Dig through the heaps of hype that surround any Floyd Mayweather fight — the suitcases full of $100 bills he bets on college football games; the long-running feud-turned-unsteady partnership with Oscar De La Hoya — and one question shines through.
Does Canelo really have a shot against the Money?
"Canelo" is Saul Alvarez, a redhead from Mexico who earned his nickname (Spanish for cinnamon) in part for his hair color and in part for the bite behind his punches.
Alvarez is strong and young and undefeated — 42-0-1 at just 23 years old.
The "Money" in this case is Mayweather (44-0), who will make $41.5 million for just stepping in the ring, plus millions more from the Showtime pay-per-view TV revenue. The "money," though, also has him a decided favorite in Las Vegas betting books.
Alvarez will challenge Mayweather on Saturday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a junior middleweight championship bout that likely will be boxing's most-watched fight since Mayweather fought De La Hoya in 2007.
But can Alvarez really get to Mayweather? Alvarez has a clear size and strength advantage. His straight jab knocked Austin Trout to the mat in April.
Mayweather counters with a counter. Even at 36, he's the fastest, quickest-thinking fighter in boxing. He dodged Robert Guerrero punches in their May fight like Keanu Reeves dodged bullets at the end of the "Matrix."
"You have to be better mentally than me," Mayweather said this week, "but I'm the best mentally in the sport of boxing."
Alvarez can go one of two ways against Mayweather. First, he can press Mayweather hard, throw a ton of punches and hope it sparks a brawl — like Miguel Cotto's 12-rounder against Mayweather last year. Or Alvarez can box Mayweather in his own style, with quick movements and counter-strikes.
"I've basically faced every style," Mayweather said. "There's nothing new he can bring to the table that I haven't seen before. And if he does bring something new, I'm the best at adapting in the sport of boxing."
No tactic has yet caught Mayweather in a loss. But Alvarez, one the biggest sports stars in Mexico, has at least avoided being drawn into Mayweather's hype machine — a victory in itself.
"I've always been a person who is calm, collected," Alvarez said. "I feel comfortable. He can say whatever he wants. Once you get in the ring, words don't mean anything."
Also on the card, Philadelphia's Danny Garcia (26-0) will face Argentina's Lucas Matthysse (34-2) in a junior welterweight championship bout. Two 140-pound titles are on the line. The third major belt in that division is held by Denver's Mike Alvarado, who fights in Broomfield on Oct. 19.