Even though the title fight occurred over a decade ago, the monumental clash between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Canelo Alvarez continues to cast a significant shadow over the collective psyche of boxing enthusiasts. Four years after they fought, Mayweather Jr. retired from professional boxing, but Alvarez continued. Now 33 years old, he will defend his undisputed title against Jaime Munguia on May 4. The lead-up to the fight is witnessing news and reports, from both past and present, that seemingly question as well as support the fighters.
Fans came across a post that apparently checked Munguia’s defense in the past. So, as per a logical stream of thought, shouldn’t it be Canelo Alvarez’s turn? Footage from the 2013 Mayweather Jr.-Alvarez fight did the honors. The video, shared yesterday, now appears to have sparked a heated debate. So much so, that even Jake Paul‘s trainer couldn’t prevent himself from joining the fray.
Back in Time: Losses and Triumphs
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The initial tweet was put up by Fight Haven, a repository of combat sports videos. According to the message, it was an old, near-retirement Floyd Mayweather Jr. who met in prime Canelo Alvarez on September 14, 2013, at the famed MGM Grand Arena. Nevertheless, despite his lack of youth, round after round, the unbeaten great dismantled the young Mexican boxer. In what many fans consider an epic boxing clinic, the Grand Rapids, Michigan-born champion seemingly let Alvarez have a taste of the very style that has given his homeland a prominent place in the boxing map of the world.
“BEATS the LIVING daylights OUTTA HIM”
STOP.
Canelo was never hurt and not on Floyd’s level at the time. However Floyd NEVER hurt him or damaged him.— BJ FLORES (@bjfloresboxing) March 26, 2024
“An old, slowed down, and nearing retirement, @FloydMayweather walks down a prime #Canelo Alvarez and beats the Living Daylights out of him using the #Mexican style of Boxing!” The tweet read. However, BJ Flores disagreed. The former cruiserweight challenger, who is now famously known for training ‘The Problem Child’, highlighted that it is preposterous to think that Floyd Mayweather Jr. had badly hurt Canelo Alvarez. “BEATS the LIVING daylights OUTTA HIM” STOP,” he said.
Standing by the Mexican undisputed champion, he argued that no one has ever “hurt” Canelo Alvarez. More so, at the time of the fight, he wasn’t even at the elite level where Floyd Mayweather Jr. happened to be at the time. But despite the difference, ‘The Money’ still couldn’t succeed in battering the Mexican icon. “Canelo was never hurt and not on Floyd’s level at the time. However, Floyd NEVER hurt him or damaged him.” Flores said.
One of the users agreed with BJ Flores. They said, “Exactly. Floyd simply just outboxed him. But no where near a beatdown.” The Cinco de May showdown is still over a month away. So fans may find themselves witnessing many more such back-and-forth.
‘The One’: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Canelo Alvarez
It is true that two years after the fight, Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired. However, by 2017, he was back to fight his fiftieth battle against Conor McGregor before hanging his gloves finally for good. Given the profile of both boxers, the Mayweather Jr.-Alvarez clash is now considered a technical classic. But eventually, the former’s experience prevailed over the much younger opponent. ‘The Money’ ticked all the boxes where perfection was called. Be it defense, jabs, or, for that matter, his counter-punches, His near-perfect execution left Alvarez baffled throughout the fight.
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The numbers speak for themselves. Out of the total punches that Mayweather Jr. threw, nearly 46% made a connection in comparison to 22% of Alvarez’s. Likewise, 42% of the former’s jabs landed correctly to the Mexican champion’s 15%. The title bout for the WBC, WBA (super), and Ring light middleweight titles ended in the most questionable manner thanks to a scorecard. Despite Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s dominant performance, one of the judges deemed it equal to Canelo Alvarez’s and handed down a score of 114-114. Meanwhile, the remaining judges awarded the fight 117-111 and 116-112, respectively, in Mayweather Jr.’s favor.
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What’s your take on the 2013 fight? Do you think a prime Mayweather Jr. could have forced an early stoppage on Canelo Alvarez?