IF Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez beats Miguel Cotto on November 21, it would undoubtedly be his biggest win to date.
The young Mexican has had plenty of notable wins already however and we’ve complied a list of his top 10.
Click below to read on:
10. w RSF 5 Kermit Cintron [2011]
ALTHOUGH he had been outpointed in two of his last three, Cintron had also recently beaten Alfredo Angulo and drawn with Sergio Martinez. A former welterweight champion, the Puerto Rican had limited success against Alvarez and was dropped and cut in the fourth. Further punishment in the next session forced the referee’s intervention.
Photo: Pepe Rodriguez/WBC
9. w UD 10 Miguel Vazquez [2008]
IN just his third pro outing, Alvarez took on countryman Vazquez, who would go on to become a lightweight world champion. It was Vazquez’s debut and Alvarez squeezed past him on a split decision. The pair met again two years later and Vazquez had garnered considerable experience, including a loss to Tim Bradley. This time around, Alvarez was able to win more clearly and earn a unanimous decision.
8. w RSF 9 Jose Miguel Cotto
IN his first fight after signing with Golden Boy Promotions, Alvarez took on Miguel Cotto’s older brother, Jose Miguel. Saul was badly hurt in the opening round with a left hook, only being kept on his feet by the ropes, and was almost out on his feet as the Puerto Rican poured on more shots. He recovered to drop Cotto in the next stanza before taking control of the fight and finishing the job in the ninth.
Photo: Action Images/Reuters/Steve Marcus
7. w UD 12 Matthew Hatton [2011]
THE flame-haired Mexican won his first world title when he routed Mancunian Hatton, younger brother to former two weight champion Ricky, over 12 rounds. Though he could not force a stoppage, ‘Canelo’ dropped Hatton twice en route to a wide decision victory.
Photo: Naoki Fukuda
6. w KO 6 Carlos Baldomir [2010]
CAGEY in the opening stages, the fight soon swung in Alvarez’s favour as he continued to land clubbing left hooks and straight rights on the ageing Baldomir. In the sixth, Alvarez began to do serious damage as Baldomir opened up, buckling his legs with uppercuts and hooks. A counter left hook sent Carlos face first into the canvas and he had no chance of beating the count – making Alvarez the first person to stop him in over 16 years, something the likes of Floyd Mayweather, Arturo Gatti and Zab Judah couldn’t do.
Photo: Action Images/Reuters/Lucy Nicholson
5. w RSF 10 Alfredo Angulo [2014]
ALVAREZ rebounded from his first professional loss, to Floyd Mayweather, by bludgeoning Angulo into submission over 10 one-sided rounds. Started uncharacteristically quickly, Saul seemed to have a point to prove as he punished his countryman to body and head.
Although Angulo is limited, Alvarez made him look completely ordinary and after a vicious left uppercut snapped Alfredo’s head back in the 10th, referee Tony Weeks had seen enough and ended the fight.
Photo: Naoki Fukuda
4. w UD 12 Shane Mosley [2012]
THOUGH clearly past his best, Mosley was still a dangerous opponent for Alvarez at this stage but, admittedly, was lined up as a notable scalp for Saul to take. Alvarez seized control form the outset and overmatched Shane in every department. The teak-tough Mosley would not budge but was never really in the fight and announced his retirement after the loss – though ended up returning a year later.
Photo: Action Images/Reuters/Steve Marcus
3. w KO 3 James Kirkland [2015]
THOUGH Kirkland had not fought in over a year and a half, he was still a legitimate threat to Alvarez due to his awesome power. Not many expected Kirkland to win, but fewer expected him to be knocked clean out in three rounds.
Bar a few brief spells on the ropes, ‘Canelo’ looked in full control from the opening bell, dropping Kirkland in the first round. In the third, Alvarez feinted to the body with his right before uncorking it upstairs as Kirkland tried to throw a hook, flattening the American. He was down for some time but thankfully recovered, and Alvarez would go on to agree to a fight with reigning middleweight champion Miguel Cotto.
Photo: Ed Mulholland/Hogan Photos/Getty Images
2. w UD 12 Austin Trout [2013]
THOUGH Alvarez was undoubtedly en route to stardom at this stage, the 39,247 attendance for this fight attests to this, he had yet to produce an in-ring performance to properly justify his popularity.
Trout was coming off of an upset win over Miguel Cotto, scuppering a fight between the Puerto Rican and Alvarez, and held the WBA world light-middleweight crown. Both men were unbeaten world champions (Alvarez held the WBC strap) and the San Antonio crowd were at fever pitch by the time the two boxers met.
A tricky southpaw, Trout troubled Alvarez in the early stages, utilising his advantages in height and reach. However the young Mexican displayed hitherto unseen defensive capabilities, slipping Trout’s shots with head and upper body movement.
In the seventh, he punctuated his display by dropping Trout with a stiff right hand, though the American gamely rose. He then became the aggressor, but Alvarez smartly counterpunched to win a unanimous decision – setting up a superfight with Floyd Mayweather.
Photo: Naoki Fukuda
1. w SD 12 Erislandy Lara [2014]
REPORTEDLY against the advice of his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, Alvarez elected to take on the highly-avoided master boxer Erislandy Lara, having suffered his first professional loss to Floyd Mayweather a year earlier.
‘Canelo’ was dominated by Floyd and badly struggled against the brilliant technician, and many felt the same could happen against the slick Cuban.
He was far more aggressive against Lara, but their opposing styles made for a dull fight which saw Erislandy constantly on the move while Alvarez stalked and landed the heavier blows. An uppercut on the inside cut Lara over his right eye, but Alvarez was taking a fair few shots himself.
The fight could have gone either way but two judges gave it to the Mexican, who had managed to come through a dangerous test against one of boxing’s elite operators.
Photo: Esther Lin/Showtime
