Canelo Alvarez

Canelo Alvarez will get the chance to win a title in a fourth different weight class after he officially signed on to challenge Sergey Kovalev for the WBO light heavyweight title.

ESPN's Dan Rafael confirmed the date and venue for this intriguing fight that will see WBA and WBC middleweight champion Canelo move up two divisions in weight class:

#CaneloKovalev signed, sealed and delivered. Nov. 2 at MGM Grand on @DAZN_USA. Massive fight.

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) September 13, 2019

The fight has been a long time in the making and is sure to be a huge attraction, with Top Rank CEO Bob Arum already outlining what formats any potential rematch may take:

Bob Arum clarified the Canelo-Kovalev rematch clause for me. He said if Kovalev wins, his side has right of first refusal. That means rematch rights would be up for bid. COULD end up on ESPN, but also DAZN again. If Canelo wins, no rematch. #CaneloKovalev

— Keith Idec (@Idecboxing) September 13, 2019

Alvarez, who has held the IBF middleweight strap, has won the WBA Super-middleweight regular title and has previously owned WBA and WBC Light-middleweight championships.

The native of Guadalajara, Mexico, is considered by many, including The Ring magazine, to be among the best pound-for-pound fighters on the planet. Even so, Kovalev represents a significant challenge for the man with 35 knockouts on his professional resume.

Kovalev has knocked out 29 opponents in 38 fights and is a power hitter who relies on a fearsome jab. The Russian will able to use the jab as a weapon since he'll have a height advantage of four inches and a reach one-and-a-half inches longer than his opponent, according to Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports.

Yet at 36, Kovalev also has seven years on his younger opponent, so he is likely going to give up significant speed and movement skills.

As Mike Coppinger of The Athletic has noted, Kovalev is in for a hefty payday no matter the outcome:

Sources: The Sergey Kovalev financial package is worth approximately $12 million. That’s before Main Events takes their cut. Top Rank will also take a portion. He’ll defend his light heavyweight title against Canelo Alvarez on Nov. 2 in Las Vegas on DAZN

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) September 13, 2019

Meanwhile, a portion of history is also at stake for Alvarez, who can join a select group of boxers, which includes Miguel Cotto, Oscar De La Hoya and Roy Jones Jr., to earn a belt in at least four different weight categories.

WBC president Mauricio Sulaiman has cautioned Alvarez to "use his attributes thoroughly" if he's going to handle both the step up in weight and Kovalev's physicality, per Boxing Scene's Miguel Rivera.

Canelo Alvarez and Sergey Kovalev are finalizing a deal for a Nov. 2 bout with the latter fighter's WBO light heavyweight title on the line, according to Mike Coppinger of The Athletic.

If the agreement is completed, DAZN will stream the bout, which will occur in Las Vegas. Per Coppinger, the current venue is unknown, but it won't be in T-Mobile Arena with the NHL's Vegas Golden Knights playing at home that evening.

Alvarez, who is ranked as BoxRec's top pound-for-pound fighter in the world, holds the WBA (super), WBC, The Ring and lineal middleweight titles. He'll have to jump two weight classes for this fight.

The 29-year-old holds a 52-1-2 professional record, with his only loss occurring against undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2013.

Alvarez's last victory came against Daniel Jacobs via unanimous decision in a middleweight title fight on May 4.

The 36-year-old Kovalev sports a 34-3-1 record and most recently knocked out Anthony Yarde to retain his WBO and EBP light heavyweight titles on August 24.

A few experts provided their early takes on the fight, including boxing writer Adam Abramowitz and light heavyweight fighter Andre Ward (who beat Kovalev twice).

I don't think Kovalev is an easy fight for Canelo whatsoever.

— adam abramowitz (@snboxing) September 7, 2019

"I don't have a definite answer, but I can see Canelo stopping him, man," Ward told Keith Idec of Boxing Scene.

