Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr vs Saul “Canelo” Alvarez
Saturday, September 14, 2013, 9:00 pm Eastern, TV: Showtime PPV
MGM Grand Arena – Las Vegas, Nevada
12 Rounds WBA & WBC Junior Middleweight Championship Bout
Mayweather -290 / Alvarez +245
Over 11 1/2 rounds -270 / under 11 1/2 rounds +220
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Floyd “Money” Mayweather is 36 years old. He made his professional debut one week after Bill Clinton was elected to his second term as president of the United States. Since then, Mayweather has yet to suffer defeat or even a draw in 44 fights. He has 26 knockouts.
Saturday he faces what many consider his toughest challenge to date as he takes on Mexican superstar Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in Las Vegas. Though only 23 years old Alvarez has only one less fight in his career than Mayweather. He made his professional debut in 2005 as a 15 year old in Mexico. Alvarez is 42-0-1 in his career with a draw in 2006. Alvarez has 30 knockouts in his career. The two are fighting for Mayweather’s WBA Junior Middleweight belt and Canelo’s WBC version of the same belt.
Though officially a 154 pound belt, the two will fight at a catch weight of 152 pounds. Alvarez barely made the 152 pound weight but he has been fighting at junior middleweight for 3 years now and is an inch taller than Mayweather at 5’9″. Mayweather weighed in at 150 1/2, but it was easier for Mayweather to move up from 147 pounds than it was for the bigger Canelo to get down to 152. Despite being only 5’8″ Mayweather has the reach advantage at 72 inches to 70 1/2. Though they have fought roughly the same amount of fights, Mayweather has 50 more rounds in his career with 327-277. That is more a testament to how Mayweather wins a lot of his fights by decision and Alvarez tens to knock them out.
Since 2006, Mayweather has won 7 of his 9 fights by decision. He beat Ricky Hatton by 10th round TKO in 2007 and knocked out Victor Ortiz in 2011 in the fourth round. Mayweather beat Roberto Guerrero in May by unanimous decision in Las Vegas. It was the first fight since Mayweather served 60 days in jail in Las Vegas in 2012 for domestic abuse. Guerrero stayed with Mayweather for the first two rounds, but Floyd would dominate the next 10, and won 117-111 on all three judges’ cards.
Mayweather might be the best defensive fighter in history. It is also hard to catch him to hit him as he is so quick. It can make for some boring fights, but as he proved against Ortiz, “Money” has the power to knock out anyone at anytime.
Since a 2006 draw against Jorge Juarez in his 5th professional fight, Alvarez has won 38 straight fights. Since 2011, Alvarez has won four of his six fights by KO or TKO. Only Shane Mosley and Austin Trout went the distance. Canelo beat Trout in April by unanimous decision in San Antonio. Alvarez landed a lot of power blows, but the fight was closer than expected. Alvarez won by three different scores on the Judges’ cards 115-112, 116-111, and a controversial 118-109. He won the WBA and vacant Ring Magazine Light middleweight titles.
Alvarez needs to impose his will as he has done in his 42 wins. If he can land shots on the elusive Mayweather, especially his patented body blows, then Alvarez has a shot of pulling off the upset. However, as much as I want to pick Alvarez, I just can’t pull the trigger. I think Floyd wins by a unanimous decision in a very entertaining fight.
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