Canelo Álvarez v Billy Joe Saunders: WBA/WBC/WBO super middleweight title unification – live!

Both Álvarez (167.4lbs) and Saunders (167.8lbs) came in under the division limit at Friday’s weigh-in outside AT&T Stadium. It was a mostly uneventful affair with not much in the way of theatrics during the traditional staredown that followed.

“I’ve been in big fights before, I have the experience to deal with it,” Álvarez said afterward in Spanish through an interpreter. “He’s a difficult fighter and a southpaw, but at this level you have to adjust to anything and everything. I’m ready for anything. I expect a hard fight, especially in the beginning rounds.”

Said Saunders, who’s been brimming with confidence throughout the run-up: “I have the belief, I have the spirit … I have the winning mentality. I don’t come here to lay down, I come here to win. I don’t think Álvarez has faced a man with as much heart and determination to win as me. It’s gonna be a good fight. He’s a great champion, but to be honest with you, I’ve come here to take all of these titles and take them by storm.”

He added: “I haven’t lost since 2008. I’m 30-0 and unbeaten. So therefore, he has to do something differently to beat me, not the other way around. … The key to this fight, obviously everyone’s got to be on their A-game and bring their best to the table. As long as I bring my fighting spirit and my brain, I’ve got it.”

Good evening and welcome to AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for tonight’s super middleweight title unification fight between Canelo Álvarez and Billy Joe Saunders. Álvarez, boxing’s biggest star and pound-for-pound No 1, is looking to add Saunders’ WBO title at 168lbs to his own WBA and WBC straps – and the 30-year-old from Guadalajara is a hot favorite to do just that as he returns to the ring for the third time in five months.

Souleymane Cissokho has just won a split decision over Kieron Conway in their 10-round junior middleweight bout, meaning we have one undercard fight to go before the main event: as Elwin Soto defends his WBO junior flyweight strap against Katsunari Takayama in a scheduled 12-rounder. That one should be under way any moment now with Álvarez and Saunders due to make their ringwalks shortly after.