The final seconds of Liam Smiths fight with Saul Canelo Alvarez were pure agony as he thrashed around on the floor like a large fish in the hull of a small boat, a short left hook under the right elbow separating him from his WBO light-middleweight title.There was a terrifying moment in round six when Smith realised that his fists would not be adequate tools in his fight with Alvarez, and then boundless bravery became both an asset and a hazard. In the end he took a beating, he had no choice because it was either that or quit.The fight at the AT&T stadium in Arlington, Texas, was stopped after 2:28 of the ninth round when Alvarez connected cleanly, dropping Smith instantly and the referee dispensed with the count to wave it off. It was a lost cause but Smith tried every conceivable position to somehow get some air back in his deflated body and beat the count that was not even taking place. He was very brave.I have no excuses, insisted Smith. I lost to the better man, a great fighter. I was a bit slow at times, my timing was off and I just couldnt get his attention. Smith is right and it seemed like even his flush shots were failing to make a dent in the granite head and body of the Mexican. Alvarez won for the 48th time, has lost just once and has one draw from when he was a child boxer of just 15. He is a special fighter and still only 26.Smiths confession was made from the middle of a daze, which is less a product of Alvarezs punches and more to do with the utter bewilderment top fighters experience when they are exposed by the best in the world. Smith was the WBO champion going into the fight, he was confident and he was unbeaten; Alvarez slowly beat any beliefs out of Smith and then started to dismantle the Liverpool boxers heart, resilience and desire.In round seven a brilliant three-punch combination dropped Smith for the first time, he was over again in round eight from a deft short uppercut deep into the pit of his stomach and then the sickening end came from the precise left hook. Smith was also cut by the side of his right eye and a gash sustained in a sparring incident with Kell Brook last month opened again.It is small consolation to Smith, who will be aching when he wakes up in Texas, but his loss made him a lot of friends in America and that is because, just like Brook last week with Gennady Golovkin in London, he took the type of beating others have not. He was prepared, certainly from the chilling moment of recognition in round six, to go down fighting and not worry about the pain or the blood or the consequences.Smith put in place a solid strategy from the opening bell and kept busy when Alvarez took breaks, which is something that Floyd Mayweather was able to do in 2013 when he beat Alvarez. Smith pushed Alvarez back, then connected cleanly as the Mexican rested on the ropes, but with each second of each completed round it was clear that Alvarez was not troubled by the punches he was taking. Smith did absolutely nothing wrong, at any point, but against men like Alvarez, who is the undisputed No. 1 attraction in boxing right now, the need to hurt them is totally essential. Smith had everything, tried everything and left everything in the ring but his failure to make Alvarez blink cost him the fight.As midnight approached in Texas, the call for a fight between Alvarez and Golovkin intensified in the aftermath of their back-to-back wins against unbeaten British boxers. Alvarez claimed that Golovkin turned down a fight two months ago, Golovkin disputed this and the pair remain separated by the increasing width of a negotiating table. A plan for a showdown in September 2017 is now the most likely endgame to a fight that simply must happen.On Saturday night a total of 51,240 people paid to watch the fight, filling the vast stadium with a steady series of joyous howls whenever Smith was caught and delighting in the hat trick of knockdowns that ended the night. Smith ignored their jeers and conducted his business like he was boxing in a hall near his home in Liverpool. It will only be us two in the ring when the bell sounds, Smith said before the fight. He also talked about how hard it was going to be, how good Alvarez is and how he would not quit. He was right on all three counts and when his cuts, ribs and jaw have all healed he can start the short road back. He will, trust me, be a better fighter.Nick Mullens Super Bowl Jersey . Lack made 20 saves for his third shutout of the season as the Canucks blanked the St. Louis Blues 1-0 in the first post-Olympic game for both teams night. Jimmy Garoppolo Super Bowl Jersey . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but good things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Troops" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. https://www.49ersrookiestore.com/49ers-Colin-Kaepernick-Jersey/ . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. 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"The car balance is decent, but I think we can still improve," Vettel said.The Oklahoma City Thunder?have locked up their young core by signing guard Victor Oladipo and center Steven Adams to extensions before Mondays midnight deadline.Terms for the contracts were not announced by the Thunder, but sources told ESPNs Jeff Goodman that Oladipo received a four-year extension worth $84 million, and sources told ESPNs Royce Young that Adams deal is for four years and $100 million.Guard Andre Roberson?had also been engaged in extension talks with the Thunder but didnt reach a deal. Roberson will be a restricted free agent next summer.We are excited to extend our partnership with Steven and Victor, Thunder general manager Sam Presti said in a news release. Both players represent the Thunders present and future, exhibiting the values that the Oklahoma community and our organization hold in high regard: hard work, team first, resiliency and citizenship.In the wake of Kevin Durants departure and Russell Westbrooks extension, the Thunder have transitioned to reshaping the roster around Westbrook.With unknowns ahead in a new collective bargaining agreement, the Thunder are holding on to what they can control. The Thunder were poised to become potential players in free agency next summer and chase players such as homegrown star Blake Griffin. However,?with cap holds expected to jump in the new system, getting to max-level cap space while still retaining Adams and Oladipo became an unlikely scenario.The Thunder were keen oon extending Adams and Oladipo to keep them from getting to restricted free agency.dddddddddddd As many as 20 teams could get to max-level cap space next summer, so anything less than that for either player potentially saves the Thunder a lot of money.Oladipos $84 million contract is about $21 million below a max deal, and Adams is $4 million under the max number. Both players expressed a desire to re-up with the Thunder long-term, with Oladipo saying at the teams media day in September that he had dreamed of playing for the Thunder as long as a year ago, and he didnt have an eye on anywhere else.I literally thought about being here a year ago and thought what it would be like to be on this team. And for it to actually happen, its a surreal experience, and I know that its supposed to be the way it is now, he said. I mean, it might sound crazy, but Im definitely excited about it.Oladipo, 24, was traded to the Thunder on draft night in a deal that sent Serge Ibaka to the Orlando Magic. In three seasons, Oladipo holds career averages of 15.9 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists per game.Adams, 23, emerged as a key part of the teams foundation last postseason, when he averaged a double-double in the series against the Spurs and Warriors. In three seasons, Adams is averaging 6.3 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. ' ' '