According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, The son’s of former Heavyweight world champion Hasim Rahman have filed suit against Floyd Mayweather, Floyd Mayweathwer and Showtime for alleged sparring sessions that aired during the All Access show that was aired in the buildup to the Mayweather – Maidana rematch.

Upset that his brother had taken such a vicious pounding, Hasim Rahman Jr. arrived at the gym and challenged the smaller Cameron to get into the ring with him. While members of the gym lined up wagers, including Mayweather, they fought for 31 consecutive minutes, according to the telecast and lawsuit, until Cameron could not go on. All the while, Mayweather was present and cheering wildly.

The suit alleges that “Mayweather forced Sharif to fight multiple rounds of approximately 5, 6 and 7 minutes in length.” Sharif contends that he asked for traditional three-minute rounds but Mayweather said “this is the doghouse” and to “turn those bells off.”

“Sharif feared for his safety and was forced to continue to fight,” the suit said.

On Sept. 23, Mayweather testified — although not under oath — to the commission that the sparring scenes (as well as others featuring several of Mayweather’s girlfriends smoking marijuana in front of him in his Las Vegas home) were staged for the television show in order to help boost pay-per-view sales. He said the 31-minute sparring session did not happen as the fighters were allowed to take several breaks. He also told the commission that the gambling shown in the episode was also fake.

“With ‘All Access,’ we’re able to edit and chop footage the way we want,” Mayweather told the commission.

The commission was concerned over the lack of regard for the health and safety of the fighters and questioned him about the “doghouse” fights but accepted his version of events and closed the matter — much to the surprise of many, because there were numerous people in the gym, including Showtime production personnel, who were not questioned about the sparring.

“Defendant Mayweather knowingly misrepresented facts while testifying before the Nevada State Athletic Commission,” the suit said.

Floyd Mayweather claimed his 47th win against Marcos Maidana at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night.
“Mayhem” was a massive event just like all Floyd Mayweather’s fights have become. It’s not just a fight but an event, and a global event at that.

Stars from the world of sports, film, music and fashion fly into Las Vegas just to watch Floyd fight.
Fight week started with fighter arrivals on Tuesday, Floyd had his final press conference on Wednesday. Thursday was the undercard press conference, with fan workouts and autograph signing, and a screening at Bleacher’s madhouse for the fans in the evening. Friday was the weigh in, where Rick Ross took the stage to entertain the 10,000 strong crowd before Floyd and Marcos Maidana took centre stage.
new ashley two I was seated next to Badou Jack and Ishe Smith, just behind Danny Garcia and Adrien Broner. I was surrounded by world champions and boxing legends. Danny Jacobs, Peter Quillen, Evander Holyfield and Paul Williams, who is now disabled after a motorcycle crash, and boxing legends Erik Morales and Sergio Martinez.
Who would have thought that I’d be rubbing shoulders with these guys who now know me by name, and show me respect. That makes me so proud. “Work so hard that your idols become your rivals” comes to mind.

Rival, the Canadian based boxing equipment provider, had a shop opening in Las Vegas. I headed down there with Badou and former world champion, Lou DeValle. Sugar Ray Leonard, Lennox Lewis, Hasim Rahman, Roy Jones, Jean Pascal, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad all turned up for the opening. Great company once again.
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On Saturday morning I went to the Boxing Fan Expo to sign autographs and take photos with the fans. The event was jam packed with boxing legends and champions; Sugar Ray Leonard, Mike Tyson, Evander Holifield, Roy Jones Junior, to name but a few of them.
At 4:30pm I was at ringside to do a live interview with Steve Illis for BoxNation who are televising the Mayhem card in the UK. I was asked for my views and predictions for the fight – I believed Floyd could get a knockout win. I was also asked what it was like to be signed up by Floyd Mayweather.
I’m a kid from a neglected part of London where crime is sky high, unemployment numbers keep rising and the aspirations of the tenants are gutter high. I’m not supposed to be in Las Vegas. I’m not supposed to be with Floyd Mayweather. My life, my journey has hopefully inspired kids from similar backgrounds to myself to chase their own dreams. Some people criticise me for achieving this. Some people are just never happy regardless of what you achieve.
Successful and important people from sports, media, music, fashion, business and politics have commended me on my journey to date, and that is pleasing. It’s easy to be just a statistic from where I’m from but I have the huge pleasure and privilege of having an employer by the name of Floyd Mayweather.
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Mike Tyson inspired me to become a boxer, watching him on TV as a five year old. Roy Jones Junior astonished me with his ‘special effects’ talents as a teenager. Floyd Mayweather showed me that with hard work and dedication anything is possible. Floyd’s motto has gotten me to be where I am in life.
I’m not a champion yet, but no one ever believed I would even be a contender. I appreciate every day that I spend in Las Vegas under the guidance of Floyd. I won’t hear a bad word said about him. This is a man who gets nothing from seeing me do well. He’s told me if I need anything just ask. He gave me my highest grossing fight purse and put me on the biggest PPV boxing show ever. I see day in day out during camp the lives he touches and the people in need he helps. Everyone I know who knows him values him as a person, it’s people who don’t know him that make ill-judged comments regarding him.
You can’t please everyone but everyone who knows him, appreciates him.
Floyd mentioned both Manny Paciquao and Amir Khan in his post fight press conference. Maybe one of them will fight him next May or September.
Mayweather promotions got its second world champion on Floyd’s “Mayhem” card. Mickey Bey beat the number one lightweight champion. Miguel Vasquez held the title for five years and had only lost to Saul Alvarez and Timothy Bradley. That was a great win and I’m proud of Mickey.
I finished fight week with Floyd at his mothers’ house. Celebrities, family and friends attended. Great atmosphere with good people.
Another Floyd Mayweather training camp is over. In 12 months’ time he’ll be having his last fight. He will be missed when he’s gone. There’s never been an athlete to do the numbers or make the amount of money he has.
They criticise you when you’re active but they will miss you when you are gone.
Long Live Floyd Mayweather!

By Bart Barry–

Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena in a rematch few aficionados demanded, fewer still watched, and fewer yet found entertaining as its predecessor, American welterweight and super welterweight titlist Floyd “Money” Mayweather unanimously decisioned Argentine Marcos “El Chino” Maidana. After promising to prove himself to himself, not you, by stretching Maidana, Mayweather finished the fight circling shamelessly away from his limited, winded opponent, citing numbed fingers in his left hand. Maidana, who cares no more if he’s called a dirty fighter than called an Argentine, apparently crushed Floyd’s fingers in his mouth during an eighth-round clinch.

The entire “Mayhem” spectacle was subdued in a way Mayweather fights have not been since the Carlos Baldomir farce of 2006, and one briefly wondered during the ringwalk, when Mayweather was accompanied by his two mountainous bodyguards instead of musical mascots, if early revenue projections might have slashed the budget for Team Money Team; or if perhaps Floyd, having publicly provoked men professionally obligated to take every provocation in petulant and personal a way as possible, couldn’t find a Canadian castrato or Southern stereotype brave enough to accompany him in public; or if, most charitably, Floyd was determined to be determined and have his fate determined by himself alone. The last interpretation is the best interpretation, one hoped and hopes, and Floyd’s stark entrance was a stark reminder how incredibly lonely a boxing ring can be.

One doesn’t get to the championship level of this hurting business without being able to read other mens’ bodies fluently, and Floyd’s capacity for processing every tick and twitch is among his greatest predatory assets. But mirrors are strange things, and Floyd, publicly vulnerable even when he wishes not to be, is no longer reflexive or interested enough to be impenetrable while he penetrates others’ weaknesses. It didn’t take a minute of Saturday’s fight to see Floyd’s legs were, in a word, soggy; though his footwork remained impeccable, he moved round the canvas like it was memory foam over the ring’s plywood base, not an inch of padding. He was skittish as his movements were laborious, and one now wonders what might have happened if an enhanced Maidana answered the opening bell, rushing him disrespectfully as he rushed Adrien Broner 10 months ago.

Floyd was waiting for that, yes, but he was waiting for it their first fight, too, and it made precious little difference. No one likes to be struck in the face, but it hurts Floyd doubly for denting both his face and deep pride at once. Like any champion prizefighter, Floyd’s opening tactic is requesting his opponent’s metaphorical signature on a tacit contract that reads: “You may strike me here and here, but not there.” Floyd is all fighter, and he expects to be hit. On his terms. Maidana, with his skyhook right and his frequently thrown forearms and elbows, violated a contract Floyd had far more accomplished fighters like Oscar De La Hoya and Shane Mosley and Miguel Cotto sign. Worse yet, when Floyd, enkindled by the Argentine caveman’s impertinence, sought to castigate El Chino, he did not at 147 pounds have the power or accuracy to imperil the Argentine and as always had to worry about his brittle right hand in the event he did land it flush on anything but Maidana’s lightswitch.

Every other round, when Floyd’s age and (over)training regimen made him rest, he looked singularly uncomfortable. He was not enjoying himself before or during or after his rematch with Maidana, especially when an unfortunately close shot of his postfight interview showed Floyd’s swollen and misshapen lips quivering involuntarily. Maidana, face clean after 36 minutes of sanctioned assault by Mayweather’s fists as it was during his ringwalk, showed Showtime’s buffoonish inquisitor exactly the respect Jim Gray deserved, irreverently lying to him in Spanish, in a reminder it would be nearly impossible for a Spanish-only Argentine to care less what a c-level American journalist from a b-side American cable network opined of his forthrightness or general mien.

Commentator Paulie Malignaggi was the only one who caught the face-smothering tactic Mayweather employed in order to wedge the fingers of his left hand between Maidana’s eager teeth. Malignaggi caught Mayweather doing it to Maidana the same way Malignaggi caught Mayweather doing it to Saul Alvarez a year ago; being suffocated sucks, and that’s the reason Canelo fired his right fist at Mayweather’s cup and Maidana chomped down.

One foul begets another, this is fighting after all, and much as Maidana’s impertinence flummoxed Mayweather for a minute or so, you knew immediately Floyd would not refuse to fight on so long as referee Kenny Bayless took his stern warning like a good supplicant. Floyd’s point was not made to Maidana – there was no reaching El Chino, after all – but to Bayless who, true to form and expectations, ensured the rematch comprised a ratio of athleticism-to-menace more favorable to Floyd than Tony Weeks’ unforgivably permissible performance did in May.

Provided Manny Pacquiao does not look too good in his upcoming match with Chris Algieri, a probable thing, that, as Algieri has some tools to make Pacquiao’s night a long one, Floyd’s advisor should begin negotiations with Pacquiao’s team, secretly, and use Floyd’s diminished reflexes, and both men’s diminished drawing power, to find something close enough to common ground to get signatures on at least one of Don King’s old blank contracts. Fill it in later, once casual fans find inspiration enough to care again about the last fight they wanted to see, and finally make a match that hasn’t looked this likely to entertain in five years.

Floyd will win – forget not how steadily Pacquiao declined after his night in Cowboys Stadium with Antonio Margarito four years ago – but there’s no shame in admitting this much: There were a few moments during Saturday’s match, when Marcos Maidana feinted an old Floyd Mayweather to the ropes and hit him with everything he threw, we all might have taken Pacquiao, even money.

