By Jackie Kallen
Well, guys, we never got Mayweather-Pacquaio. But we are getting the next best thing. Mayweather-Alvarez is a terrific match-up. Between the two of them, they have 86 wins and no losses. Alvarez has one draw. Together they have scored 56 KOs and both men are close to the same height. Mayweather started his career at super featherweight and Canelo was a super lightweight. But they will both be fighting at 152 pounds on September 14 at the MGM Grand. For boxing fans–this is huge news.
It is being predicted that this will be Mayweather’s largest PPV fight. The Mayweather/De la Hoya fight drew 2.5 million buys. This one is expected to top that. Top Rank even moved their Bradley-Marquez fight to October 14 to avoid going head-to-head. Anyone who thinks boxing is dead needs their head examined.
I applaud Mayweather for stepping up to the plate again only four months after his fight with Guerrero and selecting the toughest opponent out there. There were many names to choose from. Any boxer between 147-154 would have met at 152 for a chance at a payday like this. But Mayweather respects his fans enough to give them what they want: A real fight.
Coming out of the gate, the oddsmakers are favoring Mayweather 2-1. I am sure it will change between now and fight time. I suspect there will be some real money dumped on Canelo at the beginning.
The big question here is that age-old dilemma: Experience or youth? Which will prevail? Canelo will be 23 at fight time and Money Mayweather is 36. How important is the age differential? Judging by Mayweather’s last few fights–he is as sharp and skilled as ever.
Though they have both had over 40 fights–Floyd has definitely faced the tougher and more impressive opposition. His list of victims includes names like Ortiz, Cotto, Hatton, De la Hoya, Mosley, Judah, and Gatti. Alvarez also beat Mosley, and he defeated Austin Trout in April, but the rest of the names on his record pale in comparison. This is a huge step up for him.
As always, both men predict victory. And both will no doubt have a game plan guaranteed to defeat the other man. But once they actually climb through the ropes, the talk is over and actions will rule. There are those who believe that Mayweather is unbeatable and will retire with no blemishes on his record. Others feel that Canelo is the one man capable of upsetting him.
The one thing that is undisputable is that the hype for this one will be tremendous. Fight fans will be discussing this all summer and tickets to the fight will fly out of the box office as soon as they go on sale. Alvarez will draw a huge contingent from Mexico. They will drive, fly, and bus their way to Las Vegas. Mexican flags will be flying in the Garden on September 14.
Mayweather fans, however, are also a strong army. They will be there in force. The cheers and boos should be about equal when the fighters enter the ring. The real winner here is the viewing audience. No matter who wins (even if it’s a draw) we are in for an exciting night.
Who do you think will win?
Jackie Kallen is a boxing manager who has been in the business for over three decades. Her life inspired the Meg Ryan film “Against the Ropes” and she was a part of the NBC series “The Contender.” www.JackieKallen.com, www.facebook.com/JackieKallen