Trouble is knocking on Gervonta Davis‘ door. Very few can openly call out the American boxer and claim to make easy work of him.
But it seems a confident, hot-and-coming prospect, Keyshawn Davis, is different. That’s not. He knows how he can do it. What did he say exactly?
The 2020 Tokyo Olympics silver medalist has already made his mark in the lightweight division with his well-rounded skills and knack for knockouts. Many fans believe he has all the markings of a world champion and is adding trash-talking to his list of qualities, as he chases fights with top names now. So, when the 11-0 record holder sat down in an interview with Top Rank, he was upbeat about his chances against ‘Tank.’
Talking about the fight with the WBA lightweight champion, Keyshawn Davis pointed out the one-dimensional boxing nature of the champion: one punch knockout blow. However, he believed he had a bigger arsenal of weapons to choose from and had every trick under his sleeves. He then listed his stabs, left and right hooks, and speed as the factors working in his favor. What’s more? He also took pride in his defense.
‘The Businessman’ continued, “My stabs are crazy. You see, I got that shot and the left hook or the right. You see my speed is crazy. My defense is crazy. I’m not saying that he don’t got none of that. I just feel like I’ve got more weapons than he’s got.”
He then explained the biggest difference between the two and what would make him a clear favorite. Keyshawn Davis highlighted their height difference. He added, “So, if I got a short guy at 5’5″, I’m 5’10”. I’ve got longer arms than him. If I’ve got a guy that is walking to me with his hands up, it’s target practice for me, and you’re not just going to catch me.”
Davis has his heart set on the lightweight champion. The Norfork native wants to face him next and has even drawn parallels with some of the iconic fights in boxing history.
Expanding on his argument, Davis explained how ‘Tank’ would have a lot on his plate to deal with. Predicting himself to be the winner of their hypothetical bout, he compares it with the Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston encounter. He continued, “I feel like I’ll beat Tank, too, as well. I feel like it’ll be a Sugar Ray vs. Roberto Duran or Muhammad Ali vs. Sonny Liston.”
Notably, Davis is fighting Gustavo Daniel Lemos next on November 8, and a win would push him closer to the top. Meanwhile, Gervonta Davis is coming off a knockout win against Frank Martin, and there are rumors of him fighting again this year in December. It remains to be seen whether their paths will cross next year or not.
Sebastian Fundora is putting all his effort into securing a fight with fellow title holder Terence Crawford, despite reports he was in talks to face Errol Spence Jr, the unified super-welterweight champion’s promoter said.
When Crawford (41-0-0 31 KO) became a four-weight world champion by beating WBA title holder Israil Madrimov in August, he also claimed the WBO’s interim belt, placing him in a mandatory position to challenge full champion Fundora (21-1-1 13 KO).
Later that month, the WBO ordered the fight between Fundora and Crawford, giving their respective teams 30 days’ notice to agree a deal before it was sent to purse bids. With Fundora also holding the WBC title, there is plenty of logic as to why Crawford would be interested in the bout; a win would put him one win and one belt away from becoming the first male fighter in history to become undisputed in three divisions.
However, the Nebraskan’s priority is reportedly on securing a bout with unified super-middleweight king Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez – a fight that makes little sense beyond the enormous payday the pound-for-pound star would earn.
Despite the situation, Sampson Lewkowicz, who promotes Fundora, insists their priority is still on securing a bout with Crawford, even if it takes place after any potential bout with Canelo.
“It looks like Crawford only wants to fight Canelo,” Lewkowicz told BoxingScene. “If Canelo gets $100 million for the Crawford fight, he will take it and knock the shit out of Crawford. He’s not stupid. It’s an easy fight, and that’s it. It’s the end of Crawford’s career.
“If Canelo doesn’t take the Crawford fight, we’re ready to fight Crawford. All of our efforts are on Crawford. We have nothing else in mind. We want to fight Crawford. Sebastian believes that he will beat Crawford, and when he does, he will become a superstar. Sebastian has the balls and is a dangerous fight for anybody.”
