Canelo Alvarez (49-1-1, 34 KOs) will make his return to the middleweight division in which he was recently the lineal champion prior to moving back down to super welterweight on Saturday night in Las Vegas when he takes on Gennady “GGG” Golovkin (37-0-0, 33 KOs) for the title of undisputed middleweight champion.
Despite being only 27, Alvarez’s professional career dates back to 2005 when he was only 15 years old and in 2011, at 20, he earned his first major world title. Since then, the Mexican superstar has successfully defended or won world titles nine times in two divisions, with only one loss on his resume, a majority decision loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. Canelo is one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world with a rare combination of power, speed, and technique that makes him capable of going the distance or ending a fight early with his lethal right hand.
Against Golovkin, one of the most dangerous power punchers in any division, there is the expectation for knockdowns and an eventual knockout from one of the fighters. To get ready for the showdown at T-Mobile Arena this Saturday night on HBO PPV, we’re going to look back at the best fights and knockouts from both fighters.
Here, we’re looking at Alvarez’s finest moments in the ring, starting with his destruction of James Kirkland at Minute Maid Park in Houston back in 2015, where he sent Kirkland to the canvas three times in what may have been the most comprehensive and dominant performance of his career.
Alvarez put on an absolute exhibition against a tough but overmatched Kirkland, with brutal body shots along the ropes wearing him down and combinations of vicious hooks and uppercuts that eventually ended in a spectacular knockout that sent Kirkland spinning to the mat.
Next we’ll go back to 2012, when Canelo offered up his best display of power to the body against Josesito Lopez in his fifth title defense at super welterweight.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cu_JaBSNk8A
Alvarez sent Lopez to the canvas on multiple occasions with brutal hooks to the liver and the fight was eventually stopped by referee Joe Cortez in the midst of an onslaught from Canelo with Lopez against the ropes.
Canelo’s most recent knockout was another body shot knockout against Liam Smith to take the WBO super welterweight title in which Alvarez wore down Smith with great body work throughout the fight and finally, for the second time in the bout, took Smith to the ground with a left hook to the liver.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GNmVgmmTxoc
Finally, we’ll return to Canelo’s most famous knockout win against Amir Khan in which he wore down the undersized Khan in his only defense of the middleweight title.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gX3U0bwlI-g
Khan came out fast and his hand speed advantage was evident early, but solid body work and a patient approach eventually paid off late in the sixth round as Canelo landed a vicious right hook that knocked Khan out cold in an emphatic victory.
