Saul “Canelo” Alvarez landed a devastating right hook to knock out Amir Khan in the sixth round and claim the WBC middleweight title in Las Vegas on Saturday.
After even opening rounds, Mexican Alvarez closed it at 2 minutes, 37 seconds of the sixth when he feigned a left jab before delivering a rattling hook to knock his British opponent cold.
Khan, 29, came to his senses well after the bout had been decided and was taken to hospital. He later tweeted a photograph assuring he was fine.
Photo: Reuters
Alvarez said he proved he was much more than just raw power.
“Like I said from the beginning, I knew he was very fast and knew it would be competitive in the beginning, but I knew time would come to my favor and you saw that,” Alvarez told reporters. “Many people focus on my power and talk to my power, but I have many more qualities in the ring. I like to surprise everyone.”
Following the fight, Alvarez invited WBA-IBF champion Gennady “Triple G” Golovkin into the ring, fueling the growing clamor for a clash between the two.
“I’ll fight him right now. Let’s put the gloves on and get in there with him,” Alvarez said. “I fear no one in this sport.”
Earlier in Manchester, England, Britain’s Anthony Crolla retained his WBA lightweight title with a seventh-round knockout of Ismael Barroso.
The big-hitting Venezuelan made an encouraging start to what was Crolla’s first defense of his world belt, with the Manchester-born boxer showing the signs of some heavy blows come the end of the fourth round, but Crolla rallied in the next and he ended the contest in the seventh when Barroso failed to beat the count after a powerful body shot dropped him to his knees.
“This is my house, and no one comes into it and takes what I’ve got,” Crolla told Sky Sports.
“He thought he was going to get me out of there in three rounds... but I’m improving and I’ve shown that tonight,” he said.
Asked how Saturday’s victory compared to the stoppage defeat of Darleys Perez in November last year which won him the title, Crolla replied: “This might have topped it.”
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