Canelo Alvarez becomes first undipsuted champion in 168-pound history

History.

It’s Canelo Alvarez’s mantra.

Why helium boxes. What helium wants to make. Why helium wanted to unify the ace middleweight division.

It’s wherefore helium claimed the WBA and WBC ace middleweight titles past December from Callum Smith. Why helium won the WBO rubric successful May from Billy Joe Saunders.

Why helium claimed the IBF rubric from Caleb Plant connected Saturday nighttime astatine MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Alvarez strengthened his progressively impeccable bequest with yet different signature triumph — this 1 by 11th-round method knockout — to go the archetypal undisputed champion successful the past of the 168-pound division. A sellout assemblage of 16,586 erupted astatine the decision of the triumph arsenic Alvarez’s trainer, Eddy Reynoso, paraded the pound-for-pound king astir the ringing atop his shoulders.

The 31-year-old Mexican superstar joins Bernard Hopkins, Jermain Taylor, Terence Crawford, Oleksandr Usyk and Josh Taylor to execute the feat successful the four-belt era.

“It hasn’t been casual to get this point, but with your support, my household and my team, we’ve gotten truly far,” Alvarez said, addressing the assemblage with a golden crown titled atop his head. “This is for everybody, particularly for Mexico.”

Alvarez (57-1-2, 39 knockouts) chooses his challenges astatine this constituent of his storied career. Already a champion astatine inferior middleweight, middleweight and airy heavyweight, helium sought to conquer the ace middleweight divison past twelvemonth and chopped down its 3 reigning champions successful little than 11 months.

First, helium annihilated Smith astatine the Alamodome successful San Antonio, bruising the taller, longer Englishman en way to a unanimous determination victory. Then came Saunders, whom helium dismantled astatine AT&T Stadium successful Dallas by fracturing his orbital to unit an eighth-round stoppage.

Plant was the lone remaining challenger, having possessed the IBF crown and a slick benignant that helped him evade Alvarez for the amended portion of 11 rounds. But it was a substance of clip earlier Alvarez recovered his bushed and broke down the Nashville country autochthonal turned Las Vegan.

Alvarez utilized the archetypal fewer rounds to find his footing arsenic Plant worked his compact, snapping jab. But it would soon beryllium rendered ineffective. The 29-year-old lacked the requisite powerfulness to deter Alvarez, who began stalking Plant astir the ringing and peppering his assemblage with crisp, clubbing hooks.

He landed 53 assemblage punches compared to 13 for Plant (21-1 12 KOs), and softened up the Tennessean successful time.

“He was making it a small difficult. But (trainer) Eddy (Reynoso) said ‘Let’s support with the crippled plan,’ the past fewer rounds,” Alvarez said afterward. “And successful the extremity I got him.”

Alvarez followed a flush near with a close uppercut to driblet Plant aboriginal successful the 11th round, but Plant was crippled capable to get up. At slightest for a small bit. Alvarez pounced a fewer moments aboriginal and unleashed a flurry of powerfulness punches. Referee Russell Mora stopped the combat astatine the 1:05 mark, triggering a rowdy celebration.

Plant was taken to University Medical Center for observation, according to a idiosyncratic with cognition of his health.

“That’s the mode it had to finish,” Alvarez said. “He was already hurt, and I went for the kill.”

Alvarez reigns supreme. Atop the 168-pound part and atop boxing arsenic the sport’s biggest prima and astir prolific talent. In owed time, he’ll place different challenge. Perhaps a determination to airy heavyweight. Perhaps a combat with budding superstar ace middleweight David Benavidez, who returns to the ringing adjacent Saturday successful his autochthonal Phoenix.

But helium didn’t place a people of enactment aft the fight. No request to aft the astir consequential triumph successful a vocation filled with signature performances.

He’s agelong been the world’s champion boxer. He’s yet an undisputed champion.

“He wanted to inactive combat me, helium wanted to inactive continue. And I told him there’s nary shame,” Alvarez said. “We had a large combat today.”

Contact newsman Sam Gordon astatine sgordon@reviewjournal.com. Follow @BySamGordon connected Twitter.