by Kendrick Johnson
Triple digit temperatures in Houston, Texas couldn’t keep an overflowing crowd of about 30,000 from showing up to Union Station at Minute Maid Park to see the Floyd Mayweather/Canelo Alvarez press tour up close in personal. There were so many fans not all in attendance where allow into the station, something not taken for granted by the pound-for-pound king.
“I'm truly thankful to the fans” said a humble Mayweather while sporting some designer glasses while at the podium “without the fans I wouldn't be where I am.”
The fight being dubbed as simply “The One” fits the two biggest stars of boxing going one on one for the world to see Sept 14th. To the delight of many boxing fans who feel Canelo is the stiffest of the few challenges Mayweather has left to conquer before he rides off into the sunset.
Mayweather vs. Canelo is a compelling collision of two unbeaten, popular fighters with the WBC, WBA Super, WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight World Championships all on the line. Mayweather (44-0, 26 KO's) is the sport's No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter and an Eight-Time and Five-Division World Champion. While Mexican superstar and Super Welterweight World Champion Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KO's) is the sport's No. 1 rising star.
The fight has generated so much buzz it’s expected to do an all-time record of 19 to 20 million in live gate revenue come Sept 14th. When asked about the record number of tickets sold already in the box office both fighters agreed boxing fans will be in for a big show come Sept 14th.
"This sell out doesn't surprise me because this is what happens when the best fights the best," said Mayweather. "I want to thank all the fans for their support. They're going to see a hell of a show on Sept 14th, whether it's at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, on closed circuit in Las Vegas or on SHOWTIME Pay-Per-View."
"Thank you to everyone who bought tickets to this event," said Alvarez. "I know I will have plenty of support in the MGM Grand Garden Arena on September 14th. This is the biggest night of my career, I will be at my best for it and I will win."
For Canelo to win many including myself feel he needs a performance of a lifetime if he’s going to steal the show from Mayweather. Something 44 men have tried and 44 men have failed to do.
All this hoopla here in Texas and across the world strongly indicates on September 14th one thing is for certain. We will have not a good fight, but a great fight between Floyd Mayweather, the pound-for-pound champion of the world and Saul 'Canelo' Alvarez who is Mexico's biggest sports figure and Mexico's biggest icon."
Kendrick Johnson is an independent sports television, radio, and print journalist. He can be reached at kendrick_e_johnson@yahoo.com or on Twitter @kendrickjohnso
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