Fansided

Canelo Alvarez edges Erislandy Lara via controversial split-decision

By Josh Sanchez

Photo Credit: Tom Hogan, Golden Boy Promotions
Photo Credit: Tom Hogan, Golden Boy Promotions /
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On Saturday night, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez and Erislandy Lara went head-to-head in non-title a junior middleweight bout that headlined the Showtime pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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Canelo (43-1-1, 31 KO), the top Mexican star in the sport, was looking to get one step closer to a rematch with pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., but first he would need to get past a tough test in Lara (19-1-2, 12 KO).

It was a fight that the boxing pundits believed could go either way thanks to the intriguing clash of styles.

We just needed to see who the better man would be on Saturday night.

During the pre-fight show, Tomoki Kameda delivered a brutal body shot KO to retain his WBO bantamweight title, so the tone was set for a great night of fights.

The pay-per-view undercard kept that momentum rolling, and Canelo and Lara were ready to continue the show.

Blow-by-blow coverage of the bout below:

Round 1: Canelo immediately took the center of the ring after the opening bell while Lara circled around the ring showcasing his footwork. Lara kept Alvarez at by utilizing his five-inch reach advantage, but Alvarez was stalking Lara around. Canelo was throwing some heavy shots to the body while Lara stayed behind his jab. Lara was the quicker fighter in the opening frame, but Canelo was landing the heavier shots. FanSided scorecard: 10-9, Lara

Round 2: Canelo caught Lara off balance against the ropes after stepping on Lara’s foot and landed some solid combinations, but Lara answered with a straight left right down the pipe and through the guard of Canelo. Lara whiffed on a looping shot and took an uppercut to the body from Canelo for his efforts. The round finished with a left hook to the belt line from Canelo.FanSided scorecard: 10-9, Lara (20-18, Lara)

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canelo /

Round 3: Lara just got out of the way of a huge uppercut to start the round and immediately began circling around the cage again much to the crowd’s dismay. There was very little action in the round, with Lara running and Canelo being unable to cut off the ring. FanSided scorecard: 10-9, Canelo (29-28, Lara)

Round 4: Canelo picked up the aggression to start Round 4 and he started off the round with some heavy shots. After eating a few clean blows, Lara got on his bicycle and went back to circling around the ring. Canelo was showing some swelling, but he was dictating the pace in the round and landing more significant shots. FanSided scorecard: 10-9, Canelo (38-38)

Round 5: After a nice combination upstairs from Lara, Canelo was showing off some masterful work to the body that seemed to be hurting Lara. Lara complained to the ref about the location of the blows, but they were all legal and taking their toll. There was one strong shot from Lara, but Canelo was doing the most work. FanSided scorecard: 10-9, Canelo (48-47, Canelo)

Round 6: Canelo and Lara got their feet tangled early on in the round which is no surprise with an orthodox and southpaw fighter going toe-to-toe. Canelo chased Lara around the ring as we approached the midway point and he was remaining patient. For Lara, the movement was a positive, but he was not going to win the fight by running in circles without throwing any punches. Canelo ended the round with a strong flurry to the body. FanSided scorecard: 10-9, Canelo (58-56, Canelo)

Round 7: A cut opened over the eye of Lara in the seventh round and Canelo began to pick up the aggression as he smelled blood. It was a beautiful uppercut from Canelo that opened up the nasty cut above Lara’s right eye. FanSided scorecard: 10-9, Canelo (68-65, Canelo)

Round 8: Lara was looking to avoid Canelo’s power when the cut opened up, but Canelo was doing a better job at cutting off the ring. Canelo was working the body which contributed to Lara slowing down and he seemed to be taking over the momentum of the fight with Lara showing no signs of life with his offensive attack. FanSided scorecard: 10-9, Canelo (78-74, Canelo)

Round 9: Canelo was warned for a headbutt in the opening moments of Round 9. Lara’s footwork was still there, but he was having a difficult time transitioning from defense to offense. Canelo’s body work was doing some damage and Lara was trying desperately to get away. While circling around the ring, Lara slipped, and the round came to an end. FanSided scorecard: 10-9, Canelo (88-83, Canelo)

Round 10: Lara’s offense was finally starting to pick up in the 10th round, but he was once again slowing as the round progressed. Canelo landed a lead left uppercut, but Lara got out of the way just enough so that the contact was not flush. FanSided scorecard: 10-9, Lara (97-93, Canelo)

Round 11: Lara was picking up the pace and using his movement to set up his shots more than the past rounds , while Canelo was doing his best to stalk Lara. Canelo caught off the ring and caught Lara with a stiff shot to the body, but Lara was able to circle away and avoid a big follow up shot. FanSided scorecard: 10-9, Lara (106-103, Canelo)

Round 12: Entering the final round, there were scorecards all over the place, so it was going to be interesting to see how the fight played out down the stretch. Canelo came out like a man possessed and pressed the pass in the opening minute , while Lara attempted to get out of the way. Lara landed a nice combination upstairs, before getting back on his bike. Canelo went back to the body with Lara’s back against the ropes. The fans began to boo again with Lara circling away from the action, while Canelo chased him and looked to engage. FanSided scorecard: 10-9, Canelo (116-112, Canelo)

Official Result: Canelo Alvarez def. Erislandy Lara via split-decision (115-113, 113-115, 117-111)

After the fight, Canelo was frustrated with Lara’s style and said, “I came here to fight. If you wanted to run, go run a marathon. You don’t win fights that way. When he learns how to fight, I will give him a rematch.”

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