LAS VEGAS (AP) — The question of whether Canelo Alvarez can any longer knock out anyone likely won't go away with his unanimous victory Saturday night, but he remains the undisputed super middleweight champion because he was the stronger and more effective boxer.
Alvarez (61-2-2), who closed as a minus-380 favorite at BetMGM, overcame a somewhat slow start to dominate and hand Jaime Munguia (43-1) his first loss.
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LAS VEGAS (AP) — The question of whether Canelo Alvarez can any longer knock out anyone likely won't go away with his unanimous victory Saturday night, but he remains the undisputed super middleweight champion because he was the stronger and more effective boxer.
Canelo Alvarez hits Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Canelo Alvarez celebrates after defeating Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Eimantas Stanionis lands a left to Gabriel Maestre in a welterweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Fabian Maidana lands a left to Mario Barrios in a welterweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Mario Barrios lands a left to Fabian Maidana in a welterweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Jaime Munguia motions from the ring before fighting Canelo Alvarez in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Canelo Alvarez motions from the ring before fighting Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Canelo Alvarez hits Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Brandon Figueroa lands a left to Jessie Magdaleno in a featherweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Jaime Munguia lands a left to Canelo Alvarez in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Canelo Alvarez celebrates after defeating Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Canelo Alvarez knocks down Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
The champ took full control after knocking down Munguia in the fourth round before the announced crowd of 17,492, which was fairly evenly split between the two competitors.
Tim Cheatham scored the fight 117-110, David Sutherland had it 116-111 and Steve Weisfeld 115-112.
“When I retire, my numbers will say what position I’m in," Alvarez said. “I know there’s a lot of great Mexican fighters in the past, but I’m the best fighting right now.”
This is the second straight time that Alvarez left no doubt who was the better fighter and showing why, even at 33, he remains one of the sport's all-time greats. Alvarez also had his way with Jermell Charlo in September to win by even wider margins.
These two fights followed two victories and a loss that were anything but impressive. While Alvarez showed he still is the class of his division, he still hasn't delivered a knockout since defeating Caleb Plant in 2021 — a span of five matches.
Alvarez was circumspect regarding what he might do next, saying he'll return to the ring “if the money is right.”
“I’ve fought everyone and I can do what I want,” he said.
The lead-up to the bout was unusually civil, with both fighters saying they were proud to represent Mexico on Cinco de Mayo weekend.
“This win means a lot," Alvarez said. “I’m glad that I gave him this opportunity. Munguia is a great guy and a great champion. He’s going to have a great career. I’m very proud that all the Mexicans are here watching us.”
Alvarez saved his harshest criticism during week not for his opponent, but for Munguia's promoter. Oscar De La Hoya used to be in Alvarez's corner, but they clearly are on opposite sides now and nearly even came to blows Wednesday at the news conference after trading allegations.
The 27-year-old Munguia was the more aggressive boxer the first three rounds, even getting Alvarez into the ropes in the third. Alvarez, though, showed in the fourth he wasn't going anywhere, using a left and then a right to the face to send Munguia to the canvass with 38 seconds left to change the tenor of the fight.
Alvarez then proceeded to sting Munguia over the next four rounds with shots to the face. Munguia put together his own sets of flurries, but they did little noticeable damage to Alvarez.
That is until the ninth round when Munguia landed some blows to the face that sent Alvarez backward, even into the corner at one point. But Alvarez responded with his own combinations, including coming out of the corner, in the fight's most action-packed round.
The 10th and 11th rounds were close, but largely the same trends followed of Alvarez delivering the harder shots.
Munguia came out in the final round as if he knew he was trailing on the judges' cards, but did little to change the outcome. It was Alvarez who again came through with the best blows, using a combination with about a minute left to Munguia's head and following with several more shots to end the fight.
“I came out strong and was winning the early rounds,” Munguia said. “I let my hands go, but he’s a fighter with a lot of experience. The loss hurts because it’s my first loss and I felt strong.”
In the other main-card fights:
— San Antonio's Mario Barrios (29-2) successfully defended his WBC interim world welterweight title by defeating Argentinian Fabian Maidana (22-3) by unanimous decision in the co-main event. Each judge scored the bout 116-111.
