Yup - that was a fight.
Those disappointed with last week's fencing contest in Vegas got more than their fill of top notch action this evening as Canelo Alvarez brutally knocked out James Kirkland in what must surely be the fight of the year so far. Give Kirkland this - the man came to fight.
Moving in like a fighter in a black and white film, Kirkland went at Canelo from the go, attacking from a crouched stance and pounding his man on the ropes. Canelo was one cool customer, however. He took the shots, then unleashed harder, more effective blows of his own. Before the first round was over, Kirkland was down and nearly out.
Yet the guy kept coming. Kirkland's ability to take punishment proved to be nothing short of extraordinary on Saturday night. For not only did the man keep fighting through the second - he actually started coming forward and landing again.
It was starting to look in the third like Canelo may have been gassed. Perhaps he was, but he still had enough left in him to knock Kirkland out. And knock the guy out he did, with a thunderous shot that will stand right up there Tommy Hearn's KO of Roberto Duran and Manny Pacqiuao's one shot destruction of Ricky Hatton.
For Kirkland was literally spun by the force of Canelo's blow before falling to the ground in what almost seemed like slow motion, his own blood trailing behind him. It was an incredibly violent moment, one punctuated by the fact that Kirkland seemed like he may have been seriously hurt. Even Canelo stood over him after the fight was called with a look of concern on his face.
Fortunately, Kirkland proved to be okay. Now Canelo can move on to new horizons. They say Miguel Cotto is next, but a match up with a certain Gennady Golovkin may well may make for the first superfight of the post Mayweather-Pacqiuao era.
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