Bad Left Hook - Canelo vs Lara: Live streams, fight time, updates, round-by-round, and full coverageGlobal Boxing News and Commentaryhttps://cdn.vox-cdn.com/community_logos/47131/backingthepack-fave.png2014-07-21T19:02:23-04:00http://www.badlefthook.com/rss/stream/55460752014-07-21T19:02:23-04:002014-07-21T19:02:23-04:00Canelo-Lara All Access Epilogue
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<figcaption>Josh Hedges</figcaption>
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<p>Canelo Alvarez outpointed Erislandy Lara by a narrow margin on July 12. Check out Showtime's All Access epilogue episode from the fight.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/7/21/5924575/canelo-vs-lara-showtime-all-access-epilogue-episodeScott Christ2014-07-18T10:03:52-04:002014-07-18T10:03:52-04:00Canelo vs Lara dissected (video)
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<figcaption>Ethan Miller</figcaption>
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<p>BLH's boxing analyst Connor Ruebusch breaks down the, unfortunately, underappreciated chess match that took place between Saul "Canelo" Alvarez and Erislandy Lara on July 12th, 2014.</p> <p>It happens with lots of fights.</p>
<p>Two boxers (or what have you--this trend isn't exclusive to pugilism) fight it out, and it is close and competitive down the stretch. A fantastic, if somewhat methodical, fight plays out before our eyes, and when it's all over... half of us hate the judges' decision.</p>
<p>Few things can sour the taste of a good fight more than a split decision, and the moment that Canelo Alvarez officially received the nod from the judges, Canelo vs Lara went from entertaining fight to disappointing controversy.</p>
<p>Worse, still, were the claims of some that the fight was "hard to watch," or "boring." Perhaps this opinion was influenced by Alvarez's own post-fight remarks, wherein he lamented not being able to put on the kind of fight that the fans want to see, and lambasted Lara for "running" the entire time. If this fight seemed dull and uninteresting to you, I don't know what to tell you.</p>
<p>But, instead of berating you, I invite you to join me in rewatching some of the very best sequences from this competitive, high-level bout slowed down, chopped up, and explored in-depth. Alvarez and Lara struggled mightily with one another even when neither was throwing punches, and this battle of wills was played out in the subtle adjustments each man was continually forced to make to wrest control of the fight from his opponent.</p>
<p>If you have trouble with the embedded player, please feel free to watch this video on Youtube <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dF5kkri9fM">here</a>, and while you're over there don't be shy about<a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/MMANationDotCom"> subscribing to MMA Nation</a> for lots more content like this.</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/7/18/5915241/saul-canelo-alvarez-erislandy-lara-boxing-technique-analysis-breakdown-frame-by-frame-videoConnor Ruebusch2014-07-14T14:53:07-04:002014-07-14T14:53:07-04:00Canelo vs GGG next? (Probably not.)
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<figcaption>Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>Oscar De La Hoya says Gennady Golovkin could be the next opponent for Canelo Alvarez. (But probably not.)</p> <p>During an interview following <a href="http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/7/13/5894793/canelo-vs-lara-results-canelo-alvarez-wins-split-decision-in-vegas" target="_blank">Canelo Alvarez's split decision win over Erislandy Lara</a>, promoter Oscar De La Hoya mentioned to Sports Illustrated reporter Chris Mannix that Gennady Golovkin (29-(26)-0) might be next in line for Canelo.</p>
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<p>Oscar De La Hoya drops a fascinating name for Canelo's next: Gennady Golovkin. "GGG is a dangerous fighter. That's what Canelo is about."</p>
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisMannixSI/statuses/488187690341253120">July 13, 2014</a>
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<p><a href="http://www.boxingnews24.com/2014/07/de-la-hoya-talks-golovkin-as-potential-opponent-for-canelo/" target="_blank">Boxing fans and writers are really excited about the prospect of GGG vs. Canelo.</a></p>
<p>Also on the list of future opponents for Canelo are James Kirkland (32(28)-1(1)) and Miguel Cotto (39(32)-4(2)).</p>
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<p>De La Hoya said Canelo will be back in November. GGG, Cotto, James Kirkland are on his list of future opponents.</p>
— Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixSI) <a href="https://twitter.com/ChrisMannixSI/statuses/488187990129119232">July 13, 2014</a>
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<p>It's more likely that Canelo will fight Kirkland or Cotto next than Golovkin. Kirkland or Cotto are more win-able fights for Canelo than Golovkin because Golovkin is a true middleweight while Kirkland, like Canelo, has fought most of his career as a junior middleweight. Cotto has only been at middleweight for one fight, <a href="http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/6/8/5790216/cotto-vs-martinez-live-results-miguel-cotto-dominates-retires-sergio" target="_blank">albeit that one fight was against the Middleweight Champion of the World, and Cotto won</a>. Also, Kirkland and especially Cotto are currently bigger draws than Golovkin.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.sportsworldnews.com/articles/15749/20140714/canelo-alvarez-next-fight-miguel-cotto-best-option-erislandy-lara-rematch-can-happen-when-he-learns-to-fight-video.htm" target="_blank">Chepo Reynoso, Canelo's manager, doesn't seem interested at giving Lara a rematch despite the close decision, and would like to see his charge face Kirkland next:</a></p>