Barrios prevailed despite fighting with his right eye nearly completely closed.
“Maidana fought hard for 12 rounds like I expected," Barrios said. “Once my eye started swelling up, it was hard to find my range. But we stuck to the fundamentals, tried to find openings and came out with the victory.”
— WBC interim world featherweight champion Brandon Figueroa (25-1-1, 19 KOs) of Welasco, Texas, knocked out Jessie Magdaleno (29-3) of Las Vegas with a left uppercut to his kidney with one second left in the ninth round ended.
— Lithuania's Eimantas Stanionis (15-0) easily retained his WBA welterweight title by claiming a unanimous decision over Venezuelan Gabriel Maestre (6-1-1) with scores of 117-111, 118-10 and 119-109.
AP sports: https://apnews.com/sports
Canelo Alvarez hits Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Canelo Alvarez hits Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Canelo Alvarez celebrates after defeating Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Eimantas Stanionis lands a left to Gabriel Maestre in a welterweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Fabian Maidana lands a left to Mario Barrios in a welterweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Mario Barrios lands a left to Fabian Maidana in a welterweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Jaime Munguia motions from the ring before fighting Canelo Alvarez in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Canelo Alvarez motions from the ring before fighting Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Canelo Alvarez hits Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Brandon Figueroa lands a left to Jessie Magdaleno in a featherweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Jaime Munguia lands a left to Canelo Alvarez in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Canelo Alvarez celebrates after defeating Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
Canelo Alvarez knocks down Jaime Munguia in a super middleweight title fight Saturday, May 4, 2024, in Las Vegas. (AP Photo/John Locher)
PEZINOK, Slovakia (AP) — The man accused of attempting to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was ordered to remain behind bars Saturday as the nation’s leader was in serious but stable condition after surviving multiple gunshots, officials said.
Slovakia’s Specialized Criminal Court ordered the detention of the suspect after prosecutors said they feared he could flee or carry out other crimes if set free, a court spokesperson said. The suspect can appeal the order to the Supreme Court.
Fico, 59, was shot in the abdomen as he greeted supporters following a government meeting Wednesday in the former coal mining town of Handlova, officials said. Video showed Fico approach people gathered at barricades and reach out to shake hands as a man stepped forward, extended his arm and fired five rounds before being tackled and arrested.
Government ministers outside the hospital where Fico is being treated said his condition Saturday looked promising after two hours of surgery Friday removed dead tissue from his gunshot wounds. But he still is not healthy enough to travel to a hospital in the capital, Bratislava.
“Several miracles have occurred ... in the past few days, coming from the hands of the doctors, nurses and entire medical staff,” Defense Minister Rober Kalinak said outside University F. D. Roosevelt Hospital in Banská Bystrica, where Fico was taken by helicopter after the shooting. “I can’t find words of gratitude for the fact that we are steadily approaching that positive prognosis.”
The hearing in Pezinok, a small town outside the capital, Bratislava, was held behind closed doors and under tight security by heavily armed police. Reporters were not allowed on the grounds of the courthouse.
Officers carrying rifles wore flak jackets, helmets and had balaclavas covering their faces. They guarded a gate that only opened when a vehicle presumably carrying the suspect came and later left with a two-car police escort.
Little information about the suspect has been disclosed after prosecutors told police not to publicly identify him or release details about the case. Unconfirmed media reports have named him and said he was a 71-year-old retiree known as an amateur poet who may have once worked as a mall security guard.
Government authorities gave details that matched that description. They said the suspect didn’t belong to any political groups, though the attack itself was politically motivated.
It’s not clear how long the hearing lasted but the suspect was inside for about four hours.
A day earlier, police took the suspect to his home in the town of Levice and seized a computer and some documents, Markiza, a Slovak television station reported.
Footage showed the gray-bearded man being escorted out of the building while holding a shopping bag full of items in his cuffed hands. He was wearing a helmet and protective vest.
Police didn’t comment on the apparent search.
With authorities remaining largely silent about the case, it was not clear how the suspect got a gun.