"But the only question is how is he gonna get through the reach consistently enough? And then, if he goes up to [175], how much weight is he gonna put on? Is he gonna try to bulk [up]? Is that gonna slow him down? Is he gonna be a target now? I've got more questions than answers right now, so I don't know. ... I can see him stopping Kovalev. If he can get inside and stay inside, it's gonna be a problem."

Kovalev is BoxRec's No. 11 pound-for-pound fighter.

Canelo Alvarez has been stripped of his IBF title after failing to come to a deal for a title defense, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.

The middleweight champion had been negotiating a bout against Sergiy Derevyanchenko, but talks fell through after reportedly being "far apart on the money."

Although the IBF had allowed for multiple postponements for him to agree to one of his mandatory defenses, the deadline passed Monday, and it resulted in the fighter losing his belt.

IBF President Daryl Peoples sent a letter explaining the decision, via Rafael:

"It is crystal clear from the correspondence that on July 26, 2019, [Golden Boy matchmaker] Robert Diaz, on behalf of Golden Boy Promotions, agreed that Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez would relinquish the IBF middleweight championship title, with no further negotiations or purse bid, if there was no completed deal between him and Derevyanchenko by the agreed upon extended deadline of Monday July 29, 2019 at 3 p.m. ET. As of today, August 1, 2019, the IBF has been advised that there is no such deal."

Alvarez most recently fought May 4, defeating Daniel Jacobs by unanimous decision. He improved to 52-1-2 in his career with the victory, also defending his IBF, WBC and WBA middleweight championships.

He was reclassified as a WBC franchise champion in June. 

However, the 29-year-old decided to postpone his usual fight date of September during Mexican Independence Day due to the inability to agree to a new fight.

"As a Mexican, it’s a responsibility and an honor to represent my country in both May and September," he said earlier this month, per Manouk Akopyan of the Los Angeles Times. "Those are my dates. However, as a world champion in multiple weight classes, I also have the responsibility of delivering the most exciting and competitive fights possible."

There were discussions about a possible third fight against Gennady Golovkin, but that hasn't come to fruition either.

Although DAZN had approved Derevyanchenko as an opponent for a future bout, an agreement could not be made before the IBF deadline.

Canelo Alvarez needs the right opponent for his next bout and is willing to wait to find one. It means the boxer, who turns 29 on Thursday, won't fight close to Mexican Independence Day, the way he has for three years running.

Golden Boy Promotions revealed on Wednesday that Alvarez won't step between the ropes Sept. 14, as originally intended, per ESPN. Instead, Alvarez will not appear in the ring until "later in the year."

Alvarez, who hasn't fought since May, explained his decision for passing on a bout in September, per the same source:

"As a Mexican, it's a responsibility and an honor to represent my country in both May and September. Those are my dates. However, as a world champion in multiple weight classes, I also have the responsibility of delivering the most exciting and competitive fights possible. That's why Golden Boy and my team have decided to postpone the date in order to do right by my fans by promoting the best fight possible and with the best opponent possible."

ESPN also noted how Alvarez was talking with Sergey Kovalev, but the WBO light heavyweight champion's people have their sights set on Anthony Yarde. Alvarez was also said to be less than enthused about meeting Gennady Golovkin for a third time.

Kovalev's promoter, Kathy Duva, recently noted how the Russian remains keen to fight Alvarez, per Richard Damerell of Sky Sports.

However, the latter's former trainer Abel Sanchez explained during an interview with Boxing Scene's Ryan Burton how a fight with Kovalev would suit the Mexican best. Sanchez thinks it would only take a shot to the body for Alvarez to put Kovalev down.

The search for the optimal opponent has seen Alvarez and his representatives cast a wide net. It saw the IBF intervene when talks between Alvarez and Sergiy Derevyanchenko failed to materialise:

The IBF on Tuesday ordered a purse bid for the fight between middleweight champion Canelo Alvarez and mandatory challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko and scheduled it for July 23 at noon ET at the IBF offices in Springfield, New Jersey. The IBF made the... https://t.co/zmXQwejqMv

— Dan Rafael (@DanRafael1) July 9, 2019

Golden Boy Promotions have even made offers to WBO duo Jaime Munguia and Demetrius Andrade, according to Boxing Scene.

