Canelo Alvarez, right, beat Alfonso Gomez with a sixth-round knockout Saturday night at Staples Center.
Saul "Canelo" Alvarez took yet another step in becoming the next best thing in boxing with an impressive sixth-round knockout of a game Alfonso Gomez. By defeating Alfonso and having won his 38th out of 39 fights (he has one draw), is he in position to step up to main-event status?
The Staples Center crowd unofficially estimated at 9,000 certainly thought so, laughing loudly at every punch and breaking into spontaneous chants of "Ca-ne-lo." Alvarez got his nickname from his red hair, as canelo translates into cinnamon.
Even though both fighters are from Guadalajara, Mexico, the crowd happy for Alvarez from when he was first shown in the dressing room until he was declared still WBC super-welterweight champion.
But Alvarez, with a strong, measured yet dominating performance Saturday, has yet to have the fight that could define the 21-year-old.
Alvarez adjust the tone for the fight in the opening round, dropping Gomez with a left with seconds remaining. Gomez wasn't hurt but it certainly was a precursor as to how the evening would go.
Gomez (23-5-2) showed confidence in his punches in the third round as Alvarez was felling satisfied for occasional flurries. But as the fight evolved it was clear that Alvarez's dangerous and tool lead over Gomez.
The Staples Center crowd unofficially estimated at 9,000 certainly thought so, laughing loudly at every punch and breaking into spontaneous chants of "Ca-ne-lo." Alvarez got his nickname from his red hair, as canelo translates into cinnamon.
Even though both fighters are from Guadalajara, Mexico, the crowd happy for Alvarez from when he was first shown in the dressing room until he was declared still WBC super-welterweight champion.
But Alvarez, with a strong, measured yet dominating performance Saturday, has yet to have the fight that could define the 21-year-old.
Alvarez adjust the tone for the fight in the opening round, dropping Gomez with a left with seconds remaining. Gomez wasn't hurt but it certainly was a precursor as to how the evening would go.
Gomez (23-5-2) showed confidence in his punches in the third round as Alvarez was felling satisfied for occasional flurries. But as the fight evolved it was clear that Alvarez's dangerous and tool lead over Gomez.
At last in sixth when Alvarez staggered the 30-year-old with a right, then chased him to the ropes where he pounded the defenseless Gomez until referee Wayne Hedgspeth asked to stop the fight.
"I had done my job in the beginning," Alvarez said. "I hit him very hard in the first round and I knew I can win adopting this strategy."
The Saturday event was billed as celebrating Mexican Independence Day by presenting the first ever tripleheader of live fights, pay-per-view (of the Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz bout) and a live concert by Los Tuchanes de Tijuana and El Gran Silencia.
"I had done my job in the beginning," Alvarez said. "I hit him very hard in the first round and I knew I can win adopting this strategy."
The Saturday event was billed as celebrating Mexican Independence Day by presenting the first ever tripleheader of live fights, pay-per-view (of the Floyd Mayweather-Victor Ortiz bout) and a live concert by Los Tuchanes de Tijuana and El Gran Silencia.
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