When arguably two of the best fighters in the world meet, there is cause for attention and fanfare. When one of the fighter's names is Floyd "Money" Mayweather (44-0, 26 KO) the hype is amplified. Mayweather is boxing's version of legendary stock brokerage firm, E.F. Hutton.
The famous campaign for the firm used to say: "when E.F. Hutton speaks, people listen." Well, when Mayweather fights, people watch. Taking on a young, undefeated fighter with a tremendous following like Saul "Canelo" Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KO) makes the Sept. 14 bout a certified mega sports event.
Mayweather's WBA Super light middleweight title and Alvarez's WBC crown will be on the line.
Money is guaranteed to earn $41.5 million for his night's work, a record for any boxer in the sport, per Mitch Abramson of the New York Daily News. Stars from the sports and entertainment world will converge upon the MGM Grand in Las Vegas for the event billed as The One.
Here's how you can watch.
The Showdown
The Book on Mayweather
Mayweather's humongous promotional deal with Showtime/CBS, per Dan Rafael of ESPN, could ideally set him up to take on the best fighters in his weight region and walk away from the sport undefeated. If he completes this deal unscathed and calls it a career, it would be hard not to call him the greatest of all time.
A masterful performance against underrated contender Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero showed that even at 36 years old Mayweather hadn't lost a step. With his father back in his corner, the defensive brilliance that had been the hallmark of his career has returned.
This approach puts Mayweather in the best position to accomplish his goal and remain dominant.
The Book on Alvarez
At 23 years old, Alvarez has already won 42 fights. Though he hasn't faced anyone close to Mayweather's caliber, he has fought and defeated the likes of Austin "No Doubt" Trout and an over-the-hill "Sugar" Shane Mosley.
Despite his quiet demeanor, Alvarez has become arguably the most popular Mexican fighter in the world. Amongst such a boxing rich community, that designation gives him a formidable following that should generate a large contingent of fans at the MGM Grand on Saturday.
Prediction
Quite frankly, if Mayweather is in the same form he was in for the Guerrero fight, Canelo has almost no chance to win. The speed, agility and conditioning advantages would all favor Mayweather in this scenario and Money would glide to an easy decision win—or possibly even stop Alvarez late.
Because Alvarez is a good puncher, he has that element as a potential equalizer. However, if he is going to catch Mayweather, he has to do it early. Mayweather is the best in the sport at making in-ring adjustments.
The longer the fight goes, the more dominant Mayweather will become. There is cause for more concern in this fight than was the case against Guerrero. Alvarez is younger and stronger, but he's also never been on a stage this big.
In the end, talent and experience will prevail and Mayweather will remain undefeated. Look for a ninth-round stoppage and the talks of a Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao fight start to heat up yet again.
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