Mayweather vs. Alvarez: Canelo Lacks Punch to Knock out Money

Saul "Canelo" Alvarez will not be able to knock out Floyd "Money" Mayweather when the two square off at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday.

Unfortunately for him, the only the way that he can beat Mayweather is via the knockout. Money has the ability to outlast anyone if the fight goes the distance, so Canelo will be searching for a way to land a power punch that can end Money's night.

Both boxers enter this fight unbeaten. Money currently sits at 44-0 with 26 KOs in his career, and Canelo is 42-0-1 with 30 KOs.

Alvarez continues to work his way to the top of the sport, and he is one of boxing's most promising young stars. The 23-year-old has been able to stay with everyone he has faced, but Mayweather is on a completely different level than Alvarez's previous opponents.

When the two meet up, they will be employing different strategies. Money uses a strategic defensive approach where he avoids big hits and sets up his opponent for precise counter-punches. Canelo, on the other hand, uses his strength to land big blows and knock opponents out.

Four of Alvarez's last six matches have been won via knockout, so his strength will be put to the test against a quick and well-conditioned opponent.

Mayweather's footwork is the best in the sport. Time and time again, he's shown the ability to out-maneuver fighters, tire them out and then take advantage of the weakness. Canelo certainly has the power to knock Money out—and all it takes is one perfect punch—but he will need a flawless fight in order to find that opportunity and beat a legend.

His plan has to be to land good punches early in the fight in order to set up for a big blow later on. Unfortunately Mayweather is strong enough to absorb punches from even the strongest competitor, so it's going to take a series of strong punches to knock him out, which is unlikely.

Even Canelo's most powerful punch would have a hard time finishing off Mayweather. Money has gone up against some of the best finishers ever, like Oscar De La Hoya, and managed to survive. It was a split decision that night, but Mayweather stayed perfect.

Alvarez doesn't have the finishing power that De La Hoya possessed. If he were to knock Money around, he would need to find a way to finish the job. The young fighter is strong, but he doesn't have the experience of finishing off a top fighter.

While a win would launch his career to amazing new heights at the age of 23, it's not going to be easy. Mayweather is the greatest boxer of his generation, and Canelo will have to knock him out in order to win. It sounds like a good plan, but there will not be a tougher task in Alvarez's career.

Mayweather has been the best boxer in the world because of his defensive approach, and Canelo will not be able to knock Money out and pull off the huge upset.