Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is the toughest fighter to knock Floyd Mayweather Jr. from perfection.
Money extended his record to 44-0 on Saturday, which was impressive considering he hadn't fought in a year. Not to mention, it was a unanimous victory over a strong contender in Robert Guerrero.
Alvarez, though, also sports an undefeated record at 42-0-1 and he is just 22 years old. As for Mayweather's next fight, Alvarez may be in the mix, according to ESPN's Igor Guryashkin on FOX Sports Latino:
“I think Canelo will be among his opponents, maybe even the next time out,” explains Al Bernstein, a long time analyst for Showtime who called Mayweather’s victory over Guerrero.
“The Canelo fight is the one fight that is very doable because Canelo brings with him his legions of fans.”
That certainly bodes well for ratings and boxing in general. Boxing Insider also weighed in on this match's potential:
After all, two fighters atop their respective divisions are extremely appealing to the masses. Factor the ability of Alvarez as a legitimate opponent to win and that significantly inflates the match's marketability.
Canelo brings a powerful force behind his punches and is capable of landing consistently. At the same time, he's a foot technician that defends well and gets in solid spots to counterattack.
Plus, 30 of Alvarez's 42 wins are knockouts.
In short, he won't need to constantly be on the offensive versus Mayweather. Although Money's defense is definitely incredible, Alvarez's size will infiltrate and his precision has already been proven against Austin Trout.
There, according to CompuBoxOnline.com, Canelo connected on 29 percent of his attacks to just 20 of Trout. Even more impressive, Alvarez did that despite Trout having a size and reach advantage. He also hit on 43 percent of his power punches to only 27 percent from Trout.
Mayweather is certainly a better defender by comparison, but Canelo is a more reliable marksman than Guerrero.
If anything, Alvarez-Mayweather would be an intriguing strategic contest. The two possess the instincts and athleticism to mirror attacks and defend well. They also counterpunch effectively and know an opening when it comes available.
How each adapts mid-fight is the next obstacle, especially for Money. Because after displaying the wherewithal to adjust to Trout's southpaw, Canelo's quick deciphering works to his favor as any fight progresses.
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