Canelo Alvarez defeats Jermell Charlo to retain super middleweight world title

American Jermell Charlo has avoided a title fight with Aussie champ Tim Tszyu once and he now looks set to dodge him again.

Complete domination from Canelo. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is the king of the super middleweight division and he showed why on Sunday against American challenger Jermell Charlo.

Charlo moved up two divisions to take on the Mexican champ, but found himself completely outclassed in front of a packed Las Vegas crowd.

Boxing: Canelo vs Charlo SUN 1st OCT 12PM AEDT | Tszyu vs Mendoza SUN 15th OCT 12PM AEDT | Order Now with Main Event on Kayo Sports

Questions had been asked of Canelo entering the fight that he had lost a step and wasn’t the man who took over the boxing world.

On Sunday he proved to the world he’s still one of the most dangerous men on the planet.

Charlo showed glimpses of his abilities but it was as one-sided a fight as you’re likely to see and the judges reflected that by handing Alvarez the unanimous decision victory (119-108, 118-109 x2).

The champ continued to work the body in the early stages of the fight as he stalked his opponent all over the ring.

The American challenger was never given the space to move as Canelo conintually cut off the angles and refused to let him work behind his reach advantage.

In the seventh round Canelo fired up from the outset and landed a monster right hand that found a home flush on the chin of Charlo. A follow up right uppercut saw the challenger hit the canvas for only the second time in his career.

Charlo gets dropped for only the second time in his career.

Canelo with the beautiful right hand followed by the uppercut that brings Charlo to a knee. pic.twitter.com/cHSMpQtWAu

— AFeldmanMMA (@afeldMMA) October 1, 2023

Canelo showed respect to the challenger in his post-fight interview before saying he’s never felt better in the ring.

“Nobody can beat this Canelo,” he said.

“I still love boxing. I love boxing so f***ing much.”

The super middleweight champ is keen to get back into the ring but it was Charlo who made the biggest call out of the night.

Charlo is set to head back to his weight division where Australian Tim Tszyu officially became super welterweight champion of the world after Charlo relinquished the belt.

While he’s ready to head back to a weight he feels more comfortable at, the American sounded like he was ready to duck the Aussie champ once again.

He stated he’d look at the winner of Tszyu’s upcoming fight with Brian Mendoza before he turned his attention to pound-for-pound king and welterweight champion Terence Crawford.

Charlo really got dominated by Canelo and then proceeded to call out the pound for pound best fighter in the world. He will do anything to avoid the obvious Tszyu fight #CaneloCharlo

— The Casual Fan Experience 🎙 (@CFEpodcast) October 1, 2023

The boxing world was left in disbelief over Canelo’s complete and utter domination.

SI’s Chris Mannix wrote: “Dreadful fight. Charlo came in shape but was never in it. Canelo’s speed, power and body work made the difference.”

Boxing journalist Dan Rafael wrote: “A total wipeout. Weight classes matter. 12-0. Canelo will easily retain the undisputed super middleweight title.”

Ariel Helwani wrote: “All Canelo. Never in doubt.”

Complete domination from Canelo. Sarah Stier/Getty Images/AFP

Canelo vs Charlo: Round by round

Rd 1: Lots of boos in the opening round from the crowd as both fighters danced around measuring each other up for the majority of the round. Alvarez closed the gap at one stage and threw a heavy hook but not a great deal of damage. Canelo 10-9

Rd 2: The stalking Canelo picked it up in the second as he landed some heavy shots on Charlo. The challenger isn’t using his range or responding in any meaningful way. Canelo 20-18

Rd 3: Charlo started working his jab a bit more in that round, but it’s still Canelo that’s doing the heavier work and landing the more telling shots up high and to the body. Canelo 30-27

Rd 4: The defensive work of Canelo is a sight to see, Charlo picked up the work rate but far too many of his punches are having little to no impact. The shots from Canelo are finding their home with his shots to the body ringing out throughout the arena. Canelo 40-36

