Before, they would ask me but I was focused on this fight. If you want, I’ll put the gloves again and fight him right now,” said Canelo.
“My respects—he’s a great champion. I know him; he’s a friend of mine. But I’m not afraid of anyone, and I’d put the gloves on right now to fight him,” said Alvarez.
In the post-fight press conference, Alvarez was a bit more pragmatic with his response.
“If we do fight, it’s going to be at my weight class,” said Alvarez.
“I’m the champion, and I don’t have to do what he wants,” Alvarez concluded.
What do you think of this potential matchup? Will it ever happen?
If it does, who are you picking?
Canelo Alvarez Post-Fight Interview via HBO Boxing:
