Mayweather vs Alvarez, put your money where your mouth is
Last night, the Associated press was the first to alert the boxing world of the impending Floyd Mayweather Jr. mega fight with the young Mexican star Saul Alvarez to take place on September 14, 2013 at the MGM Grand. This will be the second in Mayweather’s six-fight, 30-month contract with Showtime.
The Las Vegas Sports Books wasted little time and quickly posted Mayweather as the odds on favorite. If you like Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. you have to put up $250 to win $100. If you like Saul “Canelo” Alvarez to win, you’re putting up $100 to get back $210.
Before you do anything rash, wait and see if Mayweather or any of his backers put their money where their mouth is. Floyd has this thing of posting his sports gaming tickets on Twitter. It’ll be interesting to see if “Money” or any of his loyal fans post such a sports ticket.
As if he were an enlightened despot, Mayweather’s directive streamed across the internet in an instant, “I chose my opponent for September 14th and it’s Canelo Alvarez,” said Mayweather. “I’m giving the fans what they want. It will be at the MGM Grand.”
It wasn’t long after, Alvarez sent a similar tweet in Spanish announcing the fight.
Mayweather is unbeaten in 44 fights, the last an unanimous 12-round decision over Robert Guerrero on May 4 at the MGM Grand in defense of his WBC welterweight title.
Alvarez unified the WBC and WBA super welterweight titles April 20 in San Antonio with that unanimous decision victory over Austin Trout.
Shortly after, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported the fight will be contested at the catch weight of 152 pounds with the two men fighting for Mayweather’s junior middleweight and welterweight titles plus Alvarez’s WBC light middleweight and WBA Super World Light Middleweight title.
How they can fight for Mayweather’s Welterweight Title is a mystery since neither boxer will be weighing-in at the required 140-147 pounds.
“Canelo can come in at 200 pounds if he wants to,” said Mayweather’s co-manager, Leonard Ellerbe, to the Review-Journal. “He’ll still get his butt whipped. Floyd is the best athlete in sports. He won’t have any problems with 152 pounds. From Day 1, Floyd made it very clear he wanted to fight Canelo Alvarez. This is what the fans want. It’s the biggest and best fight out there, and now it’s going to happen.”
On paper, the soon to be 23 year-old Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KOs) from Juanacatlán, Jalisco, Mexico stands 5’9” tall and normally weighs between 160-165 pounds. His reach is 70½ inches where as Mayweather’s reach is 72 inches.
The 36 year-old Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. (44-0-0, with 26 KOs) stands 5’8” tall and rarely weighs over 155 pounds. Both Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto weighed in at 154 pounds with an edge of around four pounds over Mayweather when they lost to Mayweather.
While the edge Mayweather has involves experience, especially on the defensive side, Alvarez’s youth should negate that edge. Alvarez will be quicker, stronger, have more stamina and get inside Mayweather’s defenses. Alvarez has great balance and he’ll be willing to take a punch in order to deliver his heavier, straight rights and powerful left hooks. The age difference is just too much to overcome for the master boxer who should be worn down by the fighter who knows how to cut off the ring.
All photos from Getty Images, Al Bello, Jeff Bottari, Bryan Haraway and Ethan Miller.
