The unforgiving nature of boxing was seen in the white towel that Billy Joe Saunders draped around his head as he walked slowly towards a waiting ambulance late on Saturday night in Arlington, Texas. He then used the towel to cover his bruised and swollen face.
Twenty minutes earlier, Saunders had cut a similarly forlorn figure in his corner as he told his trainer, Mark Tibbs, he could not see out of his right eye. A brutal uppercut from Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez in the eighth round had caused an immediate and horrible bulge. Saunders knew the damage was significant, both to his eye and to his chances of causing a huge surprise by beating Álvarez in their world super-middleweight unification bout. Tibbs turned to the referee to signal the fight was over before the ninth round could begin.
As the journey began to the hospital room where Saunders would be examined in the expectation he had sustained a fractured orbital bone, the brash and sometimes obnoxious British fighter had time to reflect on the painful lessons of the week. He had arrived in Texas full of his usual swagger and boasts, and he appeared convinced he would take away Álvarez’s WBA and WBC belts and add them to his own WBO world title.
Saunders had tried various stunts all week. He threatened to pull out of the fight following a dispute over the size of the ring. He spent much of his time trying to provoke Álvarez with crass needling. But, typically, Saunders overstepped the mark when he mocked a Mexican interviewer’s use of English – which seemed a bit rich when his own command of his native language can be wayward.
He remains a skilled operator in the ring. Saunders boxed confidently during the first seven rounds. He moved fluidly and landed flurries of punches to win a few rounds and ensure that, at the end of the seventh, he remained in contention in an interesting fight of contrasting styles. But it was obvious that Álvarez, the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, was untroubled.
Fighting as a southpaw, and often keeping his hands low before flicking out his snaking jab, Saunders kept Álvarez occupied as he stayed off the ropes, where he knew the Mexican would do his most hurtful work. But Saunders is a light puncher compared with Álvarez, who throws much harder and heavier blows – particularly to the body. A bare statistic after the fight told a clear story. Álvarez landed 58 power shots to the 30 thrown by Saunders.
Only one of those punches was needed to alter the entire shape of the contest and of Saunders’s face. Álvarez evaded a right hand from Saunders in round eight and then, with crunching precision, uncorked a devastating right of his own. It was a shuddering uppercut, thrown perfectly by a master of his trade, and it rocked Saunders. His head snapped back and he reeled away in retreat. The damage was visible at once and Álvarez closed in with menacing authority. He knew the fight had changed course and he waved to his roaring supporters, urging them to make even more of a din.
Saunders made it to the end of the round, but all his fiery spirit had evaporated as he trudged to his corner. An attempt was made to stem the swelling but Tibbs soon confirmed that Saunders was a beaten fighter.
Álvarez pummelled his chest in defiance of Saunders, who had upset him during the week and prompted a prediction from the normally restrained Mexican that he would win by a knockout between rounds seven and nine. “It was not as difficult as I expected,” Álvarez said coolly, insisting he had won almost every round. “I think I broke his cheek. He was not coming out [for round nine].”
He paid an emotional tribute to the mainly Mexican crowd of 73,126, which set an attendance record for boxing in an indoor area in the US. Texas has long flouted any Covid-related restrictions but it was still an astonishing turnout. This latest Canelo showpiece was trumpeted as “the night boxing returned” – but, with few masks in the crowd and no social distancing, the health implications during a global pandemic were bluntly ignored.
Eddie Hearn, who promotes both men, was predictably in the corner of the winner and he insisted “the only fight out there” for Álvarez is a final unification contest to clean up the super-middleweight division. Caleb Plant is the IBF title holder. Even before he faced Saunders, Álvarez had said he planned to unify all the belts by beating Plant in September. He reinforced that message in the ring when he turned to the camera, as if talking directly to Plant, and said: “I’m coming. I’m coming, my friend.”
It will be a huge payday for Plant – but one freighted with danger. There are also various obstacles to overcome. Plant is promoted by the notoriously elusive Al Haymon, who might be reluctant to risk him against a supreme champion in Álvarez. It adds to the familiar tangle as Hearn tries to keep the relentless Álvarez happy by securing a fight he wants so badly.
Hearn defended Saunders against allegations that he had quit. “He couldn’t see. He busted his eye socket.”
A long way from the bedlam and hoopla, Saunders sat quietly in the ambulance as it left the arena. He was in that sad and lonely place boxing reserves for those who have had all the big talk beaten out of them. One day, maybe years from now, Canelo Álvarez will probably also end up here but, on Saturday night, his current domination was obvious. He was embraced by his family and friends, by fans and pundits, while everything looked secure in his kingdom.
There was no such joy for Saunders as the ambulance moved through the darkened streets. In hospital he would learn the full extent of the damage he had sustained on a punishing night of boxing.
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