What happened to Canelos counter punching skills?

[GrandpaBernard]

Bivol boxed so well that all Alvarez could do was be a puncher

[i_am_a_champ]

Did you even watch the fight?

Are you ******?

[blowblow]

his counter punching skills got countered.. that's it..

[MONGOOSE66]

Seems like he fell in love with his power. He use to have a jab, great head movement and counter punching ability.

Its called “controlling the distance. Bivol did an exellent job of doing so. He also surprised me that h would hook with Canelo. Over all, what I noticed most was that Bivol could NOT BE HURT by Canelo. He’s just too big.

[GrandpaBernard]

when faced with a more skilled opponent

fighters often get limited to looking for that one big punch

[Ronn]

Are you ******?

So you didn't watch the fight? Couldn't you afford it or something? lmao

[Biolink]

He still is a great counter puncher IMO. Bivol was just a step ahead of him last night and nullified it. Canelo loads up too much, and he has a tendency to drop his hands after loading up on the shot. He would throw 1 shot and walk back in a straight line with his hands down. Bivol would come back with 3-4 punches to counter it.

Bivol wasn't falling for the playing possum act either and was countering Canelo's (1-punch) counter left hook with right hands, and left hooks. Fallen in love with his power I think is a pretty accurate description. He just ran into someone with a higher boxing IQ

[Szef]

It's the size. Size and weight classes matter. Canelo is small even for 168 and doesn't belong at 175. Things tactically that Bivol did fighters in lower weight classes can't get away with it against Canelo. Bivol was never hurt by any shots even when canelo landed clean shots guys at lower weights couldn't take. Only pain he mentioned was Canelo shots to his shoulder. Canelo won titles in 4 weight classes which is hard to do when you start at these higher weights and finally giving up all these physical advantages to men naturally much bigger caught up.

Bivol is not some alltime great skilled fighter and he's not p4p more skilled then canelo but he's much bigger and skilled enough to beat this version canelo that shouldn't be at 175. History is littered with examples of a good big man beating a great little man. Size and weight classes matter

Canelo did NOT land ANY punches that guys at lower weights couldn't take, nevermind Bivol.

He landed the uppercut like 5 times maybe, and his previous opponents did eat that without getting hurt. And those were the best punches he landed on Bivol.

Bivol's footwork was they key to his victory. Canelo couldn't find his range and look confused and frustrated af after round 5.

[elfag]

canelo used speed and skill to overcome these guys size advantages at 168.

problem is when you get a highly skilled, quick guy who also has the size advantage, you get what we got last night.

canelo can still beat all the guys 168 and below. those guys dont have what bivol has.

[elfag]

Excellent point about range, that was another deciding factor. Most of Bivol's shots when he opened up and fired back was keeping Canelo at the end of his punches. The shorter man in Canelo who is more flat footed could not also close the distance and Bivols footwork was brilliant. He did not take step wrong

This is true, when he let his hands go in combos, he was at range, he is a smart fighter, very aware of the distance, if canelo tried to counter he could easily get out of range, he doesnt overcommit like everyone else canelo fought. And if he landed a good combination he didnt go wild trying to follow it up, he let those points count for what they were, built up a huge lead over canelo over time.