Former world champion Saul "Canelo" Alvarez believes Floyd Mayweather Jr. will win against Manny Pacquiao in their upcoming fight on May 2 at MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Alvarez said in an interview that he is excited to watch the highly anticipated fight between Pacquiao and Mayweather on Cinco de Mayo weekend. While he is picking Mayweather to win, the Mexican boxing star said that anything can still happen on fight night.

"Pacquiao is a great fighter, one who has fought the best, but I honestly think Mayweather will win by decision," Canelo told ESPN Deportes via BoxingScene. "But hey, this is boxing and anything can happen."

Alvarez, who will face James Kirkland in a non-title fight a week after the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, is familiar with the fighting style of the reigning pound-for-pound king. The 24-year-old Mexican fought Mayweather in September 2013, where the unbeaten champion escaped with a majority decision victory.

Alvarez knows Pacquiao has the power to hurt Mayweather even with a single punch, but he pointed out that the Grand Rapids native is a smart fighter and will likely lean on his vaunted defense again.

"The hardest thing is that Floyd is very smart, risks nothing in a fight," Alvarez said of Mayweather. "He is always on the defensive, and that makes it even more complicated and for that reason I say that Pacquiao will have seen that hinders fighters, so that part will be the hardest to have to deal with."

Alvarez also warned fans about their expectations, saying that Mayweather could make it a boring fight, especially if he becomes too conscious of protecting his perfect 47-0 record. But he also added that a fighter like Pacquiao could give the fans a treat with his aggressiveness and all-out approach inside the ring.

"It could be a boring fight for the same reasons, because Mayweather does not expose anything," Alvarez said. "But I know that Pacquiao will come with everything and in this sport anything can happen."

Aside from his unscathed record, Mayweather will also put his World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association welterweight title on the line, and he will also look to claim Pacquiao's World Boxing Organization welterweight title.

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