Bart Barry can be found on Twitter @bartbarry

LAS VEGAS — Floyd Mayweather Jr. kept alive his pursuit of an unbeaten legacy. Kept his fingers, too.

In a rematch full of some unusual twists and Marcos Maidana’s mouth full of more than a mouthpiece, the result Saturday night at the MGM Grand was predictable.

Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) shook off some heavy punches from the wild-swinging Maidana (35-5, 31 KOs) in the early rounds, began to exert control midway through the fourth round and landed with precision throughout the rest of the fight for a 116-111, 115-112, 116-111 decision. On the 15 Rounds card, it was 115-113 for Mayweather.

Only a knockout eluded Mayweather in the rematch of his majority decision over Maidana in May. A KO was his goal, he said several times before opening bell.

“I give myself a C, C-minus,” Mayweather said after the fourth fight in a Showtime deal for a possible six fights and a potential $250 million.

A chance at a stoppage for an A might have been eliminated in the eighth round. That’s when Mayweather said Maidana bit him on his gloved left hand.

No, Maidana said. How could he bite anybody with a plastic guard on his teeth? Video of the mount appeared to
inclusive. But Mayweather walked over toward the press section, leaned over the ropes and yelled that Maidana bit him.

“After the eighth round, my fingers were numb,” Mayweather said. “I couldn’t use my left hand.”

His right was more than enough against Maidana, who appeared to grow increasingly wild with each round. In the 10th, Maidana was penalized a point for pushing Mayweather onto the canvas. It almost looked as if Maidana was about to walk over Myyweather like a fallen pedestrian about to get trampled. In the 11th, Mayweather was warned for a low blow. Maidana was given time to recover. Mayweather impatiently waved at him, urging to continue the fight. It was as if Mayweather wanted to finish the business at hand and move on to the next fight.

When it was time to address what was next, he was asked the inevitable. He was asked about Manny Pacquiao. When isn’t he? Pacquiao-Mayweather has been the subject of futile talks and rumors for years. It won’t die. The surprise was that Mayweather kept it alive this time around. He usually dismisses it.

“Manny Pacquiao, if that fight presents itself, let’s make it happen,” he said.

There wasn’t much doubt and Leo Santa Cruz made sure of it with a devastating one-punch demolition of Manuel Roman that strengthened his claim on being one of the world’s best junior-featherweights.

“I want to fight Guillermo Rigondeaux,” Santa Cruz said of the Cuban who is considered to be No. 1 in the competitive weight class.

Roman (17-3-3, 6 KOs) was just an impressive work out for Santa Cruz, who stayed unbeaten (28-0-1, 16 KOs) and retained the WBC version of the 122-pound title. In the second round, Santa Cruz grazed Roman, his former sparring partner and a 50-to-1 underdog at the sports book, with a jab. He followed with a straight right that landed on the soft tissue behind a Roman ear. Roman collapsed. As he tried to get up, referee Robert Byrd ended it at 5 seconds of the round.

It wouldn’t be a fight card without a wild card. It came in Mickey Bey’s split decision over Miguel Vazquez for the IBF’s lightweight title. It was deadly dull, which means it could have been a draw. After the boos, the first two scores were announced. A draw sounded likely. Judge Julie Lederman had it 115-113 for the Mayweather-promoted Bey (21-1-1, 10 KOs) of Cleveland. Adalaide Byrd scored it 115-113 for Vazquez (34-4, 13 KOs) of Mexico. But it was Robert Hoyle who dealt the wild card, 119-109 for Bey, who bloodied Vazquez early, yet was never dominant enough to win by a double-digit margin.

James De La Rosa of San Benito, Tex., celebrated with a back-flip. When he landed, he stumbled. But he didn’t fall. Nothing could knock De La Rosa (23-2, 13 KOs) off his feet. Alfredo Angulo (224, 18 KOs), of Mexicali, tried in a furious finish to a 10-round middleweight bout in the first pay-pr-view fight on the Floyd-Mayweather Jr.-Marcos Maidana card. Angulo landed a couple of wicked left hooks and followed with successive rights, but De La Rosa survived to win a unanimous decision over a bloodied Angulo, who lost the first eight rounds, suffered a knockdown in the second and was penalized one point in the seventh for a low blow.

In a foul-fest, Mexican junior-welterweight Humberto Soto suffered two low-blows and was penalized for throwing one of his own, yet survived to win by unanimous decision over John Molina Jr. of Covina, Ca., in a Showtime telecast before the first pay-per-view fight.

Molina (27-5, 22 KOs), who appeared to throw punches after the bell in the early rounds, was penalized for low-blows in the sixth and seventh. Soto (65-8, 35 KOs) retaliated and it cost him a one-point penalty in the tenth. In the end, however Soto was the stronger fighter and a 95-92, 96-91, 95-92 winner on the cards.

Las Vegas cruiserweight Andrew Tabiti, who promises to take the snoozer out of cruiser, continued to display power and promise, pushing his record to 8-0, all by stoppage, with a sixth-round TKO of Caleb Grummet (3-2, 3 KOs) of Lake Odessa, Mich. Tabiti dominated Grummet for five-plus rounds before Vic Drakulich stopped it at 2:01 of the sixth.

Armando Lopes scored the undercard’s first upset, beating junior-welterweight prospect Damian Sosa of Argentina in the third bout on the card’s non-televised portion. Sosa (8-1, 6 KOs), a Robert Gracia-trained fighter, suffered a knockdown in the second round and never really recovered, losing a unanimous decision to Lopes (5-3, 1 KOs) of Nogales, Mexico.

In the second bout on the non-televised portion of the card, welterweight Fabian Maidana (3-0, 2 KO) got things warned up for brother Marcos with a first-round stoppage of Jared Teer (2-3), an Illinois fighter was knocked twice in the opening moments.

Super-middleweight Kevin Newman and Azamat Umarzoda opened the show two hours after high noon and about five hours before the Floyd Mayweather Jr.- Marcos Maidana Saturday at the MGM Grand. Seats were empty. But there wasn’t much to see, anyway. Newman (0-0-1), of Mayweather Promotions, and Umarzoda (0-5-2) of Tajikistan, fought to a draw through an uneventful four rounds.

Follow all the action live as Floyd Mayweather defends two Welterweight world titles plus a Jr. Middleweight world title in a rematch against former world champion Marcos Maidana. The actions off at 7 PM ET / 4 PM PT with a 4 fight undercard featuring Leo Santa Cruz defending his Super Bantamweight title against Manuel Roman. Miguel Vazquez defends his Lightweight title against Mickey Bey. Alfredo Angulo takes on James De La Rosa in a Middleweight bout and the action kicks off with a Jr. Welterweight tussle between John Molina Jr. and former world champion Humberto Soto.

12 ROUNDS WBA/WBC WELTERWEIGHT & WBC SUPER WELTERWEIGHT TITLE–FLOYD MAYWEATHER (46-0, 26 KO’S) VS MARCOS MAIDANA (35-4, 31 KO’S)

Round 1 Mayweather jabbing to the body..Maidana lands a right to the head..Mayweather lands a left..Mayweather moving all over the ring…10-9 Mayweather

Round 2 Maidana throws a 3 punch combo..Mayweather jabbing to the body..Jab from Maidana..Mayweather lands a right and a left hook..lead right..20-18 Mayweather

Round 3 Maidana coming with a combo..Mayweather lands a counter right..counter right..2 more rights..hard right..another hard counter right..Maidana lands a right..jab..Hard right from Mayweather…Maidana lands a hard right at the bell…30-27 Mayweather

Round 4 Maidana is crowding and hitting Mayweather..Right from Mayweather..right…counter right..double jab from Maidana…39-37 Mayweather

Round 5 Jab – right from Mayweather..Counter right from Mayweather..counter right from Maidana…Short left from Mayweather...49-46 Mayweather

Round 6 Counter left from Mayweather..right..59-55 Mayweather…mayweather outlanding Maidana 97-64

Round 7 Maidana lands a right to the body..Mayweather lands a right to the body…body shot..Double jab from Maidana..Mayweather lands 2 rights..69-64 Mayweather

Round 8 Mayweather counters with a right and intiates a clinch as he has been doing for a lot of the fight…Maidana lands a jab and overhand right…Good right from Maywather..Overhand right from Maidana…Good right..Mayweather lands a lead left..Mayweather is claiming he got bit on his hand…Counter left from Mayweather…79-73 Mayweather

Round 9 Counter right from Maidana…Good hook from Mayweather…Counter left hook..Maidana gets in a couple of rights..Jab and right from Mayweather..left,…89-82 Mayweather

Round 10 Right from Maidana..Combination from Mayweather..Maidana throws Mayweather down and MAIDANA IS DOCKED A POINT…Maidana chasing Mayweather in corner…counter right from Mayweather..uppercut..jab..999-90 Mayweather

Round 11 Sharp left from Mayweather…Left to the body..Mayweather lands a low blow..Mayweather lands 2 lefts (Body/head)…Good right to the head..left hook to body and a right…Maidna lands a jab…109-99 Mayweather

Round 12 Mayweather dancing around the ring..Maidana traps Mayweather in corner…118-109 Mayweather

Mayweather 166-326 Maidana 128-572

115-112….116-111….116-111 Floyd Mayweather

12 ROUNDS–WBC SUPER BANTAMWEIGHT TITLE–LEO SANTA CRUZ (27-0-1, 15 KO’S) VS MANUEL ROMAN (17-2-3, 6 KO’S)

ROUND 1 Santa Cruz lands right to the body..Left hook to the body...Santa Cruz 10-9

Round 2 BIG RIGHT AND DOWN GOES ROMAN…ROMAN GETS UP AND 8 BUT ROBERT BYRD STOPS THE FIGHT

12 ROUNDS–IBF LIGHTWEIGHT TITLE–MIGUEL VAZQUEZ (34-3, 13 KO’S) VS MICKEY BEY (20-1-1, 10 KO’S)

Round 1 Sharp left from Vazquez..jab…10-9 Vazquez

Round 2 double jab from Bey…19-19

Round 3 Counter right from Bey..stiff jab..29-28 Bey…Vazquez cut on the right side of his head

Round 4 Counter jab from Bey…Vazquez lands a jab..left..Bey landing on the inside..39-38 Bey

Round 5 Vazquez lands a chopping right//counter left from Bey…49-48 Bey

Round 6 Double jab from Bey…59-57 Bey

Round 7 69-67 Bey

Round 8 Vazquez lands a jab..left from Vazquez..right..78-77 Bey

Round 9 Bey lands a jab..Vazquez lands a left hook..87-87

Round 10 Vazquez lands a jab..97-96 Vazquez

Round 11 107-106 Vazquez

Round 12 Bey lands a left hook..Combination..116-116

Vazquez 89-404 Bey 81-394

115-113 Bey…..115-113 Vazquez….119-109 Bey….Bey the New IBF Lightweight champion

10 ROUNDS–MIDDLEWEIGHTS–ALFREDO ANGULO (22-4, 18 KO’S) VS JAMES DE LA ROSA (22-2, 13 KOS)

ROUND 1 Angulo lands a jab…Body shot…double jab from De la Rosa..Body from Angulo..jab to body..10-9 Angulo

