ARLINGTON, Texas — In front of more than 73,000 fans at AT&T Stadium on Saturday, Saul “Canelo” Álvarez—the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing and the sports’ biggest star—moved one step closer to history, stopping Billy Joe Saunders to unify three pieces of the super middleweight crown. Let’s dive into the stoppage, my scorecard (hi, social media!) and what’s next for Canelo with three burning questions.
Did Billy Joe Saunders quit?
No—hell no. In the eighth round, Saunders absorbed a vicious uppercut to the right eye that immediately swelled and closed it. Saunders had boxed well to that point (more on that below) but when he went to the corner, it was clear the injury was significant.