Floyd Mayweather has declared that Saul Alvarez deserves his shot at the world welterweight title in September, describing the fight as a calculated risk.

Mayweather will defend his WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine super welterweight belts against the Mexican starlet nicknamed 'Canelo' in a clash between unbeaten champions at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on September 14.

The 36-year-old has conceded that he chose a tough opponent because of the demands placed on him by a record-breaking network deal with Showtime and CBS, but remains supremely confident of victory.

He told reporters: "I picked Canelo because he deserves the chance and is the best opponent possible for me at this time.

"When I signed my new deal with Showtime and CBS, I said I was going to stay active and fight the best fighters and I am keeping my word. I looked at several different fighters and decided to pick Canelo because he can give me a great fight and one the fans are going to appreciate.

"Sure it's a risk to fight a guy that is younger and bigger than me, but I love taking risks. Be ready because I'm in fantastic shape and I'm going to train even harder for this fight than I did for my last one. He might be a big, young, strong and talented champion, but my experience and work ethic make me believe that I'm that much better and no one in boxing can beat me right now."

The two fighters began an 11-city media tour to promote the fight in New York yesterday, kicking things off by meeting fans on a walk around Times Square.