Round 2 Overhand right from De La Rosa..Jab..BIG LEFT AND DROPS ANGULO ON THE ROPES RULED A KNOCKDOWN..19-18 De La Rosa

Round 3 De La Rosa lands a combination..straight left.right…Body, hook and uppercut from Angulo..Counter overhand right from De la Rosa..29-27 De La Rosa

Round 4 1-2 from De La Rosa…Angulo lands a body shot..left to body..left hook..left hook from De La Risa..Right to body from Angulo..left and right…38 37 De la Rosa

Round 5 Combination from De La Rosa..Angulo lands a body shot..4 punch combo from De La Rosa..ANgulo lands a left to the body..nice right..48-46 De La Rosa

Round 6 Combination from De La Rosa..Angulo bleeding around the right eye..De La Rosa lands a combination…2 rights from Angulo…58-55 De La Rosa

Round 7 De la rosa landa an uppercut..Uppercut from Angulo..straight left from de La Rosa..nice right..ANGULO DEDUCTED 1 POINT FOR A LOW BLOW..68-63 De La Rosa

Round 8 De La Rosa landing combination..Angulo lands a counter left hook and straight right..short uppercut..Good right..combination..77-73 De La Rosa

Round 9 Left hook from Angulo..De La Rosa is hurt…86-83 De La Rosa

Round 10 Right from Angulo…Right from De La Rosa..3 punch combo from Angulo..Right and left..left hook..Angulo coming on strong…De La Rosa lands a left..Angulo trying to make 1 last stand…95-93 De La Rosa

98-90, 96-92, 99-89 FOR JAMES DE LA ROSA

10 ROUNDS–JR WELTERWEIGHTS–HUMBERTO SOTO (64-8-2, 35 KO’S) VS JOHN MOLINA JR. (27-4, 22 KO’S)

Round 1 Exchanging hooks..Big right from Soto..left hook..4 punch combination…10-9 Soto

Round 2 Right from Molina…overhand right..good right..right..Molina landing the right from distance..Left hook from Soto..another left hook..Left hook from Molina…good toe to toe action..Soto lands a 1-2..Molina lands a right…19-19

Round 3 Left hook from Soto….2 rights from Molina..Right from Distance..Right from Soto..Bih exchange AFTER the bell…29-29 Molina

Round 4 Molina lands a right..right hand..right..Soto comes back with a left uppercut..Soto backing Molina up..Uppercut from Soto..Body shot..Soto goes down from a Low Blow…38-38

Round 5 Molina lands a right…jab from Molina..Jab from Soto..right….Molina lands an uppercut to the body..Left hook by Soto..Combination…48-47 Soto

Round 6 MOLINA DEDUCTED A POINT FOR A LOW BLOW…2 hooks from Soto..Right from Molina..3 punch combo from Soto..Right from Molina..Hook from Molina..Uppercut from Soto…58-55 Soto

Round 7 Right from Molina..2 right hooks from Soto..Counter right from Molina..Left from Soto..Another Low blow from Molina and Soto goes down…Soto down on canvas in pain AND ANOTHER POINT DEDUCTION..right from Molina..67-64 Soto

Round 8 Left hook from Molina..Jab to body from Soto..right from Molina…3 punch combo from Soto..Left hook from body from Molina…Right to Molina and he goes down from a Low Blow…Big exchange at end of round..77-73 Soto

Round 9 Soto lands a left hook that goes low..Right and left from Soto..Soto lands a left that Molina complains that its low..Left from Molina off the ropes..uppercuts…1-2 from Soto..87-82 Soto

Round 10 Right from Molina..Soto lands a low blow…SOTO IS NOW DEDUCTED A POINT FOR A LOW BLOW..1-2 from Soto..4 punch combo…left hook from Molina…96-91 Soto

Punch stats…Soto 245-587 Molina 181-51

96-91, 95-92 on two cards for Humberto Soto

Pound for Pound king, Floyd Mayweather will earn at $32 million for his rematch with Marcos Maidana on Saturday night.

Maidana’s minimum guarantee for the fight is $3 million, double his guarantee for the fight in May. But he earned more than that from Argentina television rights and an additional $1.5 million payment to wear the kind of gloves Mayweather wanted him to wear when there was a disagreement at the 11th hour according to espn.com.

In Saturday’s co-feature, junior featherweight titlist Leo Santa Cruz (27-0-1, 15 KOs) will earn a career-high $750,000, and challenger Manuel Roman (17-2-3, 6 KOs) will make $50,000.

Lightweight titleholder Miguel Vazquez (34-3, 13 KOs) will earn $450,000 for a defense against Mickey Bey (20-1-1, 10 KOs), whose purse is $125,000. Brawler Alfredo Angulo (22-4, 18 KOs), who is moving up to the middleweight division, will earn $500,000, and his opponent, James De La Rosa (22-2, 13 KOs), will make $43,000.

In the fight that will take place on the pay-per-view preview show, junior welterweight Humberto Soto (64-8-2, 35 KOs), a former two-division titleholder, will make $150,000, and John Molina Jr. (27-4, 22 KOs) will make $125,000.

By Norm Frauenheim-

LAS VEGAS – Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Marcos Maidana were all business Friday at a weigh-in that sounded like a rap concert with speakers that packed more power than some of the fighters on the undercard.

At 146.5 pounds, Mayweather was a half-pound heavier than Maidana and comparatively understated after days full of off-the-scale controversy generated by Mayweather’s comments about former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice and domestic abuse.

If there was potential that Mayweather might be distracted Saturday night at the MGM Grand in the welterweight rematch of his majority decision over Maidana, it wasn’t evident. Mayweather was as cool as the green color on the sweats that he and his entourage wore as the paraded onto the stage.

That green could have meant Money, too. Mayweather is guaranteed $32 million, according to a contract filed with the Nevada State Athletic Commission before the formal weigh-in for Showtime’s pay-per-view card (5 p.m. PST/8p.m. EST). Maidana’s guarantee is $3 million. The $29 million difference might say all you need to know about Maidana’s slim chances. It also explains how big an upset it would be if Maidana landed a punch that would knock out Mayweather’s attempt to retire undefeated.

“I know I can make adjustments,’’ Mayweather (46-0, 26 KOs) said after stepping off the scale and posing for a
ritual, face-to-face photo with Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) that was quick and didn’t include any insulting or derogatory gestures.

Despite saying his goal was to knock out Maidana, the common wisdom is that Mayweather will try to exert control with patience and trademark precision. His father and trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr. said he thinks his son was distracted in the May bout, which was preceded by controversy involving his former fiancé, Shantel Jackson, who last week filed suit against Mayweather alleging abusive behavior.

In the early rounds of their first fight, Maidana’s aggressiveness seemed to rattle Mayweather, who suffered a rare cut above his right eye from an apparent head butt in the fourth round. Mayweather, who also talked about knocking out Maidana in May, forgot some fundamentals, according to his dad, who wants his son to rely more on his jab.

“I’m going to take my time and listen to my dad,’’ said Mayweather, whose up-and-down relationship with the senior Floyd has not included too many moments of Father Knows Best.

The biggest news from the weigh-in could be heard in the crowd, estimated to be 8,000. It seemed to favor Maidana, although that might have been the result of noisy fans from his native Argentina. In his parade to the stage and onto the scale, Maidana was serenaded by fans, who sang and chanted, almost as if they were following a bouncing soccer ball.

“I’m here to change history and beat Mayweather,’’ said a thirsty Maidana, who weighed 146-even and looked thirsty as he gulped down a sports drink in an apparent rush to replenish fluid lost in a sauna.

Unlike Mayweather, there’s doubt that Maidana can do anything different in the rematch. Mayweather and his dad accused him of dirty tactics in the first fight. A ringside microphone caught Maidana trainer Robert Garcia urging the Argentine to “fight dirty.’’

It will be interesting to see if Mayweather’s complaints about Maidana’s tactics will affect how referee Kenny Bayless polices the fight. Mayweather was unhappy with referee Tony Weeks’ work in the first bout. He said Weeks let Maidana get away with too much.

“Definitely, I’m going to come out aggressive like I did in the first fight,’’ said Maidana, who enters the encore with as little to lose as he had in the first one.

That might be his biggest advantage.

LONDON (Sep 12) – Boxing icon Manny Pacquiao’s ring return against undefeated Chris Algieri has landed on BoxNation, with the Filipino legend joining fellow pound-for-pound star Floyd Mayweather on ‘The Channel of Champions’.

The exciting news of Pacquiao’s bout comes on the eve of Mayweather’s blockbuster showdown with Argentine banger Marcos Maidana this Saturday night, live and exclusive on boxing’s undisputed number one channel.

The addition of the ‘Fighter of the Decade’ Pacquiao, however, sees boxing’s two biggest names added to an unbeatable schedule, which also features ‘The Alien’ Bernard Hopkins who is looking to continue his unification of the light-heavyweight division against the fearsome Sergey Kovalev at nearly 50 years of age.

‘Pacman’ is not expected to have things his own way when he faces Algieri, who shocked the boxing world with his masterful and courageous victory over the unrelenting Ruslan Provodnikov in June to capture the WBO light-welterweight title.

The duo will lock horns on November 22nd at the Cotai Arena in Macao, with boxing’s only eight-division world champion Pacquiao defending his WBO welterweight title against the slick New Yorker, who has a record 20 wins in 20 fights.

“You saw Algieri’s last fight against Ruslan Provodnikov. He showed his toughness and he fought good so he deserves this fight. I don’t want to underestimate my opponent,” said Pacquiao, who is coming off an impressive win over Tim Bradley.

“I have to prepare myself 100%. It’s been a while since the fans of Manny Pacquiao have seen the killer instinct like when I fought Cotto, Margarito, de la Hoya, Hatton, and that’s what I’m trying to show in this fight.

“All I can say to his team is train hard and I will train hard so that we can give a good fight and we can entertain people,” added Pacquiao.

Algieri too is in buoyant mood ahead of next month’s showdown and can’t wait to get in the ring to prove he is amongst boxing’s elite.

“We’ve got two champions fighting each other. It’s not something you see very often, especially nowadays you see a lot of guys trying to hold on to their records, hold on to their titles and we’re not afraid to fight the best,” said Algieri.

“I think we need more guys in this sport doing that who aren’t afraid to take challenges and take risks,” he said.

Jim McMunn, Managing Director at BoxNation, said: “Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao are the two biggest names in boxing. They might not be sharing the ring with each other but we’re delighted that they will be sharing the same platform on BoxNation. So far all attempts to get them in the ring have failed so we’re delighted it’s BoxNation who have finally been able to bring boxing’s two biggest names together!”

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) for only £12 a month (plus registration fee) visit www.boxnation.com.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

Floyd Mayweather 146 1/2 – Marcos Maidana 146

LONDON (12 Sep) – Former unified light-welterweight world champion Amir Khan has tipped Floyd Mayweather to come through his challenge with Marcos Maidana as he eyes a potential future fight with boxing’s pound-for-pound star.

The Bolton native was highly impressive in his last outing against Luis Collazo at his first fight at welterweight, and will now be ringside in Las Vegas after resolving Visa issues that meant he was unable to travel on Thursday morning.

Khan lands on Saturday afternoon and will be on-hand to cast his eyes over Mayweather and fully expects the current two-weight world champion to outsmart and outthink his way to victory over the hard-hitting Argentine, live this Saturday night on BoxNation.

