It’s time to rejoice, fight fans, because the fight that figures to be a blockbuster in every way was made Wednesday, as Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced via Twitter that he will take on Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico in a junior middleweight title-unification bout Sept. 14 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view).
“I chose my opponent for September 14th and it’s Canelo Alvarez,” Mayweather tweeted. “I’m giving the fans what they want. It will be at the MGM Grand.”
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, confirmed to this newspaper via telephone an accord has been reached for the fight that will be contested at a catch-weight of 152 pounds, two under the junior middleweight limit.
“One hundred percent,” Ellerbe said. “Most definitely, we’re ecstatic. Floyd is ecstatic. This is the fight he wanted, the biggest fight out there in boxing that could be made. He
made it very clear to me and (adviser) Al (Haymon) that this is the fight he wanted.”
Mayweather currently holds belts in the welterweight and junior middleweight divisions. His junior middleweight title will be on the line, as will Alvarez’s two titles.
Mayweather, 36, is coming off a unanimous decision over Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in a welterweight title defense May 4 at MGM Grand. Alvarez, 22, most recently defeated Austin Trout in a title-unification fight in April at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Alvarez, who fights under the Golden Boy Promotions banner, is 42-0-1 with 30 knockouts. Mayweather is 44-0 with 26 knockouts.