Building up for a major fight that needs little hyping, Floyd Mayweather and Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will sit in the same room one night before the real showdown.
The two prized fighters will clash on Saturday, Sept. 14, at Las Vegas' MGM Grand in one of boxing's most highly promoted bouts in years. According to Forbes' Kurt Badenhausen, the fight is projected to generate a record $132 million in pay-per-view revenue, with 2.5 million purchases.
If the report is anywhere close to correct, a whole lot of people are giddily waiting for Mayweather and Alvarez to enter the ring. Both boxers are undefeated, but Mayweather has much more experience under his belt, while Alvarez sports a powerful hook that could knock anyone out.
On Friday, the two competitors will participate in the customary final weigh-in, where they'll both set the gloves aside to step on the scale.
Will Mayweather and Alvarez throw any verbal parting shots before exchanging blows on Saturday? Can the weigh-in match the intensity of a scaling from The Biggest Loser?
Here's the vital information you need in order to find out.
When: Friday, Sept. 13, 6:00 p.m. ET
Where: MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada
TV/Live Stream: Showtime
What to Watch
The weigh-in is held mostly for ceremonial reasons. It forces two fighters to stand feet away from each other a day before they get paid to beat each other senseless.
Naturally, those two competitors might not want to share some hugs and laughs.
Photographers will swarm the building to snap pictures of the two staring each other down. Not known for his humility, Mayweather will likely provoke the 23-year-old, thickening the air for Saturday's showdown.
Mayweather and Alvarez are slated to compete at a 152-pound catchweight for the super welterweight title. According to USA Today's Bob Velin, Alvarez said Mayweather's crew pushed the issue on this weight, which prompted Alvarez to cut a couple of pounds from his customary fighting weight of 154 pounds.
"Why would I give up the weight? Alvarez said through his Spanish translator. "I'm at 154. I'm the 154-pound champion."
At this point, this amounts more to pettiness and gamesmanship that will play virtually no role in the outcome. Even at 152, Alvarez boasts the power advantage, while Mayweather will be advised to ride his world-class defense to a grueling victory.
When you're set to make $41.5 million for a day's work, which Mayweather will earn, as Badenhausen reported in his Forbes article, you probably know not to hit up Burger King for lunch.
The weigh-in serves as a plot device to manufacture more drama and convince more consumers to buy the fight. This marquee match may not need a pregame show, but the animosity could spill out on Friday between two adversaries, who don't share many fond feelings for each other.
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