A THUNDERING overhand right cracked the jaw of gallant Amir Khan, who moved up two weight divisions to challenge World Boxing Council middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez before a predominantly Mexican Cinco de Mayo crowd at the spanking new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
As a result, the popular Mexican shattered the dreams of Khan and set up a mouth-watering rumble with International Boxing Federation, World Boxing Association champion and WBC Interim champion Gennady Golovkin, who was at ringside to watch the cool, calculating Alvarez end the fight with a single devastating punch.
Khan, using his speed and nifty combinations, took control in the early rounds as Alvarez bided his time with ringside commentators Dough Fischer and heavyweight legend Lennox Lewis, scoring the first four rounds for Khan.
But after a somewhat even fifth round, when Alvarez began to use his power with a hard shot to the left side of Khan’s body, the 2004 British Olympic silver medalist at the age of 17, made the mistake, as pointed out by Lewis, of dropping his hands in the sixth and allowing his foe to unleash a vicious right hand. This sent Khan crashing to the canvas where he bumped the back of his head rather badly.
Alvarez immediately rushed towards the fallen warrior with a look of concern on his face as doctors gathered around Khan, who lay still for a couple of minutes before he recovered and was helped to his corner.
Referee Kenny Bayless didn’t have to count as Khan was out cold. The official time of the KO was 2:36 of the sixth round.
Khan had taken a big shot from Alvarez late in the second round, but didn’t seem to be unduly bothered by the power of the Mexican, who weighed 155 pounds, which was the catch-weight agreed upon at the official weigh in but may have rehydrated to around 170 pounds.
After boxing beautifully behind the left jab and lightning quick combinations, Khan was ahead, 40-36, but Alvarez began to turn things around in the fifth round.
A heavy left from Alvarez caught Khan, who looked stunned for a moment before regaining his composure. But another vicious jab snapped Khan’s head back.
A glancing hook from Alvarez late in Round 5 opened up a cut over the right eye of Khan, forcing his corner to work feverishly to patch it up before the fatal sixth round, when Alvarez, who had obviously been biding his time, nailed the Briton with a perfectly timed right to end the bout in sensational fashion.
“I knew he was very fast and knew it would be competitive in the beginning. But I knew time would come to my favor and you saw that. Many people focus on my power but I have many more qualities in the ring. I like to surprise everyone,” said Alvarez in a post-fight interview.
Khan didn’t make any excuses, but said he is moving back to 147 pounds.
He also asked Alvarez to face Golovkin.
Alvarez invited Golovkin into the ring and said “Like I said in Mexico, we don’t f—k around. We don’t come to play in this sport. I fear no one in this sport.”
As the fans roared, Canelo added “I’ll fight him right now. Let’s put the gloves on and get in there with him.”