Hot shot youngster, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez made the first defense of the WBC Super Welterweight title with a twelfth round stoppage over mandatory challenger Ryan Rhodes in front of over 12,000 partisan fans in Alvarez hometown of Guadalajara, Mexico.
Alvarez began to set the pace over the first three rounds by relaxing while unleashing crisp and quick combination’s that were usually ended with a few to the body. In rounds, four, Alvarez landed a right that was followed by a double and the a little right behind ear sent an off-balance Rhodes to the canvas for the sixth time in his career.
Alvarez continued his combination punch as Rhodes switched from orthodox to southpaw multiple times during most rounds.
Alvarez continued to set a workmanlike pace as he fought in quick bursts about three or four times per round as he knew that Rhodes was no threat as he didn’t fire much of anything back in return.
With the fight never in doubt, Alvarez closed the show in style as he landed some hard shots in the middle of the ring and after nine successive blows the bout was stopped in unison with the towel being thrown in from Rhodes corner forty-eight seconds into the final round.
Alavarez of Guadalajara, Mexico is now 37-0-1 with twenty-seven knockouts. Rhodes of Sheffield, England was making the second attempt at a world title now falls to 45-5.
Adrien Broner scored an emphatic first round stoppage over Jason Litzau in a Super Featherweight bout.
After not much action in the first two minutes, Broner landed a hard right on the ropes that hurt Litzau. Broner jumped on Litzau and landed a couple of wild shots before landing a crunching uppercut that was followed by a left hook that crumpled Litzau to the canvas along the ropes and referee Curtis Thrasher stopped the fight immediately at 2:58 of the opening round.
Broner, 128 1/2 lbs of Cincinnati, OH is now 21-0 with seventeen knockoffs. Litzau, 130 lbs of St. Paul, Minnesota is now 28-3.
