Bizarre ‘teen wolf’ figure rocks Canelo Alvarez’s latest victory
Canelo Alvarez won his latest fight, but it was a bizarre event capped by a mysterious hairy figure holding a championship belt.
Mexican legend Saul “Canelo” Alvarez has continued his winning ways in a bizarre unified super middleweight world title fight against American Edgar Berlanga in Las Vegas.
The fight had a little bit of everything, including low blows, accusations of headbutts, a shot when Canelo had his back turned and the Mexican blowing kisses in the middle of a round.
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Yet perhaps the strangest moment in the entire event came when Canelo conducted his post-fight interview.
Standing directly in between Canelo and veteran interviewer Jim Gray was a hairy figure donning a white shirt and black jacket, holding one of the Mexican’s belts over its head.
It immediately had people speculating on social media.
“Why the f**k is teen wolf in the ring with Canelo?” came one question.
“Canelo the first person to bring the chupacabra to the ring interview,” stated another.
“Why an elderly Chewbacca got into the ring with Canelo?” offered a third.
“Yooo what’s with that Geico Caveman hanging out with Canelo in the ring? lmao,” added another, referencing some old US commercials.
It just added another chapter to a bizarre event at T-Mobile Arena.
In the end, 34-year-old Alvarez did enough to win his fourth straight fight and 13th of his last 14 overall, with the judges scoring it 117-110, 118-109 and 118-109.
The prolific Alvarez now has a career record of 62-2 with two draws, while Berlanga has lost the first fight of his 23-bout career.
With the hairy figure directly behind him, 34-year-old Canelo had a message for his critics after largely dominating 27-year-old Berlanga.
“I did good. Now what are they going to say?” he said.
“I fight younger fighters. Before they say I only fight older fighters. Now what are they going to say? They always talk.
“I’m the best fighter in the world.”
In an eventful fight, Alvarez became infuriated when Berlanga hit him with a low blow in the fifth round, with Canelo returning fire.
Then after the ninth round, the commentators and Berlanga’s own corner became deeply concerned for the welfare of the Brooklyn native.
“Listen to me, are you awake? What are you doing?” his trainer said.
“Get some ice on his head. Are you OK? Are you sure?”
After Berlanga insisted he was fine to continue, commentator Abner Mares said: “They gotta stop that fight. They asked ‘are you awake’.
“He’s taking too many shots. There’s no need for it. He’s still young.”
To his credit, Berlanga continued and managed to land the odd blow in the later rounds.
The fight increased in intensity in the 10th, when Canelo oddly put his gloves down and walked away on the 10-second warning.
The Mexican seemingly thought the round was over, with Berlanga racing in to land a punch on Canelo’s forehead.
The two fighters then stared each other down, with the champion blowing kisses and Berlanga slamming his gloves down on his shorts attempting to taunt his opponent.
It was all part of a bizarre world title fight that ended with Canelo yet again continuing his reign in the super middleweight division.
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In the earlier co-main event Erislandy Lara defended his WBA middleweight world title against Danny Garcia.
Lara dropped Garcia at the end of the ninth round and the American’s corner threw in the towel.
Lara remains in the oldest world champion in boxing at the age of 41.