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<p><span>"Kirkland is a great opponent. Canelo has always asked to fight the best and I think it would be a good fight for recognition, before climbing into the ring with Cotto, probably in May. It seems that's how things are being planned," Reynoso said.</span></p>
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<p>There you have it. Canelo's people will try to make Canelo vs. Kirkland happen later this year, and then Canelo vs. Cotto in May 2015. Oscar throwing Golovkin's name into the mix is exciting, but that's like me saying that Adriana Lima is on my list of women to date next. It's not going to happen, though there is a far better chance of Canelo vs. GGG happening somewhere down the line than me dating Adriana Lima. What do you think about Canelo vs. Kirkland, Canelo vs. Cotto, and Canelo vs. Golovkin?</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/7/14/5898753/oscar-de-la-hoya-says-gennady-golovkin-is-on-the-list-of-potentialBen Chan2014-07-13T15:30:03-04:002014-07-13T15:30:03-04:00Herrera wants Garcia rematch
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<p>Mauricio Herrera scored a solid win over Johan Perez last night, and now wants Danny Garcia in a rematch of their controversial bout from March.</p> <p><strong>MAURICIO HERRERA</strong></p>
<p>"I feel great. This is a dream, this is what we came all this way for. We said it, we said we were gonna take the belt, and we did. We felt good and we pulled it off."</p>
<p>"I just wanted to see how he was coming out. I wanted to impress, and I was aggressive at times. That's what I felt we did. We hurt him a couple times, but he was tough. He kept backing away, he was tall, he was hard to get at sometimes."</p>
<p>"I'm slippery. I'm not that easy to hit. I showed that in the past fights. People think I'm easy to hit, but I stood on the ropes and made him miss a couple times."</p>
<p>"I was going for (the KO in round nine). But when we got here for the fight, I'd gotten sick, I got a fever. I couldn't let that ruin my plans. I said, I don't care, I'm gonna go in there. So my energy in there was going up and down. So when I felt hurt, I wanted to attack him, but I ran out of breath for a while. I had to take my time again, and get him hurt later on."</p>
<p>"It's everything. Now we've arrived, we're here. I've graduated to the next level. I'm here to take on any world titlist out there. If Danny Garcia's out there, we'll go after him now."</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/7/13/5895681/mauricio-herrera-wants-garcia-rematch-after-win-over-johan-perezScott Christ2014-07-13T14:45:02-04:002014-07-13T14:45:02-04:00Vargas: Lopez was slow, I'm ready for world title
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<p>Francisco Vargas scored the most notable win of his career last night, <a href="http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/7/12/5894613/canelo-vs-lara-results-francisco-vargas-stops-juan-manuel-lopez-after">stopping Juan Manuel Lopez</a> after three rounds on Showtime PPV.</p> <p><strong>FRANCISCO VARGAS</strong></p>
<p>"My speed was a big factor. He was, I felt, really slow. I think the way I controlled the fight was a big difference as well."</p>
<p>"I knew I had hurt him and that it was just going to be a matter of time. I just wanted to pace myself. I didn't want to get distracted from my game plan. I knew sooner or later I was going to catch him. I just wanted to stick to what I do best, and catch him."</p>
<p>"It's a great feat in itself, beating a guy like JuanMa Lopez, a two-time ex-world champion. This just brings bigger and better fights for me. I'm ready for a world championship."</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/7/13/5895665/francisco-vargas-juanma-was-slow-im-ready-for-a-world-championshipScott Christ2014-07-13T14:00:05-04:002014-07-13T14:00:05-04:00Mares happy with win, says there's more to learn
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<p>Abner Mares was solid in a return to action last night, <a href="http://www.badlefthook.com/2014/7/13/5894793/canelo-vs-lara-results-canelo-alvarez-wins-split-decision-in-vegas">beating Jonathan Oquendo</a> on the Canelo-Lara undercard.</p> <p><strong>ABNER MARES</strong></p>
<p>"I feel good, I feel great to be back. It's been with 11 months, close to a year. I think a lot of things came out that I learned with Virgil Hunter. There's a lot of things left to do, but it's part of the process. It's a learning process, and it will evolve."</p>
<p>[<em>On if he worried about the cut ending the fight</em>] "Yes, yes. At first I thought it was a cut, but obviously I felt that it wasn't. Right away, I don't know if you guys saw it, I came out throwing more punches, because I saw the glow in his eyes. I knew that he wanted to charge and take advantage of the cut eye."</p>
