The undisputed super middleweight champion successfully defended his world titles by dropping Jermell Charlo on his way to a dominant unanimous decision.
Scores read 119-109 and 118-109 twice in the SHOWTIME PPV main event Saturday night from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
“I’m a strong fighter all the time, against all the fighters,” said Canelo. “I’m a strong man. Nobody can beat this Canelo.”
Canelo notched his 60th win and pushed to 60-2-2, 39 KOs as a pro. He was dominant from start to finish, using the masterful ring IQ and sublime power that’s made him a future Hall of Famer to disorient his opponent.
Charlo, who drops to 35-2-1, 19 KOs, was moving up two weight classes to reign in two divisions. The 154 champion could land flush occasionally but was met with a wall of resistance from Canelo.
His defense showed cracks in the early rounds when Canelo’s signature power hooks to the body affected him and forced him to focus mainly on security in the first half of the fight.
Canelo drops Charlo
In round seven, Canelo broke through with a looping overhand right that stunned Charlo and forced him to take a knee.
“I just felt like I wasn’t me in there,” said Charlo. “I don’t make excuses for myself, so it is what it is. But I take my punches and roll with it. It’s boxing. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”
“Truthfully, I could feel the difference in the weight,” said Charlo. “I picked up 14 pounds. I am undisputed in my weight division.
“You fall short sometimes, but you just have to keep pushing. My role doesn’t stop right here. I’m proud of myself. He hit me with some hard shots. I thought I got mine off. I’m the little Charlo. I represent that.”
The rest of the seventh round saw Charlo fight intelligently and even land some of his cleanest shots to make it to the bell. Charlo initially showed more urgency but could not deter the surgical precision of Canelo’s offense and defense.
Canelo dominated the CompuBox stats and the scorecards, owning a 134 to 71 advantage in total punches landed, including an impressive 42 body shots.
Next fight date
“We worked on attacking the body,” said Canelo. “We know he’s a great fighter. He knows how to move in the ring.
“We worked on attacking the body for three months. For three months in the mountains without my family, without everything.”
The championship rounds saw more of the same as Canelo cruised to the final bell while being serenaded with chants from his thousands of loyal fans in attendance. After thanking his supporters, Canelo declared himself open to facing anyone next.
“I still love boxing,” said Canelo. “I love boxing so much. Boxing is my life. Boxing made me the person I am today. That’s why I love boxing so much.
“I love boxing so much because of my fans, too. Cinco de Mayo, I’ll face whoever. I don’t care.”
Canelo Promotions presented the Premier Boxing Champions pay-per-view.