“The first fight surprised a lot of people, no one expected Floyd to be in such a tough fight with Maidana. Maidana did himself a lot of credit in that fight and gave Floyd problems that not many people expected to see,” said Khan.

“Nevertheless, I think this fight Floyd will be a lot more composed and will know what he’s getting when he faces Maidana. The thing with Maidana is he tends to throw shots from weird angles and it can take you out your stride at first.

“Having shared the ring with him now, I think Floyd is going to be smart, box from the outside and maybe leave Maidana chasing his shadow,” he said.

The 31-year-old Maidana gave Mayweather his toughest fight in years when they first clashed in May.

Despite partial success for Maidana in his gameplan of pressurising the 11-time world champion first time around, Khan believes you have to have more than one trick when taking on a fighter of Mayweather’s calibre.

“Maidana made it a very rough and rugged fight and showed Floyd no respect first time around. His gameplan was to go in there and treat him like he was a nobody. In a way it definitely worked for him because he gave Floyd a tough fight especially early on.

“But against Floyd you can’t go in there with one strategy and think it’s going to see you through the fight because he is very clever, very smart and makes adjustments,” said Khan.

“He’ll do something different and ask you questions and poses different problems round by round. So you might win the first, second and third round but it’s about seeing it through and in the end Maidana just couldn’t do it.”

Many within boxing circles have tipped the 27-year-old Khan himself to be the one fighter who could give Mayweather a real run for his money.

With a plan to be out again at the end of this year Khan is hoping to throw his name into the sweepstakes to take on boxing’s biggest draw.

“It’s a fight that many want to see happen just because our styles would make a very interesting clash. If I keep winning then I think it’s a fight that could definitely happen in the future. Floyd has said the same thing to me in the past,” said Khan.

“For now, I’m out again in December so I’m looking to get my opponent named for that and putting on a great performance in my next fight. But if it makes sense for both sides then it will be a fight that could happen.

“I don’t want to put a timescale on it but I got into this sport to fight the best and at the moment Floyd is ahead of everyone so it would be great to test myself against him,” he said.

It is the speed of the Olympic silver medallist which he deems the key component in overcoming the unbeaten Mayweather, who has a flawless 46-0 record.

“I really believe speed is one of the key components in beating Floyd. Speed of hand and speed of foot – even speed of mind. It’s not the only thing but it’s very important, as is having a good jab and being able to answer the questions he poses,” he said.

“You can’t be one dimensional against Floyd because over and over in his career he has shown that he makes changes to whatever style his opponent comes with.

“Yet, when you look at it up until Maidana the people who have troubled him the most have been people with speed and good movement, those are things I possess,” Khan told BoxNation.

Many believe a Mayweather-Khan superfight at Wembley Stadium could exceed anything seen before at the home of English football.

Khan, however, would happily welcome a bout on home soil but is aware any decision would ultimately be Mayweather’s.

“I would love to bring a fight of that scale back home but I think it would be very difficult. Floyd tends to have all his fights at the MGM Grand. I know he has spoke about coming over here and fighting so you never know.

“He has a big fanbase here and I have a big fanbase so it would make sense. To fight Floyd at Wembley would be an unbelievable experience but at the end of the day Floyd is in the position where he decides who and where he wants to fight,” said Khan.

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 11, 2014) – Fighters on the televised undercard for “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” took center stage today at MGM Grand for the final press conference before they enter the ring this Saturday, Sept. 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena live on SHOWTIME® and SHOWTIME PPV®.

Here’s what Thursday’s press conference participants had to say:

LEO SANTA CRUZ, Two-Division World Champion

“I’m very happy to be on this big undercard. This is the biggest card I could possibly be on.

“We trained really hard for this fight. It’s the biggest fight of my life because millions of people will be watching and I need to take advantage of that opportunity.

“I know people think this is going to be an easy fight for me, but you’re going to be surprised Saturday night. I used to spar with Roman and I had to train really hard for him because I know what he brings.

“I don’t underestimate anybody. Every fighter up there is dangerous. I have to go out there and work hard and give it my best to prove I belong here.

“I’ve trained so hard because I know I have a lot of pressure and expectations on me. I know Roman is a great fighter with great punches but we have to go out and do what we always do.

“People have said other Mayweather co-main event fighters are better and I’ve heard that. Because of that, this is definitely the biggest fight I’ve been in and I want to get the win and keep getting better fights.

“I have gotten love from fans too and I appreciate that. It’s because of them that I’m here and I keep training hard to get better every time.

“My brothers and my dad are always with me coming to the gym, watching me spar and it’s because of them that I’m so motivated for this fight.

“I’m looking to get the stoppage. I want it to end before 12 rounds and get him out of there and look good doing it.

“People are saying this is easy but no fight is easy. Anyone can surprise you so I always go out there and train like I’m fighting the best and I’m going to continue doing that.

“If everything goes well with this fight I definitely want to go out and get another belt and unify all the belts in the super bantamweight division.”

MANUEL ROMAN, Super Bantamweight Contender

“I know we’re both well prepared and we know what to expect from each other.

“This is the opportunity of a lifetime and I’m looking to take full advantage of it.

“I know Leo well but this is a business and a tremendous opportunity for me. Winning a world title is every boxer’s dream.

“I’m happy for Leo and the success he’s had, but I’m confident and very well-prepared for our fight on Saturday. This will be a great fight for the fans.”

MIGUEL VAZQUEZ, IBF Lightweight World Champion

“I’m ready and well prepared. I have a tough opponent in Mickey Bey but I’m ready to win.

“I want to dedicate this fight to my family and my team and especially to God for putting me in this position to live my dreams.

“This is definitely a key fight for me and an opportunity to make a name for myself. I’ve been a champion a long time and made six defenses, but I know a lot of fans don’t know who I am. That’s why I am so looking forward to Saturday.

“I think I have extra motivation for this fight because it is my chance to show the world that I am a real champion and that I deserve to be on a card as big as this.

“I’m ready to defend and I am well-prepared for what I know is a tough opponent in Mickey Bey.”

MICKEY BEY, Lightweight Contender

“Saturday I’m going to do my part and make sure it’s a spectacular fight. If you’re not there tune in early and check me and Miguel Vazquez out.

“I’m just waiting until Saturday to put on a show. It’s going to be 36 minutes or less of nothing but fireworks. You’ll have to tune in to see what happens next.

“It’s just another day and another fight for me. I’m going to wait to face-off inside the ring.

“I have the best trainer in the world, the great Floyd Mayweather Sr. I’m looking forward to grinding and getting to the next level of the sport.

“I don’t believe in the hype at all. I believe in going toe-to-toe with someone and seeing what happens after. Vazquez has done something right to be where he is today. He’s the champ for a reason but now he’s fighting me and it’s a new day.

“I don’t look at social media during fight week. I stay away from the negativity. I don’t have time for anything except taking care of business inside the ring.

“I’m going to put on a spectacular performance on Saturday. I take it one fight at a time.”

ALFREDO ANGULO, Middleweight Contender

“I’m ready for this fight at 160, I’m ready to get back to winning.

“Whenever two Mexicans are in the ring it’s a really good show. I believe De La Rosa and ‘El Perro’ will put on a great show.

“At the 160-pound weight division, I am going to be a different animal. You’re going to see the old Alfredo Angulo.

“I’m going to show the fans, the critics and the media that I am ready.

“People are asking me if I am still going to have the power at 160 pounds, I don’t like to talk, I would rather just show it in the ring on Saturday.

“You can expect a spectacular fight. James De La Rosa is coming to win and so am I but I am the only one that is going to walk out victorious.”

JAMES DE LA ROSA, Middleweight Contender

“Come Saturday I’m looking to put on a show for everyone.

“You all haven’t seen my skills but I know you’re going to enjoy the fight.

“I just come out to fight and nothing else matters. After this fight, everyone will become a De La Rosa fan.

“You’ll see everything out of me. I can do everything. I box, jab, punch, and knock out opponents when the opportunity presents itself.

“I always go in looking for the win. If a knockout comes it comes. The W is all that ever matters.

“After this fight everyone will know about me and my skills. Not everyone gets an opportunity to open up a card as big as this. I’m going to put on a show and make a statement.

“The reason I took this fight is because it’s an opportunity to display my skills. It’s my time now.

“I’m the most versatile fighter. Whatever benefits me to win at that moment is what you’ll see me do.”

JOHN MOLINA JR., Junior Welterweight Contender

“A few years back I was just a guy fighting 4-6 rounders and now I’m here today getting ready to fight a great champion.

“You all know how I fight, I come to bring it. I’m going to bring the fireworks for a great show. I know Soto won’t take a backwards step and I wont either.

“We won’t need the judges for this show.

“I’ve had a great camp with my trainer and we added some great tools to my game and we’re ready to put them on display Saturday.

“Humberto Soto is a great champion, he’s experienced at the top level of this game, he’s someone I looked up to and now I get to look across from him in the ring and get it on.

“A win over Soto will put me right where I need to be at 140, whether it’s a rematch with Lucas Matthysse, Adrien Broner or Danny Garcia, that makes this win really important.

“I got my notoriety by taking the scenic route, the back roads and when I get in the ring I try to put it all on the line. I try to put on a show for the people who spend their hard-earned money on these fights.

“It’s been a long exciting road. I didn’t have an extensive amateur career so I had to take the small fights but I made a name for myself and now I’m here at the biggest stage of boxing fighting on a Floyd Mayweather card fighting one of the great past champions of all time in Humberto Soto.”

HUMBERTO SOTO, Junior Welterweight Contender

“I’m very glad to be here on a big showcase again. The winners will be the fans on Saturday night

“Like a true professional I respect John Molina and his team, but in that ring we are enemies and we’re going to put on a great show.

“I know that I am getting into the ring with a quality, tough fighter but I also know that I have my experience in the ring behind me. The years don’t hurt my performance, in fact they add to what I bring into the ring.

“We have studied his fights so we know what to expect. Experience is on our side and that is one of the keys to victory.

“I am very happy to be fighting in Nevada after all of the fights that I have fought. I hope to bring a victory to my fellow Mexican people.

“This could be the fight of the night and I encourage all fans to watch it because they will be in for a treat.

“I am very happy and grateful for this opportunity but I just want to win.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“We’re here today to talk about this wonderful undercard; it’s going to be a terrific show.

“It’s never easy to put together an undercard and we did a great job putting together these fights to give the fans the best show possible on Saturday night.

“I believe that Mickey Bey will emerge victorious Saturday night. He’s worked very hard to get here and been through a lot of ups and downs in his career.

“Mickey Bey knows that he has a very tough opponent in Miguel Vazquez who comes into this fight on a 13-match winning streak dating all the way back to his 2008 loss against a terrific fighter in Canelo Alvarez.

“You have to tune in early or get to your seats early so that you don’t miss this great undercard we’ve put together.

ERIC GOMEZ, Senior Vice President of Golden Boy Promotions

“We’re very excited about this undercard. It’s customary for Golden Boy and Floyd Mayweather to put on exciting championship matchups with terrific fighters. We’re very proud of this undercard.

“You want to get out there early tomorrow to see all these prospects and future champions that will be on the card.

