LAS VEGAS — Mexican star and WBC junior middleweight titleholder Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will pocket $2 million to $212, 500 for challenger Josesito Lopez when they will meet in Saturday night’s Showtime-televised main event at the MGM Grand, according to Nevada State Athletic Commission executive director Keith Kizer.

Alvarez takes a record of 40-0-1, 29 knockouts against Lopez, who is 30-4 with 18 KOs.

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On the undercard of the Mexican Independence Day weekend event, hard-punching Argentine Marcos Maidana (31-3, 28 KOs) will earn $250,000 compared to $80,000 for Mexican-born welterweight rival Jesus Soto Karass (26-7-3, 17 KOs).

In another bout, WBC featherweight beltholder Jhonny Gonzalez (52-7, 45 KOs), of Mexico City, is listed as making $40,000 in pursuit of his 13th-straight win against former 122-pound titleholder Daniel Ponce de Leon (43-4, 35 KOs), a Mexican-born resident of Huntington Park, Calif., who is listed as taking home $100,000.

A fourth fight on the card is an IBF bantamweight title bout during which Mexican-born beltholder Leo Santa Cruz (20-0-1, 11 KOs), of Lincoln Heights, Calif., will pocket $85,000 compared to $35,000 for Puerto Rican-born veteran contender Eric Morel (46-3, 23 KOs), of Madison, Wis.

Golden Boy Promotions President Oscar De La Hoya has stoked the incentive for the eight fighters involved in the event, dubbed “Knockout Kings,” as the boxer who produces “the best knockout of the night” will have an additional $100,000 contributed to his purse.

Photo by Emily Harney, Fightwireimages.com

Lem Satterfield can be reached at [email protected]