By Michael Collins: Manny Pacquiao might not be interested in fighting WBC welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. (42-0, 26 KO’s) on May 5th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada, but future star, WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez (39-0-1, 29 KO’s) is more than ready to face him and is waiting for the word that he’s got the fight.
This is an easy fight to put together for Mayweather because Alvarez fights for Golden Boy Promotions and both Golden Boy and Alvarez want this fight. There won’t be any game playing about the arena being too small, about the not being able to happen because it will four months to create a temporary outside arena or a cut that requires not five, not six but seven months heal. Alvarez won’t play those games and will gladly accept the fight.
A fight against Mayweather will be a huge one for Alvarez’s career, as he really needs a fight against a Mayweather type fighter in order for him to been seen by millions of boxing fans in order to become a star. A win over Mayweather will make Alvarez the next big in the sport and would pave his way to a future of big money pay per view bouts.
In order for that to happen, all Alvarez has to do is beat Mayweather any way he can. Alvarez doesn’t have to look great in beating him as long as he gets past him. However, the more realistic view of what will happen is that Alvarez will lose to Mayweather, although probably not by a lopsided decision and not without getting in his own licks.
Alvarez, 21, is much younger than the 34-year-old Mayweather Jr. and has never been in with anyone nearly as good as him. Normally you don’t to push fighters up as fast as Alvarez would be if he were to fight Mayweather now, but Alvarez needs this advanced fighter to quicken the pace in becoming a star. If he were to have to get there without Mayweather’s help, it could take three or four years before he’s on Mayweather’s level. But a big win over Mayweather or an impressive performance, he’ll have gone a long ways towards becoming a big star overnight.