Ashton Sykes

Hard Rock Stadium, Miami

Saul Canelo Alvarez W TKO 3 Avni Yildirim

(WBC/WBA Super Middleweight Titles)

Fight Notes: After Yildirim was dropped in round 3, Yildirim’s corner retired their fighter after the 3rd round. As the bell had not sounded for the 4th round, the fight is declared as a 3rd round TKO victory for Canelo.

Straight after the fight, promoter Eddie Hearn announced that Canelo’s next bout will be on May 8th against unbeaten world champion Britain Billy Joe Saunders.

McWilliams Arroyo W TKO 5 Abraham Rodriguez

(WBC Interim Flyweight Title)

Fight Notes: Bout was scheduled for 12 rounds. Late replacement Rodriguez came in at 12 hours notice with Julio Cesar Martinez out of the fight with a injured hand. Being ranked 12th by the WBC at two weight divisions below meant the WBC sanctioned the interim world title at flyweight.

After a spirited and game effort from a fighter from two divisions below, Rodriguez finally took a knee after a body shot in round 4. Rodriguez’s corner finally pulled their fighter out of the bout in round 5 with Rodriguez taking punishment.

Official time of the stoppage was 1:41 of the 5th round.

Zhilei Zhang MD 10 Jerry Forrest

(Heavyweight)

Fight Notes: Forrest was down at the end of round 1 after a good start. Forrest was down again in rounds 2 and 3. Zhang was deducted a point for intentional continual leaning on Forrest. Bout was declared a majority drawer with scores of 95-93 Forrest, 93-93 x2.

Diego Pacheco W PTS UD 8 Rodolfo Gomez Jr.

(Super Middleweight)

Fight Notes: Scores were 79-73 x3 for a Pacheco unanimous decision win.

Marc Castro W TKO 2  John Moraga

(Super Featherweight)

Fight Notes: Moraga was down in round 1 and 2 times in round 2, prompting the referee to halt the bout. Time of the referees stoppage was 2:29 of the 2nd round. Bout was scheduled for 4 rounds.

Alexis Espino  W 5 Ashton Sykes

(Super Middleweight)

Keyshawn Davis W TKO 2 Lester Brown

Fight Notes: Davis was successful in his professional debut with a good display, forcing the stoppage in the 2nd round.

WBC super middleweight champion Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez rapidly dispatched Turkish contender Avni Yildirim with the minimum of fuss and the  maximum of accurate, eye watering punching power, with a display of bamboozling bazooka fireworks,

Canelo`s gaudy ring entrance at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami was punctuated with rap, zap,  plus lots of flashes,  bangs and flamethrower style flare ups, which took seven sizzling minutes.  By contrast Avni ambled  up to the ring alone.

When the fight started, both boxers  were standing only inches apart.  It was a style which was tailor made for Canelo to wreak untold  havoc.

Avni held his gloves high and cupped them around his face.  This didn’t help him, as he absorbed some hellacious rib ticklers and some head shots which precisely pierced his leaky guard.

Canelo, who feinted several times to seek openings, then went to town in the second round with a left and then a right uppercut, a left right combination, a left to the body and another pinpoint right uppercut. A solitary right in retaliation from Avni, provoked a left right to the head from Canelo, who was dominating, overwhelming and sweeping over the immobile, mesmerized  Turkish challenger, like a tidal wave.

Again feinting to probe the access points to defense, Canelo who has deceptively quick hands, landed a long straight left to Avni`s face straight through his guard, and an even harder straight right, adhering to exactly the  same coordinates. It instantly dropped Avni, who rolled on his back. But  got straight up, out of fighting instinct, defiance and pride, although it was obvious he had been stunned in a similar fashion to receiving a high voltage electric shock.

Canelo then opened up and was momentarily surprised by a stiff counter left hook by Avni, so he upped the tempo with a left right combination, searing right uppercut and a big right hook to the head.

The punches seemed magnetized, Avni was not firing back very  much and he was getting absolutely hammered.

Avni`s Coach Joel Díaz, who was witnessing his fighter being systematically, comprehensively, patiently and surgically  dismantled, clearly saw the looming warning signs, and registered the clarion “Alarm  bells.”

As Avni stoically and pensively sat on his stool, balanced between rounds and suspended reality,  Joel warned  him in no uncertain terms: “One more round! If you don’t show me something…I will stop you. I’m here to take care of you!”

But in the stark  realization that in fact  it was already over, Avni`s corner wisely prudently and humanely stopped a one sided drubbing he didn’t have a cat in Hell’s chance of pulling out of the bag…or fire!

Up next could be southpaw Brit Billy Joe Saunders in May. Likely is that Billy Joe,  would do well to Billy bob and weave, to avoid this heavy, pounding  artillery!

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