The 36 year-old pound for pound best, who once stated that he would never fight in-between weight, will attempt to unify yet another division after announcing his intention to face undefeated WBC 154lb champion Saul Alvarez at a limit of two pounds below the eleven stone mark.
“I chose my opponent for September 14th and it’s Canelo Alvarez,” Mayweather declared via Twitter today. “I’m giving the fans what they want. It will be at the MGM Grand.”
It is shrewd move by Mayweather, one which I myself never thought he would agree to, and puts the odds firmly in his favour. The adored Mexican, who has an awesome 42-0-1 record, is massive at the weight and regularly balloons up to over 170lbs on fight nights.
‘Canelo’ will now be forced to punish his body to get down to 152lbs for the massive MGM Grand clash in the fall, with ‘Money’ Mayweather having successfully bulked up to 151 for his previous bout at the mark with Cotto.
When the bell rings, Alvarez, 22, will still have a massive weight advantage over the American, who regularly walks around not much higher than his current comfort at welterweight, although those puny two pounds could make all the difference to his opponent.
Mayweather was left with few options at 147 after prospected opponent Devon Alexander suffered a hand injury in his recent win against Lee Purdy and the fans are now set to get their wish when the two unbeaten superstars collide later in the year.
The mouth-watering mega-fight now means that the WBO welterweight title fight between Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez will move to October 12 to avoid a head-to-head with the biggest fight of the year, with an undercard to be drizzled out of the next few weeks for both events.
