Canelo Alvarez knocks out Liam Smith: 3 takeaways

Published Jun. 30, 2017 6:28 p.m. ET

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Canelo Alvarez produced yet another expected result in wresting the WBO junior middleweight title from a brave but completely outgunned Liam Smith. In scoring a brutal body shot stoppage in round nine, Canelo confirmed what boxing fans already know: that he must face Gennady Golovkin.

Although Canelo Alvarez’s refusal (or his promoter’s refusal) to broker a fight with unified middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin has been well documented, the fact that Golden Boy Promotions and Team Canelo have descended into the dangerous realm of insulting the intelligence of boxing fans is worth emphasizing.

In what proved to be a mildly compelling main event — a fight in which Liam Smith (23-1-1, 13 KOs) acquitted himself admirably and confirmed that he has a intriguing future at 154 pounds — Canelo Alvarez (48-1-1, 34 KOs) scored yet another thunderous knockout as he headlined as the A-side for the first time on Mexican Independence Day weekend. And yet — so what?

The Pay-Per-View card was an unmitigated disaster, and Canelo’s post-fight interview — both the questions and answers — was Kafkaesque. The t-shirt Canelo Alvarez wore as he entered the arena (more on that later) was downright hysterical, and throughout the fight it was impossible not to notice how massive Canelo is, which only confirms that the plan to gradually build him into a legitimate 160-pounder is a smokescreen.

But despite all this, Canelo Alvarez proved, yet again, that he’s a fantastic fighter — an especially frustrating fact because it’s so easy to be disillusioned with the Mexican star and his handlers right now. Throughout his career, Canelo has demonstrated a refreshing willingness to make bold professional choices, but he’s now on the verge of sliding into an arrogant state of entitlement. With that, here are three takeaways from last night’s circus.

ARLINGTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 17: Liam Smith, left, fights Canelo Alvarez, right, during the WBO Junior Middleweight World fight at AT

Canelo Alvarez is a complete, elite fighter

Regardless of how one feels about the Gennady Golovkin fiasco, one cannot deny that Canelo Alvarez has steadily developed into a genuinely elite fighter. Often mistakenly characterized as merely a brutal offensive juggernaut, Canelo has honed multiple facets of his craft, particularly his ability to counterpunch and fight off his back foot.

Against Liam Smith, Canelo Alvarez consistently found a home for his sharp right uppercut and merciless body attack. He may also be one of the best combination punchers in the sport, with unusual and crafty pairings like his right hand to the body/right uppercut, which scored with regularity and power. Canelo’s jab was also employed with accuracy and intelligence, reinforcing how adept he’s become at setting traps.

Canelo consistently lured Smith into a false sense of security when he’d retreat to the ropes, ripping hooks when Smith would open up. Smith became particularly enamoured with landing his left hook, which is what created a pathway for Canelo’s right hand (to the body, down the pipe and as an uppercut).

Smith, naturally, was selected as a foe because he plays right into Canelo’s hands. An upright fighter whose tight guard is the extent of his defense, Smith’s compact and stationary presence allowed Canelo to land combinations at will with the knowledge that Smith wouldn’t be able to match him with effective or damaging return fire. And yet, one couldn’t help but be impressed at how Canelo slipped punches and rolled with Smith’s shots along the ropes.

And what about the knockout? Canelo Alvarez obliterated Liam Smith with a left hook to the body — a finish that will be in contention for Knockout of the Year. There are few fighters (Gennady Golovkin is one of them) who can produce such devastating body work. Canelo’s power is real, and it is enhanced by refined technique and impeccable balance. Canelo’s no brawler, and that’s a good thing.

ARLINGTON, TX – SEPTEMBER 17: Canelo Alvarez, left, fights with Liam Smith, right, during the WBO Junior Middleweight World fight at AT

Liam Smith has a future at the championship level

There’s no shame in losing to a pound-for-pound talent like Canelo Alvarez, and Liam Smith can certainly hang his hat on the game effort he produced until a left hook to the body crumpled him like a razed skyscraper. And while Smith will never be one of boxing’s best regardless of weight class, he can most certainly occupy a spot in the junior middleweight top-10 for years to come.

