Mayweather still a 5-2 favorite

SAUL “Canelo” Alvarez has been saying that he will be the first boxer to beat Floyd “The Money” Mayweather Jr., but few people take him seriously—even if he is 13 years younger than  Floyd, and is much bigger and stronger.

“I’ve figured him out. I can’t wait to get up in the ring,” said the 23-year-old fighter from Mexico, who holds a 42-0-1 (30 KOs) record against Mayweather’s 44-0 (26 KOs).

According to a Los Angeles Times article  by Lance Pugmire, while Canelo’s record may be just as impressive as Floyd on paper, his foes are not in the same class as those the Money had fought, a roster that includes 16 former world champions. On this basis, oddsmakers are still putting their money on Floyd, who remains a 5-2 favorite.

Thus, while Mayweather may have just twiddled his thumbs as he awaited  today’s fight, Canelo, in contrast, has been training hard and putting in long hours diligently doing his homework.

“It’s going to be a tough, difficult fight but I have an advantage and I’ve been working on those things that will be difficult for Floyd,” disclosed Canelo, who defeated  Austin Trout last April to unite the WBA and WBC light middleweight belts—a fight where he was criticized for losing steam in the latter rounds.

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The Los Angeles Times said Canelo rented a house overlooking the Big Bear Lake so he could find peace and quiet while he conditioned himself in mind, body and spirit.

Canelo trained in the high altitude at Big Bear mountain (6,750 feet above sea level). When he wasn’t doing physical workouts, he was in his cabin viewing tapes of Mayweather’s previous fights, studying every move of his rival and keeping an eye for strengths and weaknesses.

“He watched how Jose Luis Castillo  penetrated Floyd’s defense, how Oscar De La Hoya’s use of the jab led to a split decision, and how Miguel Cotto muscled in to inflict more damage to Mayweather than any other opponent,” Pugmire wrote.

De La Hoya is Canelo’s promoter.  Following a 10-day promotional tour around the United States, the Golden Boy was convinced that Canelo would be able to knock out Mayweather in the latter part of the bout.

“He knows what  he has to do,” De la Hoya said. “One thing he does better than me is he relaxes up in the ring. It’s natural for him and that’s a big thing. People are banking on Canelo to get tired because of his past performances. They think he’s a flat-footed fighter, nothing more than a charging bull. They’ll see the opposite.”

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Canelo said he is fully prepared for this fight and has all bases covered, including the mental aspect of the fight.

“I have to stay calm and collected. A lot of people get desperate against Floyd. They lose patience. They try to rip his head off and they start missing punches. The more desperate you are, the more you make mistakes. That’s not the way you beat Floyd,” he said.

“Come fight night, you’ll see I can do it. I’m confident. I am ready now, no doubt.”