Fundora became the 154-pound division’s unified champion in March when he defeated WBO title holder Tim Tszyu by split decision in a bout that also had the vacant WBC strap on the line. The 26-year-old Californian benefitted from an accidental elbow early in the fight that opened up a nasty cut on Tszyu’s forehead, and while the Australian fought on valiantly, he was severely debilitated.
Fundora had been expected to make his first title defense against former unified welterweight champion Spence, with their bout initially aimed for October. However, the fight was pushed, with Fundora saying in July that it was still on but “they just changing the date”. Since then, though, there have been no updates or announcements, suggesting that it’s no longer going ahead while Fundora waits on Crawford.
Spence has not fought since getting dominated by Crawford in their 147-pound undisputed title fight in July last year when he was stopped after seven rounds of one-way punishment.
Meanwhile, the other super-welterweight world title will be fought over on October 19 when IBF champion Bakhram Murtazaliev makes his first defense against Tszyu in Orlando.
The former heavyweight world champion has made a shocking admission just months before his fight with Jake Paul which could result in a potential ban
Mike Tyson faces a potential ban from boxing if he fails a drug test after admitting he could smoke cannabis in the days leading up to his showdown with Jake Paul later this year.
The pair were set to go head-to-head earlier this summer, but ‘Iron Mike’ was forced to postpone his return to the ring after suffering from an inflamed ulcer. Tyson was forced to stop training on his doctor’s orders but has recently returned to the gym and insists he will be ready to walk to the ring later this year.
The clash between the two big stars is set to take place on Friday, November 15 in Arlington, Texas at the AT&T Stadium in front of up to 90,000 fans. Tyson’s last professional outing came in 2005 when he lost to Kevin McBride. His last bout took place in an exhibition against fellow legend Roy Jones Jr behind closed doors in 2020. As for Paul, the 27-year-old defeated former UFC fighter Mike Perry back in July in his last outing.
Tyson recently admitted he was struggling to walk after completing six rounds of sparring – further adding concern for his health ahead of the bout. The American recently admitted to being a ‘junkie’ and has previously confessed to smoking weed every day as well as micro-dosing magic mushrooms to help him recover between sessions before his last fight with Jones Jr. Tyson sensationally claimed that he was even high during the fight itself.
In an interview with Jimmy Kimmel, when Tyson was asked if he intends to be high during his bout with Paul, he replied: “I’m going to be so high off life, yeah.” Kimmel then asked: “Will you be high on marijuana, as well?” Tyson replied: “That’s a possibility, too.” The host then commented: “Oh no my bet is getting lower as we talk.”
While his interview was a cause for concern, it remains unclear how serious his statement was. That said, if Tyson does intend to smoke weed before his fight with ‘The Problem Child,’ then he could be banned by the Texas Commission as the drug is on the sanctioning body’s list of prohibited substances.
According to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR): “If either combatant were to test positive for a banned substance, we would open a complaint, put them on a 90-day suspension and if the combatant were the winner, the decision would be changed to a no-decision because of a rules violation.”
Regardless of what he may or may not be taking, it’d appear that Tyson is clearly not taking the fight seriously after a staggering admission. During his chat with Kimmel, ‘Iron Mike’ claimed he was training six hours a day. “I am training extremely hard, I do six hours a day. I start at 11am and might leave the gym at 5pm,” he said. Kimmel looked stunned and replied: “Oh no. 11am? So that’s six hours straight, or is there a lunch break?” The former heavyweight champion admitted there was a small break as a shocked Kimmel gasped: “Oh no.”
It seems Gervonta Davis had been reflecting on it for some time. Only the random Twitter post probably gave Gervonta Davis the opportunity to get it off his chest.
