On Sept. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, either Floyd “Money” Mayweather or Saul “Canelo” Alvarez is going to lose the first fight of his career, as both boxers will enter the bout with extremely impressive resumes.
Mayweather will take the ring with 44 career victories and 26 knockouts. Alvarez has 42 wins with 30 knockouts, but he does have a draw on his record. Canelo couldn’t top Jorge Juarez in the fifth match of his career, and that’s the only “blemish” thus far for the 22-year old.
With Alvarez being so successful and Mayweather needing another legitimate opponent, Money decided to give the fans what they want. Mayweather announced the fight via Twitter on May 30, sending boxing fans around the world into pandemonium:
The upcoming fight will generate at least $18,647,000 in ticket sales, which will break the all-time gate record of $18,419,200, which was set in 2007 when Mayweather defeated Oscar De La Hoya, according to Dan Rafael of ESPN.
Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer said it could hit $19 million, “depending on how many comps are given out.”
This bout surely has a lot of hype leading up to it, and the boxers have already started their 11-city press tour, according to the Associated Press (h/t ESPN). With both stars holding a few titles each, when they step into the ring, mayhem is bound to ensue.
Here’s what Stephen Espinoza, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports, told the Associated Press (h/t ESPN) about the fight:
In every spot, there are certain rare occasions when you have the best fighting the best. The Super Bowl Final Four, the college football national championship. Sept. 14 will be one of those occasions—the two biggest stars in the spot, the two biggest fan bases.
We have America’s No. 1 fighter versus Mexico’s No. 1 fighter. We have the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport versus the No. 1 new star in the sport.
Clearly, Espinoza can’t wait for the two to enter the ring. But once they do, will it be Mayweather or Alvarez that has his unbeaten streak snapped?
Well, Alvarez is the boxer who’s going to be throwing more punches, and they'll be harder. But his accuracy and ability to actually make significant contact with Money is what’s important. Mayweather is one of the top defensive boxers ever to step into the ring and is more than capable of coming out victorious without connecting with a big blow.
Mayweather only has one knockout in his last five matches, which span over the last six years. Don’t expect to see Alvarez on the mat motionless after Mayweather connects with a punch. It’s probably not going to happen, unless Money hits him square in the jaw or something of that sort.
Alvarez is going to come into the fight with a plan that could be capable of taking down Mayweather. He already has size on Money, but will need to lose a few pounds to hit the 152-pound weight limit. Even still, a size advantage could go a long way in this match.
Mayweather enters the fight as the favorite, as Alvarez doesn’t have the big-bout experience that Money does. As B/R’s Kevin McRae recently wrote, “But for Canelo Alvarez, the moment is less one to get lost in, and more an opportunity to be seized.” Not that Alvarez is expected to be star struck, but he needs to be mentally prepared.
This is the biggest fight of Alvarez’s career.
The bout between Mayweather and Alvarez isn’t going to go a couple of rounds. They’ll likely leave it to the judges to decide the winner and loser. If Mayweather can come out early and land a few hard punches Alvarez’s way, that could set the tone for the rest of the match. If Mayweather is forced to play defense all fight long, it could be Alvarez who comes out on top.
While we don’t know exactly how the fight is going to play out on Sept. 14, we do know that it’s going to be one of the best of 2013. Each boxer has a lot to win, as well as a lot to lose. Make sure that you’re one of the people who help set more viewing records for the bout, as this is one you cannot afford to miss.
Prediction: Mayweather over Alvarez—Unanimous Decision
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