LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez regained his dominant form Saturday night against a reluctant challenger who competed two weight classes above where he’s at his best.
The Mexican superstar stalked Jermell Charlo throughout their 12-round, 168-pound title fight at T-Mobile Arena and easily won a unanimous decision. Alvarez dropped Charlo in the seventh round of their one-sided bout and beat the 154-pound champion by huge margins on the scorecards of judges Max De Luca (118-109), David Sutherland (118-109) and Steve Weisfeld (119-108).
Guadalajara’s Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) retained his IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO super middleweight titles.
Charlo (35-2-1, 19 KOs) got off to a very slow start, tried to tie up Alvarez whenever possible and seemed unwilling to engage with the heavy-handed Alvarez for much of their fight. An aggressive Alvarez kept his taller, rangier opponent on his back foot for most of their 12 rounds and landed a right hand that made Charlo take a knee early in the seventh round.
Alvarez went off as a 5-1 favorite, according to MGM Grand’s sportsbook, against an opponent who moved up 14 pounds for their Showtime Pay-Per-View main event. Charlo also ended a 16-month layoff largely caused by two broken bones in his left hand sustained during a sparring session a few days before last Christmas.
Alvarez, 33, denied Charlo in the Houston native’s bid to become just the second two-division male undisputed champion of boxing’s four-belt era. Undefeated, undisputed welterweight champ Terence Crawford has fully unified the IBF, WBA, WBC and WBO titles in the 140-pound and 147-pound divisions.
Charlo, also 33, entered the ring as boxing’s fully unified 154-pound champion. The WBO stripped him of its junior middleweight title, though, as soon as their bout began and elevated interim champion Tim Tszyu to full champion.
Charlo still owns the IBF, WBA and WBC championships and can return to the 154-pound division to defend those titles. If Australia’s Tszyu (23-0, 17 KOs) beats WBC interim champ Brian Mendoza (22-2, 16 KOs) on October 14 in Broadbeach, Australia, Charlo could try to fully unify the 154-pound titles again by boxing Tszyu next.
Charlo mostly kept his distance again for most of the unremarkable 11th and 12th rounds, when he seemed content to go the distance with Alvarez.
Another Alvarez right hand made Charlo spin out of a neutral corner and attempt to tie him up a little less than a minute into the 10th round.
Alvarez blasted Charlo with a right uppercut as a vulnerable Charlo was backed against the ropes in the ninth round.
Charlo landed two right hands a few seconds apart and got out of Alvarez’s punching range with just over one minute to go in the eighth round. Charlo’s left hook landed about 40 seconds into the eighth round.
Alvarez caught Charlo with a left hook with about 15 seconds remaining in the seventh round.
A hard right hand by Alvarez to Charlo’s temple sent Charlo to the canvas with a little more than two minutes to go in the seventh round. Taking that knee marked just the second time Charlo had been down during his 15-year professional career.
Charlo connected with a left hook about 40 seconds into the seventh round.
Alvarez landed a right hand a few seconds before the sixth round ended, but Charlo took that shot well.
Charlo tied up Alvarez as Alvarez moved him into the ropes with under 1:20 on the clock in the sixth round. Dock warned Alvarez again for pushing Charlo’s head down about a minute into the sixth round.
Charlo landed two right hands and a left in a combination he threw late in the fifth round. Alvarez’s left hook landed flush a little less than 30 seconds into the fifth round.
A right hand by Alvarez landed when Charlo was backed into the ropes with about 1:10 to go in the fourth round. Charlo connected with a right hand around Alvarez’s guard about 45 seconds into the fourth round.
Alvarez caught Charlo with a left hook when there was just over 30 seconds to go in the third round.
Alvarez previously landed a thudding right to Charlo’s body with a little more than two minutes to go in the third round. Charlo complained the Alvarez hit him on his hip, which caused Dock to warn Alvarez.
Dock warned Alvarez for pushing Charlo out of a clinch with just under 1:40 on the clock in the second round. Alvarez connected with his right hand as Charlo was backed against the ropes about 30 seconds into the second round.
Charlo partially blocked Alvarez’s right hand that he tried to sneak around Charlo’s guard with just under a minute to go in the first round. Fans booed loudly at the midway mark of the first round because Charlo kept his distance from Alvarez.
Keith Idec is a senior writer/columnist for BoxingScene.com. He can be reached on Twitter @Idecboxing.