Following the Ryan Garcia win, the lightweight king returned from a year-long break to defend his title against Frank Martin. Notwithstanding the threat’ The Ghost’ posed, the Baltimorean registered yet another win in a typical trademark style. Talk about his next outing has occupied the general discourse ever since.
Excitement peaked when reports of a title unification fight with Vasyl Lomachenko surfaced. But it all came to naught as the Ukrainian champion decided to take a break until next year. Then rumors of a potential clash with Shakur Stevenson also emerged. Since then there have been several hints and suggestions about ‘Tank’ Davis’ second fight, possibly by December. So while he awaits, the sequence from the June 15 fight, where Martin shook him momentarily, had Davis ponder what might have gone wrong. Better still, what he would have done had he been in Martin’s shoes.
“No, I knew I f**ked up and did something I shouldn’t,” admitted Gervonta Davis. Further elaborating, he said that if he had been fighting in Frank Martin’s position, he would have exploited the moment to its fullest advantage and, who knows, secured an upset win!
The lightweight champion was actually responding to a tweet from a boxing channel. The post featured a sequence from the dying seconds of the seventh round. The message was simple: “Did Frank Martin hurt Tank Davis?🤔”
As in previous fights, ‘Tank’ Davis started slowly during the first title defense as a full champion. After giving away a few early rounds, he started picking up by the sixth. The action heated up in the seventh round.
With some one-and-a-half minutes left in the round, Gervonta Davis cornered Martin and threw a left uppercut, followed by a right hook to the body. Martin deftly stepped back and kept his right hand down to block the hook. But he missed the incoming left overhand.
However, ‘The Ghost’ continued. With some 25-odd seconds left in the round, he moved away from the ropes. It appears as if he was waiting for Gervonta Davis to attack. The 30-0 star seemingly took the bait and threw a probing jab followed by a straight left to face. But before his left could connect, a counter right from Martin landed perfectly on his face.
It was clear that the shot had hurt the champion. “Oh, counter left Martin that jolted Davis,” said one of the commentators. Another added, “That’s the counter he’s been looking for.” Thankfully for Davis, the setback proved fleeting; he promptly resumed his attack that finally culminated in sending Frank Martin down in the eighth round.
Post-fight, as he revisited the fight with commentator Jim Gray, the swelling under Davis’ right eye appeared quite prominent. He admitted that entering the ring after a long break he felt a bit ‘crusty’ and ‘rusty’.
Perhaps what Gervonta Davis observed may be valid, given his ring instincts. It would be unusual for him not to follow up on the straight right that landed cleanly. Who knows, had Frank Martin kept up the pressure, maybe the lightweight division would have welcomed a new champion to its roster.
Boxing fans won’t have to wait long to see the rematch between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois as ‘AJ’ looks to avenge his crushing defeat to the IBF champion
The heavyweight rematch between Anthony Joshua and Daniel Dubois seems increasingly likely and could take place in February.
Dubois was a huge underdog coming into the first contest at Wembley Stadium, but came out guns blazing, with Joshua unable to deal with the champion’s power and speed. Just moments into the opening round, Dubois had sent Joshua tumbling, and it would only get worse for ‘AJ.’ The Brit went on to drop Joshua three times before securing a sensational knockout in the fifth round to retain his IBF title.
The next big fight in the heavyweight division is Oleksandr Usyk’s clash against Tyson Fury in December. It looked likely that Dubois would wait for the winner, however, it would appear a rematch with Joshua seems more realistic. Frank Warren, Dubois promoter, has revealed that ‘Dynamite’s’ next fight will take place early next year and is very much open to the rematch between the two heavyweight giants with February 22 pencilled in for a fight card in Riyadh.
When quizzed about a rematch between the pair, Warren told TNT Sports: “I’m not against that at all. That’s not an open door for me, I’ll take the door off the hinges and we’ll do it. That fight is there. If they want it, they’ve got it, have it in a heartbeat. His next fight will be in February. That’s when he’ll fight next, and we will work out who that’s going to be in the next week or two weeks.”
