The Planet Sport Boxing Show: Could Canelo Alvarez move up to heavyweight?
- Planet Sport writer
- 10 May 2021
Mark Smith and Joe Hewlett review the last week of boxing, including whether Jake Paul deserved to receive a black eye from Floyd Mayweather...
It was a jam-packed week of boxing news and there is only one place to start with Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez's return to the ring.
The Mexican unified the super middleweight division with victory over the previously undefeated two-division world champion Billy Joe Saunders.
In front of a record-breaking attendance of 73,126 at the AT&T Stadium, Texas, Canelo delivered a sickening uppercut to Saunders in the eighth-round, forcing trainer Mark Tibbs to retire the Briton on his stall before round nine.
In doing so, Canelo added the WBO strap to his WBA and WBC titles and is expected to face Caleb Plant to determine the division's first undisputed champion on Mexican Independence weekend in September.
Saunders - who sustained a quadripod fracture - is believed to have had surgery on Sunday afternoon and his career is now in jeopardy following the injury.
The question is, who can beat Canelo and could we eventually see him challenging for heavyweight honours?
Elsewhere, Liam Smith tasted the third defeat of his career at the hands of Magomed Kurbanov via unanimous decision.
It was, however, a controversial decision with many believing the away fighter had done enough to win in Russia.
Smith - a former WBO junior middleweight world champion - has also lost to Mexican duo Canelo and Jaime Munguia.
Floyd Mayweather was also in the headlines last week after his media day to promote his upcoming return ended in a brawl.
Mayweather, returning next month to face YouTuber Logan Paul in an exhibition bout, left Jake Paul with a black eye after his hat got snatched from his head.
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