Canelo Alvarez Didn’t Expect Billy Joe Saunders To Come Out For Rd 9
Who caught the epic super-middleweight championship showdown between Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders on Saturday?
Alvarez came out looking good over the first couple rounds, but Saunders really started to find his groove in round four. So much so, that many had him up five rounds to three at the time of the stoppage.
Others had it 4-4 after round eight, where the bout was stopped between rounds by Saunders’ corner, due to him suffering an orbital fracture.
Saunders did get criticized for not protesting his corner for stopping the fight, but let’s be honest, with as hard as Alvarez hits, it would’ve only gotten worse for him. His face was already broken.
Alvarez did himself say to his corner following round eight that he didn’t believe Saunders would return for round nine, and he was right. That right uppercut was vicious!
“It’s hard because I saw when he broke his cheekbone, I went back to the corner and I told Eddy that I didn’t think he can continue. When you break your cheekbone, you can risk your life and you can’t continue that way.” – Alvarez via post-fight press conference
Eddie Hearn confirmed that doctor records state Saunders suffered multiple fractures in his right eye socket, which is too bad. He’ll come back from this though, he was looking incredible up until that point.
Saunders, 31, falls to 30-1 following this defeat, while Alvarez, 30, rises to 56-1-2, this being his third fight since December 2020. It’s so good to see a pound-for-pound great this active right in the middle of his prime years.
Not many of the best boxers want to fight the very best it seems, it’s unfortunate. That’s not the case with Alvarez though. He’s always looking to fight the best of the best under and circumstances.
Of his 56 victories, 38 now come via knockout, and his only defeat came to Floyd Mayweather Jr, widely considered the greatest to ever do it, when he was just 23 years old.
Who would you like to see Canelo Alvarez face next?
