By James Slater: When the tickets go on sale for the fast-approaching May 5th fight card that will be topped by mega-star Floyd Mayweather Junior going up in weight to challenge reigning WBA light-middleweight king Miguel Cotto, they will disappear fast. Of that I’m sure. Not only is it always a big deal when “Money” fights, his fight with Cotto is probably the best fight the 34-year-old could have taken next to the one we all wanted with Manny Pacquiao.
Not only will the main event attract the fans, but fighter turned promoter Oscar De La Hoya is promising, via his Twitter page, that the May 5th night in Vegas will be “a mega-event from top to bottom.” As good as the main event is, it seems we can anticipate a stacked under-card.
One fighter who looks set to appear on the supporting bill is unbeaten Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, the reigning WBC 154-pound champ. De La Hoya writes how he has “a few options for Canelo on May 5th.” Set for the biggest of big times and possibly being the fighter to take over from Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao in the superstar stakes when the two mid-thirties greats have gone, 21-year-old Alvarez could fight Shane Mosley on May 5th, he could face his mandatory challenger James Kirkland, or he could face someone else entirely.
If Canelo does fight either of the two names listed above, there will be a chance the young warrior will steal a fair amount of the main event’s thunder. Imagine Alvarez Vs. Kirkland if you will. How could that match-up not thrill? Alvarez-Mosley isn’t quite as attractive, at least not in my opinion, but if Canelo were to become the first man to KO “Sugar” he would have made some statement (even if Mosley is past his best). Not only that, but Alavarez would even be in a position to be able to call out Mayweather again, having done something “Money” was unable to do.
I think the May 5th card, dominated as it will rightly be by Mayweather-Cotto, will be the night when Alvarez reaches genuine star status. Forget Mayweather-Pacquiao (as many fans have by now, as sick as they are of the farce that the match-up has become in terms of it simply not being made already!) – it could be that the next mega, mega-fight is Mayweather Vs. Alvarez.
I wonder what other support bouts/fighters De La Hoya and co have in mind for the May 5th show. It will also be interesting (and perhaps somewhat scary) seeing how much a ringside ticket will go for for the Cinco de Mayo weekend fight ca