Rd 5: The left hook of Canelo is continually landing with Charlo looking uncertain where the shots are coming from. A flurry of punches at the end of the round was the best we’ve seen from Charlo all fight, round could go either way. Canelo 50-45

Rd 6: We’ve reached the halfway mark and it’s been one-way traffic for the champ. He continued to go to work to the body and cutting off every inch of the ring as he stalked his opponent. Canelo 60-54

Rd 7: Down goes Charlo for only the second time in his career after a pinpoint right hand that went straight through the American’s guard. Canelo kept on the attack over the remainder of the round. Canelo 70-62

Rd 8: Charlo has bounced back well after the knockdown, but he just can’t get into any rhythm as Canelo refuses to give him any distance or time to breathe. The hooks from the champ continue to land at will to the body. Canelo 80-71

Rd 9: The one-sided nature of the fight continues as Canelo just picks his opponent apart at will. Charlo showed a flash of activity but that’s as good as it got. Canelo 90-80

Rd 10: Another round, more Canelo domination. Charlo landed a few shots in a little burst, but nothing major. He looks completely out of his depth against the champ in this division. Canelo 100-89

Rd 11: Charlo’s corner told him before the 11th “you’re losing this fight, what are you going to do?”. His answer was exactly the same as what he’s been doing all fight ... not a lot.

Canelo just kept going about his business as he stalked the American. Canelo 110-98

Rd 12: Charlo landed a nice left jab to open the round, needing a knockout to secure the win he failed to pick up the pace. Canelo continued to walk him down, cutting off the ring and keeping the fight in close. An absolute masterclass 12 round display from the champ. Canelo 120-107.

Undisputed super middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez is a short-priced favourite against Charlo. (Photo by Sarah Stier / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

2.45pm - Boxting ‘mystified’ by shock scorecard

Jesus Ramos Jr appeared to be the victim of a judges’ robbery after a shock result in his co-main event fight with Erickson Lubin.

Lubin was awarded the win via a unanimous scorecard of 115-113, 116-112 and 117-111.

The decision was met by a chorus of boos.

“There’s got to be a mistake. Jesus,” Mauro Ranallo said on Showtime.

Al Bernstein said he was “mystified” by the decicion.

2.10pm - Hug noobody saw coming

Jermell Charlo and brother Jermall have hugged it out behind the scenes in a surprise development leading up to the fight.

It was reported last week the borthers have not spoken for some time after a private falling out.

While the hug looked awkward, it has made boxing commentators smile.

Jermall Charlo supporting his brother Jermell Charlo backstage before the Canelo Alvarez fight, despite the current rift between them…

[🎥 @ShowtimeBoxing]pic.twitter.com/7rVhXWRX4D

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) October 1, 2023

Canelo, meanwhile, has had a much more relaxed preparation leading into the walk-outs.

Canelo Alvarez play fighting with his five-year-old son backstage in his dressing room before the Jermell Charlo fight… pic.twitter.com/awzIa9Jjwu

— Michael Benson (@MichaelBensonn) October 1, 2023

1.15pm AEDT - Brutal damage taken in the undercard

In the second to last fight of the evening, former world champions Yordenis Ugas and Mario Barrios matched up for the Interim WBC welterweight title.

Veteran Ugas, 37, was considered a slight favourite for the fight but that is not how it played out, with rising star Barrios battering the Cuban into submission.

Over the course of the fight, the 28-year-old Barrios’ jab started closing Ugas’ eye and it got progressively worse throughout the fight.

“Literally couldn’t see the punch coming,” a commentator said. “Seriously, what’s the point of this round right here?

“He’s going to get hurt.”

Yordenis Ugas shows the damage he’s taken sitting in his corner against Mario Barrios. Photo: Fox Sports

Yordenis Ugas is knocked down during his defeat to Mario Barrios. Photo: Fox Sports

Yordenis Ugas still seems to be enjoying himself despite the heavy beating he copped from Mario Barrios. Photo: Fox Sports

In the closing stages, the commentators seemed desperate for the fight to be called off before Barrios was named a unanimous winner in a fight that surprisingly went the distance.

