All the buzz leading up to Saul "Canelo" Alvarez' fight with Floyd Mayweather circles around whether Alvarez can find a way to knock out his nimble adversary.
But what if, in addition to not landing that big punch, Alvarez does not fall as expected in decisions against his savvy opponent, instead receiving a taste of his own medicine via knockout?
That would certainly create a traffic jam down Canelo's road to stardom.
Every prediction for the big bout seemingly strays in the Alvarez by knockout camp or with Team Mayweather in 12 rounds. Those forecasts make the most sense, as Alvarez is a brawler with 30 of 42 wins by KO, while Mayweather is a defensive mastermind who can win a battle of fruition.
We can all pontificate the match's outcome until our faces turn blue or we've argued through Saturday night as the match is actually taking place. Sports unfortunately do not always make sense, which is why it's worth exploring the other side of the fence.
While Alvarez is the best power puncher in the business, Mayweather comes in at second. According to CompuBox, Mayweather has connected on 48 percent of his power punches, trailing just Alvarez who sits at 52 percent.
The 23-year-old could seize the spotlight with a win and even generate some good feeling with a tough, hard-fought loss. Suffering an embarrassing loss in the early rounds, on the other hand, would cause one of the wheels to fall off before reaching his path to stardom.
Despite headlining the biggest main event boxing has witness in a long time, Alvarez is still playing second fiddle to his foe. According to ESPN's Dan Rafael, Mayweather is projected to earn $41.5 million while Alvarez receives around $12 million for working the same fight.
That would not be the case if Alvarez was anywhere near Mayweather's celebrity. The discrepancy reflects that most people are paying to see Mayweather, and the public largely believes that he will win. Vote in the poll to the right and see for yourself.
Alvarez exists currently as a vehicle to fuel Mayweather's journey. "Money" Mayweather needs an opponent, so cue the young, tough, Rocky-esque boxer to provide some juicy plot points. While Canelo will prove to be the true protagonist if he realizes the true underdog tale, he'll quickly take a back seat to Mayweather's greatness with a swift loss.
Mayweather's young adversary could capture the country's adoration with a strong showing, or he could become nothing more than anyone one who bites the dust with a poor display.
But hey, no pressure.
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