Warren isn’t the only one who is chomping at the bit to see a second fight. Fellow promoter Eddie Hearn has revealed Saudi boxing chief Turki Alalshikh intends to see Joshua take on Dubois again. “Rematch clauses come in many different forms,” Hearn told talkSPORT. “We have a fight with Riyadh Season. One of our options is to fight Daniel Dubois again, and our contract is with them. His Excellency [Turki Alalshikh] will deal with Frank and Daniel and make that fight happen. The terms will have to be agreed with them.
“We have already agreed our terms, we have the option to rematch with Dubois. Our meetings with His Excellency, he wants the rematch. AJ will always want the rematch. Daniel wants the rematch too it’s the biggest fight for him and they will fancy it. It is a case of going away and talking about, do we go straight into the rematch? And when will it be? It was a heavy night at the office, we aren’t going back to fight in 10-12 weeks, he needs his rest and time to recover.”
Joshua and Hearn confirmed immediately after the main event on Saturday that the intention was to pursue a sequel. Many senior figures in the sport of boxing have suggested ‘AJ’ should consider retiring. However, the Brit is confident that he still has a lot more to give and that he can become a three-time heavyweight champion.
As for Dubois, in a recent interview with talkSPORT, the Brit revealed he will accept the fight that offers him the most money next. “I would love a rematch but either one really, whoever pays me more money,” he said. ‘Dynamite’ added that if the rematch with Joshua wasn’t imminent, he’d certainly consider the bout in the future. “Yeah, if that happens down the line then yes. I want to do even better next time. I know where I need to improve as well, so as a champion and a fighter I want to prove people wrong every time and that’s what we have been doing.”
When asked if he’d do a better job on Joshua, Dubois said: “I think so. I think I would. I think I’d be a lot better than that. It was a great show and it was a great Rocky-type fight, but next time I believe I’ll be more clinical, more sharp, everything better.”
Hearn blast Haney having a heated verbal confrontation. It is clear that both sides are not happy. Hearn disclosed that there was an issue over getting tickets for the fight. Haney texted Hearn for tickets on late notice.
The Matchroom Boxing promoter replied that he did not have any to give out, given they had been already allocated. Hearn revealed that Haney should have contacted Riyadh Season to see if some tickets could be issued. That response did not receive a reply, but when Haney appeared at the arena, he let Hearn know how he felt about it. Hearn defended his stance as he slammed The Dream.
“So, at that point, we didn’t have the tickets. I said, ‘Look, it’s not solely our show. We’re just working on the event. You may have to ask Riyadh Season for the tickets.’ No reply. So, then I’m sitting there at the show, and it’s like, ‘Wow, Eddie Hearn didn’t get me tickets.
“He’s so two-faced.’ I just replied, ‘You’re an arrogant [person].’ I pulled him at the show and said, ‘What do you think you’re doing?’ He said, ‘Hey.’ I said, ‘No, hey, hey. What are you doing?’ I said, ‘One, you couldn’t be more arrogant. Two, why aren’t you messaging me after I messaged you? You put a Tweet out? You’re like a little kid,” Hearn said
This raises questions about whether Hearn and Haney still have a good relationship. Hearn has made several other big-name signings since Haney’s fight with Garcia. Jaron Ennis is the IBF Welterweight Champion and someone who is seen as the future of the sport. Boots also has a style that resonates with the wider audience, with an undefeated record of 32-0, including 29 knockouts.
Hearn has also signed Shakur Stevenson, the WBC Lightweight Champion. While his fighting style has been criticized, he is still regarded as one of the best generational talents in the sport. Conor Benncould also return soon following his failed VADA tests for Clomiphene. Prior to the failed test, Ben was seen as one of the biggest names in British boxing. While Hearn has not said anything to suggest that their relationship with Haney has soured, he was clear that he was not happy with the conduct shown by Devin.
