Another high-profile fight ended in controversy. Canelo Alvarez (44-1-1) secured a split-decision victory over Erislandy Lara (19-2-2) on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, though many felt Lara outboxed him.
Golden Boy Promotions has the official scores:
Lara’s quick movements and sharp hands clearly frustrated the 23-year-old Mexican star. However, the 31-year-old Cuban veteran’s evasive tactics might have been too much for two of the judges. Scoring the fight was undoubtedly challenging. ESPN’s Dan Rafael captured the prevailing sentiments:
Here’s how some experts had the fight scored:
Although the SHO Stats numbers don’t tell the entire story, they show a slight edge for Lara, supporting the notion that he deserved the win.
After the fight, Alvarez addressed Lara’s tactics in an interview with Showtime’s Jim Gray through a translator: “I came to fight, not to run. If you want to run, join a marathon.”
Lara felt the judges’ decision was unfair. A minor altercation erupted between the two camps in the ring, underscoring the ongoing tension. Lara’s speed, reach, and tactical boxing dominated the first three rounds, with Alvarez missing more than he landed and Lara mimicking Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s defensive style.
Lara’s precision was evident as he repeatedly snapped Alvarez’s head back. SHO Stats highlighted Alvarez’s poor accuracy through the first three rounds.
In the fourth round, Alvarez began to have success with body shots, landing several hard punches to Lara’s midsection. Alvarez managed to corner his elusive opponent and delivered significant blows during the round.
By the sixth round, the contrasting styles made for an intriguing match-up.
Key questions emerged: How long could Lara maintain his pace? Would Alvarez’s body work pay off later, or would he tire before wearing down Lara?
Alvarez increased his aggression but struggled to control the fight. In the seventh round, he appeared to shift the momentum by opening a deep cut just outside Lara’s right eye, causing blood to stream down Lara’s face almost immediately.
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