All eyes will be on the boxing world on Saturday night when superstar Floyd Mayweather (43-0-0) takes on Robert Guerrero (31-1-1) in Las Vegas.
When Mayweather takes to the ring, it's a big deal, regardless of opponent. Saturday's opponent happens to be Guerrero, a man who hasn't lost since 2006 and possesses the tools to make things interesting against boxing's most controversial champion.
Whether you love him or hate him, Mayweather always drums up plenty of interest, and his first fight with Showtime promises to bring plenty of buzz to the sport. Combined with some exciting fights leading up to the main event, it should be a great event for fans and a financial windfall for the company.
Here's a rundown of all of the night's fights with a quick breakdown and prediction for each.
Floyd Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero
Breakdown: Mayweather obviously comes in as the big favorite (-700, according to Bovada), and that's for good reason. He's quite simply boxing's pound-for-pound champion, and his undefeated record is one of the sport's most impressive feats.
Guerrero is a good challenger, though. He's coming off of a huge win over Andre Berto and has displayed the confidence that he can shock the world in the buildup to the fight.
However, talking the talk won't mean much if Guerrero doesn't come out and put in the performance of a lifetime against Mayweather. He'll need to utilize his power early on and take advantage of any ill-effects that Mayweather's nearly year-long layoff might have caused him.
That's easier said than done.
Prediction: Mayweather by Unanimous Decision
Make it 44-0 for Mayweather. Guerrero poses some interesting problems for the champion. For example, he can follow the blueprint that Miguel Cotto laid out against Mayweather in his last fight by using his power to slow down Mayweather, but ultimately, Mayweather is too elusive, too quick and too powerful for The Ghost.
Obviously, the fact that Mayweather has been out of action for 364 days and has also served a prison sentence since his last fight may be a factor, but he's only been fighting once-a-year since 2009 anyway.
As much as he loves to flaunt his money and get under the skin of opponents and fans alike, Mayweather is a dedicated boxer. You can bet that he will come into this fight in top condition and ready to extend his career-long winning streak.
Daniel Ponce de Leon (44-4) vs. Abner Mares (25-0-1)
Breakdown: Serving as the final appetizer before the main event is a featherweight clash that will see WBC champion Abner Mares put his title on the line against Daniel Ponce de Leon.
Ponce de Leon and Mares have a lot of similarities. They know each other well because they have the same promoter (Golden Boy Promotions) and manager (Frank Espinoza). However, that shouldn't stop them from putting on an interesting fight on Saturday.
Ponce de Leon has the power to keep Mares on his toes and can gain the upper-hand quickly if he can turn this into a slugfest. Mares will be looking to neutralize his opponents power advantage by going to the body early so he can take over as the fight progresses. The contrast in styles should set up a fun fight.
Prediction: Mares by Unanimous Decision
Ponce de Leon must get off to a fast start if he wants to take the belt home, but that's generally not in his nature. He has a penchant for getting off to slow starts, and that could hurt him in this one.
Look for the first rounds to be fairly even before Mares begins pulling away due to his conditioning and technical skill.
J'Leon Love (15-0) vs. Gabriel Rosado (21-6)
Breakdown: Undefeated middleweight prospect J'Leon Love looks to take the next big step in his career when he takes on seasoned veteran Gabriel Rosado in this bout.
Rosado will be a good test for the 25-year-old because he has enough power to see how Love can handle getting tagged. If he can avoid it all together and put on a dominant showing, he'll prove that he's ready for bigger and better things in the division.
Love must look to out-box Rosado and get this fight into the later rounds where he can neutralize his power.
Prediction: Love by TKO in Round 9
This fight is scheduled to go 10 rounds, but Love won't need that many to dispatch of his opponent. He has too much momentum to be slowed by Rosado now.
As long as he can get out of the first few rounds without taking too much damage, he should have enough left in the tank to finish the fight off down the stretch.
Leo Santa Cruz (23-0-1) vs. Alexander Munoz (32-3)
Breakdown: This is another example of young prospect (Santa Cruz, 24) trying to use the spotlight to take the next step in his career by taking down an experienced veteran (Munoz, 34).
Santa Cruz is making his debut at Super Bantamweight after spending most of 2012 as the IBF Bantamweight champion.
Munoz would also be making a huge statement if he could find a way to win. He's clearly being brought in as a sacrificial lamb, but he has the experience to spring an upset if Santa Cruz thinks he can go on auto-pilot.
Prediction: Santa Cruz by KO in Round 5
Santa Cruz has too many tools to be upset at this point in his career. He is superior to Munoz in every facet and that will become apparent when they step into the ring.
Look for him to finish the fight early and make an impressive debut at Super Bantamweight.
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