The 152-pound catchweight for Floyd "Money" Mayweather’s upcoming megafight against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez is a huge advantage for the pound-for-pound king.
That’s probably why Mayweather’s camp pushed for it so hard during pre-fight negotiations. According to Alvarez, Mayweather’s team negotiated even lower weights before the WBC light middleweight champion decided to agree to a catchweight, per USA Today’s Bob Velin.
Canelo is expected to fight in the high 160s to mid-170s just one day after dropping all the way down to 152 pounds for Friday’s weigh-in. As a result of the quick flux in weight, the larger-framed fighter is going to be feeling the physical effects of such a drastic weight shift in the ring.
Just getting down to the 152 pounds is going to be a challenge for him. And there are whispers that he’s struggling with that big cut down.
According to Floyd Mayweather Sr., per David Mayo of MLive.com, sources inside Canelo’s camp indicate the Mexican fighter is having a “devilish time” handling the weight loss properly. As a result, Mayweather Sr. expects Canelo to look sick in the face once Friday rolls around.
Apparently, the sources told him there’s nothing but water left to lose at this point.
For a fighter who already drops significant weight to fight at 154 pounds, the extra drop may be a deal breaker.
And when going up against a perfectly prepared physical specimen like Money Mayweather, you can’t afford to have anything working against you—physically or in your head.
However, the mental part isn’t as concerning as the physical aspect. Canelo has fought at 154 and succeeded repeatedly throughout his career. What is alarming, though, is a report about his apparent poor physical conditioning. For a fighter that relies on landing tiring power punches in succession, especially late in fights, that is problematic against a sound defensive technician like Mayweather, to say the least.
As his fights wear on, Mayweather appears to tirelessly transition thanks to a superb work ethic and conditioning regimen that is second to none. For him, even at 36 years old, commitment to fitness and body performance is a way of life not just a career.
And he’s made a killing off of his adherence to his routine.
In the end, Canelo has a chance to score an early upset—like any boxer with a powerful punch—but his odds of winning will drastically decrease the longer the fight persists.
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