Floyd "Money" Mayweather raised the expectations for his next opponent by beating Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in "The One" over the weekend.
Nobody knows who will fight Money in May, but boxing fans everywhere are hoping it will be someone who can hang with the champion.
Canelo was able to stay with Mayweather through the first five rounds or so, but Money was able to beat up on his younger opponent in the later rounds.
The 36-year-old used his quickness to his advantage to avoid the powerful punches of Alvarez. Age turned out to be a non-factor, like Jim Rome noted, as Mayweather's 23-year-old opponent was too slow in his delivery.
Now that Money has improved his record to 45-0, everyone is expecting his next opponent to be someone who can provide the undefeated fighter a challenge.
Mayweather doesn't often win by knockout. His opponents are usually able to stay on their feet, so the next opponent needs to be someone who can stay competitive for 12 rounds.
Fans don't want to see Mayweather walk all over another opponent. At this point in his career, Money has nothing left to prove to the world. He has beaten everyone he has faced, including Oscar De La Hoya and Miguel Cotto. He's completely dominating other fighters in the ring, even at his age.
"The One" showed that a powerful fighter isn't going to take down the champion. It's going to take someone who is fast and able to throw quick jabs.
Danny Garcia defeated Lucas Matthysse on Saturday, so he seems like a viable option for Mayweather's next opponent. However, Garcia fights at 140, and Money would physically dominate someone who is used to fighting at a smaller weight.
It would be an interesting matchup on paper, as both fighters would enter the ring undefeated, but it doesn't appear to be a great match in the ring.
The next opponent must have a strong resume. He will need to have experience fighting against top competition, not just an unbeaten record.
Canelo had a great record, but he hadn't faced the greatest competition. He was overmatched against Money. He wore down because his power was ineffective against Money's quickness.
Mayweather showed once again that he is the best fighter in the world. His latest title bout proved that it will take someone with more experience in the spotlight to challenge him.
The world will have to wait to find out who Mayweather's next opponent will be. Let's just hope the next fighter will stand a chance.
*All stats are courtesy of CompuBoxOnline.com
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