By Dan Ambrose: Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be facing either WBC interim welterweight champion Robert Guerrero (31-1-1, 18 KO’s) or WBC junior middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez (41-0-1, 30 KO’s) next on May 4th at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. I think the choice is a pretty simple one for Mayweather.
Guerrero has accomplished far more in his 11-year pro career than what Canelo has in his 7-year career. It’s not even close. While Guerrero has been capturing world titles at featherweight, super featherweight, and lightweight, Alvarez picked up his WBC title in a fight against against a fringe welterweight contender in Matthew Hatton.
Alvarez wasn’t even matched against an actual junior middleweight in picking up the World Boxing Council title, and that’s pretty disappointing because it undermines his credentials. I don’t blame that on Alvarez, because he wasn’t the one that asked to face Hatton, but I do blame it on his promoters at Golden Boy Promotions.
Since he’s had the title, Alvarez has faced light welterweight Josesito Alvarez, Shane Mosley and Kermit Cintron, both welterweights, and a past his best junior middleweight Ryan Rhodes. Alvarez has faced ONLY ONE actual junior middleweight, and now he’s looking to fight another welterweight in Mayweather.
I’m sorry but that’s enough to deserve a fight with Mayweather, and I think it sends a wrong message for the sport if Mayweather to pick Alvarez out. If you can become champion by fighting a guy from a division below you and then fight consistently other fighters from the lighter divisions, then that’s just wrong.
Guerrero has done so much more to deserve this fight. He defeated former IBF/WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto in a one-sided fight last November, and before that he beat unbeaten Selecuk Aydin by a 12 round decision last July. Guerrero has at least fought guys from the same division as what he’s now fighting in instead of looking to fight guys below him in the lighter divisions.
Again, I don’t think that’s Canelo’s fault that Golden Boy has matched him against smaller and older guys, but I still think he doesn’t deserve the Mayweather fight. If Alvarez can start fighting guys from his own division like Erislandy Lara, Vanes Martiroyan and Austin Trout, then I can see him deserving a Mayweather fight, but until then I don’t think he belongs in the same ring with Mayweather.
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