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.