The fight between Saul Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders was considered one of the most anticipated in the first half of 2021. And not only because three championship titles in the second middle weight were at stake at once. The Mexican had the status of one of the most popular boxers in the world, which was confirmed by his record contract with the streaming company DAZN, and the British had an impressive streak of 30 consecutive victories and was considered by many as one of the most uncomfortable opponents for Canelo. The reason is in his fighting style, which involves constant movement, filigree jab work and keeping the opponent at a distance. Not the best option for a four weight division champion who likes to fight in a more open manner.
The huge excitement around the duel between Alvarez and Saunders was confirmed by record ticket sales. Even a few days before the boxing night, it became clear that the fight would surpass the record for attendance indoors, held since 1978. Then the return battle between Muhammad Ali and Leon Spinks was attended by 63 352 spectators. This time, at least 65 thousand fans were expected, but in the end the numbers turned out to be even more impressive. The audience at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington was 73,126 people.
Many experts agreed that in the upcoming duel Saunders will have to fight not only with his opponent. Former world light welterweight champion Paul Malignaggi noted that the judges would not risk giving the victory to the British by decision, because the Mexican is the highest paid boxer on the planet, and fights with his participation bring a lot of money to both broadcasters and promoters. A similar position was taken by the current WBC heavyweight title holder Tyson Fury, who openly encouraged referees to do their job with an open mind.
And it is worth noting that Fury and Malignaggi really had reasons for concern. Yes, most of his victories Canelo won either ahead of schedule or in a dominant manner. However, his track record also includes fights, the result of which caused a huge resonance in the media. Suffice it to recall the dilogy with Gennady Golovkin. The first battle ended in a major scandal over the decision of Adelaide Bird to give the Mexican ten rounds out of 12, and this despite the fact that Alvarez looked far from the best and attacked little. Then this allowed him not to concede and have every reason for revenge. In the return confrontation, he looked better and won on the referees' cards, which was also perceived ambiguously.
The beginning of the fight went without surprises. Canelo acted as number one and chased Saunders throughout the ring, powerfully attacking both his head and body. In turn, Billy Joe actively maneuvered, "cut corners" and worked great with a jab, repeatedly catching Saul by surprise. In the first round, the Briton turned out to be a little more successful, in which both the official judges and the expert Chris Mannix, who specially evaluated this fight for DAZN, subsequently agreed. And this is despite the fact that in the first round it was the Mexican who was marked by a large number of hits (9: 5).
Perhaps the decision of the judges to give the first round to Saunders was dictated by his activity. Even though not all of the 28 strikes he thrown out reached the target, Alvarez, with his 13 attempts, seemed rather squeezed against this background. However, during the break, the Mexican team made the appropriate conclusions and the next two segments remained behind him. Yes, Saul was still hitting less, but he looked more aggressive and charged for the fight than in the first three minutes. He was also bribed by the fact that, unlike Billy Joe, he preferred to hit with strength, as a result of which each hit carried a knockout threat.
Alvarez had a solid advantage until the end of the fourth segment, during which he not only performed three times as many accurate punches, but also overtook Saunders with a powerful right uppercut. It might seem that in the next rounds Canelo will develop success, but in reality everything turned out differently. Billy Joe again seized the initiative and spent the next nine minutes extremely impressive.
Saunders circled the ring, jabbing Alvarez at a distance, and when he stagnated a little, instantly rushed into the offensive. From the fifth to the seventh round, he hit a total of 31 times - 13 more than Canelo. The Briton did not allow his opponent to relax even in the clinch. In one of the episodes, the Mexican gape after breaking the grip and missed the left one in the jaw. But even this did not allow Billy Joe to win the judges to his side. Only Tim Cheatham gave him two of the three segments, while Glen Feldman and Max Deluca - one.
Alvarez felt that he was in danger of losing this fight, so in the eighth round he actively went ahead. One of the first bells and whistles for Saunders was a smashing right uppercut that forced him to flee in a clinch. Canelo felt that the opponent was “swimming” and only increased the pressure, managing not only to shower Billy Joe with punches, but also to appeal to the fans. Until the end of the three-minute period, he literally beat the opponent with his branded side kicks and stopped any attempts to counterattack. As a result, the Briton with great difficulty endured the gong, and a hematoma formed under his right eye.
As it turned out later, during the eighth round, Alvarez broke Saunders' orbital bone, which prevented him from continuing the battle. The damage was so severe that Billy Joe could hardly see with his right eye, and even the efforts of the cutman did not help him solve the problem. Canelo won by TKO and not only won his 56th career victory, but also won the third WBO middleweight title. Only a victory over IBF title holder Caleb Plant separates him from the title of absolute champion in this category. After the end of the battle, Saul expressed a desire to face off against the undefeated American.