Saunders vs. Canelo Recap: No, it Wasn’t Close

In the end, it wasn’t that close.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (56-1-2, 38 KOs) took the next step in his quest to become the undisputed super-middleweight champion Saturday night, when he defeated Billy Joe Saunders via 8th round TKO in front of a sellout crowd of 73,126 at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

“I’m coming, man. I’m coming for the belt. I hope that fight is made easy and we give the fans that fight.” – Canelo Alvarez

Saunders (30-1, 14 KOs) did not come out of his corner after the 8th round, and was immediately transported to the hospital with a suspected broken right orbital bone, courtesy of a vicious Canelo uppercut.

As soon as he hit Saunders with that shot, Alvarez said he knew the end was near. “I know he’s not coming out because I broke his cheek,” he told his trainer, Eddy Reynoso.

All three judges had Canelo leading (78-74, 78-74, 77-75) at the time of the stoppage.

Saunders, for his part, did an admirable job of sticking to his game plan, and it seemed to work for brief stretches. Canelo, however, made the necessary adjustments and once again proved why he is considered one of the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world.

With the WBA (Super), WBC, WBO, and The Ring titles now in tow, Alvarez turns his attention to a unification bout with IBF champion Caleb Plant (21-0, 12 KOs).

“That’s the plan, to go for the belt,” Alvarez said after the fight. “I’m coming, man. I’m coming for the belt. I hope that fight is made easy and we give the fans that fight.”

Saturday’s fight set a new U.S. record for an indoor boxing event, eclipsing the Muhammad Ali – Leon Spinks rematch in 1978. That fight took place at the Superdome in New Orleans, and attracted a crowd of 63,350.