Mexican superstar, WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (62-2-2, 39 KO’s) successfully defended his titles once again against a very tough Edgar Berlanga (22-1, 17 KO’s) of Brooklyn. Canelo was the busier of the two and scoring a knockdown in winning a unanimous decision at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Canelo attacked early on the opening round as Berlanga stuck the jab. Pressing in round two, Canelo backed Berlanga to the ropes and attacked but the undefeated fighter held his own letthing his hands go as Canelo attempted to get rough. A clean left hook by Canelo found its mark in the third as he sat Berlanga down. Berlanga was up fighitng as Canelo attacked but the challenger fought back and held on. Using the jab in the fourth, Berlanga stuck it and boxed to fend off the stalking Canelo.
Things got rough in the fifth as Canelo hit Berlanga behind the back, Berlanga did not hold back prompting the referee to warn both fighters. Canelo worked patiently behind the jab in the sixth as he set the pace, Berlanga was on his back foot throughout the round and close to the ropes. Berlanga appeared to have his best round as he boxed well in the seventh working the jab as Canelo was limited. Berlanga slipped in the later part of the round drawing a roar from the packed T-Mobile Arena as the referee immidiately ruled it a slip. Berlanga did not hold back as he appeared to have butted Canelo on the head while on the inside, Canelo responded by hitting Berlanga with a right as the referee issued a warning.
In the ninth Berlanga showboated but as Canelo ripped inside. Late in the fight in the tenth, Canelo stayed close to Berlanga. Things got a little heated to close the tenth as Canelo stepped aside mistakenly thinking the ten second bell was the final bell, Berlanga charget with a left as the two exchanged heated words in finishing the round. The championship rounds saw Berlanga hanging in there as Canelo kept pressing and attacking. The twelth and final round saw Canelo and Berlanga mix it up and exchange in the center of the ring as Canelo appeared to work his way to a decision and Berlanga proves everyone wrong in going the distance.
After completing twelve rounds 118-109, 118-109, and 117-110 for Canelo.
Lara Stops Garcia
WBA middleweight world champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (31-3-3, 19KO’s) of Miami by way of Guantanamo, Cuba retained his title as he stopped two-division world champion Philadelphia’s Danny “Swift” García (37-4, 21 KO’s) in the ninth round in the Canelo-Berlanga co-feature on Saturday night at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Feeling each other out in the opening round, Garcia countered and waited for openings as the southpaw Lara stuck the right jab. Working patiently in the second and third round Lara and Garcia continued to figure each other out as they began drawing whisltes from the crowd. It was still a strategic fight on the part of Lara and Garcia in the fourth but Garcia began pressing late in the round as Lara shot the straight left.
There seemed to be a lack of offense heading to the fifth as Garcia and Lara boxed a chess match. Halfways into the fight in the sixth, Garcia stalked as Lara kept his distance. Not much action halfway through as Garcia and Lara continued to box in the seventh. Not really much offense as the fight headed to the eighth Lara and Garcia attempted to disect one another as they continued to box conservatively.
However in the ninth, Lara connected on Garcia with a straight left and scoring a knockdown at the end of the round. Garcia walked backed to his corner as his father and trainer Angel Garcia told the referee his son had seen enough as referee Thomas Taylor stopped the fight at the end of the round.
Plant Comes Off the Canvas to Stop Mcumby
Caleb Plant (23-2, 14 KOs) returned to the ring as he scored a spectacular ninth round knockout handing Trevor McCumby (28-1, 21 KOs) of Glendale, Arizona his first defeat in a wild fight for the vacant WBA interim super middleweight title on Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
It was a slow first round but things got started in the second as McCumby connected with the left hook numerous times and appeared to stagger Plan in the second. Prompting McCumby to shake and rattle at the end of the round. McCumby showboated in the third and was fighting with more confidence as he outworked Plant. McCumby sent Plant to the canvas in the fourth.
Exchanging in the pocket on the inside, Plant and McCumby worked one another in the fifth. Things got interesting at the halfway mark as Plant pinned McCumby on the ropes to begin the sixth and landed solid. Plant returned to the favor as he began to showboat as the momentum was in his favor. Countering effectively, Plant worked McCumby to begin the seventh but McCumby fought him off and held his own in closing the round. The momentum appeared to be going in Plant’s favor as he worked McCumby in the eighth.
In the ninth, Plant had McCumby up against the ropes and connected with a series of combinations. following up and landing a series of crushing right hands as McCumby appeared to be fading, Plant went in for the close as he sent McCumby to the canvas as the referee Alan Huggins was stepped in to wave it off at 2:59 of the ninth.
Rolly Wins
Opening up the pay per view telecast, former world champion and Las Vegas’s own Rolando “Rolly” Romero (16-2, 13 KOs) won a hard fought unanimous decision over Manuel Jaimes (16-2-1, 11 KOs) of Stockton, California. It was a slow start in the first as Romero jabbed lazy and Jaimes pressed. Romero began to let his hands go as Jaimes looked for the opportunity and landed a left hook. In the third, Romero connected on the inside and momentarily staggered Jaimes as he began to set the tone. Staying busy in the fourth, Romero was composed and outworked Jaimes. Rolly outhustled and outworked Jaimes as the Stockton fighter could not seem to get any momentum.