“I said, ‘You used to be a good kid, you did.’ I said, ‘I don’t like this arrogance that I’m seeing from you.’ I said, ‘Don’t ever do that again.’ He was like, ‘No, no. You said something about me in the media.’ I said, ‘No, I was just answering questions. I don’t represent you,” Hearn added.
In so many ways, in so many interviews, in so many fights, Claressa Shields has been trying to get her point across.
Whether the listener wanted to hear it, whether the principled message was being delivered correctly, or whether Shields was saying things that made the status quo uncomfortable, there has remained a divide keeping the masses from comprehending the greatest women’s boxer in history.
Now, as her life story, captured in the film “The Fire Inside,” heads to movie theaters in late December, Shields is hopeful her journey from Flint, Michigan, to two gold medals and world titles from junior middleweight to heavyweight will provide the needed perspective to illustrate where she’s coming from.
“I want people to understand when they watch my film that they understand what they haven’t before: that my boxing is a passion for me,” Shields said. “I’m not being forced to box, and I don’t have to box to heal. It has helped me grow into the person I was supposed to be.”
Shields, 29, sat down with BoxingScene during the recent Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fight week in Las Vegas, playing the trailer from her film written by Barry Jenkins and fighting tears knowing that her full story will be out there around Christmas, along with her return to the ring following her July second-round TKO of Vanessa Lepage-Joannise to capture the WBC heavyweight and WBO light heavyweight belts.
“By December-January, I’d like to have another fight. I’m all about history. I want the biggest and best challenges,” she said. “Right now, the heavyweight girls are calling me out. They want to fight me. I know them all, and undisputed at heavyweight will put me at the tops with Muhammad Ali and [Oleksandr] Usyk, Evander Holyfield. I’ll be able to talk to those guys.”
Before heading to training camp, Shields is savoring this experience of knowing her life story is heading to the silver screen, where so many amazing real-life and fictional works – “Raging Bull,” “Rocky,” “Ali,” “When We Were Kings” and “Million Dollar Baby” – have moved the world.
After learning a movie studio was picking up the rights to the documentary, “T-Rex,” that depicted three years of her life before and after the 2016 Olympics, Shields was contacted by Jenkins.
They met in person for four hours, with Shields maintaining her typically unfiltered, candid demeanor.
“I wanted to meet him to know I could actually trust him to do the storytelling,” she said.
She asked Jenkins, “What do you think my life story is? How do you see me? What is your perception?”
She listened to his response and replied, “OK, we’re somewhere near the same thing. This is my perception of it, and this is what I want to be included that I know you wouldn’t include in regular movies.”
About two months later, Jenkins sent Shields the script before any actors had been retained.
“Anything you want taken out, anything you want moved, anything you don’t want mentioned, let me know,” Jenkins told Shields.
She made one cut, declining to divulge what it was.
“He did a great job writing the story. Some of the stuff he included was great … because a lot of times, my story has been misconstrued,” Shields said.
It’s been known that Shields was sexually assaulted as a 5-year-old, that her mother battled alcohol abuse in Shields’ youth, and that she didn’t connect with her formerly incarcerated father until the age of 9 before taking up boxing at 11.
“People have written things that are not true or made it worse than what it was, or what I was focused on,” Shields said. “I had a very hard upbringing. But I also had boxing, and boxing saved my life.
“The story before was that I was some kind of angry black woman who got raped when I was a kid and I hate all men, so I learned how to box to fight men … that’s not my story. But that’s how it was depicted for a long time.
“So I wanted to make sure we didn’t go down that road, that we actually got it right and make it clear how I’m passionate about boxing. I love boxing. It’s what I chose to do. God chose me to box. And I’m the person who’s supposed to change the whole sport – not just with women’s boxing. But boxing, period. I’ve been able to do that.”
Shields is portrayed by actress Ryan Destiny, the boxer comparing the integrity of Destiny’s work to that of Will Smith’s in “Ali.” Rachel Morrison directed “The Fire Inside.”
