Canelo Alvarez def. Erislandy Lara – Split decision (115-113 Lara; 115-113 Canelo; 117-111 Canelo)
Heading into tonight’s PPV main event of Canelo Alvarez vs. Erislandy Lara, many were calling this a 50/50 fight, and that is exactly how it played out. The two men showed that they were very evenly matched in an incredibly close back and forth fight. In the end, it was Canelo Alvarez who took the split decision win.
The story of the fight was one of matador vs. bull. As expected, Lara used excellent movement and footwork to avoid Canelo’s attack, frustrating Canelo at times and landing his own shots. For his part, Canelo pushed forward throughout the fight, focusing much of his attack on Lara’s body by using his excellent left hooks to the body. Many rounds were close and very tough to call, and while a split decision either way is understandable, that 117-111 scorecard for Canelo is sure to draw the ire of many fans. Bloody Elbow’s Brent Brookhouse scored it a draw; I scored it 115-113 for Lara.
Post-fight, Canelo was dismissive of Lara, insulting him for running throughout the fight and saying he would rematch Lara “when he learns how to fight.” When asked about a possible Canelo vs. Cotto fight, he declined to answer. Lara called for an immediate rematch.
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