“Alfredo Angulo is one of the most popular fighters in the sport. I would say that he might have the best fans in all of boxing. They always support him no matter what, and I’m sure they’ll be out in full force Saturday night.

“A lot of people don’t get the opportunity to fight for a world title. They’re just waiting for that one opportunity. That’s what happened for Manuel Roman, who is finally getting a chance for a world title. He’s put in all the hard work and he’s looking to take full advantage.

“The word star gets thrown around a lot in boxing. There’s very few in the sport, but everyone, the garbageman, the milkman, everyone wants to know when Leo Santa Cruz is going to fight again. He’ll fight anyone, that’s just the kind of guy he is.”

# # #

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA Welterweight Belt and WBC Welterweight and Super Welterweight World Titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts and “The Equalizer” in theaters Sept. 26 and Mexico – Live it to Believe It!. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and is the fourth fight of a six-fight deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. In the co-main event, Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC Super Bantamweight Title against Manuel Roman in a 12-round bout and Miguel Vazquez faces Mickey Bey in a 12-round bout for the IBF Lightweight World Championship. In the pay-per-view opener, Alfredo Angulo squares against James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout (162 lbs.). The event will be also available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Plus, SHOWTIME will televise Humberto Soto taking on John Molina Jr. in a 10-round bout for the vacant NABO Junior Welterweight Championship during “Mayweather vs. Maidana 2: COUNTDOWN LIVE” (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, immediately preceding the live pay per view event).

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 will be shown on the big screen in over 500 movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. For more information visit www.FathomEvents.com

LONDON (Sep 11) – Superstar Floyd Mayweather has admitted that his bout with Marcos Maidana this weekend will be one of his last.

The boxing icon faces off against the hard-hitting Maidana for a second time in succession, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas this Saturday night, live on BoxNation, and has declared that he will be hanging up his gloves in 2015.

The 37-year-old Mayweather signed a six-fight deal, reported to be worth over $250m, with American TV network Showtime in 2013 and will have only two fights remaining on his contract after Maidana.

“I have only got two more fights after this,” said Mayweather. “As of right now my focus is on Maidana. I can’t focus on the two fights after this. I can’t say who the next two opponents will be, but they will be exciting fights. My next fight is in May and then September. A year from now will be my last fight,” he admitted.

The 11-time world champion in five weight divisions will, however, remain part of boxing as he looks to grow his promotional company.

“After those fights I just want to build the Mayweather Promotions brand. I have been in this sport my whole life and understand the business,” said Mayweather.

“The Mayweather brand is growing and we don’t know what the future holds. If I continue to work with good people like Leonard Ellerbe and Al Haymon there will be something positive.”

Despite showing little sign of decline the reigning two-weight world champion, who will be defending his WBA and WBC welterweight and light-middleweight titles against Maidana, has said it is imperative he gives his body sufficient rest.

“As you get older, you get wiser, smarter. You no longer grow physically but you do mentally. When I was younger I would go to the gym, every day, even as a professional,” he said.

“As you get older you have to let the body rest, let the body heal and rejuvenate so you can come back a lot stronger. Over the last few years I have let my body rest a lot more, eat a lot better although I cheat a little at Fatburger,” Mayweather said.

The undefeated star, with a record of 46-0, has also fired a warning shot to Maidana ahead of the bout admitting he is quicker than he’s ever been.

Some have questioned if he is as fleet footed as he once was, especially given how close the first encounter was with the Argentine, but Mayweather has poured scorn on such claims.

“When I am in the ring I know what I have to do. Facing so many different styles throughout the years, making adjustments is second nature. [My legs] looked good in the first fight. When a guy like that is extremely dirty I have to take my time,” he said.

“I am capable of changing. I’m faster this camp, a lot stronger, feel a lot better. We will have to see how the fight plays out. I am sure he is in good condition and we’ll see what he brings.

“I think I am faster because I am throwing more combinations this camp. The sparring partners have said I am a lot better. We have used some of the same guys and they say I am a lot stronger and faster this camp,” said Mayweather.

Dubbed ‘Money’ Mayweather, the Grand Rapids born star believes he is faced with a lot of unfair criticism and resentment from certain factions within boxing.

“I always say to myself. There is only three ways you can learn, ‘Hearing, seeing and doing.’ It’s hands on. I like to learn all three ways but when I am hands on I can master it. People embarking on the [Jose Luis] Castillo first fight, need to remember I beat him,” he said.

“From the beginning I am fighting the biased fans, biased writers and biased critics. There has been jealousy and envy from the beginning, but I can get through anything if I stay focused.”

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

By Norm Frauenheim

LAS VEGAS – Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his promotional partner Leonard Ellerbe tried to put an end to questions about the domestic abuse scandal engulfing former Baltimore Ravens running back Ray Rice Wednesday after the final news conference for his rematch Saturday with Marcos Maidana.

The questions continued the day after Mayweather said he wished Rice “nothing but the best’’ during a session with reporters following his formal arrival Tuesday to the MGM Grand.

“If I offended anyone, I apologize,’’ Mayweather said Wednesday. “I don’t condone what happened.’’

Ellerbe said: “Floyd doesn’t condone this behavior. Period, end of discussion. No more questions about that.’’

Mayweather served two months in jail for a charge related to domestic abuse. He pled guilty to domestic battery in a 2011 incident involving his former girlfriend Josie Harris.

Mayweather’s ex-fiance is suing him. Shantel Jackson filed a lawsuit last week in Los Angeles Superior Court. Jackson, who is represented by feminist attorney Gloria Allred, alleges Mayweather beat and humiliated her.

In news reports of Tuesday’s media session, Mayweather did not criticize Rice, who was indefinitely suspended by the NFL after video obtained by TMZ showed him knocking out his wife, Janay Rice, with a left hook while inside an elevator at an Atlantic City hotel.

“I think there are a lot worse things that go on in other people’s households also,’’ Mayweather was quoted as saying Tuesday. “It’s just not caught on video.”

He also expressed sympathy for Rice, saying: “I know he’s going through a lot right now, because football is his passion, football is his love. It’s no different than me being in the fight game if they told me, ‘Floyd, you have the biggest deal in sports history’ and a couple months later they said, ‘Your deal is taken away from you.’ It’s not really the money it’s the love for the sport, the passion … I know it’s drastic on him and his wife.”

During the news conference, Ellerbe took the media to task for being too critical of the unbeaten Mayweather.

“All of this hating and criticizing needs to stop,’’ said Ellerbe, who argued that a negative press has prevented boxing from reaching crossover fans and gaining the mainstream popularity enjoyed by the NBA . “…We must find a way to acknowledge greatness when we see it. There have been great fighters, but never anybody like Floyd, who has put the whole package together.’’

Mayweather has always been able to ignore distractions, although many of them were of his own making. Three days before opening bell against Maidana, it was hard to know whether the ongoing controversy over Rice would distract him from what some believe could be a dangerous fight. Mayweather’s goal is a stoppage of Maidana.

“A knockout is important,’’ he said. “I want to make a statement. Not a statement to the world, just for myself.’

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 10, 2014) – Fight week for “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” continued Wednesday as the main event fighters, Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, hosted their final press conference at the Hollywood Theatre at MGM Grand before their highly anticipated rematch on SHOWTIME PPV Saturday.

Here is what the fighter’s and their teams had to say Wednesday:

FLOYD MAYWEATHER, 11-Time, Five-Division World Champion

“Tunein and watch the fight because I’m going to be Floyd Mayweather and do what I do best and come out and win. I’ve been here before and I know what it takes to win at this level.

“We put it all on the line in the first fight. The fans demanded the rematch so we owe it to them to put it all on the line again. Maidana’s rugged. He’s a cool fighter and we’ll see how it plays out on Saturday.

“I have to focus on my fight. I can’t focus on anything else going on, I have a tough fighter in front me and he needs all my focus.

“We’ve had a remarkable training camp. Truly unbelievable. I feel a lot stronger than last time. It’s about hard work, dedication, prayers, belief and a good team.

“I know I’m almost 40, but I’m still going strong. I want to go out there and perform.

“The first fight was very interesting. Hopefully this time around the fight is even more exciting.

“Maidana is always in top shape. He absolutely deserves this rematch. I commend him for stepping up and making it happen again. I’m a true champion and a true champion never backs down.

“I need a knockout and I’m going for it. I need it to make a statement. First for myself, I want to do it for me.

“Robert Garcia can say what he wants to say. My dad can say what he wants to say. Both teams can go back and forth and bicker all day. In the end it comes down to skills, smarts and adjustments.

“We sparred with some guys who have similar styles to Maidana’s. Guys who threw a lot of looping, wild shots. Very strong rugged guys. We had a lot of good solid work with these guys.

“I don’t know who has the advantage in the rematch. I know I’m sharp, I know he’s sharp. I was able to make the adjustments in the first fight and we’ll see if he can make the adjustments this time.

“I don’t condone what happened. If I offended anyone, I apologize. I have this tough, rugged fighter in front of me and that’s what I have to focus on. I’m not perfect, I make mistakes and I don’t condone that at all.”

MARCOS MAIDANA, Former Welterweight World Champion

“I just know that I have to win. I’m concentrated on winning. I am going to take out any doubts in my mind about the first fight. I’ve adjusted now and I think I’ll be ready.

“I haven’t talked to Carlos Rios or Carlos Baldomir about their Mayweather fights but I have watched their fights. I noticed that being aggressive and attacking him is what makes him uncomfortable.

“I think I did get tired in the first fight. I have to pace myself a little better and this time around I will be better.

“If the knockout comes great, but I’m ready to go the distance as well. I’m ready to make history.

“I have to use my distance a little more and pick and choose my punches. I wasted too many punches last fight. I have to work my distance correctly and get leverage.

“I think Floyd got pressured by the press and I think that he knows the first fight was close so he’s giving me the rematch and I have to take full advantage.

“I actually had two full months to prepare this time. I worked very hard and that’s probably why I look a little skinnier this time.

“I think Floyd is going to run but I’m going to have to do a good job of cutting off the ring.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“We’re expecting a very exciting fight in this rematch; both guys have a tremendous amount of confidence and had excellent training camps leading up to the fight.

“Marcos Maidana is coming in really believing he is going to win this fight.

“You can’t say enough about Floyd Mayweather. He’s become the face of boxing and often he is the guy who wears the target on his back. No matter what he does people tend to form an opinion, but that comes with the territory.

“Floyd has had a phenomenal career, he’s the best fighter in the world and he’s been a world champion since 1998. He’s beaten a number of world champions and in my eyes he will go down as the best to ever do it.

“Floyd has made several hundred millions of dollars, but money doesn’t motivate him. He’s able to get up in the wee hours of the morning, putting in the groundwork like he’s never earned a dime.

“He has a tremendous dedication to the sport and we will all miss him when he’s not fighting. When he goes into that ring he gives it his all and he’s dominated A-level fighters and made them look ordinary.

“The fans demanded the rematch and Floyd said no problem, lets put him in there. If the fans didn’t think I got it right the first time, I will this time. There will be no more questions left unanswered after the Mayweather-Maidana rematch.

“What other athlete in sports can you say, that has dominated everyone in front of him for so many years? We must find a way to acknowledge greatness when we see it. There will never be another fighter like him.”

