Boxing: Floyd Mayweather may be guaranteed a record $41m but he won't be thinking of the money during his fight against Saul Alvarez

He won't have money on his mind...for 12 rounds at least

Floyd Mayweather and Saul Alvarez during their final press conference (GETTY IMAGES)

Floyd Mayweather may be picking up a guaranteed $41m (£26m) for his fight against fellow unbeaten contender Saul Alvarez on Saturday night, but the 36-year-old will not be thinking of his record purse when the opening bell sounds for the light-middleweight contest in Las Vegas.

The 45th fight of Mayweather’s wildly successful and lucrative career is set to break the record for pay-per-view sales, with over $200m (£126m) estimated to be made, breaking the previous pay-per-view record of $140m set by Mayweather for his split-decision victory over Oscar de la Hoya in 2007.

"I'm not focused on the money or anything," Mayweather said. "I'm focused on going out there, performing well and giving the fans what they want to see - it's about excitement.”

Mayweather, who will look to add Alvarez’s WBC title to his WBA crown, rubbished Alvarez’s record, despite it standing at an impressive 42 wins with one draw. The majority of his bouts may have taken place in Mexico against unheralded opponents, but the 23-year-old looked dominant in recent victories over Austin Trout and Shane Mosley.

"I've been here before so I know what it takes,” Mayweather said. “ He's 42-0, but he hasn't faced 42 Floyd Mayweathers, otherwise he'd be 0-42.

"September 14 is just another stepping stone, just another opponent to me. He knows he's facing Floyd Mayweather, but I know I'm facing just another opponent."

"If the game-plan is to outbox me, nobody can outbox me. You have to be able to out-match me mentally, and I'm the strongest mental fighter in the sport of boxing.

"I guess other great fighters look at it as, you win some, you lose some. Me, I look at it as I want to win them all. I'm a winner. I don't lose. Some day he [Alvarez] will go down in the Hall of Fame - as one of the opponents I beat."

Alvarez insists his preparation for the fight has gone to plan, and he is quietly confident of becoming the first man to crack the Mayweather code.

“When you fight Floyd you have to be ready for every aspect of a fight. You have to be able to adjust mentally as well as physically. I have to be very, very smart.

"We've prepared like never before. Floyd is a fighter who throws five punches a round and he lands them - that's why he wins rounds. But we're prepared for that - we're prepared for everything."

Further reading...

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/floyd-mayweather-v-saul-alvarez-preview-the-insane-world-of-mayweather-and-the-money-team-8813083.html

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/general/others/floyd-mayweather-v-saul-alvarez-preivew-how-ginger-kid-went-from-mexicos-streets-to-the-mgm-in-las-vegas-8813082.html