Although he was eventually broken down, Smith absorbed some tremendous punishment with impressive resilience, fighting back with skill and and admirable instincts instead of retreating into a defensive shell. Smith clearly won a couple of rounds before the stoppage and was able to have genuine success off his front foot.

What proved to be Smith’s undoing, other than a stationary defense, was his inability to bother Canelo Alvarez with his power or set traps to create optimal punching angles. Whenever Smith did well to force Canelo to retreat to the ropes, his attack was far too basic: left hooks to the body and an attempt to set up a massive overhand right.

And yet, Smith can throw solid combinations and commits to body punching. He’s rugged and brave, and he wasn’t even slightly intimidated by the partisan crowd of 50,000-plus rabidly screaming for their Mexican idol. Junior middleweight is talent-laden and filled with slick fighters, which could cause Smith problems, but against someone who doesn’t hit as hard as Canelo, the Liverpudlian could very well wind up being the victorious bully.

If anything, Liam Smith won himself some Stateside fans. He dealt with Canelo’s petulance of insisting on walking to the ring second — a distinction typically reserved for the champion — with class, rose from two knockdowns before getting stopped, dealt with multiple facial lacerations and didn’t make excuses post-fight. Bravo.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA – MAY 07: Former professional boxer and founder of Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar De La Hoya (L) and Canelo Alvarez pose with the WBC Middleweight belt during the WBC middleweight title fight at T-Mobile Arena on May 7, 2016 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)

Canelo Alvarez, Golden Boy and HBO need to get a clue

2016 has been a lean year for HBO Boxing, with underwhelming marquee cards and the best match-ups — other than Sergey Kovalev-Andre Ward — failing to materialize. Canelo Alvarez has remained loyal to the network, but last night’s card from Arlington, Texas, was an embarrassing Canelo ego stroke.

For a main event that no one was asking for, the least Golden Boy Promotions and HBO could have done was stack the undercard. But no — of course not. Fans were expected to shell out over $60 to watch three plodding mismatches. Look, Diego De La Hoya-Luis Orlando Del Valle, Joseph Diaz-Andrew Cancio and Willie Monroe Jr.-Gabriel Rosado are all fine fights under different circumstances — with different circumstances being the operative phrase. Boxing fans deserve better.

And then there was Canelo Avalrez — the challenger who had to be on the left side of the promotional poster and who had to walk to the ring second. Canelo even had the audacity to wear a t-shirt that read, “Canelo never backs down.”

But Canelo Alvarez’s delusional fashion choice was only a prelude to Max Kellerman’s bizarre post-fight interview — one where he seemed to gleefully throw Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya under the bus, placing exclusive blame on Canelo’s handlers for the ongoing Golovkin fiasco. (There is some credence to this given Canelo’s past willingness to face the best, but the way Kellerman proceeded seemed too charitable to Canelo.)

Moreover, in what appeared to be a mistranslation, Canelo Alvarez’s interpreter stated that Golden Boy and Team Canelo had made Gennady Golovkin an even more lucrative offer that he allegedly failed to respond to. Oh, really?

Tom Loeffler of K2 Promotions and Gennady Golovkin are shockingly sane negotiators, which only highlights the delusional nature of Team Canelo’s ludicrous claims (interpreter included). In terms of driving the narrative of the Golovkin fight, Canelo Alvarez and co. continue to trip over themselves. At this point, it would be far easier to respect Canelo if he just straight up said he has no interest in the risks that Golovkin presents at this particular stage of his career.

But what’s maddening, and insulting, is the incessant posturing from both Canelo Alvarez and Oscar De La Hoya. Golden Boy Promotions likes to think they adhere to the ideal of “the best fighting the best,” which, to be fair, they have backed up on multiple occasions. Of course, boxing is most certainly a business, but the need for De La Hoya to keep trumpeting this “noble” claim and stunts like Canelo’s t-shirt are hollow statements — akin to a peacock unfurling its tail feathers only to then scamper away.

Canelo Alvarez is someone every boxing fan should be happy to admire; unfortunately, Canelo is making that more difficult by the day. He’s a truly excellent fighter and has an undeniable aura despite being a complete dial tone. He resonates and he captivates. These are all virtues, but at the end of the day, does any of it matter if he doesn’t live up to his own standards?

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