“Everybody will understand that it’s always been about my passion for boxing. They think when you have trauma and then you box that it’s all about trauma, anger and boxing. That you’re angry,” Shields explained.
“I’m not angry to box. It’s something I’ve taken the most joy in my life from doing. I’m passionate about boxing.”
It’s why she’s had no problem calling out fighters like Gervonta Davis for his domestic violence, Ryan Garcia over his erratic behavior and Jake Paul over comments that he’s helped grow women’s boxing by putting multi-division champion Amanda Serrano on his cards.
“When you see a guy come talking trash to me and hear me say, ‘I’ll kick his ass,’ I really mean that – in the most humble way,” Shields said. “I’ve done that. I do that. I train very hard.”
She even took Alvarez to task, responding to his comment that he accepted the Sept. 14 date against big underdog Edgar Berlanga because Canelo had “fought everyone else.”
“Canelo hasn’t fought everyone. We still haven’t seen (David) Benavidez. Benavidez and (Dmitrii) Bivol. There’s people for him to fight, and there’s people for me to fight, too,” Shields said.
“When you can go as low as 154 and go all the way to heavyweight, there’s always going to be someone very good who can challenge you. There’s girls at 154 who I think can challenge me. They’re just scared. I think they’re good!”
By sparring against men for most of her boxing career, Shields said she has developed a toughness and grit that has contributed greatly to her 15-0 pro record.
“Me boxing – having to rise to these occasions, having to be on TV, having desires outside the ring – has helped me grow into the woman I am today,” she said. “It was all from my passion of fighting. It’s why I did MMA. I didn’t do MMA because I’m angry. I did it because I’m a great ass kicker. I can kick ass in MMA and boxing.”
Shields made it clear in her conversation with BoxingScene that she relishes being a woman.
“I can go to 147 (pounds), but I told (promoters and networks), ‘I need a couple million for that. Because my butt’s going to get little. And I don’t want that,’” Shields said, adding in her present-day weight of 178 pounds. “I like how I look. That means a lot. I’m a woman. These other girls out there looking all strong … I look strong, but I look feminine. That’s very important to me. I’m a woman boxer – woman first. I need to keep my curves and my looks. You want me to go to 147, I will. Just pay me my money.”
And while Alvarez, at 34, has expressed some fatigue with the business of boxing, Shields says she’s continually enthused by the sport.
“I’m always excited to fight. That’s the difference between me and other people. I’m in the back room dancing before a fight, they’re telling me, ‘Claressa, sit down, save your energy,’” she said.
“I’ve already put myself through the hard work, the brutal stress and the roadwork. Now, I get to eat, drink my water and juice and now I get to fight with no restraints.
“In sparring, you don’t want to knock your partners out. When you’ve got a fight, hey, it’s all or nothing. I love when I get to be as mean as I want to be, punch as hard as I want to punch, with nobody saying, ‘Hey, taper it down some.’ No, it’s, ‘Keep turning it up.’ I’m excited about that every time. And the buildup, too. These girls saying I don’t have power, that I haven’t fought nobody. It’s just, ‘Back it up when we get in there.’ When they can’t do that, I beat ‘em up real bad.”
Watching those scenes of her life play out on the big screen at the film’s screening in Toronto recently was powerful, leaving the strong-minded champion fighter reduced to a puddle of tears at times.
“God has done some miraculous things with my life that I can’t put into words. I’m grateful and thankful to see what God has done with this little Black girl from Flint,” Shields said.
She said she’s always been touched by a Biblical passage urging the faithful to maintain hope for the future, where prosperity awaits. Shields did so and was rewarded.
Asked what scenes made her weep, she said, “You have to come and see it, and you will know why I cry. Reliving it on film … you usually don’t get to do that with your life. You may get to watch a couple family videos. For me, to have a movie of my life is tear-worthy by itself.
“Happy tears, sad tears, all over the place. But you will leave feeling like you can conquer the world.”
