• Floyd Mayweather v Saul Alvarez

Mayweather: The Earth is my turf

Floyd Mayweather Jr has warned Saul Alvarez that 'the Earth is his turf' ahead of their blockbuster boxing showdown.

Mayweather, the current WBC welterweight champion, is stepping up to a 152-catchweight in order to fight the talented super-welterweight Alvarez in Las Vegas on September 14.

Neither fighter has tasted defeat so far in their career - the Mexican has one draw on his professional record - but the American, 36, is confident experience and superior talent will win out against 22-year-old Alvarez's size and youthful athleticism.

"The Earth is my turf," Mayweather said at a press event. "You can put me in any ring and I will always come out victorious."

He added: "It's always been one of my ultimate goals to get to the pinnacle of the sport and push myself to the limit by facing the best. He's a young champion. What else can I say?"

Many have questioned why Alvarez would take on Mayweather so early in his career, but he insisted he wanted to test himself - and win - against the very best in the sport.

"In the sport of boxing, it's everybody's time, and this is my time," Alvarez said. "[I want] to be the best. "(I want) to go down in history as the guy who beat the guy people consider the best. I'm going to win."

The two fighters were speaking on the first leg of an 11-city tour to promote their forthcoming meeting, dubbed 'The One'. Mayweather's WBA super-welterweight 'super' belt is on the line, while Alvarez is putting up his WBC, WBA and Ring super-welterweight titles.

The bout is due to be broadcast in the United States on channel Showtime, and is widely expected to set records for pay-per-view purchases.

"In every sport, there are certain rare occasions when you have the best fighting the best," Stephen Espinoza, executive vice president and general manager of Showtime Sports, said. "September 14 will be one of those occasions - the two biggest stars in the sport, the two biggest fan bases.

"We have America's No. 1 fighter versus Mexico's No. 1 fighter. We have the No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter in the sport versus the No. 1 new star in the sport."

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