Seemingly always tied to controversy during his initial middleweight title rise, current kingpin Canelo Alvarez watched on as a post-fight tirade was dished out at a veteran referee.
Having just lost for the first time in the ring as a professional, Canelo Alvarez was sent back to the drawing board after his shutout decision loss against the unbeaten world champion star Floyd Mayweather.
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And facing some sizable adversity during his initial rise, Canelo was almost put on the seat of his pants in a forgotten win over Jose Cotto, in what would have been the first knockdown he suffered in his career.
But against his first foe off the back of his loss to Mayweather, Canelo did not need a knockdown to prevail with a rather controversial stoppage win.
Canelo Alvarez caused post-fight row between Alfredo Angulo and Tony Weeks
Pitted with fellow Mexican star Alfredo Angulo in his first venture to the ring since his decision shout loss to Mayweather, Canelo would turn in a splendid display against his countryman.
Battering Angulo from pillar to post over the course of their 12-round pairing, Canelo would force a tenth-round stoppage in the action.
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With some notable swelling around both eyes and blood seeping from his face, Angulo was stung badly with an uppercut in the early goings of the tenth.
And despite remaining upward, was pulled from the fight by referee Tony Weeks — who got an earful and a shove for good measure.
“I told Tony (Weeks) he did the wrong job tonight,” Angulo said post-fight. “The referee tells us to take care of ourselves at all times. I can take care of myself.
“My plan was to work harder in the final four or three rounds,” Angulo explained. “I had good preparation for this fight.”
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To boot, Angulo’s trainer Virgil Hunter hit out at Weeks, claiming he knew when to pull his student from the ring to save him from himself.
“I’m very upset. I told the referee and the doctor that if Canelo put two or three shots together, that I would stop the fight,” Hunter said. “He landed one punch. Everyone knows Alfredo was coming on strong, everyone knows that.”
Canelo Alvarez ended bitter enemy’s future title hopes
Before his eventual judging loss to Michigan favorite Mayweather, Canelo had turned in a laundry list of eye-catching wins over veteran stalwarts throughout the light middleweight division.
Defending his WBC crown on cue against names from yesteryear, Canelo would be pitted with Puerto Rican star Kermit Cintron in his third title defense.
And ushering in a beautiful finish in the fifth round, Canelo stopped Cintron — who later blasted his anti-doping indiscretion.
Notably, after the defeat, Cintron would never fight for a world championship again, before his retirement from the ring back in 2018.