The boxing champion, who suffered a devastating defeat by Daniel Dubois on Saturday, expressed his “sincerest apologies” after being caught speeding in his Range Rover back in May.
The 34-year-old, who lost in an upset to Daniel Dubois over the weekend, was caught by a Sussex Police officer driving at 44mph in a 30mph zone on the A26 in Lewes, East Sussex, on 29 May.
Joshua sought to justify his offence by saying a “lapse in concentration” due to a “very intense training camp” may have contributed to him speeding in his Range Rover Vogue.
According to court documents seen by the Press Association, Joshua, who already had three points on his licence at the time of the offence, offered his “sincerest apologies”.
“I am a professional athlete, currently in the middle of a very intense training camp,” he wrote in his defence.
“My schedule has been extremely demanding, and I was travelling to or from a training session at the time and date of the offence.
“The physical and mental fatigue from my training may have clouded my judgement, leading to this lapse in concentration.
“I recognise that such circumstances do not justify speeding, and I deeply regret allowing myself to make this error.”
He asked the court to consider the impact any driving ban could have on his career, due to his need to travel to and from training sessions.
“As an athlete, I rely heavily on my ability to drive to and from training sessions, which are often at locations that are difficult to reach.”
He was ordered to pay £1,167 in the case dealt with by Hastings Magistrates’ Court.
The Evening Standard reported this consisted of a £769 fine, with £90 costs and a £308 victim surcharge, and that he was also given four penalty points on his licence but was not banned from driving.
Joshua suffered a fifth-round knockout defeat to Dubois at a packed Wembley Stadium on Saturday, but on Monday insisted that his boxing career is “far from over”.
Highlights of the Canelo vs Berlanga fight for the WBO, WBA, WBC super middleweight titles. Live from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Saul won after 12 rounds.
Saul Canelo Alvarez has always starred in one of the most important fights for Mexicans in the national month. This time it will not be the exception for the man from Guadalajara. From the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, the cheers will be heard from the top when Saul faces Puerto Rican Edgar Berlanga. He will not be an easy opponent as many believe, some think that Canelo’s reign may come to an end on the most important day for him. But I think it will be one of the best performances of the Mexican, since he has not been pushed, according to boxing fans. The titles at stake will be the super middleweights of the WBA, WBC and WBO.
Saul arrives with a record of 60-2-2, with 39 KO’s. His last fight date was on 5-04-2024 against Jaime Munguía, winning and retaining his championships. Against Jermell Charlo he also retained. Against Jhon Ryder he also retained again. With Golovkin, he won again. His most recent defeat was to Dmitri Bivol for the WBA light heavyweight title, losing the fight on 5-07-2022.
The challenger Edgar Berlanga comes to this fight with a record of 22-0-0. With 17 KO’s. The Puerto Rican current WBO NABO super middleweight champion since 2021, remains undefeated. His most successful defense was against Steve Rolls, winning on the judges’ cards.
Saúl Canelo Álvarez’s last defeat was on 5-07-2022 against Dimitri Bivol. It was a very tough fight for the Mexican. He lost the WBA light heavyweight belt.
Saúl el Canelo Álvarez will earn more than 35 million dollars in the case of winning or losing, it does not matter. The Mexican is established on the list of athletes who earn the most money.
First Round
Canelo starts to throw the first right-handers. Berlanga protects his guard. The Mexican doesn’t take any risks in this first round.
Second Round
The second fight started, Berlanga started attacking hard. Canelo resisted and looked for the first contacts on the right. The Puerto Rican waited a long time for the Mexican. But both seemed to be wearing themselves out.
Third round
The Mexican knocked the Puerto Rican to the ground. Canelo threw several left blows and tried to finish him off, but Berlanga remained strong and resisted in the campaign that saved him.
Round 4
Berlanga has become more motivated and he went after Canelo. He was calm for the Mexican. Saul did not risk much to go for the fight. Few blows up and down.
