It comes as no surprise that Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is a tough man to beat.
With almost 60 fights of professional experience, the Mexican again dominated his opponent. Canelo was coming off the longest layoff of his career, but his performance was unreflective of his time off. Callum Smith showed little resistance, as Alvarez secured the WBA and WBC super-middleweight titles.
At best, Smith looked like an average fighter as Canelo overcame a significant height difference to take a unanimous decision victory.
Alvarez had a clear plan – work the body early until Smith was vulnerable and then get inside to secure a finish. While the fight ended in a decision, Canelo looked strong throughout, as Smith struggled to win a single round.
Reports have suggested that Callum Smith may have dislodged his bicep during the fight, which may have impacted his punching power. Nevertheless, this does not take anything away from Canelo’s dominance throughout.
Per Eddie Hearn, Callum Smith may have suffered a detached bicep at some point during the fight. pic.twitter.com/yQNWpcMfkB
— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) December 20, 2020
This was the Brit’s first loss of his career, and promoter Eddie Hearn was proud of what he could achieve and congratulated free-agent Canelo on his win.
Congratulations @Canelo – P4P King, proud of @CallumSmith23 showed tremendous heart tonight #CaneloSmith @DAZNBoxing
— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) December 20, 2020
Alvarez recently parted ways with Golden Boy Promotions, and it is clear Eddie Hearn aims to take advantage of the Mexican’s free agency. Following the fight, Canelo poked fun at Hearn, saying, “who’s next?”
Canelo may be hinting at a trilogy with Gennady Golovkin or a bout with Billy Joe Saunders, both under Matchroom Boxing Promotions. This is the third time Alvarez has beaten a Matchroom fighter, already dispatching Smith’s older brother Liam with a ninth-round knockout.
The 30-year-old Mexican has proven once again why he is the best active boxer in the world, being able to adjust his game plan to any style. His last two fights being Championship victories at 175 pounds and 168 pounds, impressive for a natural welterweight.
Two judges scored the fight at 119-109, with one judge seeing more of Smith’s activity to score 117-111.
Earlier on the card, young prospect Austin’ Ammo’ Williams dominated Isiah Jones with a comfortable first-round stoppage. Williams hurt his opponent with a left hand and backed Jones into the ropes as the referee interjected to stop the fight. This was the first time Jones had been knocked out in his career.
FIGHT CARD RESULTS:
Canelo def Callum Smith – UD (119-109, 119-109, 117-111)
Marc Castro def Luis Javier Valdes – TKO, Round 3
Frank Sanchez def Julian Fernandez – TKO, Round 7
Raymond Ford def Juan Antonio Lopez – TKO, Round 7
Austin Williams def Isiah Jones – TKO, Round 1
Christian Alan Gomez Duran def Angel Hernandez – KO, Round 3
