Alvarez Wins 154-Pound WBC Belt

The Honda Center in Anaheim, California, was buzzing with excitement over the title bout between the 20-year-old Mexican fighter, Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, and British fighter Matthew "Magic" Hatton. Alvarez wins the WBC 154-pound title with a unanimous decision; 118 to 108. It is clear that the Mexican phenom was there to win.

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez

Alvarez had to pay a fine in order to fight as he missed the weight-limit by 1.5 lbs. He was clearly the stronger and heavier puncher of the two fighters. At age 20, he has five years of professional boxing experience. This WBC title win puts Canelo Alvarez's record at 36-0-1, with 26 knock-outs.

Alvarez is a heavy puncher with moderate hand speed. Unlike many heavy-hitters, he is able to land combinations of 6 or more punches. Throughout the fight Alvarez did not seem to care if Hatton hit him or not; El Canelo rarely moves his head. This may be a problem for him when he is matched with a fighter of equal punching ability.

Alvarez does not look like your typical Mexican fighter with his red hair and freckled face. His nickname, Canelo, is the Spanish word for cinnamon. He came to this fight ready for battle. Saul Alvarez outweighed Matthew Hatton by seven pounds and was without a doubt the stronger, more powerful fighter in this match.

Matthew "Magic" Hatton

Hatton was outclassed in this fight. He was the more experienced fighter with a record of 41-6-2. The 29-year-old fighter is not a great technical fighter and he lacks the hard-hitting ability that Alvarez possesses. Right from the start it was clear that this was going to be a tough fight for the British pugilist.

Matthew Hatton is not the first in his family to fight. He is the brother of world champion boxer Ricky Hatton. As the European champion, Matthew Hatton felt he would be able beat Alvarez with speed and experience. After the fight, Hatton told HBO that he would be returning to fight as a welterweight. The 154-pound , light-middleweight class is too heavy for him to fight in.

The Fight

This WBC title bout aired on HBO Monday night, March 6, 2011. It was held at the Honda Center in Anaheim, California. Lou Moret was the referee. Raul Caiz Sr., Jack Reiss and Joel Scobae judged the fight. All three judges scored the fight 119-108, giving Alvarez a unanimous decision.

In the early rounds, Alvarez showed that he was the dominant force in this fight. Round three saw Alvarez draw blood from Hatton's nose. The fourth round saw a cut open over Hatton's left eye. This cut would continue to stay open throughout the remaining eight rounds.

In the 7^th round, Alvarez had a one-point deduction for an illegal punch. Even with the deduction, Hatton did not win the round. By this point in the fight it was clear that Hatton did not have the speed or technical ability to win the fight. This fight demonstrated that Hatton has a great chin and is able to hold his own against bigger, stronger opponents.

From a spectator's standpoint Alvarez and Hatton put on a great show. There were many heated exchanges of punches in every round. Although Alvarez dominated the fight, Hatton performed as a true warrior.

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Sources:

Saul "El Canelo" Alvarez, BoxRec.

Alvarez-Hatton boxing match, aired HBO, March 6, 2011.