Alvarez unifies titles, cuts Smith down to size
Callum Smith had the height and reach. Canelo Alvarez had the skill set and résumé.
The result was 12 rounds of onesided, boring boxing. Smith towered over Alvarez in the ring Saturday night at the Alamodome, enjoying advantages of 7 inches in height and 8 inches in reach. But they were undone by Alvarez and the laws of physics.
Taller and longer, Smith couldn’t hit Alvarez consistently and looked awkward in trying, having to punch down at his shorter foe, often missing.
The more experienced Alvarez, meanwhile, found the range often with an assortment of jabs, uppercuts and hooks.
The Mexican superstar’s lopsided victory by unanimous decision earned him the WBA and WBC super middleweight titles, further cementing his claim as the sport’s pound-forpound king.
Asked how he was able to overcome his foe’s size advantages, Alvarez said simply: “Because I’m better.”
“I have many abilities,” he continued through an interpreter. “I make them think about what they are going (to do).”
Smith (27-1, 19 KOs) never figured it out.
He landed just 97 total punches over 12 rounds to 209 for Alvarez. Many of those were jabs. Smith was constantly in retreat and never really had the chance to deliver punches with authority.
When he tried, Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) was there, in his face and delivering blows or cleverly avoiding them.
But there were few meaningful, toe-to-toe exchanges to excite the socially distanced crowd of
11,426 — officially a sellout.
The action gradually picked up the second half of the fight after Alvarez determined Smith’s lack of power.
Alvarez won by scores of 119-109, 119-109 and 117-111.
Smith’s story alone created hope for an exciting fight. The youngest of four boxing siblings from Liverpool, England, Smith was trying to avenge a loss by brother Liam to Alvarez four years ago.
But it never materialized.
“He was the better fighter tonight,” Smith said. “He’s smart. He’s clever. He sets little traps and keeps you thinking.
Before you know it, he’s closing the ground.
“He’s a good fighter. His jab was really good. It surprised me a little bit. His defense was really good.”
Afterward, Smith said he injured his arm during the fight, possibly a detached bicep muscle. Even Alvarez noticed the disfiguration as the fight wore on, particularly in the 12th round when instead of going for broke Smith often wrapped Alvarez in a clench, merely hoping to survive.
“I’m the best in the world,” Alvarez said on the DAZN broadcast.
It was the first fight for Alvarez since his split with longtime promoter Oscar De La Hoya of Golden Boy Promotions and DAZN after contract disputes. A promoter himself now and a free agent, Alvarez teamed with Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing of the UK on his first fight in 13 months.
There was little evidence of ring rust. Still, the awkwardness of fighting the 6-foot-3 Smith kept the 5-8 Alvarez from appearing in peak form.
There were no knockdowns.
Alvarez improved to 2-0 in fights at the Alamodome. He defeated Austin Trout by unanimous decision at the dome in 2013.
A four-division champion, Alvarez indicated he plans to remain at 168 pounds in an effort to unify the belts.