Gennady Golovkin called for a third fight against rival Saul "Canelo" Alvarez after his knockout win against Steve Rolls on Saturday, saying it's the bout the fans want and that he's ready for it.

The 37-year-old knocked out his opponent in the fourth round, and after the fight, he was asked whom he would like to face next. Per ESPN's Dan Rafael, Golovkin said he wants to complete the Canelo trilogy:

"Everybody knows. The fans know who they want me to fight next. I'm ready for September. I'm ready for Canelo. Just bring him, just ask him. I'm ready. If you want big drama show, please tell him. I'm ready to bring back the big-drama show."

"I believe, because this is boxing. This is boxing business. Why not? The next fight will be amazing for us. I feel right now like the people's champ. It doesn't matter for me. I want to beat him, but [the belts don't] matter. I'm the people's champion."

He also took a shot at Canelo's promoter, Oscar De La Hoya, per sports writer Ryan Songalia:

Gennadiy Golovkin responds to @OscarDeLaHoya’s pre-condition of getting a belt before making a third fight with Canelo Alvarez, says “he talks too much” and won’t get into a Twitter battle with him #GGGRolls pic.twitter.com/LQpwS1XxTE

— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) June 9, 2019

De La Hoya said the plan is to make Golovkin wait for a third fight in an interview with TMZ Sports earlier in June.

Saturday's fight was GGG's first since he suffered the first loss of his career against Canelo in September. He lost that bout by majority decision, an outcome he has disputed, per Rafael.

The judges weren't needed on Saturday:

GGG put him to SLEEP 💤

(via @DAZN_USA)pic.twitter.com/A9TjBApU56

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) June 9, 2019

Rolls came into the fight with a pristine 19-0 record but was not expected to challenge the Kazakh. GGG looked far from his best, showing some rust in the first three rounds, but his trademark overhand right found the target from start to finish.

Sports writer Michael Benson noticed Golovkin wasn't up to his usual standards, and he expects a third fight between him and Canelo:

💥 Gennady Golovkin back with a big fourth-round KO, but looked unusually vulnerable in the opening few rounds. Canelo trilogy seems inevitable for September regardless.

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) June 9, 2019

The two fought to a draw in their first meeting in 2017, an outcome that was just as controversial as their second fight. One of the judges, Adalaide Byrd, was temporarily stood down after turning in a much-derided 118-110 scorecard in favour of the Mexican fighter, per ESPN.com.

Golovkin fought once before the rematch, knocking out Vanes Martirosyan, while Canelo remained inactive. He has fought twice since their second bout, picking up wins over Rocky Fielding and Daniel Jacobs.

The two are among the biggest draws in boxing today, and both sit in The Ring's pound-for-pound top 10. GGG is signed with DAZN, the streaming service that also houses Alvarez, so setting up a third fight between the two should be relatively easy should the middleweight king and De La Hoya be interested.

Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya said he's meeting with Golden Boy Promotions superstar Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in Mexico next week to discuss his next fight, but he doesn't expect the middleweight champion will immediately take on a third battle with Gennady Golovkin.

De La Hoya, the founder of Golden Boy Promotions, told TMZ Sports he understands Triple G is craving another shot at Alvarez but explained his side holds all the cards.

"We'll make him wait," the Olympic gold medalist said. "We'll see. He's the B fighter now. Canelo's the A fighter."

He was more definitive when asked what would happen if the trilogy eventually comes to fruition.

"I think Canelo will knock him out," De La Hoya told TMZ.

His comments come on the heels of Golovkin's own remarks to TMZ last week in which he explained his plans to pursue another matchup with Alvarez after his fight with Steve Rolls on Saturday night.

"Everybody wants it," GGG said.

Golovkin and Alvarez fought each of the past two Septembers.

Their first meeting in 2017 ended in a draw. The rematch last year landed Canelo a controversial victory by majority decision.

