Floyd Mayweather Will Strengthen His Legacy with a Win Against Canelo Alvarez

You can't claim Floyd Mayweather is going to be content resting on his laurels.

It's official that Money May will take on the undefeated Canelo Alvarez, per ESPN Stats & Info.

Mayweather has been accused of ducking opponents in the past, and it's an accusation not without its merits at times. Give credit where credit is due, though. Mayweather accepted this fight and isn't avoiding Alvarez anymore.

Plus, it's Alvarez who has arguably more to gain from this fight than Mayweather does. He'd be the first guy to ever beat Mayweather, thus causing Money May to lose that invincible aura that surrounds him in the ring.

At 36 years old, Mayweather has done just about everything in the ring. He's got a 44-0-0 record and millions upon millions of dollars in the bank. Losing to Alvarez would mean losing possible millions in future pay days and tarnishing his already pristine legacy.

Of course, should Mayweather win, he'd only be emboldening himself as one of the best fighters of his era. He's arguably already helped himself simply by agreeing to the fight in the first place.

Robert Guerrero was way out of Money May's league, but it's a bit unfair to expect Mayweather to take on a top-class fighter after being out of the ring so long.

Now that he's back in his groove, Mayweather is wasting no time in taking on Alvarez. He said he wanted Alvarez in the ring, and he backed up that talk. Admire is probably the wrong word, but you have to applaud Mayweather.

Alvarez is almost a perfect foil for Money May. Thirty of Alvarez's 42 wins have come via knockout. He's not going to be afraid of Mayweather even in the slightest. He'll want to get out on the attack right from the opening bell.

Mayweather, on the other hand, is one of the best defensive fighters ever. He knows exactly when and where to move in order to avoid his opponent's best punches. At this stage in his career, though, it's becoming clear that Mayweather is losing a step or two. It's only natural, as he's in his mid-30s.

Against Guerrero, Mayweather left himself open at times. Guerrero simply wasn't good enough to make those chances count. Mayweather won't be so lucky against Alvarez. Alvarez has the potential to knock Mayweather out with one punch.

That's what would make his win even better. Mayweather will have gone up against a guy 13 years his junior and won. Money May will have continued winning his battle against Father Time.

Fighters are not always able to adapt late on in their careers. That usually leads to some embarrassing losses that are quickly forgotten. People don't remember Muhammad Ali losing to Trevor Berbick and Larry Holmes. They remember the epic trilogy against Joe Frazier and the wins against George Foreman and Sonny Liston.

Proving his abundance of talent, Mayweather has adjusted his style a little bit. He's also been helped by the fact that his defensive style has meant taking less shots in the ring. And yet, at 36 years old, he could have one of the biggest wins of his career. He's found a way to still stay on top.

Even with everything he's already done in his career, Mayweather is still out to prove he's the best in the world.