RCM Boxing Weekend Recap: Canelo Decisions Smith, Headbutts Ruin Van Heerden and Payano
By Robert Brizel, Head Real Combat Media Boxing Correspondent
San Antonio, TX (December 20th, 2020)– Using looping jabs and accurate power uppercuts with Callum Smith caught on the ropes frequently, Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez won the World Boxing Association Super World Super Middleweight title from Smith, and the vacant World Boxing Council World Super Middleweight titles in the main event at Alamodome, San Antonio, Texas, Saturday night, December 19, 2020.
An acknowledged four-division champion, Alvarez, 54-1-2 with 36 knockouts, gave away seven inches in height and seven and a half inches in reach, but effectively came forward and got inside on the bigger man. Alvarez threw more and landed more, but really never had any shot at getting the 6’3″ Smith out of there. Smith threw punches in bunches, and some long jabs and power shots in the center ring, but remained cautious because Canelo frequently trapped him along the ropes and land power shots inside. Smith rolled to his left along the ropes and out of trouble, as Canelo did not cut off the ring. Canelo never tried to overpower the bigger man, just beat him. Smith, 27-1 with 19 knockouts, considered to be the best fighter in the world at 168 pounds, had a few good rounds and did better than the scoring indicated.
The WBC belt won by Canelo stripped from David Benavidez in August 2020 after he missed weight for his WBC super middleweight title defense against Ramer Alexis Angulo, who he stopped in the tenth round. Alvarez must fight a mandatory WBC title defense against number one contender Avni Yildirim within 90 days, or possibly Benavidez is Yildirim turns the bout down, or Canelo will get stripped of the 168 pounds WBC belt. Fighting against in March 2021 would be beneficial for Canelo in terms of activity, meeting his contractual obligations, would give the diehard fight fans some great entertainment, which has been mostly absent during the COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus pandemic.
Real Combat Media scored the bout 116-112 for Canelo Alvarez.
San Antonio Results
Result: Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez Win 12 Callum Smith, Super Middleweights
Alvarez wins WBA Super World Super Middleweight title
Alvarez wins vacant WBC World Super Middleweight title
Scoring: 117-111, 119-109, 119-109 Alvarez. Referee: Jon Schorle
Alamodome Undercard Bouts
Frank Sanchez TKO 7 Julian Fernandez, Heavyweights (1:35)
17-0 Cuban Sanchez sent late sub for Fernandez through the ropes on his back out cold with his legs dangling over the bottom ropes, in an ending similar to Rocky Marciano’s eighth-round knockout of Joe Louis in 1951 which ended the career of ‘The Brown Bomber’. Fernandez landed through the ropes unconscious with his back atop of a corner stool.
Christian Alan Gomez Duran KO 3 Angel Hernandez, Welterweights (1:54)
19-2-1 Mexican fighter ‘Ninote’ Duran knocks out 35 bout Texas vet ‘Hitman’ Hernandez.
Raymond Ford TKO 7 Juan Antonio Lopez, Super Featherweights (1:14)
8-0 New Jersey southpaw Ray ‘Savage’ Ford stops Texas fighter called ‘The Wolf’.
Austin Williams TKO 1 Isiah Jones, Middleweights
7-0 Houston prospect Williams made short work of Detroit’s 9-3 Jones. The last five opponents of Jones had a combined record of 35-0 when he fought them, beating only one.
Alexis Eduardo Molina Majority Draw 4 Robert Greenwood, Featherweights
Prospects 8-0 Molina of Mexico, and 5-0 Greenwood of Indiana, battle to a draw.
Marc Castro (Pro Debut) KO 3 Luis Javier Valdes, Super Featherweights (1:59)
Pro debut for 51-3 amateur Castro. Valdez down in second round, knocked out in third.
Mohegan Sun Casino, Uncasville, Connecticut
Jaron Ennis No Decision 2 Chris Van Heerden, Welterweights (2:39)
For vacant International Boxing Organization World Welterweight title
26-0 Philadelphia fighter Ennis and 28-2-1 South African southpaw Van Heerden battle to a No Contest. Referee Johnny Callas waved the bout off after Van Heerden sustained a a bad cut from an accidental headbutt.
Gary Antonio Russell Win Technical Decision 7 Juan Payano, Super Bantamweights (0:01)
18-0 Washington D.C. fighter Russell wins after Dominican fighter Payano suffered a cut from an accidental head butt in round five and eventually was ruled unable to continue.
Reymart Gaballo Win Split Decision 12 Emmanuel Rodriguez, Bantamweights
24-0 Filipino Gaballo wins interim World Boxing Council World Bantamweight title
Benjamin Whitaker Win Majority Decision Zsolt Daranyi, Super Welterweights
Surprise! 14-4 San Antonio local fighter Whitaker, age 36, with a better quality of opposition, upsets 15-0 Hungarian Canadian prospect Daranyi, whose record was padded.
In September 2020, Whitaker also upset 8-0 D’Andre Smith at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
Universum Gym, Hamburg, Germany
Felix Sturm Win 10 Timo Rost, Super Middleweights
45-3-1 former World Boxing Association World Super Middleweight champion Sturm returns to the ring at age 41 after a near five year absence.
Bolero Severeto Prieto, Torrelavega, Cantabria, Spain
Sergio Gabriel Martinez TKO 9 Jussi Koivula, Middleweights
Madrid, Spain Southpaw 53-3-2 former World Middleweight champion Sergio Gabriel ‘Maravilla’ Martinez returns to the ring at age 45. In his second comeback bout win in 2020, Martinez stopped Finland’s 24-8-1 Koivula, age 36, on cuts.
Emperor’s Palace, Kempton Park, Gauteng, South Africa
Johnny Muller Win 10 Akani Phuzi, Cruiserweights
22-9-2 Muller wins WBA Pan African Cruiserweight title over 11-0 Phuzi in minor upset.
English