Floyd Mayweather Jr. beats Canelo Alvarez: round-by-round recap

LAS VEGAS -- Floyd Mayweather Jr. outclassed the younger Saul “Canelo” Alvarez by majority decision Saturday night, out-jabbing, out-working and out-moving the Mexican star.

Judge C.J. Ross questionably scored the bout 114-114, but judge Dave Moretti had it 116-112 for Mayweather Jr. and Canadian judge Craig Metcalfe had it 117-111 for the now 45-0 Mayweather.

Mayweather, 36, repeatedly beat the 23-year-old Alvarez (42-1-1) to take his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Assn. lightmiddleweight belts, saying afterward it was one of his finest performances.

“He’s very elusive,” Alvarez said. “Very intelligent, frustration was getting in there. He’s a great fighter.”

ROUND 1

“Canelo” gets a kiss from his trainer Chepo Reynoso, and is alone with Mayweather. Mayweather jabs. Lands two lefts to body. Mayweather jab to body. To head. Canelo jabs to body. Mayweather backs from Canelo right at body. Chants of Canelo! Good right by Alvarez. Mayweather triple jab. Canelo answers with two rights to body. Mayweather 10-9

ROUND 2

Canelo jab to face lands. Maywweather squeezes in a right to body. Backs away, leaving Canelo to punch at air. Exchange of jabs. Canelo good right to body. Good left to face by Mayweather. He jabs to body and backs up. Canelo misses a hard left. Canelo misses, this was the plan. Good jabs by Canelo. Mayweather rushes body. Mayweather 10-9

ROUND 3

Canelo jabs to body. He must use it more. Canelo jab blocked. Mayweather backs up awkwardly staying away from Canelo power. Wants no part of it. Canelo right to body. Mayweather jab to face. Good right to face by Mayweather. Good jab to head by Mayweather. Jab and back. Canelo gets in two lefts. Both miss. Canelo right to body. Mayweather 10-9

ROUND 4

Canelo left toward head blocked. He gets hit by right to head trying to come in, again. Low blow Canelo. Mayweather angered. Canelo won’t touch gloves after. Remembers Victor Ortiz. Canelo right to body, Mayweather answers with combination. Canelo lefts to body, right to face. Mayweather jabs. Mayweather combo to body, right to head. Ducking and dodging. Mayweather 10-9

ROUND 5

Mayweather smacks Alvarez in head with right. Hard right to face by Mayweather. Jab to head Mayweather. More. Good right, darts away. Good rights by both fighters. Canelo face reddening. Good left to face by Floyd. Canelo jabs, but gets hit by body combination. Canelo left eye puffing. The kid’s struggling to penetrate the master. Mayweather 10-9

ROUND 6

Mayweather jab to face. Alvarez more assertive. Lands two nice rights to face. Mayweather ducks another. Canelo lifts and carries Mayweather to ropes, sign of frustration. Good left to face by Mayweather. Good right Canelo. Three nice rights by Mayweather. Canelo power can’t find target cleanly. Right by Mayweather to face, good overhand right by Mayweather. Action intensifies. Mayweather escapes with another round. Mayweather 10-9

ROUND 7

Canelo left to body. Mayweather jab to head. Triple jab to face by Mayweather. Again, with a right to body. Good right uppercut to jaw by Mayweather. Hard left and right. Canelo fading. But comes back with clean right. Mayweather lands jab and moves, ducks down. The kid is struggling here. Mayweather 10-9

ROUND 8

Good Canelo combination to body and head. He jabs. Good Mayweather jab holding Canelo’s arm. Mayweather jab and slip away. Two good Mayweather jabs. Canelo left to gut. Has Mayweather on ropes and lands good right, Mayweather’s out of there. Canelo lets rip power combinations, but accepts two very hard rights to face. Good overhand right by Mayweather. Mayweather 10-9

ROUND 9

Canelo jabs and goes to body. Hard right to face by Mayweather. Combination to head by Floyd. Two very good rights, second very stiff, to Canelo’s mug. Canelo a little wobbled. Mayweather jab. Again and again. Already the talk begins, “He’ll bounce back, he’s only 23.” Mayweather too precise again. Mayweather 10-9

ROUND 10

Good power right by Canelo. Another, but he eats a bigger right in exchange. Canelo jab scores. Canelo combination doesn’t stick. Mayweather jab to body, left uppercut to face. He hammers Mayweather against ropes with right, but Mayweather exits scene rapidly. Four straight Mayweather jabs to face. Mayweather 10-9

ROUND 11

Mayweather jab to head. Canelo right to body. Canelo misses hard right. Punches connected: 202-101 for Mayweather right now. Hard left by Mayweather. Again. He whips a jab to Canelo’s face. Hard right to head by Canelo, and he’s getting in good blows against Mayweather in Canelo corner. Mayweather escapes. Canelo swings and misses. Moves off right uppercut by Canelo. Close round. Mayweather 10-9

ROUND 12

Chants of Canelo! ringing hollow. He may have gotten a few rounds from judges, but has been outclassed here. Jabs by Mayweather. Mayweather jab and backs. Canelo can’t catch him. Some boos. Mayweather runs to Canelo. Jabs away some more. Canelo rights don’t phase Mayweather. He’s dancing in last 10 seconds. He should have easy win as Canelo walks away demoralized. Mayweather 10-9

Majority decision: Judges C.J. Ross 114-114 Dave Moretti 116-112 and Craig Metcalfe 117-111 score it for Mayweather