Floyd Mayweather Jr. says he's giving boxing fans "what they want" - a Mayweather fight against Saul "Canelo" Alvarez in the fall.
Mayweather, who has a 44-0-0 record with 26 knockouts during his professional career, announced on Twitter that he will take on Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 knockouts) on Sept. 14 at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas.
The 22-year-old Alvarez is coming off a victory by unanimous decision over Austin Trout on April 20 in San Antonio, Texas, that unified the WBC and WBA junior welterweight titles.
Mayweather, 36, won a unanimous decision over Robert Guerrero on May 5 for the WBC welterweight division crown in Las Vegas. According to Sports Illustrated, the fight against Alvarez would be the second of his 30-month deal with Showtime/CBS for up to six fights. Mayfield left longtime television partner HBO to sign with Showtime/CBS earlier this year.
The weight at which the boxes will fight - the 154-pound junior welterweight limit or the 147-pound welterweight limit - has not yet been determined.
The Mayweather-Alvarez fight was rumored to be in the works by several media outlets, and Alvarez already has told Univision Deportes, "I'll fight at my weight (154) against Mayweather. I cannot go lower than 154 because that's where I feel good. My team and I are ready to fight Mayweather."
Mayweather has insisted that the fight be at 147 points, according to multiple media reports.
"Floyd wants every advantage on his side," Jose Reynoso, Alvarez's trainer, told Boxingscene.com in mid-May. "Among one of the things that is often being stressed is that he wants Canelo at a lower weight. Why would I make my boy sacrifice so much?
"We proposed an intermediate weight for things to be level for both, but he refused. Yes, we want to fight, but that does not mean (Mayweather) will get everything he wants."
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