Floyd Mayweather claims he'd have stopped Canelo Alvarez if they fought in their primes. The undefeated boxer made this bold statement in a recent interview, reflecting on their 2013 bout.
Back in September 2013, Mayweather and Alvarez faced off at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. At the time, Mayweather held the WBA super-welterweight title, while Canelo was the WBC 154lbs champion. The fight ended with Mayweather winning by points decision, handing Canelo one of only two defeats in his career.
When they met, Mayweather was 36 years old with a perfect 44-0 record. He had long been considered the pound-for-pound king of boxing. Canelo, on the other hand, was just 23 and seen as the sport's rising star.
Despite many believing Alvarez could end Mayweather's unbeaten run, 'Money' dominated most of the action. The judges' scorecards (114-114, 116-112, 117-111) were closer than many thought they should have been.
In a recent interview with Bet Online, Mayweather praised his former opponent but stood firm on his abilities.
"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 Floyd vs a prime Canelo, the fight wouldn't have gone the distance."
Mayweather's prime came in the early 2000s. During this period, he racked up stoppage victories against fighters like Diego Corrales and Arturo Gatti. He competed five more times after beating Canelo, including a win over Manny Pacquiao.
Canelo went on to become boxing's biggest star over the next decade. He's since won world honors at middleweight, super-middleweight, and light heavyweight.
While Mayweather's claim about stopping a prime Canelo will remain hypothetical, their actual fight continues to spark debate among boxing fans nearly a decade later.
