Canelo Alvarez stops Billy Joe Saunders in unification bout

Canelo Alvarez celebrates after defeating Billy Joe Saunders who did not answer the bell for the eighth round during their fight for Alvarez’s WBC and WBA super middleweight titles and Saunders’ WBO super middleweight title at AT&T Stadium on May 08, 2021 in Arlington, Texas. Al Bello/Getty Images/AFP (Photo by AL BELLO / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA / Getty Images via AFP)

Canelo Alvarez stopped Billy Joe Saunders after eight rounds Saturday night to win their super middleweight unification fight at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

The fight was closely contested until Alvarez landed several punishing blows in the eighth round and began to beckon the record crowd. Saunders’ right eye swelled shut and the fight was called off between the eighth and ninth rounds.

According to Eddie Hearn, Billy Joe Saunders busted his eye socket and his trainer refused to let him go back out. pic.twitter.com/72eH1e4tCC

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 9, 2021

Alvarez improved to 56-1-2 with 37 knockouts, and his latest triumph came in front of an announced crowd of 73,126. That broke the record for the largest indoor crowd for a boxing event that had previously been 63,350 for the Muhammad Ali-Leon Spinks rematch in 1978.

“The fight, as I said, I was winning round by round, it is as I told you,” Alvarez said post-fight, per MMAJunkie.com. “My fight would develop after the sixth and seventh round. I started getting adjusted really quick. I knew that this was going to be the final round.”

“I think I broke his cheek and I knew he wasn’t going to come out.”

Saunders lost for the first time, with the English champion falling to 31-0 with 14 knockouts. He is the seventh English boxer to lose to Alvarez, who has now won seven consecutive bouts since a controversial draw against Gennady Golovkin in 2017.

Alvarez, 31, reiterated after beating Saunders that he plans to fight IBF super middleweight champion Caleb Plant next.

"I'm coming, my friend!"

Canelo has his sights set on Caleb Plant 👑 pic.twitter.com/xGqBY9Qqrm

— DAZN Boxing (@DAZNBoxing) May 9, 2021

“I’m coming, my friend,” the Mexican superstar said.

Alvarez’s only professional defeat came against Floyd Mayweather eight years ago. Saunders is the seventh English challenger he has defeated.

In Saturday’s other title fight, Elwin Soto (19-1, 13 KOs) defended his WBO light flyweight title, stopping Japan’s Katsunari Takayama (32-9, 12 KOs) with 16 seconds remaining in the final round.

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