Canelo Alvarez and Billy Joe Saunders are one day away from meeting in the center of the ring on Saturday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, for the WBA, WBC, and WBO super-middleweight titles. Before Alvarez and Saunders do battle, they saw each other one more time as they weighed in on Friday at the AT&T Plaza, which is adjacent to AT&T Stadium in front of 5,000 people. And they didn't disappoint.
Saunders (30-0, 14 KOs), the WBO 168-pound champion, stepped on the scale first to loud boos and came in at 167.8 pounds. Alvarez (55-1-2, 37 KOs), the WBA and WBC super-middleweight champion, came up next to a thunderous ovation and tipped the scale at 167.4.
Alvarez and Saunders went nose-to-nose. Neither champion backed off. You could have cut the tension with a knife. Alvarez's head trainer Eddy Reynoso kept attempting to get Canelo away, and he wouldn't budge. The head of Matchroom Boxing, Eddie Hearn, tried to get Alvarez and Saunders to move, but neither would make the first move. Security finally stepped in, and both guys were separated. Saunders held one finger up, and Alvarez shook his head no.
After the intense staredown, Alvarez says he has been in a ton of marquee fights and will be ready for what Saunders brings to the table.
"I'm very thankful everybody came out, and we'll try to give you a good fight," Alvarez said to the fans after the weigh-in. I've been in big fights before. I know how to deal with (Saunders). At this level, you have to adjust to everything."
This is the biggest fight in the career of the two-division world champion. Saunders feels he's got the recipe to dethrone boxing's pound-for-pound king.
"I have the belief, the spirit, the winning mentality," Saunders said to DAZN's Chris Mannix. "Canelo has never faced a man with so much determination. As long as I bring my brain, I've got it. These fans will push me to win."
Here is what happened and what the undercard fights weighed in at Canelo vs. Saunders.