"Canelo" breaks Saunders in front of 70,000 people, under a Mexican furia

“I knew he wasn't coming back because I broke his cheekbone,” said the winner in the ring.

It was not clear what the nature of his opponent's injury was, as he sat down on his stool, a purplish gash swelling under his right eye.

But for his “corner”, it was obvious that he had to withdraw at the end of this terrible 8th round.

And the public, overwhelmingly Mexican, to explode the decibels when they saw that the Englishman was not actually resuming the fight.

An epilogue that offers "Canelo" the WBO belt of his rival in addition to those, WBA and WBC, which he keeps.

World champion in four different categories (super-welterweight, middleweight, super-middleweight and light heavyweight), he appears at the top of his game at 30, now with 56 wins (including 38 before the limit), 2 draws and 1 loss (conceded in 2013 against Floyd Mayweather) during a professional career that began at 15 years old.

He only needs the IBF title, owned by the American Caleb Plant, to be the undisputed king of the category, and he has also given him an appointment at the microphone.

Extraordinary 8th round

He was intractable during this confrontation, even if Saunders, defeated for the first time in 31 fights, was absolutely not unworthy in managing not to fall.

He even won two good times, when he managed to dodge his attacker with his swaying footwork and counter him with his left hook.

But by dint of powerful right hooks to the body then to the face and neck, Alvarez's undermining work paid off.

“I knew the fight was going to start in the eighth round.

It was not as difficult as I expected, I realize that my preparation was good and that I am improving day by day ”, he commented.

Moments earlier, his violent right uppercut had closed an extraordinary three-minute streak in and out of the ring.

After a chin hook that rocked Saunders, despite nods to say "no I didn't feel anything", the audience guessed that a turning point was occurring early in the round.

Worn by “Canelo!

Canelo! ”

more and more acute, he sounded the charge.

In response, his fans rejoiced even more and he called on them to redouble their encouragement, by giving more and more blows, less and less well cashed in the face.

Since when has such a close relationship occurred between a boxer and tens of thousands of people?

No mask or distance

The imposing AT&T Stadium, home of the American football team (NFL) of the Dallas Cowboys, has indeed been the scene of the sporting event bringing together the most people in the United States since the start of the Covid pandemic. 19.

And in Texas, where we allow everything and where we do not force anything, wearing a mask and social distancing were not de rigueur, as if the coronavirus were just a distant bad memory.

From his spectacular entry into the arena to the sound of mariachis, quickly becoming inaudible to the cheers of aficionados, to his triumph, including this fatal eighth cover that brought him there, the atmosphere recalled the greatest hours of boxing.

While waiting for another unification (WBA, IBF, WBO of the heavyweights) desired by all fans of the noble art, between Anthony Joshua and Tyson Fury, present at the foot of the ring, this fight between "Canelo" and Saunders was also at stake. to provide boxing with an event worthy of the name, at a time when attention is so easily drawn to others.

Thus, the pseudo-scuffle of ragpickers that occurred Wednesday in Miami between the retired ex-glory Floyd Mayweather and the Youtubeur brothers, Logan and Jake Paul, before their exhibition on June 6, was a media circus that somewhat overshadowed this event. tantalizing athlete.

There is nothing like a "real fight" to put this sport back in place.

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