ROBERT GARCIA, Maidana’s Trainer

“All games aside, we’re ready for this fight. We’ve prepared like never before. We know it’s not an easy fight but it’s not impossible either.

“We’re going to give the fans what they are waiting for. What the fans want to see, that’s what they’re going to get Saturday night.

“Our mindset is exactly the same as it was going into the first fight. We do not need a knockout to win. We can win a decision. We can win a decision by dominating every round.

“Marcos dominated for half the fight last time before he slowed down a little and sort of faded. He didn’t quite have the energy to do what he wanted for 12 rounds.

“The difference for this fight is that we had eight full weeks of training and not just five. He had more sparring, much better sparring.

“Mayweather is a great fighter, one of the greatest of all-time. I don’t think age has caught up with him. He has always taken such good care of his body. He works very hard. He’s still got that quickness.

“Mayweather’s a smart guy. I think he’s just politicking when he keeps complaining about Maidana being dirty in the first fight.

“Chino gained a lot of confidence in the first fight. That’s a big plus going into the rematch. He feels stronger, mentally and physically. He’s ready to do what he couldn’t quite do last time and that’s fight his fight for 12 rounds.’’

ERIC GOMEZ, Senior VP of Golden Boy Promotions

“Marcos gave Floyd probably the toughest fight that he has had in the last couple years. But, that’s what makes Floyd so great. He does things that people don’t expect him to do in boxing. I know that Floyd has proven everyone in this room wrong at least once.

“I know personally he has proven me wrong ever since he fought Oscar De La Hoya. Every single fight I’ve thought to myself, ‘Ok, this time we’ve got him’. That’s what makes Floyd great. Everyone has criticized him and said that he wouldn’t get past the likes of Ricky Hatton, Canelo or Victor Ortiz, but he has beaten them all.

“There is one critic that Floyd hasn’t been able to prove wrong, one critic that keeps him going, and that’s Floyd himself and that’s why he took this rematch. Floyd felt that the first fight was close and he wants to prove to everyone and to himself that he won that first fight and that he can do it again.

“I also know that Marcos is a very hungry fighter that felt that he was very, very close to beating Floyd Mayweather. He is here to prove that whatever it takes, any little inch that he needs more to beat Floyd, he will make it happen this time.’’

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive VP and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“We’re thrilled to be back here at MGM Grand again, this has become SHOWTIME’s home away from home. This is our fourth event that SHOWTIME is televising from this venue this year, the most of any venue and the sixth in the past two years.

“There’s no doubt that this Saturday ‘Mayweather vs. Maidana 2’ will be most likely the biggest fight of the year.

“No matter what the result is, I guarantee that the fight will be historic. Historic because what we are watching will be unprecedented. We all know about Floyd’s success, undefeated record, fighter of the year awards. But consider this, Floyd Mayweather has been ranked in the top-10 by Ring Magazine consecutively and continuously since March of 1998. He’s been in the top10 for 16 years which is unprecedented in another sport, and that’s not to mention multiple years of being the consensus pound-for-pound king.

“But to be candid, Marcos Maidana couldn’t care less about Floyd’s accolades. Back in May, Maidana gave Floyd perhaps the toughest fight of his career, 12 grueling hard- fought rounds. Then Floyd surprised many of us by saying he wanted the rematch. Maidana is one of the most accomplished fighters that Floyd has ever fought, and personally I can’t wait.’’

RICHARD STURM, President of Sports & Entertainment for MGM Resorts International

“We’re excited for this highly anticipated rematch. Floyd Mayweather will look to push his undefeated record to 47-0. We all know this will be another hard test as Marcos Maidana looks to avenge his hard-fought loss back in May.

“Las Vegas frequently plays host to a number of large number of major sports and entertainment events. This weekend MGM Resorts will once again play a critical role in the Las Vegas experience as we celebrate Mexican Independence Day weekend.”

BOB BENNETT, Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission

“We are honored and elated to regulate this great fight. I want to thank everyone involved for putting on this electric and exciting fight in the fight capital of the world.

“I would like to recognize Mr. Mayweather and Mr. Maidana and all the fighters who will be putting forth a gallant effort come this Saturday night. Without them this event would not be possible and I would like all the fighters to know that we wish them all the very best. ‘’

# # #

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA Welterweight Belt and WBC Welterweight and Super Welterweight World Titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts and “The Equalizer” in theaters Sept. 26 and Mexico – Live it to Believe It!. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and is the fourth fight of a six-fight deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. In the co-main event, Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC Super Bantamweight Title against Manuel Roman in a 12-round bout and Miguel Vazquez faces Mickey Bey in a 12-round bout for the IBF Lightweight World Championship. In the pay-per-view opener, Alfredo Angulo squares against James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout (162 lbs.). The event will be also available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Plus, SHOWTIME will televise Humberto Soto against John Molina Jr. in a 10-round junior welterweight bout during “Mayweather vs. Maidana 2: COUNTDOWN LIVE” (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, immediately preceding the live pay per view event).

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 will be shown on the big screen in over 500 movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. For more information visit www.FathomEvents.com

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 10, 2014) – In only the second rematch of his storied career, 11-time five-division world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather will square off against former world champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana in a highly anticipated rematch this Saturday, Sept. 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. But before the main event and televised bouts on SHOWTIME and SHOWTIME PPV get underway, some of boxing’s most notable rising stars will enter the ring for their respective tests in the fight capital of the world.

Competing in non-televised fights will be Andrew “The Beast” Tabiti, Damian “El Pana” Sosa, Fabian “TNT” Maidana as well as Junior “All About The” Benjamin and Kevin “The Second Coming” Newman II, who will be making their professional debuts.

“Fans should plan on arriving at the MGM Grand Garden Arena early on Saturday night because the excitement starts with the very first bell,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “We are thrilled to provide a platform for up-and-coming fighters such as Andrew Tabiti and both Junior Benjamin and Kevin Newman, who are making their professional debuts.”

“Golden Boy Promotions prides itself on giving fans action-packed fights from the very beginning to the very end of a card, and Saturday night’s jam-packed undercard continues that tradition,” said Oscar De La Hoya, president and founder of Golden Boy Promotions. “With several young superstars set to take boxing’s biggest stage at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, fans may very well be getting an early glimpse at the next Floyd Mayweather or Marcos Maidana.”

Undefeated and coming off an impressive technical knockout victory on Aug. 30, Andrew Tabiti (7-0, 7 KOs)is one of the top rising stars in the Mayweather Promotions’ stable. The Chicagonative looks to remain undefeated when he faces Lake Odessa, Michigan’s Caleb Grummet (3-1, 3 KOs) in a six-round cruiserweight match.

An undefeated prospect in the junior welterweight division, Buenos Aires, Argentina’s Damian Sosa (8-0, 6 KOs) will look for his third win of 2014 when he faces the Nogales, Mexico native Armando Lopes (4-3, 1 KO)in a six-round bout.

Adding to the Argentine-heavy card is Santa Fe, Argentina’s Fabian Maidana (2-0, 1 KO). The brother of Marcos Maidana will look to get his third consecutive victory when he takes on Springfield, Illinois’ Jared Teer (2-2) in a four-round welterweight bout.

One of Mayweather Promotions’ newest signees, Junior Benjamin who fights out of Las Vegas by way of London,will help to round out Saturday’s “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” undercard with his professional debut against Tajikstan’s Alim Jumakhonov (0-0-1) in a four-round featherweight bout.

Also making his professional debut under the Mayweather Promotions’ banner is Kevin Newman II. Under the tutelage of Jeff Mayweather since he was nine-years-old, Newman, of Las Vegas, will be fighting Azamat Umarzoda (0-5-1) of Tajikstan in a four-round super middleweight bout to open up the stacked fight card.

# # #

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA Welterweight Belt and WBC Welterweight and Super Welterweight World Titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts and “The Equalizer” in theaters Sept. 26 and Mexico – Live it to Believe It!. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and is the fourth fight of a six-fight deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. In the co-main event, Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC Super Bantamweight Title against Manuel Roman in a 12-round bout and Miguel Vazquez faces Mickey Bey in a 12-round bout for the IBF Lightweight World Championship. In the pay-per-view opener, Alfredo Angulo squares against James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout (162 lbs.). The event will be also available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Plus, SHOWTIME will televise John Molina Jr. against the experienced Humberto Soto in a 10-round bout for the vacant NABO Junior Welterweight Championship during “Mayweather vs. Maidana 2: COUNTDOWN LIVE” (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, immediately preceding the live pay per view event).

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 will be shown on the big screen in over 500 movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. For more information visit www.FathomEvents.com

LONDON (Sep 10) – Marcos Maidana has called on pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather to ‘fight him like a man’.

The pair clash for the second successive time, live on BoxNation, this Saturday night from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, with the rugged and rough Argentine calling on Mayweather to not run when they lock horns.

Maidana carries a fearsome reputation as one of boxing’s biggest hitters, with 31 knockouts in 35 wins, and has dismissed claims that his success in the first fight was as a result of the American superstar having slowed down, as he looks to goad Mayweather into a war.

“I don’t think age has anything to do with it. I don’t think it does because in the first fight, he could’ve fought with me a little bit, but then he started boxing and moving at times. So I don’t think age has anything to do with it,” said Maidana.

“He’s a good athlete. He’s in shape. I think that it was his decision to stand and fight with me. This second fight I hope he decides to stand and fight with me, to fight like a man. I hope he doesn’t start running or trying to move away

“I’m preparing for anything. I hope that he stands and fights. But if he’s going to run like a little bitch I’m going to have to chase him all around, and I’m prepared to do that,” he said.

The 31-year-old, who has shared the ring with the likes of Adrien Broner and Amir Khan, believes that this fight will prove to be an easier one than the initial bout in May and has rubbished the school of thought which says he needs a knockout to win.

“Personally, I find it much easier to face up against Floyd this time. When we first fought, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to see him, but I found him in the ring many times,” Maidana said.

“I don’t agree with the statement I need a knockout to win. I think that I can win by decision or by knockout. The first fight was a very close fight.

“It was a decision that was a majority decision, so I feel that I just have to make a few adjustments, put a little more pressure on, land better punches, and yes I can win, I can win by decision. Obviously the knockout would be nice, and that’s a possibility as well,” he said.

The reigning two-weight world champion Mayweather accused Maidana of dirty tactics in the first fight, which saw the Grand Rapids born star given his hardest night in years.

The man from Santa Fe, however, is unfazed by Mayweather’s accusations and admits he came close to retiring if he didn’t get the rematch.

“You know what? It doesn’t bother me that Mayweather says I’m dirty. It doesn’t bother me. There are things that he does as well in there, so it’s time for him to stop crying and just fight,” he said.

“I was really contemplating retiring if he didn’t give me the rematch, and I would’ve retired for the rest of this year at least and then see what comes up next year. But, yes, it was something that crossed my mind, and I was willing to retire.

“I got the rematch because the first fight was a close fight. He probably wants to prove a point. He wants to demonstrate that he can beat me outright. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that the rematch is happening, and I’m very happy,” he said.

