Welcome back fight fans to another video here on The Fight Game.
In our last video of Canelo Alvarez we took a look at 25 times where he showed perfect
skill.
We took a look at various fights featuring moments
where his skill separated him from the rest.
In this video we delve deeper by looking at three particular times where Canelo Alvarez
didn't only score the perfect punch, but the perfect knockout.
The announcement of Canelo Alvarez's fight against Sergey Kovalev came as a surprise
to everyone in the boxing space particularly because of the very apparent size
difference between the two boxers.
Canelo, who's last fight was at 160 pounds against Daniel Jacobs, made the very brave
jump of not one, but two weight divisions up to light-heavyweight, which is 175 pounds.
This is definitely not something we see often in boxing, but when it does happen, all eyes
are watching.
Canelo sought after a world title in what would become his
fourth weight division.
Predictions from the fans varied, most thought Canelo would end the fight with body shots,
but very few predicted a lights-out classical knockout from the Mexican Superstar.
The fight started with Canelo throwing selective hooks and jabs, however we did not see Canelo
slip punches like he did in his previous fight against Jacobs.
Instead, Canelo's strategy was to use a high-guard
defence to block Kovalev's punches instead of head movement.
This allowed Canelo to respond with certain counter-attacks and triggered-attacks.
So while counter-punching can be defined as punching second, triggered-attacks can be
defined as particular attacks that come after particular triggers.
See here.
Commentator: "Good left hook."
Canelo waits for Kovalev to land with the right before throwing the left hook.
He knows there's an opening there because Kovalev's hand was mid-punch, and couldn't
possibly be protecting his face.
The right hand landing on his glove was the trigger for Canelo to throw the left hook.
Here Canelo waits for Kovalev to land with the right hand before unleashing a left hook
to the body.
Here Canelo waits for Kovalev to throw the right before landing a left hook immediately
after.
Here again Kovalev's right hand is the trigger for a powerful left hook.
Canelo was effective in cutting off the ring, but more importantly patient.
Patience is a power-puncher's best friend, and through rounds of wear and tear, Canelo
finally scored a knockout with a selection of attacks.
Commentator: "Oh and he's caught him with a left hand and his balance went completely,
and the referee waves this one over!"
First the signature use of the forearm to align Kovalev up, then the right hand to the
temple, then his signature deceptive left hook, and finally
the straight right hand to finish him off.
I suppose you could call it poetic in it's own pugilistic way.
Canelo's not typically known as a knockout artist, more so as
a powerful counter-puncher, but this knockout really does let you know that when Canelo
lands clean, he's capable of knocking anyone out.
Sure Kovalev was past his prime, but he's a 175 pounder, that fact does not change,
and this victory is one of Canelo's most impressive.
This great triumph would sure spark discussion about who he can now face in addition to the
160 and 168 pound divisions.
Canelo's choices remain plentiful moving forward as he spearheads the next generation of boxers,
as he continues his pursuit of making his claim of calling this era his own.
For the next fight we take a look at his encounter with James Kirkland.
This would be Canelo's third fight at the once-upon-a-time infamous
155-pound catchweight, a division some liked to call caneloweight.
It took place in Houston, Texas, and it was the first fight for Canelo after signing a
contract with historic broadcaster HBO.
It also came one week after Mayweather versus Pacquiao.
Canelo, like a lot of his fights, entered as the favourite, but Kirkland was
a real strong boxer, and fireworks were expected as soon as the first bell rang.
The fight saw thousands of fans in attendance for Canelo Alvarez, and a dramatic victory
was on the agenda.
The fight began with Kirkland coming out aggressively.
Commentator: "Round 1 begins."
Canelo is generally a tough fighter to put on the back foot, but Kirkland succeeded in
getting Canelo to the ropes straight away.
Canelo covered up and remained calm, he knew the pace Kirkland was fighting at
was not sustainable.
Canelo picked his shots, and unlike Kirkland, he landed them precisely.
Commentator: "Kirkland open to the right hand... hard right hand!
Down goes Kirkland!"
In a major turn of events, Canelo knocks Kirkland down with a thudding right hand.
Notice how Canelo almost guides Kirkland into the right hand with his left hook.
After that it was a pure destructive display of his selective counter-combination punching.
Commentator: "Huge right hand!
Left hook to the body, Canelo working, working, John surely looking..."
[BELL RINGS] Canelo never gets carried away with his finishes,
he remains meticulous and never sacrifices technique.
A major difference in this fight was not power, it was defence
and accuracy.
Kirkland is a powerful boxer, but power has no use if it doesn't land on the target.
You only hurt what you hit, and Canelo was beginning to hit a whole lot.
Canelo is also one of the boxers today to utilize his full range of motion while punching.
Canelo remains old school with the full rotation of his punches through the snap of the shoulder.
Commentator: "Right uppercut continues to land... and there's a perfect right hand!
And surely he's going to stop the right!"
And here we have the final knockout blow, the perfect punch.
This punch is one of Canelo's best because we really get to see multiple facets of the
classic boxing playbook at work.
First the planting of the feet to maximise the rotation of the right hook while feinting
to the body to distract downstairs, then the jolt of the shoulder
to initiate the right hook along with the transfer of weight, then the punch landing
perfectly on the chin for the knockout blow, and finally the subtle roll
at the end for defensive responsibility.
Watch how Canelo also sells the feint with his eyes and head level.
This is Boxing 101 at the elite level.
James Kirkland would never fight at world level again.
Our final showcase in this video is one you've probably seen a thousand times already.
We take a look at the battle between Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan.
This fight no doubt garnered attention for the narrative of power versus speed.
Khan, one of the fastest boxers in history, would go up in weight to
fight Canelo at the infamous 155-pound catchweight.
The result seemed inevitable to most, but it was still interesting to entertain the
idea of Khan out-boxing Canelo for 12 rounds with his speed.
It was a brave step for Khan and Canelo had everything to lose.
The fight started as you might expect, Khan moving defensively with Canelo attempting
to cut off the ring.
Khan is a very fast boxer, but to win this he needed to make
zero mistakes, and with a scheduled 36 minute timeframe that was almost impossible.
Khan had his moments in the beginning rounds, but Canelo, being the bigger and physically
stronger guy, seemed relatively unscathed from Khan's punches.
As a boxer tires his movement slows, along with lapses in concentration.
As Canelo began to close the gap he found himself within reach to land counters.
Canelo's defensive skills really went under-appreciated in this fight, to slip the way he did against
a boxer as fast as Khan is extremely impressive.
Here Canelo lands a great left hook, the feint and right hook to the body completely disorientates
Khan, leaving an opening for a very clean left hook.
Here Canelo lands a looping left hook over Khan's lazy defence.
Canelo would continue to gain momentum with more attacks, before finally scoring the so-called
perfect punch.
[CROWD CHEERING] Perhaps the most documented knockout of Canelo
Alvarez's career, and one we'll still be reviewing for the years to come.
Canelo throws a feint to the body, then follows the feint with his head to sneak in a laser-like
right hand to the chin of Khan.
You really don't get much cleaner than that in boxing.
The subtle roll again after the right hand showing defensive responsibility just shows
Canelo's class as a fighter.
Canelo, like with all his opponents, goes to check to make sure Khan is okay.
Boxing is his profession yet he still carries a great amount of dignity in victory.
That was three times where Canelo scored the perfect knockout.
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We'll see you in the next video here on The Fight Game.