Watch: Eddie Hearn explains why Floyd Mayweather Jr. is jealous of Canelo Alvarez
Eddie Hearn believes that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is jealous of Canelo Alvarez because he is afraid the Mexican superstar will surpass his legacy.
Alvarez will fight Dmitry Bivol tonight in Las Vegas for the WBA Light Heavyweight Championship. If he is victorious, the Mexican could go on to become the undisputed champion at 175lbs.
Mayweather Jr. and Alvarez faced off in the ring back in 2013 at the MGM Grand. 'Money' was too experienced and skilled for a 23-year-old Alvarez and captured a majority decision victory. Floyd Mayweather finished his career with an outstanding record of 50 wins and no losses, while winning world titles in five different weight divisions.
Watch the fight highlights between Canelo Alvarez and Floyd Mayweather Jr.:
Eddie Hearn acknowledges that Mayweather was a great fighter. However, the Matchroom Boxing promoter feels the former champion is jealous of Alvarez's potential to supplant his standing in the sport. Here's what Hearn said in an interview with Little Giant Boxing:
"Floyd doesn't like anyone to get close to his kind of legacy. Floyd's an amazing fighter, he's a pound-for-pound great, he's a pay-per-view star. But [Canelo Alvarez is] different. He's just a different personality. He's much more humble, he's a man of the people. But Floyd was a great star in his own right. He should embrace the next generation."
Watch Eddie Hearn talk about Mayweather and Alvarez to Little Giant Boxing below:
Eddie Hearn believes Canelo Alvarez is the biggest star in boxing
Hearn continued by stating how Alvarez is the most watched fighter in boxing and is always involved in lucrative bouts:
"There aren't any other pay-per-view fighters out there like Canelo Alvarez in America. They don't exist. You have to make a massive fight to even get close to doing half the numbers that Alvarez does. Because he's a great fighter, he's a great individual and he's a massive star. He sometimes carries boxing, we need nights like this. We need people like Canelo to keep this sport blazing."
It remains to be seen how much more Alvarez can achieve in his career and if he can go down as one of the greatest boxers of all time. The pound-for-pound king has already mentioned the prospect of moving up to cruiserweight and challenging Oleksandr Usyk in the future.