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, gets fight week started with a blockbuster edition of Golden Boy Live!, featuring unbeaten heavyweights Luis Ortiz and Lateef Kayode meeting at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas to battle for the vacant WBA interim heavyweight title in the main event.

Live on Fight Network exclusively in Canada at 9:30 p.m. ET, the fight card features an unprecedented lineup of six televised fights taking place just two days before “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” takes over Las Vegas on Saturday, September 13.

In addition to live broadcasts of the official final press conference (Wednesday, 4 p.m. ET) and weigh-ins (Friday, 6 p.m. ET), Fight Network will air a Floyd Mayweather bout marathon on Saturday afternoon beginning at 12 p.m. ET, which leads into a live mixed martial arts doubleheader with Cage Warriors 72 from Newport, Wales and BAMMA 16 from Manchester, England. Fight Network’s action-packed fight week also includes a live presentation of ONE Fighting Championship 20: Rise of the Kingdom on Friday, September 12.

Thursday’s edition of Golden Boy Live! at 9:30 p.m. ET features another championship fight, as the interim WBA featherweight title will be on the line with Jesus “El Jinete” Cuellar facing Puerto Rico’s Juan Manuel “Juanma” Lopez.

Also stepping into the right in separate televised bouts on this star-studded card will be Jermall Charlo, Julian “J Rock” Williams, Errol Spence Jr. and Josesito “The Riverside Rocky” Lopez.

“The heavyweight championship has long been the most prestigious title in all of boxing and Luis Ortiz and Lateef Kayode will be bringing it in order to win that belt and put their names in the history books,” said Oscar De La Hoya, president of Golden Boy Promotions. “This is the perfect way to kick off a great weekend of boxing in Las Vegas.”

“We are happy to work with Golden Boy to continue the tradition of not one but two fights in Las Vegas the week of a Floyd Mayweather pay-per-view event,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “We want to keep the fans who come from near and far entertained all week long and there is no better way to do that than with a heavyweight title fight.”

“A lot of great fighters have come before me and won the heavyweight title and to have the chance to join them is an honor,” said the number two-ranked Ortiz. “I will fight my heart out for this championship and I won’t disappoint my fans, friends or family.”

“I’ve waited a long time for a fight like this and I feel that this is finally my chance to shine,” said the number five-ranked Kayode. “Before Mayweather and Maidana fight on Saturday, I will set the stage for them with a big win and a championship that will have the world talking.”

Ortiz vs. Kayode, a 12-round bout for the vacant WBA Interim Heavyweight World Title, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, in association with Greg Cohen Promotions and airs live on Fight Network at 9:30 p.m. ET.

With over 340 amateur wins in his native Cuba, 35-year-old Luis Ortiz (21-0, 18 KOs) knows more about boxing than practically anyone in the heavyweight division as evidenced by his 21 wins. Now the 6-foot-4 southpaw has his shot at championship gold and after back-to-back knockouts of Alex Gonzales and Monte Barrett respectively, it’s clear that the Miami resident isn’t content with just winning a decision on September 11.

A native of Lagos, Nigeria who now makes his home in Hollywood, California, 31-year-old Lateef “Power” Kayode (20-0, 16 KOs) is a hard-hitting contender whose six-year professional career includes wins over Matt Godfrey, Felix Cora Jr. and Alfredo Escalera Jr., as well as several regional titles at cruiserweight. Now competing at heavyweight, where he has knocked out his last two opponents, Kayode is one win away from becoming a world champion.

Making his second consecutive appearance in Las Vegas, Buenos Aires southpaw Jesus Cuellar (24-1, 18 KOs) is an experienced veteran of the fight game at just 27-years-old. With 24 victories and only one defeat, Cuellar is looking forward to make an even bigger name for himself by beating slugger Juan Manuel Lopez. A winner of seven straight, Cuellar won the interim WBA title in August of 2013 with a victory over unbeaten Claudio Marrero. After his win over Rico Ramos in May, he will now attempt to defend his belt for a third time on September 11.

Winner of three of his last five bouts, a stretch that includes a March knockout over Daniel Ponce De Leon, 31-year-old southpaw Juan Manuel Lopez (34-4, 31 KOs) will attempt to make history again by taking a world title back home to Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico. Already a two-division world titleholder who has thrilled fans for years, the exciting knockout artist believes he has another great fight in him heading into his bout against Cuellar.

Many believe Houston’s Jermall Charlo (18-0, 14 KOs) should have been a world champion by now, but when IBF Junior Middleweight World Champion Carlos Molina was forced out of their March bout due to legal issues, the 24-year-old Charlo was forced to go back to the drawing board. A little over two weeks after his cancelled title fight, Charlo was back in the ring, stopping Hector Munoz in just two rounds and he expects another stellar performance on September 11. Charlo is set to face Mexican veteran Norberto Gonzalez (20-4, 13 KOs).

The best prospect to emerge from Philadelphia since Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia, Julian Williams (16-0-1, 10 KOs) wants to follow in Garcia’s footsteps and put a championship belt around his waist sooner rather than later. A knockout victor in his last three bouts over tough competition like Orlando Lora, Freddy Hernandez and Michael Medina, the 24-year-old junior middleweight will undoubtedly be bringing the thunder to Las Vegas next week when he takes on Eliezer Gonzalez (14-0, 9 Kos) of San Juan Puerto Rico in an eight round bout.

2012 U.S. Olympian Errol Spence Jr. (13-0, 10 KOs) has been making a steady climb up the 147-pound ladder since becoming a professional and after a shutout win over rugged veteran Ronald Cruz in June, the 24-year-old from Desoto, Texas native has proven that he’s ready to take another step toward the top. Spence Jr. will face Noe Bolanos (26-10-1, 16 KOs) of Obregon, Mexico in an eight-round welterweight bout.

A noted fan favorite for his exciting style and ability to triumph against the odds, 30-year-old Josesito Lopez (32-6, 19 KOs) has won two fights straight since a courageous effort against Marcos Maidana in June of 2013, defeating Mike Arnaoutis and Aaron Martinez. On September 11, Lopez is back in action, and he is expected to open the Golden Boy Live! show in style when he faces Mexican slugger Rafael Cobos (15-4, 3 KOs).

For a full listing of Fight Network’s broadcast schedule, please visit tv.fightnetwork.com and follow on Twitter @fightnet, become a fan on Facebook and visit us on Instagram @fightnet.

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 9, 2014) – With weeks of hard training behind them, we enter fight week for Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Marcos “El Chino” Maidana at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Take a look back at some of the best verbal sparring that has gone on between Mayweather, Maidana and their camps:

Floyd Mayweather, Eleven-time, Five-division World Champion

From the press tour:

“My hand got raised so I don’t need to make any adjustments. He needs to make some major changes and probably get a new trainer if he wants to have a chance against me.”

From his media conference call:

“I didn’t say it was tough or it was hard to make adjustments. I said I took my time. If you look at the interviews, I said he came out kind of wild, and I took my time and kept my composure. I can make adjustments and I can adapt to any style.”

From his media day:

“Watching a fight from the outside is totally different than from what’s going on in the inside. He may have been attacking but I was countering, throwing body shots. That affected his thought process and he fought different after that.”

Marcos Maidana, Former Welterweight World Champion

From the press tour:

“Floyd can say whatever he wants about me. He knows that I gave him the toughest fight of his life. The only difference is this time I will knock him out.”

From his media conference call:

“This time around I’m training to win. I know what to expect. I know Mayweather now, his style, what he brings to the table. I’m coming to win. I have more concentration, no excuses whatsoever.”

“Yes, this fight I’m not going to respect him. I’m not going to respect him. I’m going to go at him, and I want him to fight like a man. Stop crying like a little [expletive] and fight.”

From his media day:

“Right after the fight, I honestly felt that I had won. I was the aggressor and the one looking to attack. But, the judges saw differently but I am still happy with the way I fought. I absolutely thought I won the first fight, and I will win again on Sept. 13.”

Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

From the press tour:

“The last fight produced a winner, MAYHEM will produce a champion.”

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2. Pitting Floyd, a fighter who has everything to lose, against Maidana, a fighter who has everything to gain.”

From Mayweather’s media conference call:

“Floyd is not about crying and complaining, but a lot of these situations with dirty fighters that come up, he just takes the high road to it. He preaches all these kind of things to members of his team, people in camp; it’s all about just being positive and turning a negative situation into a positive.”

From Mayweather’s media day:

“Maidana has done a lot of trash talking because of that supreme confidence that he has. He is going to come in tremendous shape and Floyd will have his hands full. It’s going to be great. This fight will be better than the first fight.”

Robert Garcia, Maidana’s Trainer

From the press tour:

“You’ve been bringing up stories about dirty fighting, dirty this, dirty that. Guess what? This fight is going to be rougher for you. You better be ready.”

From Maidana’s media conference call:

“Maidana is going to come in with an aggressive style that nobody, not even the best boxer can get away with, and Mayweather’s not going to get away with it.”

From Maidana’s media day:

“I don’t like the way that Floyd talks about my fighter. On the media tour he was telling everyone that my fighter fights like an MMA fighter and was constantly disrespecting him and I didn’t appreciate that.”

# # #

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA Welterweight Belt and WBC Welterweight and Super Welterweight World Titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts and “The Equalizer” in theaters Sept. 26 and Mexico – Live it to Believe It!. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and is the fourth fight of a six-fight deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. In the co-main event, Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC Super Bantamweight Title against Manuel Roman in a 12-round bout and Miguel Vazquez faces Mickey Bey in a 12-round bout for the IBF Lightweight World Championship. In the pay-per-view opener, Alfredo Angulo squares against James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout (162 lbs.). The event will be also available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Plus, SHOWTIME will televise John Molina Jr. against experienced Humberto Soto in a 10-round junior welterweight bout during “Mayweather vs. Maidana 2: COUNTDOWN LIVE” (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, immediately preceding the live pay per view event).

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 will be shown on the big screen in over 500 movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. For more information visit www.FathomEvents.com

LONDON (Sept 9) – Floyd Mayweather will not allow out-of-the ring distractions to take away his focus as he gears up for his highly-anticipated rematch with Argentine assassin Marcos Maidana.

The boxing superstar has faced a tumultuous few weeks ahead of this Saturday night’s clash, live on BoxNation, following a distasteful pop from rapper 50 Cent at his reading ability before it was announced he was being sued by his former partner Shantel Jackson.

Michigan born Mayweather, speaking on the attack from 50 Cent, says he is unfazed by the distractions which have come his way and has put them aside in the lead up to his mega-showdown with Maidana.

“I’m truly blessed to be where I’m at. I try not to focus on that type of stuff. My job is to focus on my children, make sure my children and my family are in the best position, and stay focused upon my craft, which is boxing,” said Mayweather.

“Nothing can steer me the wrong way; I don’t focus on everything, it’s why I don’t focus on clown stuff. That’s for the circus. My job is to stay focused on boxing. I got to where I got to by being smart, making smart moves, and doing what’s best for Floyd Mayweather.

“I know what I can and I can’t do. You guys don’t know when you’re dealing with pay-per-view you have to read at least 60 to 70 teleprompters, and I don’t think they could choose a better person for the job than myself. I go out there and I do it with no problem.

