Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez (63-3-2, 39 KOs), the Undisputed Super Middleweight Champion, lost his titles to Terence ‘Bud’ Crawford (42-0, 31 KOs) by unanimous decision after 12 rounds on Saturday night at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
The judges scored the fight 116-112, 115-113, and 115-113 in favor of Crawford. The match began 90 minutes later than scheduled. In the opening round, Canelo chased Crawford around the ring, landing several left hooks to the body, while Crawford responded with a few body punches of his own. In round two, with one minute left, Canelo connected with a strong left hook to the chin, but southpaw Crawford countered quickly with his own left hand to the chin. The round went in Canelo’s favor.
In the third round, Canelo kept cutting off the ring while Crawford moved a lot in the first two minutes. But in the last minute, Crawford stood his ground, and Canelo took the round. In the fourth, Canelo landed a strong right hand on Crawford’s chin as he tried to slip punches, making it another Canelo round. In the fifth, Crawford used his jab well, but Canelo answered with some left shots to the body, which gave him the round again. In the sixth, Crawford moved smartly around the ring, controlling the action with his jab. By the end, Canelo’s right eye was swollen. In the seventh, Crawford’s quick hands and footwork helped him counter Canelo effectively. In the eighth, Crawford kept moving in a very close round.
In round nine, Crawford was doing well until a head clash gave him a small cut over his right eyebrow. In round ten, Crawford stayed a step ahead of Canelo. The eleventh round was very close, but Canelo landed several strong right punches to Crawford’s chin and edged it. In the twelfth and final round, Crawford came back strong, winning the round, which likely secured him the fight or at least a draw. Thomas Taylor was the referee.
In the co-main fights, middleweight Serhii “El Flaco” Bohachuk (26-3, 24 KOs) lost to Brandon “Cannon” Adams (26-4, 16 KOs) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds. The judges scored it 98-92, 98-92, and 99-91. Mark Nelson was the referee.
Elsewhere, WBC interim super middleweight champion Christian “Solide” Mbilli (29-0-1, 24 KOs) fought Lester Martinez (19-0-1, 16 KOs) to a split draw after 10 competitive rounds. Mbilli outboxed Martinez in the opening rounds, but Martinez came back strong in rounds three to seven, landing a big right hand in the sixth. Mbilli regained control in round eight, but the last two rounds saw both fighters trading nonstop punches. The final scores were 97-93 for Martinez, 96-94 for Mbilli, and 95-95, resulting in a draw. Allen Huggins was the referee.
In the heavyweight division, Ivan Dychko (15-1, 14 KOs) suffered his first loss in a controversial decision against Jermaine Franklin Jr. (24-2, 15 KOs).
In the first four rounds, Dychko looked stronger. Franklin fought better in the seventh round, while the eighth and ninth were very close. In the tenth and final round, Dychko finished strong, and Franklin, looking tired, barely made it to the final bell. The judges scored it 98-96 for Dychko, 95-94 for Franklin, and 97-92 for Franklin, with Harvey Dock as the referee.
In the co-main event, junior middleweight southpaw “King” Callum Walsh (15-0, 11 KOs) beat fellow southpaw Fernando “El Feroz” Vargas Jr. (17-1, 15 KOs) by unanimous decision after 10 rounds. Walsh started slightly better, landing more body shots in the first three rounds. Vargas responded well in the fourth. In the fifth, referee Harvey Dock warned Vargas for hitting low. The sixth round was close, with Vargas looking sharp but Walsh finishing stronger. In the seventh, Vargas used his jab well, but Walsh landed more punches to the body. The eighth was tight, Vargas had his moments, but Walsh closed the round better. In the ninth, Walsh continued to outwork Vargas. In the tenth and final round, Walsh landed clean shots and even caused bleeding from Vargas’ mouth, sealing the last round and the win.
The judges scored the fight 99-91, 99-91, and 100-90. In the light heavyweight division, Steven Nelson (20-2, 16 KOs) was stopped in the first round by Raiko Santana (13-4, 7 KOs). At 2:38 of the round, Santana landed a hard right to Nelson’s chin and followed up with punches, leading referee Robert Hoyle to stop the fight—some thought too early.
In the lightweight bout, “Mighty” Mohammed Alakel (6-0, 1 KO) won a 10-round unanimous decision over Travis Crawford (7-5, 2 KOs). Alakel used his reach to dominate the first three rounds. In round five, he bloodied Crawford’s nose with a left hook and kept landing fast punches that Crawford struggled to match. In round eight, Alakel kept control, but in the last seconds of round nine, Crawford shook him with a right hand and won that round. Alakel finished strong in the tenth, going the distance for the first time in his career. The judges scored it 99-91, 99-91, and 98-92. Robert Hoyle was the referee.
In the middleweight fight, Olympic silver medalist Marco “Green” Verde (3-1, 1 KO) stopped “Slink Proper” Akale (9-4, 4 KOs) at 1:11 of round four in a scheduled eight-round fight. Verde knocked Akale down in the first round for an 8-count. By the fourth round, a series of punches forced referee Mark Nelson to end the fight.
In super featherweight action, southpaw Reito Tsutsumi (3-0, 2 KOs) knocked out Javier Martinez (7-3, 4 KOs) at 2:18 of round one. Tsutsumi landed several uppercuts and finished with a left hook to the chin. Referee Allen Huggins counted Martinez out.
In another lightweight contest, Sultan Almohamed (1-0) won his debut, beating Martin Caraballo (0-1-1) on points after four rounds. Referee Thomas Taylor scored it 40-36.
Michael Buffer was the ring announcer for the night.
FAQ
Who won the super middleweight fight between Terence Crawford and Canelo Alvarez?
Terence Crawford won the fight, claiming the undisputed super middleweight title.
How did Crawford win the fight?
Crawford defeated Canelo Alvarez by a decisive performance, dominating the bout and earning the unanimous victory.
What does “undisputed champion” mean?
An undisputed champion holds all major world titles in a weight division, meaning Crawford now controls every recognized super middleweight belt.
Were there any knockdowns or highlights in the fight?
Crawford’s precise boxing, power punches, and strategy were key highlights; the fight was notable for his control and skill over Canelo.
