"The One" is here.
Floyd "Money" Mayweather and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will meet in the ring on Saturday after much fanfare, trash-talking and more as both undefeated greats look to notch a major win.
For Mayweather, now at the age of 36, it's all about proving he still has it, can beat anyone including the up-and-comers, and of course making as much money as possible for himself and all involved.
On the other side is Canelo, a Mexican superstar with impressive knockout power looking to define his legacy by becoming the first to defeat Mayweather.
Here is everything fans need to know about the superfight.
Tale of the Tape
Will Catchweight Play a Factor?
The biggest controversy in scheduling the fight came when the two camps could not initially agree on where the fight would take place.
At this point in his career, Canelo is comfortable at 154 pounds, while Money is effective at 147 pounds. Much verbal sparring in the week leading up to the bout has occurred from both sides as it pertains to the catchweight as documented by Bob Velin of USA Today.
The bottom line: Alvarez has to drop weight to get to 152 pounds. Regardless of how the agreement was reached, that's where the two fighters now stand.
The story here is twofold. For one, according to Canelo's trainer via ESPN The Magazine's Pablo S. Torre, Canelo will be able to get back up to 164 pounds or higher after weigh-in anyway. That could give him a major advantage over the smaller Mayweather, especially considering his game is overpowering opponents, hence his knockout tally of 30.
Secondly, this could end up backfiring in Canelo's face as he has struggled with stamina issues in the past. Mayweather is tactical and excels at dragging fights out, which is his obvious strategy here. Extra weight could sink Canelo as the fight rages onward in the late rounds.
Defense vs. Offense
Canelo has made it this far courtesy of his stunning power. He strings combos together video game-style, landing over 50 percent of his power punches.
Mayweather is the polar opposite with his defensive strategy, bobbing and weaving with great speed and footwork to elude opponents. His adversaries land less than 20 percent of their total punches.
In other words, not only is this a battle of young versus old, it's a battle of strengths.
Will it be Alvarez nailing the critical power punch to put Mayweather on the mat? Or will Mayweather be impossible to hit as he drags the fight out for all 12 rounds, relying on smooth counters to win the decision?
Anything is possible. Canelo has simply overwhelmed opponents in the past with his power, but he's never encountered someone like Mayweather who can pick and choose his spots while evading offensive approaches.
It's the perfect matchup in more ways than one. The contrast of skills is outstanding, and both men need the win for separate reasons.
Regardless of the outcome, fans are in for a show as the two best fighters in the business square off in the fight of the decade.
Note: All statistics are courtesy of CompuBox.
Follow B/R's Chris Roling on Twitter for more news and analysis @Chris_Roling
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