It’s On! Odds On Floyd, Canelo 2 ½ To 1 Underdog, Preview of the Big Fight
By Robert Brizel, Head RCM Boxing Correspondent
Las Vegas, NV (September 14th, 2013)–The odds say Floyd Mayweather Jr. is the better fighter to wager on versus Saul Alvarez, and Las Vegas, Nevada, is the place. Can two fighters caught up in the zeal of promotion put up a show featuring a fight well-prepared for? Not in the same way as a full eight week camp undisturbed by traveling to promote the ring war. Like Thomas Hearns versus Marvelous Marvin Hagler, Mayweather Jr. versus Alvarez is an over promoted spectacular worth its money in hype, but it is the actual length of the show which is open to debate. Who will win? Like the line in the song ‘Speak Softly Love’ from the Godfather, how long will it last? That is the big question of the moment, as the fight hour approaches.
USA Showtime, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions present a nine bout boxing card broadcast on Pay-Per-View on Saturday, September 14, 2013, from MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada. Floyd versus Canelo promises to make Las Vegas Christmas in September tonight. The latest Floyd Mayweather Jr. fight card sold out in less than 24 hours. Las Vegas is buzzing with excitement. In Las Vegas, the gaming paradise, the betting line is 2 ½ to 1 for Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the 24 hours before the fight. This bout is about money, money, money, money…..just the way the O’Jays sing their famed tune. Floyd is the odds on favorite. The mega bout will be shown on pay-per-view worldwide. For every $100 bet on Floyd, you will lose $250 on average if he wins. For every $100 bet on Canelo, and you will win $210 on average if Canelo wins. The final betting wire is anticipated to be Floyd negative $200 to $210 per $100 bet, and Alvarez win $200 to $210 for every $100 bet at fight time. The safest bet is not to bet at all, given the combined records of both fighters stands at 46 wins, no losses and one draw. Goes the Rocky V movie expression ‘It’s a fight!’ and it’s on.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. has always been the smarter fighter, if not the better one. He got all the wins to reach this point. With so many fighters out there hungry to get the magical payday fighting Floyd provides, Floyd can pick and choose whatever opponent he wants. Floyd Mayweather is the first fighter worthy to be categorized ‘super fighter’, which differs from the paper world title of ‘super champion’ in boxing. Floyd and his current string of ‘super foes’ are one cut above the rest in terms of level of fighting ability. Thus Floyd has created a super category of boxing which heretofore never previously existed.
Floyd, 44-0, 26 knockouts, Las, Vegas, Nevada, flirts with destiny if he hopes to match Rocky Marciano’s pristine 49-0 heavyweight record in the lower weight classes between welterweight and middleweight. It all boils down to game plan prepared for and executed, and changes of vision midstream. Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez, 42-0-1, 30 knockouts, Juanacatlan, Jalisco, Mexico, is a far better fighter than Floyd, younger, stronger, and hungrier for BoxRec number one pound-for pound worldwide recognition as the best fighter in the world, though clearly less experienced in rounds fought and ring generalship than Floyd. If Floyd gets past Alvarez, Danny Garcia, Lucas Matthysse, Manny Pacquiao, Timothy Bradley, Jesus Soto Karass, and the winner of Ishe Smith versus Carlos Molina, Paul Spadafora (48-0-1) could be in his future. One thing for sure, an ageless ‘money’ Floyd will always have a legitimate super opponent, and the best of this bunch fits the Floyd bill at 154 pounds. Floyd fought Oscar De La Hoya at 160 pounds, but it does not seem likely Floyd will fight Sergio Gabriel Martinez, Peter Quillin or Gennady Golovkin at 160 pounds, as Martinez is getting too old and the others are a bit stronger than Floyd. However, it all depends on how Floyd feels and where he feels he is at.