Alvarez has returned to the ring twice since the second encounter. He knocked out Rocky Fielding in December and defeated Daniel Jacobs in May to unify the middleweight titles.

Golovkin will be back in action for the first time Saturday as a massive -7,000 favorite against Rolls at Madison Square Garden in New York City, per Vegas Insider.

Triple G's comments suggested there was hope of a third straight September clash between the stars, but De La Hoya doesn't appear to believe it's going to come together that quickly.

Just one week after Andy Ruiz Jr.'s incredible upset over Anthony Joshua at Madison Square Garden, New York, Steve Rolls will be looking to pull off an upset of his own in the historic venue when he takes on Gennady Golovkin in a 164-pound catchweight bout. 

The stakes aren't quite as high this time around at MSG. Unlike Joshua, Golovkin (38-1-1, 34 KOs) isn't defending any titles, nor is his record perfect. Golovkin has Saul "Canelo" Alvarez to thank for that. After fighting to a draw in late 2017 in a world middleweight title clash, the two met in the ring again in September 2018. That time, Alvarez eked out a majority decision in a thrilling contest. 

Alvarez has fought twice since then, his star (and his bank account) continuing to rise. Golovkin, 37, has the unenviable task of trying to regroup while his prime athletic years are well behind him. He's looking for another shot at Alvarez in September, per the Los Angeles Times' Arash Markazki, creating boxing's latest great trilogy. 

Rolls (19-0, 10 KOs) is a tune-up opponent, but he can't be overlooked. He will be looking to capture the same magic as Ruiz, with his promoter Lou DiBella, even going so far as making sure he has the same locker room as the new heavyweight champ, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael. If Golovkin somehow falters here, his six-fight contract with DAZN might end up being filler for the ascendant streaming service.

        

Golovkin vs. Rolls Fight Info

When: Saturday, Jun. 8 at 9 p.m. ET (main card)

Where: Madison Square Garden in New York City

TV: Sky Sports Action (UK)

Live Stream: DAZN (subscription required)

Odds: Golovkin -3300 (bet $3,300 to win $100), Rolls +1400 (bet $100 to win $1,400)

Odds courtesy of OddsChecker.com and updated as of Thursday, Jun. 6 at 7 a.m. ET.

           

Golovkin is at the age where a long break from the ring—nine months, in this case—can either rejuvenate him or give ample time for his natural gifts to erode. The Kazakhstani fighter's calling card has always been his punching power. He looks like any other guy at his weight, but he's made of different stuff. Whatever it is, when his punch is straight and true, it shuts down the power grid. At least it used to. 

At one point, Golovkin stopped 23 guys in a row. In his last four fights, he has just one knockout, against Vanes Martirosyan. The fighter who could pulverize anyone couldn't do it to Alvarez or Daniel Jacobs, although they are two of the toughest boxers out there and far more talented than the majority of Golovkin's victims during his stoppage streak. Golovkin's destruction of Martirosyan was his typical bloody, brutal work.

Golovkin is ready to get back in the ring after a nice break and a new team to work with, but he's not taking anything for granted.

"I had a long break, but I feel right now I'm still smart, and am coming back more strong," said Golovkin, per Rafael. "Of course, Steve Rolls, my opponent—he's an undefeated guy. This is serious business, very dangerous sport. I believe he's ready for Saturday night. This is real life, real fight."

So how dangerous is Rolls? He has an undefeated record, but he's 35 years old and has fought just 19 times as a professional (he fought for several years as an amateur, compiling an 83-14 record). None of his opponents are notable names, and he hasn't exactly torn them apart, with just 10 knockouts in his career.

What the Canadian does have on his side is hunger. For Rolls, who pays the bills as a personal trainer, per ESPN.com's Steve Kim, this is his shot at making a name for himself. He's been patiently waiting for this very moment.

"After my last fight a couple of months ago, I was saying, 'I love doing this, but I've got to make a living. When am I going to break out? When am I going to get that breakout fight that's going to get my name out there?'" Rolls said, per Kim.

