If Floyd Mayweather's flawless 44-0 record isn't enough to make him the overwhelming favorite in his upcoming bout with Mexican star Saul "Canelo" Alvarez, his superior defense will certainly do the trick.
In his most recent victory over Robert Guerrero last May, Money showed off the defense that turned him into a superstar, eluding Guerrero's shots and making the challenger pay with a plethora of destructive counterpunches along the way.
If there's one stat that sums up Mayweather's defensive dominance, though, it's the fact that Guerrero was able to land just 19 percent of his total punches through 12 rounds, according to CompuBoxOnline.com.
It's difficult to imagine Mayweather turning out a performance quite that spectacular again this fall at age 36, but you can bet that he'll be a tough target for Canelo nonetheless.
Finding a way to hurt Mayweather won't be Alvarez's only challenge, though. He'll also have to figure out a way to avoid Mayweather's devastating counters. The pound-for-pound king was able to land 60 percent of his power shots against Guerrero in his previous fight, per CompuBox, discouraging "The Ghost" from going all-out on the attack early on.
According to CompuBox, Guerrero averaged just 48 punches thrown per round in his loss to Mayweather. That number is stunning considering he had averaged 71 punches thrown per round in his previous two welterweight matchups.
That's not to say that Mayweather will have as easy a time forcing Canelo onto his heels, but his defend-and-counter approach will definitely force Alvarez to adjust his game plan over the course of the fight. He's shown over the past few years that he's capable of adapting inside the ring, but can do so he against such an experienced and skilled boxer?
You know you're doing something right when you rack up 42 professional wins before you turn 23. But at the same time, Alvarez has yet to face an opponent of Mayweather's caliber. The top pound-for-pound boxer on the planet, Mayweather has risen to every occasion inside the ring, no matter how massive, and he looks poised to do the same this September.
Alvarez will not only have to find a way past Money's superb defense, but he'll have to do so while overcoming the nerves and pressure that come with challenging a legend.
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