There was unsettled business to take care of Saturday night as WBC, WBA, and Ring Magazine middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) of Kazakhstan and Mexico's Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs) squared off in their highly anticipated rematch at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.There was unsettled business to take care of Saturday night as WBC, WBA, and Ring Magazine middleweight champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) of Kazakhstan and Mexico's Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (50-1-2, 34 KOs) squared off in their highly anticipated rematch at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Off to a slow start both Canelo and Golovkin felt each other out as they jabbed in the opening round. Things picked up after as Canelo let his hands go off the counters in round two, Golovkin stalked behind the jab. The Mexican kept countering and wa the busier in round three sneaking in an uppercut that snapped Golovkin’s head. Standing in the center in round four, Golovkin connected with a solid right that caught Canelo’s attention.
An overhand right by Canelo in round five found it’s mark stopping Golovkins momentum. Canelo began to go downstairs and follow as Golovkin was in his back foot. Past the halfway point in the seventh Golovkin continues to use the stiff jab as Canelo stalked. To add to the drama, the two fighters also clashed heads. The eighth round saw Canelo bleeding above the cut as Golovkin began to close the gap.
Late in the fight the jab stuck to the plan working the but Alvarez continued to throw combinations. Golovkin backed Canelo shortly after in the tenth, briefly stopping his momentum but the Mexican stood his ground. The championship rounds was drama with the fight close Golovkin took it to Canelo landing big punches but Alvarez responded with punches going after the champ. The twelve and final round with the fight hanging close Canelo went right after Golovkin and slipped as everyone was on their feet but referee Benji Estevez quickly ruled it a slip. Canelo and Golovkin traded away to the final bell.
In the end the judges scored it 115-113, 115-113, and 114-114 as Canelo pulls off the majority decision and becomes the new WBC, WBA, IBO, & Ring middleweight title.
WBO junior middleweight champion Jaime Munguia (31-0, 26 KO's) of Tijuana, Mexico stopped Brandon Cook (20-2, 13 KOs) of Toronto, Canada in the pay per view co-feature bout. Munguia started off boxing keeping his distance pressing, the champ unloaded on Cook in the final seconds of the opening round. Working off the jab in round two, Munguia once again closed the round strong letting his hands go all over Cook. The champ sent Cook to the canvas twice in round three as referee Tony Weeks waived at 1:03.
Former middleweight champion David Lemieux (40-4, 34 KOs) of Montreal, Quebec, Canada made quick work of in scoring a knockout over Ireland's Gary "Spike" O'Sullivan (28-3, 20 KOs). A huge left hook did it as referee Russell Mora stopped at 2:44 of the first.
Former three-division world champion Roman "Chocolatito" Gonzalez (47-2, 39 KOs) of Nicaragua returned to the ring after a one year absence as he knocked out Mexican Moises Fuentes (25-6-1, KOs) in opening up the HBO Pay per view telecast. In the opening round Gonzalez started off fast sneaking in the fast hands. Fuentes was cut on the right eye in round two as Chocolatito was on the offensive backing the Mexican. Staying on the inside in round three Chocolatito kept the pressure but Fuentes stood in the pocket trading. Chocolatito continued to overwhelm the taller fighter on the inside unloading his combinations. A left hook followed by a short right hand knocked Fuentes out cold as the referee waived it at 1:44 of the fifth as Chocolatito scores the knockout.
Super lightweight Vergil Ortiz (11-0, 11KOs) of Dallas, Texas continues his knockout streak as he disposed Mexican veteran Roberto Ortiz (35-4-2, 26 KOs) in two rounds. Vergil dropped Roberto twice in the second as referee Vic Drackulich stopped the fight at 1:03 of round two.
Santa Ana, California's undefeated prospect Alexis Rocha (12-0, 8 KOs) scored a unanimous decision over Carlos Ortiz (11-3, 11 KOs) of Mexico. Feeling each other out in the opening round Rocha and Ortiz boxed. Ortiz was cut on the right eye in round two as Rocha popped the jab following up with a chopping right and attacking. Rocha controlled the fight at the halfway point as he worked the body and continued to land the chopping left. Past the halfway point, Ortiz kept his distance in the sixth as Rocha boxed patiently countering and going to the body. Late in the fight, Rocha looked poised sticking the jab and countering the Mexican Ortiz in route to the decision win. The judges score the bout 80-72, 80-72, and 79-73
Undefeated super middleweight prospects Jaba Khositashvili (3-0, 2 KOs) of Philadelphia by way of Georgia and Lawrence King (4-0, 3 KOs) of San Bernadino, California squared off in a scheduled six round bout. The southpaw King boxed as Khositashvili pressured to start. In round two, Khositashvili landed a solid right hand that backed King to the ropes. The Georgian continued to connect with the right hand in round three, snapping King's head back as Khostitashvili kept attacking. It was all Khositashvili going forward backing King throughout the fight.
All three judges scored the bout 58-56
Welterweight prospect Brian Ceballo (5-0, 3 KOs) of New York stopped David Thomas (6-5-1, KOs) from Texas in the opening bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Ceballo sent Thomas to the canvas twice in the opening round. Referee Jay Nady had seen enough stopping the bout 34 seconds into the second round
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