WATCH: Canelo Alvarez finishes Liam Smith with body shot in Round 9

MANILA, Philippines – Saul “Canelo” Alvarez had a triumphant return to the junior middleweight division by knocking out British boxer Liam Smith on Saturday, September 17 (Sunday, September 18 in Manila) at the A&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. 

The 26-year-old Mexican effortlessly dethroned Smith for the WBO junior welterweight championship by delivering a punishing blow to the body in the ninth round.

Alvarez systematically broke Smith down round after round and scored his first knockdown in the seventh period, where he dropped his opponent to the mat with a vicious left hook to the body and an overhand right to the head. 

Smith was knocked off his feet again in the eighth frame with Alvarez’s signature left hook to the ribcage, but “Canelo” wrote the final sentence with an even better left hook to the midsection in Round 9. 

The previously-unbeaten British fighter was reeling in agony after receiving the vicious blow from Alvarez, forcing referee Luis Pabon to step in and halt the contest at 2:48 of the ninth stanza. 

With the impressive victory over Smith, Alvarez improves professional record to 48-1-1 and claims his 38th knockout win in his career. 

Following his conquest of Smith, Alvarez called out middleweight kingpin Gennady Golovkin and accused him of refusing to accept a fight offer 3 times. 

Meanwhile, Smith tastes his first career setback and downgrades to a prizefighting slate of 23-1-1 with 13 KOs. – Rappler.com