By Mark Eisner: Canelo Alvarez (54-1-2, 36 KOs) took previously unbeaten WBA Super World super middleweight champion Callum Smith (27-1, 19 KOs) to school in winning a 12 round unanimous decision to dethrone him and capture the vacant WBC 168-lb title on Saturday night at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.
The scores were 119-109, 1119-109, and 117-111. Boxing News 24 scored it for Canelo 119-109.
Callum never let his hands go in the way that he needed to for him to win, and when he did throw, he mostly missed. On a few occasions late in the fight, Callum landed some excellent uppercuts, but Canelo took them well.
After the fight, Canelo said he’s interested in unifying against the other two champions at 168.
- Making his debut, talented blue-chip super featherweight prospect Marc Castro (1-0, 1 KOs) crushed journeyman Luis Javier Valdez (7-6-1, 2 KOs) by a third-round knockout. Castro dropped Valdez in rounds two and three. Valdez was counted out after being knocked down by a powerful shot to the head in the third. The time of the stoppage was at 1:59.
- In a lackluster performance, heavyweight contender Frank Sanchez-Faure (17-0, 13 KOs) defeated Julian Fernandez (14-3, 11 KOs) by a seventh-round knockout in a scheduled 10-round affair. The Cuban Sanchez looked slow and less than powerful in batting the over-matched Fernandez. It wasn’t the type of performance from Frank Sanchez that will put any fear in the minds of heavyweight champions Anthony Joshua or Tyson Fury.
- Unbeaten featherweight prospect Raymond Ford (8-0, 4 KOs) defeated journeyman Juan Antonio Lopez (15-8, 6 KOs) by a seventh-round knockout in a scheduled eight-round bout. The highly talented Ford had little trouble with Lopez, knocking him down in the first and the seventh rounds. The mismatch was halted at 1:14 of the seventh.
- Middleweight Austin ‘Ammo’ Williams (7-0, 6 KOs) destroyed a badly overmatched Isiah Jones (9-4, 3 KOs) by a first-round knockout in a scheduled six-round fight.
- Welterweight Christian Gomez (19-2-1, 16 KOs) defeated journeyman Angel Hernandez (17-16-2, 11 KOs) by a third-round knockout. Hernandez was down in the third, and the fight was subsequently halted at 1:54 of the round by referee Rafael Ramos.
Preview
The four-division world champion Canelo will be looking to bag one of the biggest wins of his career tonight in taking on Callum Smith for his WBA 168-lb title in the headline bout on the card.
Smith believes he’ll KO Canelo
Alvarez, 30, has won titles at junior middleweight, middleweight, super middleweight, and light heavyweight during his 15-year pro career. However, arguably his best win during that time, a 12 round decision over IBF/WBA/WBC middleweight champion Gennadiy Golovkin, was controversial in 2018.
If Canelo can beat Callum to capture his WBA 168lb title, it would be a huge achievement. The World Boxing Council has thrown in their vacant WBC 168lb title for Canelo and Smith to battle over.
The 6’4″ Smith is the tallest fighter that Canelo will have ever fought, and we’re going to find out if the former Golden Boy star can find a way to chop him down.
Canelo has wins over the 6’2″ Sergey Kovalev and Rocky Fielding, but those guys lacked the talent that Callum Smith has going for him.
“Yeah,” said Callum to AK & Barak Show when asked if he believes he can knock out Canelo. “I believe in my own power, and I believe I can hurt anyone in the world at 168.
That didn’t change just because Canelo Alvarez stepped up to the division. He’s a great fighter, and he’s shown a great chin against GGG. But I’m a big 168, and I’m confident in my own power.
“A lot of people say, ‘You won’t get a decision in Texas. You’ve got to knock him out.’ I’m going in there to swing and look for a KO. I’ve got to stick to what works and what beats Canelo Alvarez,” said Smith.
“I’m prepared for a tough fight,” continued Mundo Smith. “I think I’ll win. Yeah, I got a big size advantage, but it’s not everything. If you look at that, you think, ‘It should be a walk in the park.’
“But Canelo Alvarez, he’s short, and this isn’t the first time he’s given height away. It’s the most he’s given away, but he’s good at closing space and getting inside.
“His abilities have always made up for his lack of size. I see this s like Lomachenko and Lopez. There’s only so much size you can make up for,” said Callum.