Boxing Report 5-8-21 Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs Billy Joe Saunders

  

Even after the debacle of watching high school baseball, I still wasn’t done with sports for the day.  I listened to the end of a Rangers game.  They won on a thrilling final play at the plate.  After losing my El Paso affiliate, I’m lucky I could still get an Amarillo one after dark.  I started listening to the Chihuahuas game late.  I also remembered that the El Paso Locomotive was playing soccer on the TV at the same time.  What I was really waiting for though, was tonight’s Cinco de Mayo-ish fight.

 

The baseball game just finished before the fight.  I basically missed hearing the pups losing.  The soccer match had 6’ of extra time!  (When are you people going to learn to just stop the damn clock when play stops on the field?)  El Paso was losing 1-0 to New Mexico United at the time.  I kept flipping between it and the prefight.  Of course, I missed the last minute goal that ended the game in a tie doing so. 

 

I had watched the Andy Ruiz fight last week.  Ruiz is best known as “that fat guy.”  This is true, but he’s also really quick.  The fight was two big heavy guys hitting each other for 12 rounds.  Ruiz won definitively, but not in an interesting fashion.  I was a little skeptical about tonight’s fight, but was desperate to forget about my afternoon at the ballpark. 

 

I wondered where the fight was and was surprised that it was at AT&T (Cowboys) Stadium.  Even more, there was a huge crowd there approaching 80,000.  You can guess they were all there for Canelo.  He was fighting Englishman Billy Joe Saunders.  He was next on Canelo’s hit list in an attempt to unify all the belts in his weight class.  My co-worker Mike thought this was going to be a good fight and that Saunders was no joke. 

 

I was watching on TV Azteca as usual.  The fight was also being broadcast on Televisa.  The prefight was a huge spectacle.  There were three Anthems.  The British one was nice and quick.  The Mexican one was sung by an attractive young woman.  When I asked Mike later, he said she was Pepe Aguilar’s daughter, Angela.  It was extremely long.  Mike said it had defeated many very experienced singers.  I felt like I recognized the US Anthem singer as a Mexican actress or singer.  Mike couldn’t identify her either.  This wasn’t the shortest Anthem either, but she did a good job.  The crowd approved.  The broadcasters loved it.  One of them said, in English, “Only in the America.”  I wish I knew the context of that.

 

The fighters came out in front of an enormous video wall.  Billy Joe came out looking like a member of One Direction on steroids.  Then he started dancing, and I was worried a bunch of other young men would come out dancing with him.  He continued dancing down a long aisle to the ring.  For Canelo, the Mexican Anthem singer came back out with two guys singing a traditional Mexican ballad.  There were, of course, Folklorico dancers and a Mariachi band.  Canelo joined them and danced with the girls.  For one brief, terrifying moment, I thought Canelo might grab a microphone and start singing.  I would have lost my mind, not in a good way.  This is all one hell of a display in any case. 

 

Both fighters passed by a group of guys sitting by the ring in hazmat suits.  I have no idea what that was about.  Most of the people around the ring had masks on.  The other 80,000 people there seemed to living mask-free and loving it.  Michael Buffer got everyone ready to rumble.  The commentators went over the fighters.  Saunders was 30-0.  He’s no joke, even with the dancing.  Canelo was 55-1-2.  He looked particularly rocked up for the fight.

 

First Round: Both fighters spent the first round mostly feeling each other out.  Saunders was more aggressive, but Canelo did punch him into the ropes.  I gavee Canelo the round.  (Usual disclaimer: I’m not any sort of actual boxing judge.  I’m just going by what I’m seeing.)  Carl’s Jr. was advertising their Godzilla burger versus their King Kong burger.  I wonder what’s on them?  Mike thought the Godzilla probably had some hot chili on it.

 

Second Round: Canelo got in a head shot and the crowd roared.  Saunders clenched with Canelo.  Saunders was constantly probing with his punches.  Canelo was waiting and then striking in spots.  Saunders got in a good shot, but Canelo followed with another blow to the head.  Saunders was staggered.  Canelo took the round.

