The Mexican took from Plant the belt of the International Boxing Federation (IBF) and adds it to those he already owned from the WBA, WBO and WBC.
The Mexican Saúl Canelo Alvarez He knocked out American Caleb Plant on Saturday night and became the first undisputed super middleweight champion in boxing history.
Álvarez, 31, sent the American to the canvas in the eleventh round of the fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas (Nevada) before 16,586 fans who mostly supported the Mexican.
Canelo, big favorite in betting, snatched the International Boxing Federation (IBF) belt from Plant and joined the three he already owned from the World Association (WBA), the World Organization (WBO) and the World Boxing Council (WBC) in the 168-pound category.
Only five male fighters, none of them Latin American, they had managed to simultaneously possess all four belts of boxing’s governing bodies since this feat became possible in 1988.
“It motivates me a lot to enter those few (boxers) that are in the history of the unified, that’s why there are only six of us in history, ”the Guadalajara fighter congratulated himself after the fight.
“It has not been easy,” he acknowledged. “This is another achievement for my family and my team, but especially for Mexico.”
Alvarez, considered one of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, he now has 57 victories (39 knockouts), two draws and a single loss, suffered against American Floyd Mayweather Jr on points in 2013, when he was 23 years old.
Plant, who suffered the first loss of his career in 22 fights, was a more dangerous opponent than the other champions he had dethroned en route to the unified super middleweight title.
Álvarez took the WBA and WBC belts by defeating British Callum Smith in December 2020 and defended them against Turkey’s Avni Yildirim last February.
Subsequently won the WBO scepter against fellow British Billy Joe Saunders in May.
With his defensive game and hitting speed, Plant resisted Álvarez’s devastating boxing until at the beginning of eleventh round went to the canvas for the first time after receiving a left hook followed by a uppercut right.
The American He staggered to his feet and Álvarez chased him around the ring until he was knocked out with a flurry of blows one minute and five seconds from the end of the round, when the referee of the fight Russell Mora stopped the fight.
The new unified champion had anticipated that he would knock out Plant in the ninth round, but at that moment was when the 29-year-old American fighter did the best boxing.
???? THE UNIFIED CHAMPION! ????
Saúl Canelo Álvarez writes his name in GOLDEN LETTERS when he knocked out Caleb Plant in the tenth episode and proclaimed himself UNDISCUTED CHAMPION in super middleweight????
He ???????? becomes the first Latino to unify a weight IN THE WHOLE HISTORY OF BOXING???? pic.twitter.com/a37AJd2BK1
— ESPN KnockOut (@ESPNKnockOut) November 7, 2021
“This is how it had to end,” he said. Canelo. “He was very hurt and had to finish it right there.”
“He is a fighter with many skills. It took me a bit to figure it out. My respects to him ”, he acknowledged the Mexican champion, who took a $ 40 million purse for the fight. Plant made $ 10 million for the match against Alvarez.
The others fighters who have managed to own all four belts of the same category are the Ukrainian Oleksandr Usyk (cruiserweight), Americans Bernard Hopkins (medium weight), Jermain Taylor (middleweight) and Terence Crawford (superlight), and the scotch Josh Taylor (super light). (D)
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