Saul ?Canelo? Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KOs) is undoubtedly Mexico?s most popular young boxer, while Floyd Mayweather Jr. (44-0, 26 KOs) is the biggest name in the sport. Pairing the two on September 14 will likely lead to boxing?s most lucrative fight of the year.
And it might be a signal that Mayweather?s star power by itself is not enough to put his Pay-Per-View numbers in record-setting territory.
It?s been reported that Mayweather?s fight against Robert Guerrero did not reach the one million Pay-Per-View buys that were expected. (Showtime has yet to release official figures from the May 4 bout). Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto netted 1.5 million PPV buys in May 2012.
Alvarez?s popularity in Mexico, coupled with the large boxing fan base of Mexican descent in the United States, could leave those numbers in the dust. Mayweather vs. Alvarez has the potential to close in on the more than 2.4 million PPV buys of his 2007 bout with Oscar De La Hoya.
At 22, Alvarez is still developing as an athlete but has been a star for several years. He sold out the Alamodome in his victory over Austin Trout in April, so he?s proven he can generate big numbers in the U.S. It would appear Mayweather is looking for a chunk of that Latino power to make things interesting in his career. Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez
It?s notable that both Mayweather and Alvarez had to give up something in order to finalize the agreement announced Wednesday night. Alvarez has to come down to 152 pounds on the day of the weigh-in. It puts him at a disadvantage, as he?s a natural 154-pounder.
But there are no restrictions on how much he can weigh on the day of the fight, according to ESPN?s Dan Rafael. ?Canelo? has been known to bulk up to around 170 pounds on fight night, making him a strong and dangerous opponent.
It could be argued that ?Canelo? didn?t need to face Mayweather at this point in his career. He could have gone up against Miguel Cotto, for example, under conditions which would have been completely favorable to him. But why wait?
?Canelo? has nothing to lose. There would be no shame in being defeated by the sport?s pound-for-pound best. So it?s not surprising he chose this tougher path. What?s astonishing is that Mayweather felt compelled to give him the chance. It?s a testament to Alvarez?s popularity and the power of the Latino dollar in boxing.
Read more: http://www.voxxi.com/floyd-mayweather-to-latino-power-boost/#ixzz2V5gn9zAt