 

Third Round: Saunders was dancing.  I mean this nearly literally as he orbited around Canelo in the center of the ring.  Like a black hole, Canelo was unmoved waiting for Saunders to fall into his terminal gravity well.  Canelo got in a few short, quick, but damaging blows.  Canelo.

 

Fourth Round: Saunders got in a good headshot.  Canelo now charged at him like an angry bull.  The pitch of the crowd’s noise went up.  Saunders unleashed a flurry of blows as Canelo put his guard up.  Canelo then took a big swing and missed.  Saunders pushed himself into the ropes unassisted, as he seemed to cringe at Canelo’s next punch before he made it.  Saunders still took the offensive to finish the round.  I gave the round to Saunders.  The TV guys gave it to Canelo.

 

Fifth Round: The boxers started feeling each other out again, a bit more wary.  Canelo took a couple of angry swings.  Saunders got in another headshot.  Both fighters rested on each others’ shoulders for a moment.  Saunders landed in more punches consistently, though Canelo did force Saunders into the ropes with a good hit.  The TV crew and I gave the round to Saunders. 

 

Sixth Round: The Luis Miguel telenovela was advertised during the fight along with the burgers.  That could be interesting.  Saunders jumped up on the ropes before the round to either excite his fans (how ever many were there) and/or to taunt the Canelo fans.  The fighters clenched up and took some jabs at each other.  The ref was not been getting overly involved in breaking them apart.  They collapsed in exhaustion on each other on the ropes.  Saunders got in a shot to Canelo’s jaw.  Canelo missed a big uppercut.  Saunders stuck out his tongue at him.  This round was really close.  Me and the TV crew split again.  I gave it to Saunders; TV gave it to Canelo.

 

Seventh Round: Saunders was taking some shots to the head and abs.  Canelo put him in a headlock for the second time in the match.  I counted the first time as incidental.  This was more purposeful.  The crowd’s noise seemed to become a rhythmic drone.  Saunders kept dropping his guard daring Canelo to swing at him.  This was interesting.  I gave Canelo the round, but the TV gave it to Saunders.  Maybe I missed something.

 

Eighth Round: Nike was running a commercial in English during the fight.  Even with the Spanish subtitles, I doubt it was going over well with the Mexican audience.  The fighters wrapped up early.  Canelo penetrated with some punches.  Saunders wrapped up around Canelo’s waist.  Saunders seemed to be hurting as he wrapped up again.  Saunders took a big shot to the gut that seemed to lift him off the canvas.  The crowd was howling.  Canelo stepped back and waved his arms to them.  Keep it up!  An exhausted Saunders took another gut shot.  Canelo definitely. 

 

The coverage came back from commercial showing Saunder’s corner.  They ended the fight.  Saunder’s right eye was swollen shut.  Mike told me in the phone call afterward that his orbital bone was broken.  No wonder he looked like he was in pain.  Canelo wins via TKO.  He has now unified four belts with one remaining.

 

Saunder’s little head games pissed Canelo off a bit, but didn’t take him off his game.  Saunders was quick and could hit hard, but couldn’t take the punches, not even from the beginning.  Mike told me that Saunders had insisted on a larger ring for the fight to suit his style, but Canelo commanded the center of the ring.  Saunders was going to have to come to him and survive the hits to have a chance.

 

When I called Mike, my first question was, “Why am I not hearing Laiza screaming?”  His Canelo-loving girlfriend had already gotten that out of her system before I called.  She had multiple offers for free tickets to the fight.  Unfortunately, nobody in her department with the county was allowed to take vacations at this time of the year.  How do I get contacts that constantly offer me free tickets to major sporting events?  Mike also mentioned that the cheapest plane tickets to Dallas from El Paso were $400 one way.  The price on Monday would be $200.

 

Okay, that made me feel better about my afternoon.  We await Canelo’s September bout.