“Too brave for his own good. It’s your health, it’s your eye,” the commentators continued.

“I can’t remember a fight where I wanted 1 minute, 5 seconds (in the last round) to go by quickly. Tough to watch.

“There was a knock down from a short left hook. It’s likely Ugas couldn’t even see the punch coming from the swelling in his right eye.”

Making the carnage even harder to watch, it was to Ugas’ surgically-repaired eye, according to renowned boxing journalist Dan Rafael.

Mario Barrios dropped Yordenis Ugas twice, busted up his surgically repaired right eye and won a unanimous decision to claim the vacant WBC interim welterweight title in a career-best victory. 118-107, 118-107 and 117-108. #boxing#CaneloCharlo#UgasBarrios

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) October 1, 2023

12.25pm AEDT - Charlo is enemy No. 1 for Aussie fight fans

Many Australians will know the name Jermell Charlo due to his links with rising star Tim Tszyu.

Charlo was scheduled to fight No. 1 WBO contender Tszyu (23-0 record) on 28 January this year before twice delaying the bout after the American injured his hand.

Subsequently ordered to fight Tszyu by the end of September, he opted instead to move up to super middleweight to take on the legendary Mexican Alvarez.

It has sparked a typically entertaining war of words between Charlo and Tszyu, with the American labelling Australia’s interim WBO light-middleweight champion a “paper champion”.

Tszyu had a simple reply, stating: “F**k, well, he’s the one who was supposed to fight me, man.

“It’s quite simple. He had the opportunity, I had the opportunity, and he’s the one that went running. Just for money, that’s all it was.”

Charlo also failed to credit Tszyu for his commanding victory in March over Tony Harrison, who is the only man to defeat Charlo (35-1-1 record) so far.

“He knows,” Tszyu said.“He’s just in his own little world. Canelo will teach him a lesson.”

Regardless of the outcome, Australian fight fans will be desperate for Tszyu to get a shot at the cocky American.

👑 @Canelo is locked in.

Order #CaneloCharlo: https://t.co/lcYztq47iFpic.twitter.com/raynfWk6wx

— SHOWTIME Boxing (@ShowtimeBoxing) October 1, 2023

12pm AEDT - Both fighters stake their claims in the build-up

The fighters got through a relatively low-key weigh-in on Friday local time, but of course the standard types of comments came when talking to the press.

“It’s time to fight,” Charlo said, adding that he didn’t care that Alvarez had been the focus in the build-up to the bout.

“It don’t matter how they hype him up. They got it popping in here. I live it, I enjoy it. I do this for us, baby.”

Alvarez - who suffered a lopsided loss to Dmitri Bivol in a failed title bid at light heavyweight last year before underwhelming victories over Gennady Golovkin and John Ryder in his last two fights - is a clear favourite against Charlo.

The Mexican has won world titles in four divisions and said he didn’t expect Charlo to have any trouble stepping up.

“The size factor is no matter here,” he said. “I did that before and I felt good. So it’s gonna be a great fight and I’m ready for everything.

“It’s gonna be amazing.”

11.30am AEDT - Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs Jermell Charlo full card

Canelo Alvarez vs Jermell Charlo - IBF, WBA, WBC, WBO super middleweight world titles

Jesus Ramos Jr. vs Erickson Lubin - super welterweight

Yordenis Ugas vs Mario Barrios - welterweight

Elijah Garcia vs Armonda Resendiz - middleweight

Frank Sanchez vs Scott Alexander - heavyweight

Oleksandr Gvozdyk vs Isaac Rodrigues - light heavyweight

Terrell Gausha vs KeAndrae Leatherwood - middleweight

Curmel Moton vs Ezequiel Flores - super featherweight

- with AFP and CODE Sports