Álvarez wins after Saunders does not come out for ninthCrowd of 73,126 sets mark for largest US indoor
boxing eventCanelo Álvarez v Billy Joe Saunders – as it happenedThe unforgiving nature of boxing was seen in the white towel that Billy Joe Saunders draped around his head as he walked slowly towards a waiting ambulance late on Saturday night in Arlington,
Texas. He then used the towel to cover his bruised and swollen face.
Twenty minutes earlier, Saunders had cut a similarly forlorn figure in his corner as he told his trainer, Mark Tibbs, he could not see out of his right eye. A brutal uppercut from Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez in the eighth round had caused an immediate and horrible bulge. Saunders knew the damage was significant, both to his eye and to his chances of causing a huge surprise by beating Álvarez in their world super-middleweight unification bout. Tibbs turned to the referee to signal the fight was over before the ninth round could begin.