If Rolls is to pull off the upset, or even last the full 12 rounds, he's going to have to box very carefully. Golovkin might have some rust to shake off and could be in the mood to bank some rounds. Rolls has a slightly longer reach than Golovkin, so he can try to stay on the outside and pick his spots.

Unfortunately, Rolls doesn't appear to have the power to deter Golovkin, who may have a chin as strong as his fists, considering the hellacious shots he walked through in his fights with Alvarez. Rolls better hope he is made of the same material. 

This fight could start off slow, but expect Golovkin to turn the screws as the fight progresses and finish off Rolls in the middle rounds. Madison Square Garden just saw one upset that blindsided the boxing world, but two in a row seems very unlikely. 

Prediction: Golovkin by TKO in 7th round

Canelo Alvarez defeated Daniel Jacobs in a May 4 world-title unification fight, but instead of basking in the glow of his new IBF belt, Alvarez has been ordered to defend it on or before Aug. 4.

On Wednesday, ESPN.com's Dan Rafael reported the IBF has instructed Alvarez to schedule a "mandatory defense against No. 1 challenger Sergiy Derevyanchenko."

According to Rafael, the IBF sent an email to Alvarez's promotor, Golden Boy Promotions, making its demand and giving the contact information necessary to begin talks with Derevyanchenko's promotor.

The IBF added negotiations between the sides "should commence immediately and be concluded by June 15, 2019."

However, the 28-year-old's next fight is already scheduled for Sept. 14, and he might seek an extension from the IBF. 

"It's really surprising and unfortunate that we didn't get a congratulations letter like we would in the past," Eric Gomez, president of Golden Boy Promotions, said of the IBF, per Rafael. "We will be meeting with Canelo in the next week or so to see what he would like to do." 

By beating Jacobs, Alvarez unified three middleweight world titles. In February, the fighter told Rafael that his goal in 2019 is to "unify all the belts in the division." Demetrius Andrade owns the fourth belt.

Speaking with Lance Pugmire of the Los Angeles Times after beating Jacobs, Alvarez floated Andrade's name as the last remaining middleweight belt owner left to conquer but said the WBO champion's June 29 title defense against Michael Sulecki "might be too close" to arrange a unification in mid-September.

On top of Andrade as a potential opponent, Alvarez might want to schedule a third fight against Gennady Golovkin, who is responsible for one of Alvarez's two career draws. After they drew in 2017, GGG lost to Alvarez in a 2018 majority decision. Alvarez holds a 52-1-2 career record, including 35 knockouts. 

📋 Canelo Alvarez at the age of 28:

👑 WBA Super-Welter
👑 WBC Super-Welter
👑 WBO Super-Welter
👑 Ring Super-Welter
👑 WBA Middle
👑 WBC Middle (x2)
👑 IBF Middle
👑 Ring Middle (x2)
👑 WBA ‘Reg’ Super-Middle pic.twitter.com/ZH4ZqFj3gd

— Ring Magazine (@ringmagazine) May 5, 2019

Following his unanimous-decision win over Jacobs, Alvarez downplayed the notion that there is unfinished business between him and GGG but remained open to another fight, according to CBSSports.com's Brian Campbell. "I'm just looking for the biggest challenge," he said. "If the people want another fight, we'll do another fight and I'll beat him again."

A rematch, it seems, would mean more to GGG, who is set to fight Steve Rolls on June 8 at Madison Square Garden.

I saw no emotions, nothing special today. It was a nice sparring match. Boring. They should have given more to the fans. #CaneloJacobs pic.twitter.com/onBjjV9L1q

— Gennadiy Golovkin (@GGGBoxing) May 5, 2019

"Canelo has expressed interest in fighting in the U.K., and he wants to fight in Mexico," Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya added, according to Pugmire. "Canelo has many options. There's nobody he doesn't want to face. ... Golovkin and Andrade are right here [in the arena] knocking on Canelo's door. We'll sit down, so we can all think it through and make the right decision."

