Fractured thumb rules Canelo out for rest of year
Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez will not fight again this year after sustaining a fractured right thumb in his WBO light-middleweight title fight against Liam Smith on Saturday.
The powerful Mexican took Smith’s belt off him by knocking the Englishman out in the ninth round at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas last weekend.
Alvarez turned his attention to a much talked about super-fight with middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin following his latest success.
That potential bout will have to wait, though, after the 26-year-old’s team, Golden Boy Promotions, revealed that he will not return to the ring in 2016.
A statement from the team said: “Today Canelo Alvarez visited specialist Dr Pedro Jaime Lomeli, after injuring his right hand during his ninth round knockout victory over Liam “Beefy” Smith to win the WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship on September 17, 2016.
“After taking x-rays and conducting a CT scan, the doctor found an avulsion fracture of the right thumb. Canelo does not need surgery and the prognosis is excellent.
“Canelo’s hand will be immobilised for the next six weeks, and he will be unable to fight again in 2016.
“This does nothing to Canelo’s plans to move up and take on the best in the middleweight division next year.”