Fifth round
The round got heated. Berlanga finished and hit Canelo. Saul held on at short distance. The Mexican showed long and short right hands. The Puerto Rican is saved again.
Sixth round
Canelo finds a better way to victory. He doesn’t take risks and keeps moving forward. He looks for short right hands to the center. He also goes to the corner.
Seventh round
Berlanga fell. He couldn’t hold on for long and the referee lifted him up and the fight went on. He said the fight was on for round 8. Canelo continues to dominate.
Eighth round
The Mexican continues to improve and looks for Berlanga at close range. With a right hook above the face. The man from Guadalajara has everything to win and the Puerto Rican continues to resist Saúl’s blows.
Ninth round
Canelo held his own against Berlanga. He did not despair in looking for the blows that would send the Puerto Rican to the ground. Canelo looked for the right hands in the lower part. We entered the last rounds.
Tenth round
Canelo hugged Berlanga. Waiting for the rounds to end. Saul Alvarez looked for the lower part and the fight was in the center of the ring. Both are already looking tired. Edgar closed better with a final blow.
11 round
Penultimate round. Canelo held out against Berlanaga for a long time. The Puerto Rican refuses to fall into Saul’s game. He takes breaks from the big blows he had in the first encounters. The last round comes and Canelo lands the final blow in the corner.
12 round
Canelo appears to be tiring just like Berlanga. But the last goals were quite key. They could not finalize the fight and Saul Alvarez will be the one in charge of winning the title.
Canelo won the fight
Saul Canelo Alvarez won against Edgar Berlanga. The Mexican was better in the ring, giving straight right-handed blows and knocking down the Puerto Rican, who had many problems. The man from Guadalajara came out strong in the last rounds. He retains his legacy and championships.
Canelo Alvarez has revealed who he wants to fight next after he defeated Edgar Berlanga to retain his WBC, WBA and WBO super-middleweight titles.
The two men were fighting at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, with Alvarez dropping Berlanga on his way to a wide unanimous decision win.
Canelo was in control throughout the bout, and dropped Berlanga in round three after a left hook. The Puerto Rican showed great heart throughout the contest though, displaying that he would not give up.
Despite his bravery, Alvarez remained dominant, with the fight going the distance and the judges scoring it 118-109, 118-109 and 117-110 in the Mexican’s favour, who was pleased with his victory.
“I did good. Now what are they gonna say? They said I don’t fight young fighters. They always talk, but I’m the best fighter in the world.
“I got a little angry with his tactics, but I’m Mexican man. It means a lot to fight on this day. It’s an honor to represent my country on this day.
“My experience and my talent was the difference. It’s about hard work and intelligence. It’s everything together. If you have talent, you need discipline as well.
“A lot of people say we can’t, but we can. Las Vegas is like a second home for Mexicans. We are warriors and we never give up. I’m going to rest and then I’m going to decide what’s next.”
Bivol defeated Canelo back in May 2022, claiming a close unanimous decision win to deny the Mexican the chance to win the WBA light-heavyweight title.
As for Berlanga, the loss to Alvarez was the first defeat of his professional career, and he acknowledged how difficult it was going against the pound-for-pound great.
“I’m upset because at the end of the day I’m a winner. I fought a legend tonight and did my best to represent Puerto Rico. We’re fighters and we try to throw our opponent off their game.
“I took his best shot and I knew I could take his punches and return them. I could have jabbed a lot more, but I was in there with a legend.”
Elsewhere on the Canelo card, Erislandy Lara claimed a ninth round retirement win over Danny Garcia to retain his WBA middleweight title, and Caleb Plant stopped Trevor McCumby in the ninth round to win to win the interim WBA super-middleweight title.
There was also a dominant unanimous decision win for Rolly Romero against Manuel Jaimes, while Stephen Fulton recovered from a fifth round knockdown to defeat Carlos Castro by split decision.
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_asset/file/25633333/2173597634.jpg)
