Canelo Álvarez subdues Avni Yıldırım then announces Billy Joe Saunders fight
Saul ‘Canelo’ Álvarez outclassed Avni Yıldırım and retained his world super middleweight titles with a technical knockout after Yıldırım failed to answer the bell for the fourth round Saturday night, setting the stage for a highly anticipated unification fight with Britain’s Billy Joe Saunders in May that was announced in the immediate aftermath.
Álvarez, arguably boxing’s biggest star, dropped the Turkish challenger with a left-right combination to the head midway through the third round. Álvarez followed with additional combinations, pinning Yıldırım on the ropes. Yıldırım survived the round but absorbed sufficient punishment that forced his trainer Joel Díaz to stop the fight.
With the victory, Álvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs) successfully defended his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association belts.
“I needed the knockout and that’s what I did,” Álvarez says in Spanish through a translator. “It doesn’t matter if they’re taller or if they have more reach, if they have a good trainer or no good trainer. It doesn’t matter. I come here to do my job. I come to win. I come to make history.”
Eddie Hearn, who promotes Álvarez, stepped in during the in-ring interview to reveal the worst-kept secret in boxing: Álvarez has signed for a 8 May fight with Saunders, the undefeated Briton who holds the World Boxing Organization’s version of the super middleweight title. Hearn said venue for the fight will be announced shortly.
That fight represents an opportunity for Álvarez to move one step closer to his goal of unifying the four major sanctioning body belts at 168lbs. Caleb Plant, an unbeaten American, holds the other.
“It’s because it hasn’t been done,” Álvarez said. “In Latin America, no one has done it. And in the world, only very few, only the best. And I want to make history, I want to be one of the best in the world.”
He added: “I want to make my own history. I don’t want to be equal to anyone. I want to make my own history and when they talk about boxing that they always remember: Canelo. I respect everyone in history, but I want to make my own history and I respect everyone.”
Saturday’s fight, where a crowd of about 15,000 spectators were permitted to attend, headlined the first
boxing event at 34-year-old Hard Rock Stadium, home of the NFL’s Miami Dolphins. A pre-fight performance by South American reggaeton superstar J Balvin, who accompanied Álvarez on his journey to the ring, was arguably more entertaining than the fight that followed.
In a methodical first round, Álvarez set the pace early with lead left jabs to the head and and lefts and right to the body.
Álvarez landed uppercuts and continued to score with combinations to the body in the second. Yıldırım (21-3) rarely threw punches and the few he did, Álvarez blocked or slipped his shots. Álvarez stayed within punching range and increased his output but also was effective from distance and connected with a flush counter right to the head.
Saturday’s bout was the first of what Álvarez hopes will be a busy year seeking unification fights.
Inactive since February 2019, YIildirim landed the match against Álvarez after the WBC designated him mandatory challenger.
Álvarez and Yıldırım both weighed 167lbs, a pound under the super middleweight limit.
With Saturday’s stay-busy formality out of the way, the focus turns to
Saunders, who described the opportunity as a “golden ticket”.
“You have to dare to be great and you aren’t going to be a great if you don’t beat the greats,” Saunders said in a statement. “I believe I am the only one with the footwork, knowhow, skillset, mindset and brain to unlock that door in Canelo.
“He’s the main man in the sport and the face of boxing. You have to give him respect, he hasn’t ducked anyone, he’s beaten good names, but nobody is unbeatable, and I believe I have got the tools to beat him if I use them properly and if the game plan comes off that I believe works.
“I am looking at the golden ticket to cement my legacy, and that’s how you have to go in there to beat him. I’ve won everything from Southern Area to W\world titles, I could say ‘I’ve won it all, been to the Olympics, I’m unbeaten – I’ll see you later’. But I’ve only just turned 31, I’ve got no miles on the clock, haven’t taken any punishment – I believe he’s been in harder fights than me and has more miles, so I want to cement my legacy and beat him.”
Earlier, Puerto Rico’s McWilliams Arroyo won a second-tier world flyweight title with a fifth-round technical knockout over late replacement Abraham Rodriguez. Arroyo originally was scheduled to challenge WBC flyweight champion Julio Cesar Martinez but Martinez withdrew from the bout Thursday because of a hand injury.
The England prop Ellis Genge has said he has received death threats after a video emerged online of him not clapping Wales into the tunnel after their Six Nations victory over Eddie Jones’ side on Saturday, which promptly led to the Rugby Football Union issuing a statement condemning the online abuse and hitting out at the lack of respect shown towards England players.
Genge, who came off the bench during England’s 40-24 defeat, posted on Twitter on Sunday night to explain why he stood motionless as his teammates applauded Wales back into the dressing rooms.
The 26-year-old came on to the field with the match in the balance in the 67th minute, only for Wales to pull clear, and appeared understandably despondent after the match. He posted on Twitter: “Don’t know why I’m not clapping in that tunnel must be deep in thought, utmost respect for the Welsh. As for keyboard warriors sending death threats etc.” His tweet was accompanied by a clip of the UFC fighter Khabib Nurmagomedov saying “send me location”.
Soon afterwards, the RFU released a damning statement which read: “Respect
is a core value of rugby. Yesterday we lost to Wales who deserved their victory. Unfortunately, some of the reaction on social media to players and the team has not shown the level of respect the rugby community prides itself on. We will support our players and team against online abuse and hope true rugby fans will stand with us.”
Only hours earlier the RFU had released a statement in response to abuse suffered by the BBC reporter Sonja McLaughlan following her pitchside interviews in the immediate aftermath of Wales’s victory. And earlier this month the government called on social media companies to act and warned that sanctions could be introduced if they do not with dozens of footballers also the subject of online abuse.
The Guardian columnist and former England international Ugo Monye on Sunday night echoed those sentiments in response to Genge’s tweet, posting: “Social media step up. @Twitter not good enough anymore.”