Larry Brown Sports

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is giving the fans what they want. The undefeated boxer announced on Twitter on Wednesday that he will be fighting Canelo Alvarez on Sept. 14 in Las Vegas.

I chose my opponent for September 14th and it’s Canelo Alvarez. I’m giving the fans what they want. It will be at the MGM Grand.

— Floyd Mayweather (@FloydMayweather) May 30, 2013

Canelo (42-0-1, 30 KOs) has long been discussed as a potential opponent for Mayweather. Mayweather (44-0, 26 KOs) chose to fight Robert Guerrero earlier this month after deciding between the two. He disposed of Guerrero easily, which led to fans, promoters, and TV execs clamoring for a tougher test for the champion. He’ll get that in Alvarez.

Canelo, like Mayweather, has never lost, though he did fight to a draw in his sixth career fight. The 22-year-old Mexican fighter will be Floyd’s most difficult opponent since Miguel Cotto.

Mayweather has had the September fight date reserved for several months. There were some concerns that he wouldn’t be able to return to the ring in time for the fight after he hurt his hand against Guerrero, but that does not appear to be the case.

The fight will take place at a 152-pound weight limit. Mayweather has mostly fought at the 147-pound limit, though he moved up to 154 for Cotto and Oscar De La Hoya. Canelo fights at 154, and SI’s Chris Mannix says there will not be a limit for Alvarez concerning how much he will be able to weigh after the weigh-in.

De La Hoya, whose Golden Boy Promotions promotes Alvarez, tweeted a picture of Canelo signing the contract:

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Canelo Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KOs) vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (44-0, 26 KOs) is the fight fans want to see. Both boxers are undefeated and considered the best in their weight classes. Mayweather beat Robert Guerrero with ease in his fight two weeks ago, so fans want to see him step up the competition. So do his promoters and television partners.

Golden Boy Promotions said that arranging a fight between Mayweather and Alvarez is a No. 1 priority. Golden Boy promotes Alvarez and has promoted Mayweather’s last seven fights on a fight-by-fight basis. However, there was some speculation recently that a weight issue could serve as an impediment to the fight.

Canelo has fought at 154 pounds for his last six fights, while Mayweather has fought at 147 pounds for eight of his last 10 fights (he fought at the 154 limit for the Oscar De La Hoya fight in 2007 and the Miguel Cotto fight last year).

Alvarez’s trainer, Chepo Reynoso, told Boxing Scene that Mayweather wants the fight at 147. Reynoso says there is no way Alvarez drops down to that weight (he hasn’t fought at 147 since March 2010). They proposed a catch weight, but Floyd reportedly is refusing. Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer reportedly says that is not true.

“Whoever is talking, discussing or stating that there is a weight issue regarding a potential Mayweather vs. Canelo fight does not know what they are talking about. This is all bulls—,” Schaefer told Boxing Scene.

Schaefer went on to say false reports like that can ruin fights.

I don’t know that a report like that would ruin the fight, but I don’t think the information is true. We have seen in the past that Floyd is open to moving up in weight for fights. The price has to be right like it was with Cotto and De La Hoya, and Floyd also has to feel like he can win. With Golden Boy and Showtime putting pressure on him, maybe Mayweather will finally agree to fight Canelo. We know they were close to an agreement in the past.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. outclassed Robert Guerrero last weekend, and now people are clamoring for him to finally face undefeated champion Canelo Alvarez.

Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KOs) is the top 154-pound fighter in the world and has been discussed as a potential Mayweather opponent. Though no fight has been finalized in the past, it looks like things are intensifying now.

Alvarez is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions, which has also promoted each of Mayweather’s last seven fights. Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer told ESPN’s Dan Rafael a Mayweather-Alvarez fight is his No. 1 priority.

“I am working on the fight,” Schaefer told Rafael. “I’m crunching the numbers. You should see my calculator — it’s red-hot. I am working on a lot of fights, but this is my No. 1 priority.

“This is something I am pursuing and I am having conversations with both sides,” Schaefer said. “Canelo wants the fight and Floyd has never turned down an opponent.”

Mayweather has a Sept. 14 fight date booked and says he intends to keep it. That weekend makes sense for an Alvarez fight because it coincides with the celebration of Mexican Independence Day.

There was initial speculation that Mayweather’s pay-per-view numbers for his fight with Guerrero would disappoint and come in below one million. Had Mayweather’s fight not sold well, it would have marked incentive for him to face more competitive and marketable opponents, such as Alvarez. However, SI’s Chris Mannix says Showtime executive Stephen Espinoza told him the PPV buys will exceed one million.

Espinoza also told Mannix that Showtime is pushing for a Mayweather-Alvarez fight.

“Everybody involved, from Mayweather, to Canelo, to Golden Boy, to Showtime want Canelo-Mayweather in September,” he told Mannix.

If Golden Boy wants the fight, Showtime wants the fight, and Alvarez wants the fight, then all we need is Mayweather to agree to it. Knowing him, there’s a possibility he elects to face an easier opponent unless he feels confident he can win. I’m not getting my hopes up yet.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s next fight is likely to be in May against Canelo Alvarez, as expected.

Alvarez shared the information on his official Facebook page Thursday.

“HOLA!! SALUDOS nuestra siguiente pelea esta planeada para realizarse el 4 de mayo estamos cerca de concretar la pelea con mayweather VAMOS CON TODO!!” Alvarez wrote.

For those who don’t speak Spanish, Alvarez said, “our next fight is scheduled to take place on May 4, we are close to finalizing the Mayweather fight.”

Alvarez is signed with Golden Boy Promotions, which frequently promotes Mayweather’s fights. Golden Boy, much like Bob Arum’s Top Rank Productions, likes to pair its fighters against each other.

In January, Canelo was reported to be a candidate to fight Mayweather. Mayweather ultimately chose to face Miguel Cotto and beat him in a unanimous decision. It looks like he is choosing Alvarez for May.

Mayweather was also said to have interest in facing Robert Guerrero, who is coming off a win over Andre Berto. Though he may be leaning toward facing Alvarez in May, Mayweather could choose to fight twice next year, and Guerrero could be his opponent in September.

Alvarez is 41-0-1 with 30 knockouts in his career. He beat Josesito Lopez (who previously stunned Victor Ortiz), an aging Shane Mosley, and Kermit Cintron in his last three fights. The 22-year-old built up a good part of his fighting resume as a teenager in Mexico. This would be his first megafight.

H/T Chris Mannix

Floyd Mayweather Jr. somehow managed to talk the judge into postponing his jail sentence so that he could fight on his scheduled May 5th date. Despite the injustice, that seemed like good news for fight fans — Floyd and Manny Pacquiao could finally face each other after all. Or not.

Several people, including most notably Oscar De La Hoya, have been saying that Bob Arum is not interested in having Pacquiao face Floyd. The promoter’s latest excuse is that Pacquiao won’t be able to start sparring until April 1st when a cut on his face heals, leaving him with too little time to prepare for a May 5th fight.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, is pushing for a fight with Mayweather to please boxing fans. He told PhilBoxing.com that he is meeting with Bob Arum, and that he’s prepared to tell his promoter that he wants to face Floyd over anyone else.

But Arum has too many excuses.

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