Canelo Alvarez stops Rocky Fielding, and becomes a 3-division champion

Canelo Alvarez overmatched Rocky Fielding, and knocked him down four times to become the WBA super middleweight champion.

Canelo Alvarez (51-1-2, 35KOs) envisioned history when he moved up in weight to challenge Rocky Fielding (27-2, 15KOs) for his WBA secondary super middleweight title. Alvarez wanted to become one of only a few Mexican boxers to hold titles in three weight divisions, and he accomplished it in dramatic fashion.

Alvarez finished Fielding by third-round knockout to become the new WBA super middleweight champion in front of a sold out Madison Square Garden. He banged Fielding to the body early on, and it was only a sign of things to come for the defending champion.

As the first bell sounded, Alvarez came out ready to attack. He landed a hard left hook to Fielding’s body about a minute into the opening round. With Fielding against the ropes, Alvarez then found the body again with a right hook.

Fielding threw combinations from the inside, but couldn’t land anything clean. As he threw a left uppercut, Alvarez countered with another left hook to the body. Fielding then went down on one knee against the canvas with 1 minute, 20 seconds left in the round. Alvarez landed a good right hand at the sound of the bell to close the first round.

The pro Canelo crowd began to chant Mexico to start the second round. Alvarez continued to fire away at Fielding’s body and landed a right hook, followed by a left hook. Fielding took a few steps back and was on the retreat after Alvarez landed another left to the body.

Alvarez went upstairs against Fielding this time and landed two left uppercuts. He then went back to the same left hook he had been using all night against Fielding’s body. Fielding showed heart by fighting back off the ropes, but Alvarez snuck another left hook to his ribs.

Fielding took another knee to the canvas for the second time with 27 seconds left in the second round. He managed to get up and keep his distance from Alvarez to make it out of the round.

In the third round, Fielding found himself in hostile territory again with his back against the ropes. Alvarez took advantage with a right hook, followed by a left hook to Fielding’s body. Fielding took the fight to Alvarez on the inside, then Alvarez stopped his assault with a right uppercut.

Alvarez hammered Fielding with another left hook to the body, then a right hand upstairs. Fielding went down in front of his corner after taking the shot, with 47 seconds left. He again put his heart on display by beating referee Ricky Gonzalez’s count.

Alvarez immediately hit Fielding with a left uppercut, and banged Fielding’s body with another left hook. Fielding retreated and took a knee to the canvas for the fourth time. Gonzalez felt he had seen enough and called a stoppage at 2 minutes, 38 seconds of the third round.