The recent bout between Floyd Mayweather Junior and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez was one of the most hyped fights in recent memory. With 2 undefeated champions meeting for the first time, many believed a changing of the guard was in order since Alvarez held a size and strength advantage over the best pound-for-pound fighter on the planet. Canelo also entered the ropes 13 years younger than his opponent and it was because of those figures that certain boxing enthusiasts foresaw possible turnover pending an Alvarez victory.
Despite the fact that Canelo - a rising superstar in Mexico and the United States - drew millions of fans and a whopping $5 million in earnings, Floyd Mayweather simply proved to be too much at the MGM Grand Garden Arena this past Saturday in Las Vegas. FMJ stood toe-to-toe with Canelo and even though the crowd in attendance was in Canelo's corner, the 36-year-old Mayweather battled his way to a majority decision victory. Though he appeared to control the fight from the opening round to the final bell, a split decision of 114-114 came from judge C.J. Ross after Dave Moretti (116-112) and Craig Metcalfe (117-111) scored the match in overwhelming favor of Mayweather. Somewhat surprised at the one result, Mayweather said that the judge results are out of his control and that he looks forward to continued success even as he gets older.
"I'm not in control of the judges," he said following the victory. "I'm a little in shock, but everything is a learning experience. Canelo is a young, strong champion. A great Mexican champion. I take my hat off to him and to Mexico. He can take a loss and bounce back. Seventeen years, and I'm still going strong. I think had I pressed the attack earlier, I could have gotten the stoppage, but I am very happy with my performance."
With the Canelo fight in the rear view mirror, speculation as to who the undefeated champion will fight next has begun.
According to USA Today, Philadelphia native Danny Garcia is a name boxing fans can look for in the coming months. Retaining his WBC/WBA/RING junior welterweight championship in a recent unanimous decision victory over Lucas Matthysse, the 25-year-old may soon put his undefeated record on the line against Mayweather. Fighting at 140 pounds for the last time, Garcia could begin preparation for a 2014 Garcia v. Mayweather showdown but for now, the undefeated champ wants to reflect on another victory.
"I'm the champion of the world, I'm not scared of anyone," Garcia said after his weekend victory in Las Vegas. "If you can make it out of Philadelphia, you can make it anywhere."
Earning $1.5 million for the Matthysse fight, Garcia could potentially exceed that amount if he were to fight Mayweather next year. The $5 million figure Canelo Alvarez earned to fight FMJ would certainly be in play and if the bout is built up as another 'can't miss' showdown, the 25-year-old may be looking at a number north of Canelo's earnings.
For now, we'll all just have to wait and see!
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