Canelo Alvarez puts a whipping on Jermell Charlo

In decline?

That was the chatter for months. 

Washed up?

Not on this night.

Canelo Alvarez had something to prove.

Motivation baby. 

Mission accomplished. Alvarez dominated Jermell Charlo for 12 rounds Saturday night at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, NV. 

The decision was unanimous by scores of 119-108 and 118-109 twice. 

Alvarez,33,floored Charlo in round seven. 

The super middleweight champion was in control from the opening round, displaying a sharpness that hadn’t been evident in his last few fights. 

His jab landed all night against the taller Charlo. He bobbed and weaved, firing left hooks that landed on Charlo’s shoulder, midsection, and chin. He was the alpha in there from the opening bell. 

“Nobody can beat this Canelo,” said Álvarez said. “I’m a strong fighter all the time. I’m a strong man.”

Alvarez dug to the body extensively during the 12-rounder. No fluke here.

“We worked for that,” he says. “We worked to go to the body. We know he’s a great fighter, and he knows how to move in the ring. So we worked that in the gym for three months.”

As for Charlo, bigger does not always transfer in the ring. He looked bamboozled and intimidated. As the Brits like to say, Alvarez bossed him. 

“I just felt like I wasn’t me in there,” said Charlo. “I don’t make excuses for myself, so it is what it is. I take my punches and roll with it. It’s boxing. Sometimes you win, sometimes you lose.”

After a slow first round, Alvarez began to stalk Charlo in round two. The Alvarez body attack set up the lone knockdown in round seven. A lopping right clipped Charlo – forcing him to take a knee. Charlo got up and fought back, but the result was anticlimactic. Alvarez cruised home, standing between rounds.  

“I still love boxing,” said Alvarez. “I love boxing so much. Boxing is my life.”

With the victory, Alvarez improved to 60-2-2, with 39 knockouts. 

Charlo dropped to 35-2-1, 19 KOs. 

Alvarez plans to return to the ring next May.