Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez stopped Billy Joe Saunders in the eighth round in Texas to unify the super-middleweight titles.
Britain's Saunders was growing into the fight before a brutal punch to his right eye saw his corner throw in the towel before round nine.
Mexican Alvarez who is now 30-years-old defended his WBC and WBA world super-middleweight titles and took Saunders WBO belt.
The fight took place in front of about 70,000 fans at Texas's AT&T Stadium.
Round 8
You can feel like this will be an important round in terms of momentum. Saunders has an edge to him and is mixing up his angles and forcing clinches to lean all over Canelo.
Good right hand from Canelo but he's unable to use his jab to set anything else up. Nice counter right uppercut from Canelo causes Saunders to stumble back before holding on. That was a big punch.
Saunders' right eye is now a swollen mess. Canelo motions for the crowd to pick things up and Alvarez walks him down. Good right hand to the body. Alvarez taunts his foe and lands a looping right hand.
Saunders' right eye is now a swollen mess. Canelo motions for the crowd to pick things up and Alvarez walks him down. Good right hand to the body. Alvarez taunts his foe and lands a looping right hand.
CANELO IS PUMPING UP THE CROWD.
Saunders needs to hear the bell and go to his corner.
Alvarez hits a straight right hand. The crowd rises to its feet. They can sense something. Left uppercut hits for Alvarez. He is making his move in a big way.
What a round from Canelo!
It appears like Saunders may have an injured right eye. The crowd is booing him for not getting off his stool. The two fighters embrace in the centre of the ring. Either way, he never answered the bell. It's a TKO as Canelo rolls on.
Round 7
Adjustments are the key to victory for any great champion. Let's see if Canelo canstrike next and get Saunders off his game. Saunders covers up to absorb a pair of Canelo right hands against his guard.
They trade shots inside. Quick jabs from Saunders land in close. Saunders drops back to hold distance and scores another stiff jab. Canelo answers with an uppercut. This is high-level stuff.
Saunders is touching him nicely from different angles. He's looking to win these rounds with clean and effective punching and it's working. Not a ton of power on them but he's mixing up movements to make Canelo move his feet.
Good right hand from Canelo as he uncorked it from an awkward side angle.
This round was too close.
Round 6
Replays show Saunders landed his first power shots of any significance. His short shots on the break landed flush and seemed to surprise Alvarez.
Saunders tries to fire up the crowd as we get things going. You love to see that swagger after a tense start. Right uppercut from Canelo hits as they clinch.Pot shotting continues for Saunders. These are the crafty shots he does so well. Big right hand downstairs from Canelo answers.
Saunders made Canelo swing and miss big and he came right back with a good counter hook.
Lead combo from Saunders hits.
This is a heck of an adjustment being made.
Round 5
Saunders busier with his pawing jab to start. Alvarez hits a right hand to the body. He's able to walk Saunders down way too easily here. Double jab from Saunders seemed to surprise Alvarez.
Saunders eats a right uppercut while rushing forward. Looping left-hand hits for Saunders and a jab to the body. Another left hand over the top from Saunders. Supreme confidence here from the unbeaten champion.
Good short left hand from Saunders on the break. Very good surge and Saunders needed it. It was just enough to take the round.Round 4
So far Canelo is settling in on a good rhythm. He's landing the harder and sharper blows. Saunders needs an adjustment.
Big right cross from Canelo. Saunders is frustrated and can't find an angle yet he's calling Canelo on.
Good combo from Saunders to gain back a bit of respect. Alvarez's hand speed has become a major problem for Saunders.
Right uppercut from Canelo lands big and Saunders taunts him again. Beautiful defence from Canelo. Saunders can never really hit at the moment.
Better round for Saunders but still not enough.
Round 3
Slapping jabs from Saunders hit from distance. He hasn't moved nearly as much as we thought. Hard right hand to the body from Canelo.
Lead left hook to the body from Canelo. This is how he wears opponents down. Saunders isn't dynamic enough as of yet and hasn't hit Alvarez with anything of note to dissuade him.
Good job from Alvarez to avoid the jab and counter underneath. Canelo's defence is so underrated because of how easily he can swivel his upper body.
Big right hand off the break from Alvarez. Saunders calls him forward and Canelo hits a hook to the body.
Saunders shakes his head after eating another right hand. Alvarez is in one heck of a groove early. A good counter jab from Alvarez.
Very good start for Canelo. Another round thanks to his defence.
Round 2
This fight should likely play out competitively with judges forced to pick between Saunders activity and Alvarez's power. Good boxing early from Saunders. He jabs twice and holds.
Saunders covers up along the ropes to avoid a body shot but eats a straight right from Canelo. Saunders leaps in and hits the body before holding.
Hard counter shot to the body from Canelo. He comes right back with a lead right downstairs. This is an obvious target for Canelo to slow Saunders down.
Two right uppercuts hit for Canelo and another right causes Saunders to wobble backwards.
Alvarez doing well to establish himself early as a knockout threat. Another hook to the body from Alvarez. Saunders is frustrated but not backing down. Good round for Canelo.
Round 1
Saunders takes the centre of the ring and works from the southpaw stance.
He paws with the jab as Alvarez slowly looks to set up his counter game.
Lead jabs land for Saunders.
Canelo sidesteps a left hand. Left hook to the body from Alvarez.
It's a wide stance for Saunders. He's leaning with the jab but they mostly negotiate distance and circle away.
Good upper body defence from Alvarez to avoid jabs. Another left hook to the body lands for Alvarez. He may very well have the speed advantage. They trade left hands. Canelo corners him and goes to the body again.
Saunders slips home a pair of jabs through the guard. Saunders is the much bigger fighter naturally, you can see that across his back. Big body shot for Canelo. He holds the power advantage despite being smaller.
Close opening round but give it to Canelo for targeting and landing to the body.
Pre-fight updates
- The main event is up next as super-middleweight champions Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders square off for three of four recognized titles at 168 pounds.
- Live cameras in the locker room show Alvarez still getting his gloves put on before the start of the ring walk.
- Heavyweight champion Tyson Fury wearing a shiner on his left eye during a backstage interview as he predicts the upset from his friend and stablemate, Billy Joe Saunders.
- It's national anthem time in front of over 70,000 fans inside AT&T Stadium.
- Huge boos fill the dome for Billy Joe Saunders' entrance and the unbeaten champion is living it up in his moment as he dances on the stage and milks every second of this ring walk.
- Saunders continues to dance and sing his way down the aisle amid all of the boos. This is the biggest fight of his career on the biggest stage possible and he has shown zero fear throughout fight week.
- Michael Buffer begins his in-ring announcements. The crowd remains on its feet.
- Tim Cheatham, Max DeLuca and Glenn Feldman are the judges. Mark Calo-oy is the referee.
- And finally, here comes Canelo. The Mexican star hasn't lost since a 2013 defeat to Floyd Mayweather and has won world titles in four divisions along the way.
- Alvarez has yet to hit the stage that the fighters use to enter the stadium as he awaits a full mariachi band performing on top of it.
- Alvarez appears and the crowd goes wild. He walks to the ring with the same confident look he has carried all fight week. Fireworks galore inside the dome as Alvarez puts on a quite a show before he has even entered the ring.
- Blue trunks with yellow trim and aqua blue gloves for Alvarez. Saunders wears blue and green trunks with yellow gloves.
Fight card results
Stay tuned for the latest news on our radio stations