Halfway through the fight to begin the sixth, Jaimes appeared to have something going and had his best round connecting on the inside and back Romero. It was all Romero in the seventh as he stayed busy and outworked Jaimes as the momentum was in Romero's favor. Late in the fight in the ninth, Romero kept up the pace as Jaimes tried to make something happen but appeared to have no awnser for Rolly. The tenth round saw Romero stay close and work Jaimes in route to the decision win.
All three judges scored the bout 99-91.
Fulton Edges Castro
Former world champion Stephen Fulton (22-1, 8 KO’s) of Philadelphia edged out Carlos Castro (30-3, 14 KO’s) of Phoenix by split decision as they went the distance in a ten round featherweight bout. Starting at fast pace in the opening round, Fulton and Castro stuck the jab and countered. Fulton began to beat Castro to the punch in the third as the fast pace continued. Castro used the jab to neutralize Fulton’s hand speed and counters in the fourth but the former champion was still boxing effectively. A straight right by Castro in the fifth dropped Fulton. Castro cut off the ring and attempted to attack, but Fulton survived.
Fulton appeared to have regained his composure in the sixth as he boxed and kept his distance from a more confident Castro. Working off the jab in the seventh, Castro was consistent sticking it as Fulton stood busy in the pocket. Excahnging to begin the eighth, Castro caught Fulton on the inside with another right hand as Fulton was rocked and held on. Shortly after the referee warned Fulton for holding. Late in the fight in the ninth, Castro stayed busy continuing to work the jab with Fulton staying close in the pocket landing the flashy shots. The tenth and final round, Castro and Futlon stood busy on the inside with Fulton connecting with a huge left hook. Castro kept pressing behind the jab and finished strong.
After completing ten rounds, the judges scored the bout 95-94 Castro, 96-93 Fulton, and 95-94 for Fulton
Salas Upsets Villa by KO
In an upset, welterweight Ricardo Salas Rodriguez (20-2-2, 15 KO’s) of Mexico City scored a third round knockout over Roiman Villa (26-3, 24 KO) of Venezuela in the PBC on Prime co-feature. Slugging it out at the opening bell, Villa and Salas did not hold back as they fought at a fast pace. Continuing where they left off, Villa and Salas kept trading in round two. Exchanging in the third, a straight right by Salas drilled and sent Villa to the canvas and he was down and out for the count. Referee reached a ten count at 2:06 of the third.
Jonathan Lopez Wins
Undefeated super featherweight Jonathan Lopez (17-0, 12 KO’s) of Orlando handidly defeated Richard Medina (15-3, 8 KO’s) of San Antonio, Texas via unanimous decision in opening up the PBC on Prime stream. A solid shot by Lopez knocked Medina’s mouthpiece out in the opening round as Medina kept fighting up until the referee momentarily stopped the action. Mixing it up on the inside in the round two, Lopez appeared to be getting the better of the exchange but Medina kept coming. Lopez circled the ring in the third as Medina stalked attempting to cut off the ring. Boxing effectively in the fourth, Lopez picked Medina with counters and set the pace.
Continuing to dictate the pace, Lopez’s boxed and was selective as there was no quit in Medina as he kept coming. As the fight was closing in, Lopez kept it conservative and continued to box effectively in the sevent as Medina put the effort but the Puerto Rican was smooth. Lopez attacked and landed a hard left to finish the seventh as Medina appeared to be a bit staggered going to his corner. It was all Lopez finishing strong and sending Medina to the canvas with a straight left in the eighth and final round in route to a impressive decision win. All three judges scored the bout 80-71
Other Bouts
Cuban middleweight Yoenli Hernandez (5-0, 5 KO’s) also scored a second round stoppage of Jose Sanchez Charles (21-6-1, 12 KO’s) of Reynosa, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Hernandez stunned Sanchez at the end of the opening round with a short right as Sanchez staggered back to the corner. A combination by Hernandez dropped Sanchez in the second. Hernandez then put him away, knocking him down for a second time as referee Thomas Taylor immediately stopped the fight at 1:49.
Light heavyweight Lawrence King (17-1, 14 KO’s) of San Bernadino, California scored a second round stoppage over Vaugh Williams (12-2, 8 KO’s) of Long Island, New York. King dropped Williams twice early in the second round, a chopping right hand by King sent Williams to the canvas a third time. Fight was stopped at 2:15 of the second.
In the opening bout from the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, super middleweight Bek Nurmaganbet (12-0, 10 KO’s) of Kazakhstan stopped Joshua Conley (17-7-1, KO’s) of San Bernadino, California. Nurmaganabet scored three knockdowns and finished Conley at 2:34 of the second round.
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