If it's up to the IBF, Derevyanchenko will be the only challenger knocking at Canelo's door. The 33-year-old Ukrainian last beat Jack Culcay by unanimous decision on April 13 and holds a 13-1 overall record. He last had a chance to claim the IBF belt in October but lost in a split decision to Jacobs. 

Should Alvarez and Derevyanchenko's camps fail to strike a deal by the June 15 deadline, the IBF will then give the highest bidder promotional control over the fight, according to Rafael. 

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez told reporters he's not interested in another bout with Gennady Golovkin but believes he would beat him again if fans call for them to fight a third time following his unanimous-decision win over Daniel Jacobs.

Canelo was asked about his rival after he bagged the unification win over Jacobs on Saturday, and he said a third fight against GGG will come down to the fans, per Sporting News:

"For me we're done. But if the people want another fight we'll do it again, and I'll beat him again."

Canelo on another potential fight vs. GGG.#CaneloJacobs pic.twitter.com/83Ir5mDkPY

— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) May 5, 2019

The Mexican unified the middleweight titles in Las Vegas on Saturday, improving his official record to 52-1-2. Jacobs made him work for his win, with the final scorecards reading 115-113, 115-113, and 116-112.

Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn thought a slow start cost Jacobs in a highly competitive fight:

115-113 for me in a high level fight - just the start cost Danny. Congrats Canelo a great Champ and always so proud of DJ - a great man! @DAZN_USA @SkySportsBoxing

— Eddie Hearn (@EddieHearn) May 5, 2019

Per Scott Christ of Bad Left Hook, Canelo's past two fights that went the distance, both against Golovkin, were mired in controversy. The two middleweight kings have met twice, with their first fight scored a draw and their second a majority-decision win for the Mexican.

Sporting News' Brendan Bradford collected reactions from the boxing world after the second fight, and many thought GGG was robbed twice.

The rivalry between the two had been building for years prior to their fights. The two cleaned out the middleweight division but didn't come face-to-face for a long time. Canelo then failed two drug tests after their first bout, earning himself a six-month suspension and casting even more doubt over the result of their draw, per ESPN.com's Dan Rafael.

The 37-year-old Golovkin hasn't fought since their second meeting in September but is set to face Steve Rolls at Madison Square Garden in New York on June 8. Alvarez is 2-0 since their most recent fight, beating Rocky Fielding and now Jacobs.

By taking the IBF strap from the latter, he made Mexican boxing history:

With Canelo Álvarez's victory over Daniel Jacobs tonight, he became the first Mexican champion to hold three major world titles in a single division. Six others attempted the feat but all failed to win. pic.twitter.com/3efvJNWCZx

— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 5, 2019

The Ring ranks both middleweights in the top 10 of its pound-for-pound rankings, and fans never got a satisfactory ending to either of their fights. There will likely be calls for a third bout until one of them retires, even as Golovkin moves further from his prime.

He remains the biggest name in the middleweight division outside of Canelo, and a trilogy bout would likely be the most lucrative option for the unified champion. Billy Joe Saunders and rising star Jermall Charlo are other options.

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (52-1-2, 35 KOs) put on a show on Saturday night in front of a friendly Cinco de Mayo weekend crowd, defeating Daniel Jacobs (35-3, 29 KOs) by a narrow unanimous decision in a world middleweight title unification bout at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Ring's Ryan Songalia had the cards:

Canelo Alvarez defeats Daniel Jacobs by unanimous decision in Las Vegas. Scores were 115-113x2, 116-112, a unanimous decision. Alvarez retains the middleweight championship, annexes Jacobs' IBF belt as well. Scores were fair #CaneloJacobs

— Ryan Songalia (@ryansongalia) May 5, 2019

Alvarez dominated the first half of the fight. His impeccable movement and timing frustrated Jacobs, who had a hard time landing cleanly or at all. In the second half of the bout, Jacobs' physicality and stamina came into play. He was able to swarm Alvarez at times and find openings that were simply unavailable earlier on, but it wasn't enough to make up for the lost ground.

