Mayweather vs. Cotto: Win over Mosley Doesn't Bode Well for Canelo vs. Money May

So, Saul Alvarez left the MGM Grand Garden Arena on Saturday night with a dominant win over Shane Mosley, a 40-0 career record and a lucrative matchup with Floyd Mayweather Jr. on the horizon.

Can't get much better than that, right?

Actually, it can, and it might get quite a bit worse for Canelo if/when he steps into the ring with Money May.

There's no shame in Alvarez, the 21-year-old Mexican sensation, handling Sugar Shane, a surefire Hall of Famer, in what was surely the biggest fight of his life. Canelo beat the stuffing out of one of his idols, or at least enough of said stuffing to merit a win by unanimous decision, with the judges handing him scores of 119-109, 118-10 and 119-109.

But, in truth, Canelo hardly looked like a fighter ready to step in against Money May—a desire that Alvarez has previously professed. He fought well, though his efforts came against a shell of Sugar Shane, one who more closely resembled a tomato can than a former world champion. There were even points in the bout when Mosley looked frisky and feisty, even against a kid who was 19 years his junior.

The same age as his son.

Canelo clearly has some room for growth that he needs to fill before he can reasonably be considered a legitimate challenger to Mayweather's throne. He wasn't exactly a picture of consistency against a competitor to whom the years haven't been kind and for whom even the wisdom of experience couldn't overcome his physical faults.

Then again, it's not as though there are many (if any) pugilists on this planet who could put so much as a dint in Mayweather's picture-perfect armor. That much was made evident in Floyd's piece-by-piece dismantling of Miguel Cotto in the nightcap.

And Cotto is anything but a tomato can.

Canelo didn't even seem to register on Mayweather's radar after the evening's events were wrapped up. During a post-fight interview with Larry Merchant, Floyd was much more interested in calling out Manny Pacquiao and putting that fight on a pedestal rather than addressing any notions that he'd take on the young, undefeated ginger after his 90-day jail sentence had come and gone.

There may come a time down the line when Canelo stands atop the boxing world, when he's the greatest and most marketable fighter on the planet.

For now, though, Alvarez wouldn't appear to stand so much as a chance in the ring against Mayweather.

Maybe in a few years, when Canelo is closer to his prime and Mayweather is on his last legs, but certainly not any time soon.

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