Erislandy Lara vs Ramon Alvarez

Erislandy Lara regained a portion of the World Boxing Association super-welterweight championship with a second-round stoppage of Ramon Alvarez at the Minneapolis Armory on August 31, 2019. The contest, scheduled for 12 rounds, ended after two minutes and three seconds of the second. Referee Mark Nelson intervened as Alvarez’s corner was also signalling surrender. A crowd of close to 3,000 watched a match that had been compromised before either man entered the ring.

The vacant WBA “regular” title had become available after Brian Castano relinquished it. Lara had fought Castano to a split draw six months earlier, following his narrow defeat by Jarrett Hurd in their 2018 unification contest. Those results had left the 36-year-old Cuban without a victory in nearly two years, although he remained one of the division’s most accomplished boxers. Alvarez, the older brother of Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, arrived with a record of 28 wins, seven defeats and three draws. His qualifications were less convincing. He had been stopped by Brandon Rios nine months earlier and had required a split decision to defeat Jose Carlos Paz in his following appearance.

Alvarez then failed at the scales, weighing 158½ pounds, four and a half pounds above the championship limit. Lara weighed 153¾ pounds and consequently became the only boxer eligible to win the title. Their weights on the night were reported as 169 pounds for Lara and 177 for Alvarez, leaving the challenger considerably heavier but without the mobility or physical condition to make productive use of the difference. The excess weight also deprived the match of much of its sporting validity.

Lara, a southpaw, took command from the opening bell. Rather than adopting the cautious, retreating style for which he was often criticised, he advanced behind his right jab and straight left. Alvarez remained flat-footed, held his hands high and offered little movement of either the head or upper body. He attempted to counter when Lara stepped into range but was too slow to interrupt the Cuban’s attacks. Lara could therefore set his feet, measure the distance and deliver straight punches without being forced into hurried withdrawals.

The opening round served mainly to establish the difference in speed and accuracy. Alvarez landed little of consequence and had difficulty getting close enough to use his right hand. Lara struck first in most exchanges, occasionally doubling the jab before bringing the left through the centre. The Mexican’s additional weight did not make him stronger in the contest; it merely contributed to his heavy movement. Lara ended the round in full control and showed no concern about standing within punching distance.

The finish developed midway through the second round. Lara drove Alvarez towards the ropes with a succession of accurate punches, including two straight left hands. Alvarez was knocked backwards and fell halfway through the ropes, which prevented him from reaching the floor. Nelson correctly ruled that the ropes had held him up and administered a standing count. The challenger regained his feet but had not recovered sufficiently to defend himself.

Lara moved in immediately when the action resumed. He forced Alvarez back to the ropes and struck with both hands, landing straight punches and short hooks while receiving practically nothing in return. Alvarez covered imperfectly and could neither escape along the ropes nor tie up the champion. Nelson stepped between them as Alvarez’s corner moved to halt the contest. There was no protest of substance from the beaten man, who later accepted the referee’s decision.

The official result was a technical knockout at 2:03 of the second round, improving Lara’s record to 26–3–3. Punch statistics credited him with 33 connections from 96 attempts, while Alvarez landed only seven of 59. Lara had landed the final 19 punches of the bout without reply. The victory returned a WBA belt to the Cuban, but the brevity and one-sided nature of the match said more about Alvarez’s condition than Lara’s standing among the leading super-welterweights. Alvarez had been overweight, slow and overmatched, and the referee’s prompt intervention prevented an unequal contest from becoming unnecessarily damaging.

I found it difficult to accept this fight as a genuine world-title contest. Ramon Alvarez arrived four and a half pounds overweight, entered the ring at 177 pounds and looked completely unprepared for a boxer of Lara’s quality. Being Canelo’s brother helped him secure opportunities his ability did not warrant.

Lara had gone without a victory in two fights, losing narrowly to Jarrett Hurd and drawing with Brian Castano, but he was still an elite technician. Against Alvarez, he barely needed those skills. He stepped forward, found the target with straight left hands and finished matters in the second round after knocking Alvarez through the ropes.

The stoppage was absolutely correct. Alvarez was slow, defenceless and taking clean punches without replying. Lara did his job professionally, but awarding a version of a world championship for this mismatch summed up everything wrong with the WBA’s multiple belts. Lara was world-class; Alvarez was nowhere near it.