Canelo Álvarez vs. Erislandy Lara, billed as Honor & Glory, was a professional boxing match contested on 12 July 2014.
Background In April 2014 WBA (Regular) titleholder Erislandy Lara agreed to face former unified light middleweight champion Canelo Álvarez in a bout to be televised on Showtime pay-per-view.
Lara's WBA Regular title was not on the line, as the fight took place at a 155-pound catchweight and both fighters weighed in at precisely 155 lbs. Álvarez rehydrated to 171 lbs while Lara came into the ring at 166 lbs.
The fight Lara came out in dominant fashion, utilizing a stick-and-move style and capturing the early rounds. Although Álvarez struggled with Lara's one-two combinations, Lara's punches weren't thrown with sufficient power or frequency to dissuade him from consistently pressing the fight against a retreating Lara, and he was able to hammer away to Lara's body when he had him on the ropes. Lara's lead hand played a huge role in his one-two combination's effectiveness, but his output dropped as the fight progressed and he became increasingly tentative. Álvarez was able to cut Lara with a lead left uppercut in the seventh round.
After a very close and competitive fight, it went to the judges. Jerry Roth scored it 115–113 for Lara, Dave Moretti scored it 115–113 for Álvarez, and Levi Martinez scored it 117–111 for Álvarez, giving Álvarez a split decision victory. Lara's clean punching, defense, and movement were weighed against Álvarez's effective aggressiveness and power punching.
The final scorecard was controversial as many observers considered it far too wide.
Aftermath Although the decision remains controversial, any talk of a rematch in the future was dismissed by Oscar De La Hoya who went on to say, "No one wants a rematch."
Undercard Confirmed bouts: Winner Loser Weight division/title belt(s) disputed Result Abner Mares Jonathan OquendoFeatherweight (10 rounds)Unanimous decision Francisco Vargas Juan Manuel LópezNABF & WBO International Super featherweight titles (10 rounds)3rd round RTD Mauricio Herrera Johan PerezWBA interim light welterweight titleMajority decisionPreliminary bouts Tomoki Kameda Panya UthokWBO World Bantamweight title7th round KO John Karl Sosa Luis Adrian BelloWelterweight (6 rounds)Split decision Yamaguchi Falcao Jesus CruzSuper middleweight (6 rounds)1st round TKO Jason Quigley Howard ReeceMiddleweight (6 rounds)1st round TKO
Broadcasting Country Broadcaster Main Event BoxNation Showtime
References