<p>"He was a fighter that was coming forward, never gave up, and those are the type of fights you want. They bring the best out of you. That's what I want. Like I told the guys, you never get no easy fight. I came back strong, and Abner Mares is back."</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/7/13/5895657/abner-mares-happy-with-win-over-oquendo-says-theres-more-work-to-doScott Christ2014-07-13T12:34:17-04:002014-07-13T12:34:17-04:00Photos: Canelo-Lara results
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<figcaption>Esther Lin/SHOWTIME</figcaption>
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<p>Canelo Alvarez, Abner Mares, Francisco Vargas, Mauricio Herrera, and Tomoki Kameda scored big wins last night in Las Vegas.</p> <p><strong>CANELO ALVAREZ</strong></p>
<p>"I came to fight, I didn't come to run here. You don't win by running. You win by hitting. He does have a great jab and he moves around, but you don't win a fight that way. You don't run.<br><br>"I want to leave people with a good taste in their mouth. This wasn't the fight I expected; I wanted to go toe to toe. He didn't come to fight. He came to run. He's a great boxer - I respect him - but he has to learn how to throw more punches." <br><br>"When he learns how to fight then I'll give him the rematch. For now, my birthday is coming and we're going to have fun."<br><br><strong>ERISLANDY LARA</strong><br><br>"One hundred percent I won this fight. I was controlling the rounds and, worse, I made him look bad in front of his fans. People know I won this fight.<br><br>"The body shots connected but they didn't have any force. I still have no respect for him. I'm asking for a rematch. One hundred percent I'll do the same and we'll win again."<br><br><strong>FRANCISCO VARGAS</strong><br><br>"I knew he was hurt but I know he's a warrior. My corner was making preparations to be able to knock him out. I won by throwing combo punches to Lopez's upper and lower body. Once I did that, I knew he had lost control. I'm very happy for this moment. I want to tell everyone that I'm ready for anybody at 130 pounds."<br><br><strong>JUAN MANUEL LOPEZ</strong><br><br>"I wanted to keep fighting - I'm a warrior. But my corner decided it was enough. I really don't know right now if I'm going to retire. I have to sit down with my family and my promoter and decide what the next step will be."<br><br><strong>MAURICIO HERRERA</strong><br><br>"It was difficult at first because he had a very awkward style. It took me a minute to figure it out and he was making me miss a lot of shots at first. But once I relaxed and adjusted to the awkward style I was able to get into rhythm, take control of the fight and put more pressure on him. I felt like I was a hungrier fighter here tonight and that's why I pulled away with the victory. I graduated tonight - graduated to the next level."</p>
<p><strong>JOHAN PEREZ</strong><br><br>"I felt that Mauricio had a difficult style and that it was a close fight. Ultimately, I felt that I won the fight. I am really surprised by the decision and I want an immediate rematch."</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/7/13/5895555/canelo-vs-lara-results-and-photos-july-13-2014Scott Christ2014-07-13T00:54:12-04:002014-07-13T00:54:12-04:00Canelo wins split decision over Lara
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<figcaption>Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports</figcaption>
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<p>The scores are going to be debated, the winner will be debated. Canelo Alvarez took a split decision win over Erislandy Lara tonight on Showtime PPV.</p> <p>Canelo Alvarez got the duke tonight over Erislandy Lara, but there's some controversy, as is often the case, though at least this time, it appeared there was a solid argument for either man to win. Official scores were 115-113 and 117-111 for Canelo, and 115-113 for Lara. BLH had it 115-113 for Lara, while Showtime's Steve Farhood had 115-113 for Lara, as well.</p>
<p>The fight saw several rounds that could have been called swing rounds, as I personally had at least five rounds of the 12 that I felt could have gone either way. I shaded toward Lara, who landed some crisp shots, but absolutely did "run" for much of the fight, while Canelo landed a lot of solid body shots along the way.</p>
<p>Neither Canelo (43-1-1, 31 KO) nor Lara (19-2-2, 12 KO) were particularly effective on offense, as Canelo swung and missed badly several times, while Lara sort of laid back more than you'd like to see. It's arguable that the fight was "stolen" from Lara. It's also arguable that Lara gave the fight away by not being more proactive.</p>
<p>Both fighters said they believed they'd won the fight when asked the hard-hitting question, "Do you think you won the fight?" by Showtime's investigative journalist Jim Gray. Lara said he felt he controlled the fight and made Canelo look bad. Before that, Canelo said he'd give Lara a rematch "when he learns to fight," saying that fights in the pro game in America are not won with running, and that he didn't let his hands go enough. Canelo did say, though, that he respected Lara. Lara added that Canelo's body shots had "no force," though they did connect.</p>
<p>This is certainly going to be debated in the coming days, so how did you score it?</p>
https://www.badlefthook.com/2014/7/13/5894793/canelo-vs-lara-results-canelo-alvarez-wins-split-decision-in-vegasScott Christ