After he gave that tidbit of news to HBO, they deliberated as to whether Alvarez was being completely sincere about it not being just about the money, but the chance to fight the best in the business.
I would think both of them at once are pretty good reasons, wouldn?t you?
The notion of a fight like this wouldn?t be silly for Mayweather, Short of fights with Manny Pacquiao or Oscar De La Hoya, is there a bigger fight Floyd could get himself into? Is there a bigger potential star for him to oppose? I don?t think so.
Conventional boxing wisdom (at least of this era) would call into question whether Alvarez is far enough along in his career to be ready to take on someone like Mayweather.
He is, after all, only 21 years of age. And he hasn?t been a pro for nearly as long as Mayweather, who has about as much ring savvy as anyone alive.
To all of this, as they say in court, we stipulate.
But for an up-and-comer to give up the experience edge to a wily veteran in a title fight is not a unique scenario in boxing circles, by any means.
If someone were to throw you a blind profile of a fighter ? a 21-year-old, unbeaten ?matinee idol? type, with a strong ethnic following, and being groomed for super-stardom, your first assumption might be that he has been coddled against soft opposition.
But that?s not the case with Alvarez. Here?s a kid with a lot of fights, a lot of them against opponents who are not pushovers, who shows a freakishly unusual amount of poise and know-how for some his age; heck, for someone of NAY age. Yes, the kid?s for real.