Since Floyd is earning so many tens of millions of dollars, one could wonder if any fight involving Floyd is a fair fight, Given the sense of awe, one could safely presume not. Floyd still has to outbox every opponent from the outside in the early rounds, put rounds in the bank like money, and shut the door. Floyd has to come in on the inside at some point, and wage war with his opponents and outbox them later on in his fights. Thus far no Floyd opponent has had an answer, the game plan meaning knocking Floyd out cleanly. Since Floyd never stands in frontof his opponents, their game plan has thus far been to take that ‘money money money’. Ever hear the song ‘For the Love of Money’ by the O’Jays? It has to be the theme song for the modern day corny cast of characters lining up to fight Floyd. Canelo, however, is not corny, and neither is the long avoided championship caliber Spadafora-whom every overprotective big time promoter has meticulously avoided for over a decade. Alvareez and Spadafora are ‘The Real Deal’ in Floyd’s face. He will have to beat both of them soundly to be above the scrutiny of the critics
For The Love of Money. Full seven minute version sung by the O’Jays on YouTube
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ll3uipTO-4A
As Floyd ages, the going is getting tougher. And the tough get going. Canelo has to get inside and outbox Floyd from the start, fighting one super notch above his winning title performance against Austin Trout. Canelo has to drop Floyd several times, and thoroughly work him over. Canelo is young, strong, tough, and willing to pay the price to get inside in his valiant attempt to get the job done and dispose of Floyd. It is the contemptuous kid versus the old master of the ring. Floyd’s mastery should prevail, unless he gets careless, like Manny Pacquiao did against Juan Manuel Marquez. And is Marquez beats Timothy Bradley, Floyd might have to do battle with Marquez again. That prospect would be crazy, but as we all know, crazy things do happen in boxing, and in life.
Prediction: Floyd Mayweather Win 12 over Canelo if Floyd stays on his feet OR the 23 year old Canelo Alvarez Win 12 or stoppage after round 7 over the aging 36 year old Floyd if he can drop Floyd to the canvas more than once, and take control of the bout after the first few rounds. One thing’s for sure, as the old Jim Morrison biography title states ‘Nobody gets out of here alive’. If Floyd makes it out of here alive, no rematch will be sought. “Don’t want one!” as Rocky Balboa notes after his first bout with Apollo Creed. If Canelo wins tonight, we’re looking at a three fight Floyd versus Canelo trilogy to rival Gatti-Ward, Ali-Frazier, Marquez-Pacquiao, Norris-Santana, and all of the great all-time trilogy rivalries.
As for Danny Garcia versus Lucas Matthysse for the World Boxing Association and World Boxing Council Super Welterweight titles, bring a fire extinguisher for this preliminary to the main event. It will be a technical boxing war complete with power slugfest exchanges, for the right to be the next opponent to fight Floyd in early 2014. If the bout goes the distance, Garcia, 26-0, 16 knockouts, will win the 12 round decision over Matthysse. If the bout does not go the distance, Matthysse will knock out Garcia cold. It will be cold, cruel and vicious war, or as Howard Cosell yelled it bluntly during George Foreman versus Ron Lyle bout, “Boxing the way the public wants it!” So apropos and so true. There better be a stretcher at ringside for this wild affair, because somebody is going to get the next Floyd payday, and somebody is going to go home the hard way. Remember, folks, vulture don’t leave meat scraps once a pending corpse reaches the end of the line. A 12 round decision would favorite Garcia by split or majority decision in 12, the same way Matthysse lost to Zab Judah on a split a few years ago.
Other predictions: Ishe Smith Win 12 Carlos Molina OR Molina KO 10 over Smith, IBF Light Middleweight title, in a good gutsy scrap. Pablo Cesar Cano TKO 11 or Win 12 over Ashley Theophane in a close and hard fought technical war. Ronald Gavril Win 8 Shujaa El Amin, super middleweights. Christopher Pearson TKO 7 Josh Williams, middleweights. Hold onto your hats, folks. It is going to be a wild night in Las Vegas, equally as exciting for those at home or in public venues watching the telecasts live.
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