There were plenty of people in the boxing industry who wondered if Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico would be able to make the 152-pound catch-weight for his junior middleweight title fight Saturday at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view).
No problem. Alvarez on Friday weighed in at exactly 152 pounds before an almost unbelievable crowd of 12,200. That is not a misprint. Over 12,000 for a weigh-in. That should tell everybody just how big this fight has become.
The 152 pounds is two under the junior middleweight limit.
It was not going to be an issue for Mayweather. Although he has fought at junior middleweight twice before, he is more of a welterweight. He weighed 150 1/2 pounds Friday.
Afterward, Alvarez said he had already weighed in before the weigh-in, so he was not concerned..
“I was calm as of yesterday because I knew I was going to make the weight,” he said.
Alvarez was asked about the enormous crowd, most of which was cheering for him.
“I’m happy with all the support from my fans, and tomorrow I’m going to reward them with a victory,” he said.
All that was through a translator. Before exiting the interview, in English he said, “I was born ready.”
Mayweather received some applause and lots of jeers. But just like Alvarez, his mid-section was ripped.
“I got the best trainer in the world in my corner,” he said of his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr. “(I’m) 44-0. Saturday, 45-0.”
Mayweather, 36, is 44-0 with 26 knockouts. Alvarez, 23, is 42-0-1 with 30 knockouts.