Canelo Álvarez managed to maintain his super middleweight championship title by defeating Jermell Charlo on September 30 at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada. On that Saturday night, Álvarez secured a unanimous victory, with judges scoring the fight 119-108, 118-109, and 118-109 in his favour.

Charlo’s decision to move up two weight classes to challenge Álvarez added intrigue to the match. Prior to the highly anticipated bout, Charlo was viewed as a formidable opponent, partly due to his height and size advantage (185cm) over Álvarez (173cm). Once considered the pound-for-pound king, Alvarez lost that status with a defeat to Dmitry Bivol at 175 pounds in May 2022, his first loss since 2013 when Floyd Mayweather defeated him.

Despite concerns about his abilities at age 33 and after 60 pro fights, Alvarez demonstrated his elite status with a convincing win over Jermell Charlo, reaffirming his position as the face of boxing and an all-time great.

Next for Alvarez

Despite Alvarez (60-2-2, 39 KOs) not achieving the knockout he desired, his performance showcased his top-tier skills, with excellent movement, combination punching, and ring control. Throughout the bout, Álvarez displayed dominance, strategically targeting Charlo’s body early on. This is the strategy that he had been preparing for months prior to the match.

“We worked to go to the body. We know he’s a great fighter and he knows how to move in the ring. So we worked that in the gym for three months,” he said. “I feel confident right now. I feel great. I’m happy because I didn’t feel like this for a long time. But now I’m back.”

Despite his confidence, the key question for Alvarez’s next opponents remains uncertain. His originally scheduled bout with Jermall Charlo, Jermell’s twin brother, could be revisited for Cinco De Mayo weekend. 

Another intriguing option is David Benavidez, fresh from a win over Caleb Plant, set to fight Demetrius Andrade on November 25. However, the most exciting possibility could be a showdown with Terence Crawford, boxing’s pound-for-pound top fighter. All the possible bouts will intrigue bettors to place boxing bets with Bitcoin.

Heavyweight champion

Meanwhile, in the heavyweight division, Zhang Zhilei demonstrated his superiority over Joe Joyce with a devastating blow. Zhang secured a decisive victory over Joyce in their rematch on September 23 at OVO Arena Wembley in London, following their first bout in April. 

Joyce’s additional weight in this rematch appeared costly, leading to his defeat. Despite Joyce’s significant power punches, his low connection rate of 12% contributed to Zhang’s win. Zhang rocked Joyce early with several spiteful left hands in the early stages before finishing the contest with a devastating haymaker in the third round.

Zhang retains the WBO Interim Heavyweight Title, positioning him in the world championship picture. This status allows Zhang to remain a prominent heavyweight contender in the pursuit of WBA, IBF, WBO champion Oleksandr Usyk and WBC tyrant Tyson Fury. 

However, Zhang may have to wait for his shot at Usyk due to the latter’s potential unification title fight discussions with Fury. Another match in line for him would be one against IBF mandatory challenger Filip Hrgović. Meanwhile, Joyce may consider a rematch with Daniel Dubois.

Zhang’s newfound stardom in China was evident upon his return after his long stay in New Jersey, where he received an enthusiastic welcome from thousands of fans at the airport.

There were thousands of fans waiting for him with signs and wanting photos. Many people came to greet him, and Zhang had to be escorted by the police at the airport. On his Instagram, Zhang posted a video of himself being mobbed by followers and expressed his gratitude.

“Such an overwhelming moment for me as a boxer and human being. It’s unbelievable to think about how boxing has changed my life,” Zhang said. “Tonight, CHINA stands up! We let the world see what we can do next!”