Canelo outpoints Daniel Jacobs in Las Vegas to unify the Middleweight titles

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Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez secured a unanimous decision over Daniel Jacobs to add the IBF strap to his collection.

Tonight’s win marks Canelo’s 55th fight in the professional ranks with his sole defeat coming to Floyd Mayweather in 2013.

The five-time World Champion began the brighter, landing fast counters to the head and body of Jacobs, taking the early rounds on the cards.

Despite the Brooklyn born man trying to reply with attacks of his own, Canelo’s flawless upper body movement meant not much was getting through. With a largely Mexican based crowd in full voice at the T Mobile Arena, Canelo continued to look the slicker and Jacobs appeared to be running out of ideas and out of rhythm.

Jacobs retaliates with his own work after a slow start – Image: Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports

Undeterred by the lack of success he was having, the American continued to fire back, switching stances regularly in an attempt to confuse his opponent, managing to land a few hooks. In the eighth round, Jacobs abandoned his stick and move tactics and switched to a high guard, walking forward approach, trying to get Canelo to engage head on.

In the ninth round, Jacobs had his best three minutes of the bout, leading with the eye-catching punch of the fight. Jacobs walked Canelo onto a straight left and hit the Mexican clean on the chin. Displaying his incredible toughness, the three-weight World Champion soaked it up.

With the pace visibly slowing down, ‘Miracle Man’ Jacobs started to assert himself onto the fight, stalking and applying measured pressure on the unified champion.

However, Canelo found his second wind in the championship rounds and managed to regather his composure. When the final bell rung, both men stood up onto opposing ring aprons, confident they had nicked the fight.

The three judges preferred the Mexican’s work and scored it 115-113, 115-113 and 116-112, all unanimously to Canelo.

Saturday night’s victory sets up a potential trilogy with Gennady Golovkin, who was in attendance. When asked about his former foe in the ring, the number one ranked Middleweight was in confident mood:

“For me we are done. But if the people want another fight we’ll do it again and I”ll beat him again. I was born to defend what’s mine and I’ll fight anyone.”

Meanwhile, Danny Jacobs was left to rue a slow start that cost him the victory:

“He’s a tremendous champion, I take my hat off to him, he said. I’ve got to go back and review the tapes. I definitely think it took me a couple of rounds to get my wits about me.

I feel like I gave enough to get the victory, but I’ve got to go back to the tapes and see what happened.”

Cementing himself as one of the pound for pound best in the world, Canelo’s next bout is scheduled for September, where he is set to defend his WBA ‘Super’, WBC and now IBF Middleweight World Titles.

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Football, Boxing and Cricket correspondent from Hampshire, covering southern sport. Editor and Head of Boxing at Prost International. Accreditated EFL & EPL journalist.

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