Sporting News' Andreas Hale complimented Alvarez's ability to make fighters miss:

What Canelo does better than just about any fighter is be economical but find a way to land the cleaner punches while avoiding anything significant. It's a unique skill but one that has him convince judges that he wins all the close rounds.

— Andreas Hale (@AndreasHale) May 5, 2019

CompuBox provided the final punch stats:

Final Punch Stats for #CaneloJacobs: pic.twitter.com/ENSSoo4ds2

— CompuBox (@CompuBox) May 5, 2019

This was the second fight for Alvarez as part of his massive contract with sports streaming service DAZN, one of the richest in sports history.

With the win, Alvarez now holds the WBA, WBC and IBF world middleweight titles. The only major title he's missing at 160 pounds is the WBO strap, which belongs to Demetrius Andrade.

It was clear from the start how much respect the two fighters had for each other's ability. Jacobs, taller and with a longer reach, looked to stay behind his jab and keep out of Canelo's range.

Jacobs has seen a lot of rounds in his long career, and Alvarez targeted the body early on, but his best punch at the start was a straight right over the top of Jacobs' jab.

Fox Sports' Mike Coppinger felt a power punch helped him take the third:

Another close round but Canelo shades it. Landed big right uppercut at bell, a punch that should work well for him with taller opponent leaning in. All even. #CaneloJacobs

— Mike Coppinger (@MikeCoppinger) May 5, 2019

Alvarez has grown into a true all-around fighter in his prime. Rather than his offense, it was his sublime defensive work that impressed throughout the night. Alvarez kept the head and body on a swivel, with Jacobs looking like a guy getting shut out on a game of whack-a-mole. All he had to do was pop up from a difficult angle, and Jacobs was wide open for a power shot.

The Los Angeles Times' Lance Pugmire felt Alvarez was dominating by the end of the fifth:

Canelo answering all that Jacobs is throwing at him. Body work is superb, and Canelo showing off head movement. 50-45 Canelo

— Lance Pugmire (@pugboxing) May 5, 2019

Jacobs has rare gifts of his own, as he's one of the few fighters able to switch stances comfortably. He trotted out the southpaw look here and there, and he landed a few good shots from that stance. However, it seemed to do little to dissuade Alvarez from his game plan, calmly walking down Jacobs and countering off the jab.

Welterweight champion Errol Spence Jr. felt Alvarez was in control:

Canelo winning easily to me tho

— Errol Spence (@ErrolSpenceJr) May 5, 2019

CompuBox showed a wide disparity in punches and percentage landed:

Through 8 Rounds:
Canelo — 110/284 (39%)
Jacobs — 76/387 (20%)#CaneloJacobs @DAZN_USA

— CompuBox (@CompuBox) May 5, 2019

Jacobs looked better once he finally started letting his hands go. The eighth could have gone either way, and Jacobs landed one of the best punches of the night in the ninth, snapping Alvarez's head back with a left hook. The movement and timing Alvarez had in the middle rounds had eroded, seemingly because of fatigue, and Jacobs had a much better time of stringing together punches.

Eventually, though, Jacobs ran out of gas and wasn't able to close out the fight in the way he would've needed to sway the judges or get the knockdown. Alvarez struggled at times, but he had most of the answers.

For the 32-year-old Jacobs, it's another night of disappointment on the big stage. He came close to beating Gennady Golovkin in 2017, and this shot against Alvarez likely represented his last chance at getting a signature win. Had he fought Alvarez a couple of years ago, he may have been able to pull this one out, but his best years are behind him.

Alvarez, 28, looks every bit like a fighter taking full advantage of his glory days. He's beaten Triple G and now Jacobs, two of his toughest tests. A trilogy fight with Golovkin would be welcome, or he could go after Andrade and unify the middleweight division.

Another option is going back up to 168 pounds. He ran roughshod over Rocky Fielding in a super middleweight title bout in December. That's life for a complete boxer in the best years of his life. He can go anywhere and do anything.