It makes sense for boxing fans to clamor for a Floyd "Money" Mayweather Jr. and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez bout, but I wouldn't expect it to be much different than what we saw on Saturday night.
Money dismantled Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas to improve to 44-0; barely losing a round in the process. Alvarez is a better fighter than Guerrero, but not in the areas needed to compete with Mayweather.
Here's why Canelo would become Money's 45th victim.
Canelo Has Never Been on the Big Stage
Alvarez has had 43 professional bouts, but he hasn't had a lot of big fights. On his current resume, the only fights he's had that would qualify as major attractions came against Austin Trout and Shane Mosley.
Those fights are nothing compared to a potential clash with Mayweather.
The pre-fight hype that would precede such a big event would put Alvarez in a situation he's never been in. How will a guy who generally isn't comfortable in high-profile environments respond?
Length and Strength
Many believe Alvarez is just too big for Mayweather. While Alvarez has the edge in punching power, Mayweather has repeatedly proven that he won't be bullied on the inside.
Even if the fight took place at 154 pounds, Mayweather has already proven he can have success there. Money beat both Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto at light middleweight.
Alvarez is 5'9" and Mayweather is 5'8", but Mayweather has the longer reach. This could allow Money to establish the jab as a weapon early in the fight.
If he does that, the movement and the lead right hands will be too much for Alvarez to deal with.
Too Much Speed and Stamina
The biggest difference between Guerrero and Mayweather was in the speed department. This would be the case in a Money-Canelo bout as well.
Even if he were potentially carrying seven more pounds, Mayweather would still have the quickness advantage.
With Money back competing as a defensive specialist, it is hard for me to see a scenario where Alvarez has an opportunity to tee off on him. The lateral movement would give Canelo fits.
Stamina would be another issue. Against Trout, I thought Canelo tired a bit late. Slowing down could be his downfall against Money. Stamina has never been an issue for him and more endurance will only augment the other physical advantages.
In-Ring IQ
No fighter adjusts mid-fight like Floyd. Steve Farhood of Showtime had a great analogy for Mayweather during Saturday night's broadcast.
He said Money is like an ace starting pitcher. If you don't get to him early, you can pretty much forget about it for the rest of the day.
Once Mayweather makes the proper adjustments, he generally has a handle on the fight moving forward. Alvarez simply hasn't had the experience, nor has he exhibited the ability to counter Money's guile.
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