Canelo Alvarez and Erislandy Lara both weighed in at 155 pounds (the contracted limit for their Showtime Pay Per View main event) on Friday inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, the site of their anticipated fight on Saturday.

Thousands of “Canelo fans” packed the arena to cheer for Alvarez, the slight odds favorite. The Mexican star appreciated the support.

“This is what I work hard for,” he said through Golden Boy matchmaker Robert Diaz. “This is what keeps me motivated and it’s why I will continue to win — for the fans.”

Lara, who is considered a very live underdog by most boxing experts and hardcore fans, said he isn’t bothered by the boos he received.

“Tomorrow that will change,” he said through co-manager Luis DeCubas Jr. “They will find out exactly what (the Cuban boxing school) means.”

Lara added that he wanted to break Alvarez’s face during the weigh-in staredown, to which Alvarez replied “one more day to go, the words can go with the wind.”

Three-division titleholder Abner Mares weighed 126.5 pounds for his co-main event fight with Jonathan Oquendo (contracted for 127 pounds, one pound over the featherweight division limit). Oquendo also weighed 126.5 pounds.

Mares hasn’t fought since losing the WBC featherweight title to Jhonny Gonzalez via shocking first-round TKO almost one year ago. Mares told Showtime’s Brian Custer that he will suffer no ill effects from the first loss of his career.

“I’m back and I’m reborn,” Mares said.

Francisco Vargas weighed 129 pounds for his junior lightweight bout against former WBO 122-pound and WBO featherweight titleholder JuanMa Lopez, who weighed 130 pounds (the division limit).

“I’m back,” Lopez, who is coming off a second-round TKO of Daniel Ponce de Leon after suffering three KO losses in featherweight title bouts, said through Golden Boy matchmaker Eric Gomez. “I’m going to prove it tomorrow night.”

Mauricio Herrera weighed 140 pounds for his junior welterweight fight against Johan Perez, who also weighed 140 (the division limit) for their scheduled 12-round bout that kicks off the Showtime Pay Per View broadcast.

Photo by Naoki Fukuda