Welcome to another installment of UndercarDVR, where we review what you need to see from this week in combat sports. We go fight by fight to see whether it needs to be watched, deleted, or put in fast forward.
“Canelo” Alvarez and Amir Khan headlined an HBO PPV meant to act as a bridging the gap fight of sorts for “Canelo.” Khan was a credible threat as Canelo has struggled with movement and speed before, but was Alvarez able to move a step closer to boxing’s next superfight against Gennady Golovkin? Plus, David Lemieux and Curtis Stevens saw action on the undercard.
Get your remotes ready.
Saul “Canelo” Alvarez defeated Amir Khan by sixth-round KO in a middleweight bout to retain the WBC World Middleweight Championship.
- This was an excellent fight that demonstrated the best of both men. Khan flustered Alvarez early with his movement and even tested Canelo’s chin with his quick punches. Canelo slowly got the feel though and took advantage when it counted. People are criticizing Canelo for the matchmaking here and that’s fair, but he could very well be using this as a bridge for GGG. Khan goes back down to the welterweight title picture after this admirable effort.
- A really good back-and-forth early and it was interesting to see Canelo slowly chip away at the gameplan of Khan until Khan’s offense wasn’t really doing anything here. Then, of course, you have the finish. You can catch that on Vine or something if you are desperate for time, but the set-up and watching one of the finest young fighters in the sport today dissecting a veteran was a thing of beauty. Verdict: Watch.
David Lemieux defeated Glen Tapia by fourth-round TKO in a middleweight bout to win the WBO NABO Middleweight Championship.
- This was a pretty savage one-sider as Lemieux predictably laid it on Tapia. Lemieux likely settles right here. beating some mid-level names and struggling against any elite champions. Still, he did his job and he did it very well. Kudos for Tapia having a corner who knew when enough was enough.
- This was almost hard to watch and it really wasn’t worth an in-depth look considering the mismatch. You can probably sit down through a round to get a feel and go to the finish, unless you really want to see a sound trashing. Verdict: Fast Forward.
Frankie Gomez defeated Mauricio Herrara by unanimous decision in a welterweight bout.
- Gomez looked impressive here as he cruised against the game Herrara. The fight was never competitive, although Herrara stayed in there and fought back. The Golden Boy prospect looked sharp here in an easy unanimous decision victory.
- Depending on what you’re looking for, this is a very watchable showcase for Gomez. He’s probably got bigger potential as we go forward though and would only recommend tape study if you’re a seasoned boxing fanatic. Otherwise, keep your eye out for some nice combos and keep the remote handy. Verdict: Fast Forward.
Curtis Stevens defeated Patrick Teixeira by second-round TKO in a middleweight bout to win the WBC Continental Americas Middleweight Championship.
- Curtis Stevens got back on track here in what was an attempt to set Teixeira up with a win against a beatable name. While Stevens is prone to lapses in defense that can be exploited as he bombs away, he was at his best Saturday night and proved why he’s even more of a treat when showing off his skills.
- A finish that doesn’t even cost you six minutes? Yeah, no-brainer. Verdict: Watch.
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