R. Mayweather: F**k No, Canelo No Match For Floyd Jr.
Mexican star and WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez looked solid last night in disposing of former champion Kermit Cintron in under five rounds at the Monumental Plaza De Toros in Mexico City. After a slow first couple of rounds, Alvarez eventually began to open up, dropping Cintron with a crisp right hand in the fourth and finishing him off along the ropes one round later.
While the stoppage by referee Hector Afu may have been a touch early, there’s no denying that Alvarez was again able to showcase an array of skills and talents that beguile his 21 years of age. During a post-fight interview with HBO’s Max Kellerman, Alvarez called for a May clash with undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr., stating his willingness to test himself against the man he deems as the world’s best.
I had caught up with Floyd’s Uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather a few days ago to discuss the third Manny Pacquiao-Juan Manuel Marquez clash earlier this month and wanted to follow up with his thoughts on Alvarez’s wishes.
While Roger is able to recognize some definite ability in the young champion, he gave a mixed answer when assessing a matchup between him and Floyd.
“He can go in there and he likes to be like Floyd,” Mayweather said of Alvarez. “He can come in like Floyd if he wants to, but f*** no he aint no match [for Floyd]. [Floyd would] give him a fight though.”
Mayweather’s advisor Leonard Ellerbe announced earlier this month that Floyd would be eyeing a May 5th return to the sport following his September 17th knockout over then-WBC welterweight champion Victor Ortiz. With the date falling near Mexican Independence Day, there were initially rumors of living legend Erik Morales being in the running to face off with Mayweather, but that scenario seems like a stretch.
Morales has enjoyed a decorated career and even lifted the vacant WBC junior welterweight crown into the air in his last fight after scoring a 10th round TKO over Pablo Cesar Cano but Roger isn’t feeling the matchup in the slightest.
“He aint going to fight no Morales. Morales is too easy. Too easy. Yeah, it’s a mismatch,” Roger continued.
Roger then threw another name into the mix, that of Argentinean firecracker Marcos Maidana.
“I think he could probably fight, I think, would be a Maidana,” Roger said of the WBA junior welterweight champ. “The one who beat Ortiz. I think that would be a better match than fighting a Morales. He’s an aggressive type of fighter and he has a win over a major fighter.”
Floyd has been spotted training at his personal gym a few times over the past weeks but is presently out of town and was seen last night in Cincinnati, Ohio for Adrien Broner’s scintillating 3rd round knockout over Vincente Martin Rodriguez, a win that netted him the vacant WBO junior lightweight strap.
Roger and his nephew don’t communicate as much during Floyd’s down time, but the outspoken trainer knows all too well that when the time comes, against whoever the opponent, Junior will buckle down.
“My nephew is going to get prepared for whoever. It doesn’t matter. Whatever the case is, then that’s what he’s got to do.”
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