Floyd Mayweather and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez stepped into the ring on September 14, 2013, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. The fight, billed as "The One," got everyone talking and caught the attention of boxing fans worldwide.
Mayweather, 36 at the time, faced off against the younger Alvarez with the WBA and WBC Super-Welterweight World Titles on the line. The match ended with Mayweather winning by majority decision, though many felt a unanimous call would've been more fitting.
The fight turned out to be a showcase of Mayweather's defensive skills. He managed to keep Alvarez's aggressive style in check throughout the bout. ESPN described the fight as a masterclass in defensive boxing by Mayweather.
Since then, Canelo has come a long way. He's become a four-weight world champion, made his mark in the super-middleweight division, and even grabbed a belt at light-heavyweight. Many now wonder if a rematch would go differently with a more experienced Alvarez.
Mayweather shared his thoughts on the fight recently in an interview with Bet Online. He said:
"Canelo Alvarez is a hell of a fighter. I fought the prime Canelo. I was the older Mayweather fighting the prime Canelo. If it was a prime Mayweather vs a prime Canelo, the fight wouldn't have gone the distance."
Canelo also looked back on the fight in a chat with DAZN. He pointed out:
"Simply, it was down to experience. If I compare that Canelo with Canelo today, they are completely different. It'd be a completely different fight now [against Floyd]."
Canelo has now fought 66 times as a pro, with only two losses. One of those defeats came against Dmitry Bivol at light-heavyweight. At 34, Canelo's still going strong. He's expected to fight again in May 2025, and there's talk he might face Terence Crawford.
