Canelo Alvarez dominates Jermell Charlo to retain undisputed title

LAS VEGAS -- Canelo Alvarez was in a league of his own Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena.

Alvarez floored Jermell Charlo in the seventh round with an overhand right, the second knockdown of the challenger's career, but Charlo spent the rest of the fight surviving offensive onslaughts, who made the third defense of his undisputed super middleweight championship.

Charlo was uncharacteristically quiet throughout fight week and that demeanor continued into the fight as he rarely threw nor landed a punch.

Two judges scored the fight 118-109, with the other tally 119-108. FightNights.com scored it 119-108.

"Nobody can compete with this Canelo," said Alvarez. "Two months in the mountains [training near Lake Tahoe] without my family. I still love boxing. I love boxing so f---ing much. Boxing is my life. Boxing made me the person I am today."

Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) entered the ring as the undisputed junior middleweight world champion. He was stripped of his WBO title once the bout started and said he would return to 154 pounds, where he still holds three titles. Unbeaten Tim Tszyu, who was elevated to full WBO champion as a result of the ruling against Charlo, will make his first defense of the WBO belt October 14 against upset-minded Brian Mendoza.

"I feel like it wasn't me in there," said Charlo. "I don't make excuses. You win some, you lose some. I'm undisputed in my weight; I was daring to be great. I'm proud of myself. He didn't knock me out; he knocked all the other guys out."

It was clear once he tasted Canelo's power, Charlo, 33, was looking to survive. While he managed not to get knocked out, it was a dismal performance.

Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) also grew frustrated with his adversary as he tried to persuade Charlo to let his hands go and put on an exciting fight for the fans. Charlo wasn't interested.

Alvarez acknowledged in the lead-up to Saturday's main event that he hasn't been at his best in his last three fights. When he revealed his physique at Friday's weigh-in, it was the best he had looked since his 11th-round knockout of Caleb Plant to capture the undisputed super middleweight championship. Ironically, it's also Alvarez's last knockout to date.

Although he didn't get the knockout against Charlo, his movement, conditioning, and combinations were on point. Furthermore, Alvarez tamed the lion who years ago claimed would beat him easily.

After the win over Charlo, Canelo reaffirmed he's ready for anyone.

"Whoever," Alvarez said. "I don't f---ing care."

This victory was the first of Alvarez's three-fight deal with PBC, but it was originally slated to come against Charlo's twin brother, Jermall, the WBC middleweight titleholder. Jermall Charlo didn't proceed with the planned fight as he dealt with a personal matter, and Alvarez quickly accepted the smaller Charlo as the new opponent.

"They look the same," Alvarez told ESPN on Wednesday. "Same size, same everything. I don't really care which Charlo brother it is."

Charlo called out undisputed welterweight champion Terence Crawford afterward and said he was also open to fight the winner of Tszyu-Mendoza. Charlo was slated to fight Tszyu in January before he broke his left hand.

Saturday's fight was Charlo's first since May 2022, when he scored a 10th-round knockout of Brian Castano in a rematch to win the undisputed junior middleweight championship.

Alvarez, meanwhile, remains the true face of boxing and one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world, silencing the critics who claimed he was on the decline.