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Cloutier’s Canada Corner
Canelo Wins Unanimous Decision Over Jacobs, Unifies
Middleweight Titles
By Daniel Cloutier
Photos: Marlene Marquez
LAS VEGAS, Nevada - The Mexican Saul Canelo Alvarez
promised to the Mexican boxing fans to become unified
middleweight champion of the world, and he achieved it
Saturday evening in the ring of the T-Mobile Arena in
Las Vegas. WBC and WBA 160 pounds champion of the world,
Alvarez (52-1-2) added the IBF crown to his collection,
in beating the IBF champion, the New Yorker Daniel
Jacobs (35-3-0), by unanimous decision in 12 rounds.
“I did what I was supposed to do to win the fight,” said
Alvarez after the bout. “I simply did my job. Jacobs
connected some solid shots, but I never stopped
attacking in this bout and I connected more punches than
him. What next? We will see. If a third fight with
Gennady Golovkin is organized, perfect. “That’s why I’m
here. That’s what I was born for, to fight. To defend
what’s mine. I’ll fight anyone.”
Jacobs said: “I am impatient to see the tape of this
fight, to see if the judges were right to declare
Alvarez winner. I got a good performance, and I thought
I was the winner.”
The judges scored the bout 115-113, 115-113 and 116-111
in favor of Alvarez.
The first round was close, each fighter got his good
moments offensively and defensively.
The second round also was close, but Alvarez connected
the best punches of the rounds with is left hook and
right hand.
The third round, like the first two, was close, and each
fighter connected power shots.
In the fourth round, Alvarez fought well offensively and
defensively. He forced Jacobs to hit the air, and he
replied with several good power punches.
The fifth round was close, each fighter connected good
punches.
Jacobs dominated the sixth round. He touched the target
more often than Alvarez.
In the seventh round, Alvarez connected good punches to
the head…… and Jacobs to the body.
Alvarez controlled the eight round with his jabs and
power shots. He connected more power punches than his
opponent.
The ninth round was another close one, each boxer having
efficient moments offensively.
Jacobs was very aggressive in the 10th round, he was
attacking intensively, but Alvarez was productive in
counterattacks.
In the 11th round, Alvarez was the most aggressive
fighter, but Jacobs work well in counterattacks.
The 12th and last round was intense, each fighter
connecting power shots to the head and the body.
Undefeated, Ortiz Jr. Scored A Fast Win
The Texan welterweight Vergil Ortiz Jr. stayed
undefeated (13-0-0), beating the Californian Mauricio
Herrera (24-9-0) by TKO after 29 seconds of action in
the third round. Ortiz Jr. floored his opponent at the
end second round with a furious attack with both hands.
In the third round, Ortiz Jr. maintained his intense
charges, he provoked another knockdown, and at that
moment, the referee intervened to declare Herrera TKO.
“I am very proud of my performance,” said Ortiz Jr,.
after the bout. “I am working intensively in the gym day
after day to be able to perform fight after fight. My
opponent kept his left hand down, and I took advantage
of the situation, I really want to dispute a world
championship fight, and I would take this opportunity
anytime.”
The Californian Joseph Diaz Jr. captured the WBA gold
super featherweight championship, with a win by TKO over
Freddy Fonseca (26-3-1), from Managua, Nicaragua. A
southpaw, Diaz Jr. was intense and clearly faster than
rival.
In the sixth round, Diaz Jr. attacked furiously with
both hands, and he provoked a knockdown.
In the seventh round, Diaz Jr. maintained his intense
attacks to the head and the body, and the Fonseca’s
trainer threw the towel, conceding the win to Diaz Jr.
“I was fast and aggressive, then, I am not surprised at
all by the result of this fight,” said Diaz Jr. “More I
was attacking, and more my opponent was in trouble. I am
ranked in the world (third by the WBC and the WBA in the
130 pounds division), and I am sure I am closer than
ever to a participation to a world championship.”
Lamont Roach Jr. a fighter from Washington, D.C., stayed
undefeated in 20 pro bouts (19-0-1), beating Jonathan
Oquendo (30-6-0), from Puerto Rico, by unanimous
decision in 10 rounds. The judges scored the bout 97-93,
97-92 and 96-93 for Roach Jr.
The first eight rounds were close, each fighter having
his efficient moments offensively. Roach was faster than
his rival and more accurate, but Oquendo was productive
in inside boxing.
In the eighth round, Oquendo lost a point for a head
butt, but the move looked accidental.
In the nine round, Roach got a great attack in the
second minute of the round. He connected several power
shots in a row.
Former WBA welterweight champion of the world, the New
Yorker Saddam Ali suffered of his third lost in pro
boxing (27-3-0). Anthony Young (21-2-0), a fighter from
Atlantic City, attacked furiously in the third round, he
put seriously Ali in trouble, and the referee intervened
to declare Ali TKO.
For Young, it was a eight victory by KO or TKO. This
27th win gave him the USA welterweight championship.
The British John Ryder won the WBA Interim super
middleweight championship of the world with a victory by
TKO against the Australian Bilal Akkawy.
The fight was pretty close after two rounds, but Ryder
(28-4-0) opened the machine in the third round, and he
provoked two knockdowns.
Ryder maintained his intense attacks in this third
round, and the referee intervened to declare Akkawy TKO.
For Akkawy, it was a first defeat (20-1-1) in pro
boxing. “I was attacking at the right moment, and I am
very happy of this result,” said Ryder.” I never
panicked and I hurt my opponent at the perfect moment.
It possibly the best performance of my boxing career,
and now, I really want to face the WBA champion of the
world, my countryman Callum Smith.”
Ryder was supposed to face the Montrealer David Lemieux
(40-4-0), a former IBF middleweight champion of the
world, but the fight has been cancelled last month when
Lemieux injured his right hand in training.
The Russian Aram Avagyan won the WBC International
featherweight (126 pounds) championship in beating
Francisco Esparza, from Las Vegas, by unanimous decision
in 10 rounds.
Avagyan provoked a knockdown in the second round with a
solid left hook to the head.
Avagyan (9-0-1), who became the first fighter to inflict
a defeat to Esparza (9-1-1) dominated more rounds than
his opponent. He was more accurate than his rival.
The judges scored the bout 96-92, 96-92 ans 95-93 for
the Russian.
“I got a good preparation for this bout, we got a fight
plan, I followed it, and the result was great”, said
Avagyan after the bout.
In the opening bout of the evening, the super
middleweight Alexis Espino, from Las Vegas, improved his
pro record to 2-0-0 in beating Billy Wagner (1-1-0),
from Great Falls, Montana, by unanimous decision in four
rounds.
Espino provoked a knockdown in the second round… but he
lost a point, because he punched his rival when he was
already on the floor.
The three judges scored the bout 39-55, 39-34 and 39-34
for Espino, who dominated all the rounds of this bout.
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