Canelo Alvarez vs Rocky Fielding report: Mexican superstar knocks out Briton in third round of fight
Canelo proved why he was such a huge favourite heading into the bout by outclassing Rocky in New York
The 'real life Rocky story' wasn't to be for Britain's Rocky Fielding on Saturday night in New York, as he was knocked out in the third round by Mexican superstar Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez.
Canelo dropped Rocky in both the first and second rounds of the fight with perfectly-placed left hook body shots, before landing a right hand in the third which put Fielding down on the canvas once again.
Despite bravely staggering to his feet yet again, the 31-year-old couldn't hold his ruthless opponent off any longer and was finished seconds later with another lethal left hook to the liver.
The bout began with Rocky Fielding attempting to make his significant height and reach advantages pay, as he utilised his jab in the opening seconds and appeared unafraid in the face of daunting opposition.
However, Canelo Alvarez's sheer power quickly broke the natural physical barriers between them, as he found his first solid body shot halfway through the first round and sent the Brit to the canvas.
Rocky survived to the end of the opener and began to make progress in the second session as he quickly realised he would have to go all out in order to stand any chance against his pound-for-pound quality foe.
Despite a few successful combinations getting through the Mexican's guard, Fielding soon found himself knocked down once again from yet another stunning left hook to the body as the round reached its conclusion.
In the third and final stanza, Rocky Fielding threw the kitchen sink at Canelo Alvarez, but then had the equivalent of a fridge hurled back at him.
The 28-year-old Alvarez smashed home a right hand to the head which saw Rocky dropped for the third time in three rounds.
As he valiantly rose to his feet yet again, referee Ricky Gonzalez warned the Brit that the bout would be stopped should he touch down once more.
One, final, brutal body shot later, and this was exactly what happened - with Gonzalez leaning over Fielding, calling a halt to the contest.
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In his immediate post-fight interview, Canelo addressed his successful tactics, declaring: “That was the plan in the gym - to hit the body.
"You see the result."
When asked what will come next in his career, he replied: “I have to talk to my team and enjoy the holidays…
"What I always wanted to do is make the best fights.”
Earlier in the night, Tevin Farmer and Katie Taylor defended their world titles with dominant, unanimous decision victories.
Also on the undercard there were wins for lightweight prospect Ryan Garcia and returning welterweight Sadam Ali.