Mayweather, Canelo put on a show

By The Southern Eye | Jun. 25, 2013

FLOYD Mayweather and Saul Alvarez stared each other down for nearly a minute in New York on Monday.

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The cheers from the fans packed into Times Square grew louder by the second. This is the match-up they have been waiting for: four titles, two undefeated favourites and a fight billed as “The One”.

“Canelo, I appreciate you for taking the fight,” Mayweather said in the heart of Manhattan in front of a few thousand supporters standing behind metal barriers or sitting in a makeshift stand.

“Now,” Mayweather said, “let’s give the fans what they want to see.” The boxers began an 11-city tour to officially announce and promote their title fight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on September 14.

The tour includes stops in cities such as Washington, Chicago, Miami and Mexico City and is jumpstarting the hype ahead of one of the most anticipated bouts in recent memory.

Mayweather (36) is unbeaten in 44 fights. In his most recent bout, in May, he beat Robert Guerrero on points to retain his welterweight title.

“The earth is my turf,” Mayweather said. “You can put me in any ring and I will always come out victorious.”

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Alvarez, a 22-year-old from Mexico, is 42-0-1 and unified the light-middleweight titles in April with a unanimous victory over Austin Trout.

“In the sport of boxing, it’s everybody’s time and this is my time,” Alvarez said through a translator as fans chanted “Mex-i-co!” The 12-round bout will be fought at 69kg with both men’s super-welterweight titles on the line. Mayweather holds the WBA “super” championship and Alvarez the WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine belts.

The bout, expected to be a monstrous draw on pay-per-view, may also satisfy many fans who have been wishing for several years for Mayweather to take on Manny Pacquiao.

“We have America’s No 1 fighter against Mexico’s No 1. We have the No 1 pound-for-pound fighter versus the No 1 new star in the sport.”