Slovakia has strict rules on firearms and gun owners must have a good reason to possess one and are required to pass a test.
As a consequence, Slovakia has one of the lowest gun ownership rates in Europe. It was ranked 23rd out of 27 European Union countries with a gun ownership rate of 6.5 per 100 people, according to the Association of Accredited Public Policy Advocates to the EU.
World leaders have condemned the attack and offered support for Slovakia and Fico, who has long been a divisive figure in Slovakia and beyond.
His return to power for the fourth time last year on a pro-Russia, anti-American platform led to worries among fellow European Union and NATO members that he would abandon his country’s pro-Western course, particularly neighboring Ukraine. Slovakia was one of Ukraine’s staunchest supporters after Russia’s full-scale invasion in February 2022, but Fico halted arms deliveries when he returned to power.
Fico’s government has also made efforts to overhaul public broadcasting — a move critics said would give the government full control of public television and radio. That, coupled with his plans to amend the penal code to eliminate a special prosecutor that deals with organized crime, corruption and extremism, have led opponents to worry Fico will lead Slovakia down a more autocratic path.
Before Fico returned to power last year, many of his political and business associates were the focus of police investigations, and dozens have been charged.
Thousands of demonstrators have repeatedly rallied in the capital and around the country of 5.4 million to protest his policies.
Fico said last month on Facebook that he believed rising tensions in the country could lead to the killing of politicians, and he blamed the media for fueling tensions.
Supporters of Fico who showed up outside the hospital Saturday spoke of the divisions in the country that had led to this moment.
“We are here mainly because the opposition’s hatred of this government has come to such a point that a psychopath who is an assassin has been created and has (tried to) assassinate Prime Minister Robert Fico,” Marek Soun said. “He has been harassed for months and months by today’s opposition.”
Despite nobody being named as temporary leader of Slovakia, there was nothing imminent that needed the premier’s attention and the government was operating as planned and moving forward with Fico’s agenda, Kalinak said.
Communication with Fico was limited given his condition, Kalinak said.
The next government session is planned for Wednesday and Kalinak will be in charge, the Slovak government office said.
Associated Press reporters Karel Janicek in Vsetin, Czech Republic, and Brian Melley in London contributed to this report.
A car supposedly carrying the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, leaves the court in Pezinok, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
A general view of the F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital, where Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and injured, is being treated, in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. The man accused of attempting to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico made his first court appearance Saturday as the nation's leader remained in serious condition recovering from surgery after surviving multiple gunshots, Slovak state media said. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)
A couple walk towards a building at the F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital, where Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and injured, is being treated, in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. The man accused of attempting to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico made his first court appearance Saturday as the nation's leader remained in serious condition recovering from surgery after surviving multiple gunshots, Slovak state media said. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)
Policemen guard the area as they wait for the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to be brought to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
Policemen guard the area as they wait for the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to be brought to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
A car supposedly carrying the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, arrives at court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
Members of the media film outside the F. D. Roosevelt University Hospital, where Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico, who was shot and injured, is being treated, in Banska Bystrica, central Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. The man accused of attempting to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico made his first court appearance Saturday as the nation's leader remained in serious condition recovering from surgery after surviving multiple gunshots, Slovak state media said. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos)
Journalists gather as they wait for the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to be brought to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
Policemen guard the area as they wait for the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to be brought to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
Policemen guard the area as convoy brings the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
FILE - Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico speaks during a press conference with Hungary's Prime Minister Viktor Orban at the Carmelite Monastery in Budapest, Hungary, Tuesday, Jan. 16, 2024. A man charged with attempting to assassinate Slovak Prime Minister Robert Fico was escorted by police to his home on the morning of Friday, May 17, 2024, with media saying that it was part of a search for evidence. (AP Photo/Denes Erdos, File)
Policemen guard the area as convoy brings the suspect, in shooting of Slovakia's Prime Minister Robert Fico, to court in Pezinok, Slovakia, Saturday, May 18, 2024. Officials in Slovakia say Prime Minister Robert Fico has undergone another operation two days after his assassination attempt and remains in serious condition. (AP Photo/Tomas Benedikovic)