“Making fun of a person because they can’t read is not funny – it’s tragic. If I really couldn’t read it would make my accomplishments even more amazing. I don’t know if 50 Cent is a boxing promoter, I don’t know if he’s making music – my focus is Floyd Mayweather,” he said.

The world’s number one pound-for-pound star was unexpectedly given his toughest fight in years when he stepped in the ring with knockout artist Maidana in May.

The bout saw the then WBA welterweight champion Maidana, with a record of 31 knockouts in his 35 wins, take the early rounds before Mayweather clawed it back on the scorecards to win on points.

However, it was the rough and rugged approach of the 31-year-old Maidana which threw the 11-time world champion of his gameplan and led him to voice his concerns over the refereeing by Tony Weeks, with the experienced Kenny Bayless stepping in for the rematch.

“The job of the referee is to be fair and not lean towards my side or not lean towards Maidana’s side. I’m pretty sure the last time Leonard [Ellerbe] and my team didn’t know that Robert Garcia was going to tell his guy to go out there and be extremely dirty,” he said.

“My health is more important than money or anything else. I have to be healthy to go out there and perform the way that I do, and I truly believe in having a career after the sport of boxing is over.

“I said this before in some of my past interviews, this is not the Internet, this is boxing. If you guys notice, I got tackled, the guy tried to knee me, I got a head butt, and there were rabbit punches, and there were low blows, and the list goes on and on.

“That night I had to do two jobs; I had to be the boxer and referee, so I had to do two jobs. But Tony Weeks, he’s a future Hall of Fame referee and he does an extraordinary job in the sport of boxing, and so does Kenny Bayless,” said Mayweather.

Stepping into the ring with Maidana again will be only the second time in his professional career in which Mayweather has gone into a rematch.

The first time was successive back-to-back victories over the great Jose Luis Castillo in 2002, with the current WBA Super and WBC welterweight champion – who will also be defending his WBC light-middleweight title – looking to draw on that experience.

“I just have to go out there and just be me and be first. I can’t really say how the fight is going to play out, but I’m pretty sure he’s going to be once again extremely dirty and wild, and my job is to keep everything under control the best way that I can,” said Mayweather.

“With Castillo I already knew what he had done the first fight. But, with me the commentators persuade people to think a certain way. Put it on mute, put your TV on mute and watch the fight, you’ll look at the fight in a total different way.

“I can look at a fight and hear the commentators start saying certain things, and I’ll be like ‘what is he talking about, what is he watching’. So it’s the same situation with this rematch with Maidana,” he said.

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.

BoxNation is proud to support Fight for Peace, a charity that uses boxing and martial arts combined with education and personal development to realise the potential of young people in communities that suffer from crime and violence. Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

The channel is available on Sky (Ch.437), Virgin (Ch.546), TalkTalk (Ch.525), online at Livesport.tv and via iPhone, iPad or Android. BoxNation is also available in high definition on Sky (Ch. 490), at no extra cost to Sky TV subscribers, providing they are already HD enabled.

BoxNation is also available to commercial premises (inc. pubs, clubs and casino’s) in the UK and Ireland, for more information on a commercial subscription please call 0844 842 7700.

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

*Plus £8 registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

ESPN will present extensive pre- and post-fight coverage across its platforms in English and Spanish of the 12-round Floyd Mayweather Jr. (46-0, 26 KOs) vs. Marcos Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) Welterweight title rematch scheduled for Saturday, Sept. 13, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Highlights:

Television
· SportsCenter:

o Pre- and post-fight analysis and interviews throughout the week led by host Robert Flores and boxing experts Dan Rafael, Teddy Atlas, and bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna from Las Vegas.

o Live interview with Mayweather on Thursday (6:20 p.m.).

o Live coverage of Friday’s weigh-in (approx. 6:15 p.m. ET).

· ESPN Deportes:

o A Los Golpes (Tuesday, Sept. 9, 10 p.m.): Osuna and David Faitelson will provide the latest news and information about the fight from the show’s new state-of-the-art studios in Los Angeles.

o Golpe a Golpe (Thursday, Sept. 11, 10 p.m.): Jorge Eduardo Sánchez, Claudia Trejos, Osuna, and analysts Juan Manuel Márquez, Joe Cortez and Faitelson will provide the latest news and analysis from Las Vegas.

o Golpe a Golpe weigh-in show (Friday, Sept. 12, 6 p.m.): Sánchez, Trejos, Osuna, Márquez, and Faitelson will provide interviews, highlights and analysis live from the weigh-in Las Vegas. The show will include a live interview with Maidana.

o Golpe a Golpe pre-fight and post-fight show (Saturday, Sept.13, 7 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 14, 2 a.m.): Sánchez, Trejos, Osuna, Márquez, Faitelson, and Cortez will provide pre-fight coverage live from Las Vegas. ESPN Deportes will then air a special post-fight show.

o ESPN Deportes news and information platforms will also have pre- and post-fight news, interviews and analysis throughout the week.

Digital

· ESPN3:

o Coverage of the Wednesday, Sept. 10, press conference (4 p.m.) and Friday, Sep. 12, weigh-in (6 p.m.) will be live on ESPN3 via WatchESPN.com, on smartphones and tablets via the WatchESPN app and streamed on televisions through Amazon Fire TV, Apple TV, Chromecast, Roku, Xbox 360 and Xbox One to fans who receive their Internet or video subscription from an affiliated provider.

· ESPN.com:

o Comprehensive coverage, including pre- and post-fight features, videos and blogs from Rafael and Brian Campbell.

o “Fight Credential,” ESPN.com’s home page for all Mayweather vs. Maidana coverage, will be updated with features, video, photos and social media from all platforms throughout the week and through the fight.

o Making the Rounds, ESPN.com’s original boxing show, will be in Las Vegas providing the latest news and analysis. The show will be hosted by ESPN Chicago’s Ray Flores, with analysis from Rafael and Campbell.

o ESPN3 live streams of Wednesday’s press conference and Friday’s weigh-in.

Schedule of Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 Coverage Across ESPN Platforms:
Date
Time (ET)
Coverage
Network/Platform
Tues, Sep 9
10 p.m.
A Los Golpes
ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN
Wed, Sep 10
4 p.m.
Mayweather vs. Maidana Press Conference
ESPN3, ESPN.com
Thurs, Sep 11
6:20 p.m.
Live SportsCenter Interview with Mayweather
SportsCenter

10 p.m.
Golpe a Golpe from Las Vegas
ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN
Fri, Sep 12
6 p.m.
Mayweather vs. Maidana Live Weigh-in
ESPN3, ESPN.com, SportsCenter

Golpe a Golpe: Weigh-in Show
ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN
Sat, Sep 13
7 p.m.
Golpe a Golpe: Pre-Fight Show
ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN

2 a.m.
Golpe a Golpe: Post Fight Show
ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN

Pre- and Post-Fight Coverage on SportsCenter
SportsCenter

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 8, 2014) – “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” SHOWTIME PPV undercard fighters Manuel “Suavecito” Roman, Miguel “Títere” Vázquez, Mickey “The Spirit” Bey and James De La Rosa have wrapped up their training camps and have made their way to Las Vegas to set the stage for the most anticipated rematch of the year. Expectations are high, but the Saturday, Sept. 13 undercard promises to deliver, live on SHOWTIME PPV (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

In the main event, undefeated 11-time world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather will square off against Marcos “Chino” Maidana in a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA Welterweight, WBC Welterweight and WBC Super Welterweight World Titles.

In the co-feature, Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz will put his WBC Super Bantamweight World Title on the line against Roman. In the second pay-per-view fight of the evening, Vázquez will defend his IBF Lightweight World Championship against Bey in a 12-round bout. In the opening fight of the telecast, Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo will face De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout.

Fight week has arrived, and as the fighters prepare for their bouts, Roman, Vázquez, Bey and De La Rosa answered some questions about how they’ve trained for boxing’s biggest stage.

MANUEL ROMAN

Q: We’re less than a week away from fight night. How are you feeling physically?

A: There’s a little fatigue, but after training camp I’ll be in good shape.

Q: Where did you train and who did you train with?

A: In South Gate, Calif. with my trainer Salvador Casillas.

Q: What made you decide to train there?

A: I’ve been with Salvador for a couple of years and we wanted to keep things consistent.

Q: What did you do to pass the time when you’re not at the gym?

A: I like to be with my family. I rest a lot, and we like to go to the park for walks.

Q: What motivates you most during training camp?

A: This is pay-per-view and on Floyd Mayweather’s undercard. There aren’t a lot of fighters who get this opportunity so I want to take advantage.

Q: You make a living in the toughest, most hardnosed sport there is. So what makes you truly happy?

A: Performing at my best for the fans is motivation. My family comes first though. Them being happy is most important.

Q: Did any family come along with you for training as you prepare for this fight?

A: They all live close by, but my dad is always around. He’s my biggest supporter.

Q: You’re coming off of consecutive wins. Do you think that you’re carrying some momentum heading into your fight with Leo Santa Cruz?

A: Yes, of course. I feel great coming off of those two wins and there shouldn’t be any ring rust.

Q: Santa Cruz has said that you have nothing to lose coming in to this fight and everything to gain. Do you agree with his assessment?

A: That’s actually a good way to say it. I agree with him.

Q: Are you doing anything special to prepare for Leo’s style of fighting? Do you see anything unique about his style that you’re looking to expose?

A: I’m going to need to throw a lot of counter punches, and I’ll have to have a lot of oxygen to handle all the punches (Santa Cruz) will throw.

MIGUEL VAZQUEZ

Q: We’re less than a week away from fight night. How are you feeling physically?

A: I’m feeling very good and strong. I’m prepared in every way and ready to win.

Q: Where did you train and who did you train with?

A: With with Javier Capetillo Sr. at the Ponce De Leon Boxing Gym in Montebello, Calif.

Q: What made you decide to train there?

A: It’s a great private gym that I’m familiar with.

Q: What did you do to pass the time when you’re not at the gym?

A: I tried to rest and spend time with my family. That’s what I like to do with my free time.

Q: What motivates you most during training camp?

A: The Lord helps me and takes me to victory. That’s my greatest motivation.

Q: You make a living in the toughest, most hardnosed sport there is. So what makes you truly happy?

A: Jesus Christ and the money.

Q: Did any family come along with you for training as you prepare for this fight?

A: Yes, it’s been great having my family around. They help make camp more comfortable and are very supportive.

Q: You’re coming off of 13 consecutive wins. Do you think that momentum will help you come Sept. 13?

A: Yes, the momentum is definitely going to help. I’m just very motivated to get another win and keep this going.

Q: This will be your third fight at MGM Grand. Do you believe that your previous experiences there will help you, and if so, how?

A: Yes, the experience should help. I’ve matured more too and that is going to help also. I’m mentally prepared for this fight.

Q: You’ve been getting more and more professional experience against American fighters. Do you notice any major differences between Mexican and American fighters?

A: No, I feel like all fighters are complicated and risky. I prepare for each of them the same.

Q: Are you doing anything special to prepare for Mickey’s style of fighting? Do you see anything unique about his style that you’re looking to expose?

A: I really don’t watch too much video to study guys. I trust my trainer and let him guide me as far as the strategy is concerned.

MICKEY BEY

Q: We’re less than a week away from fight night. How are you feeling physically?

A: I feel great. I was ahead of schedule. We’ve been putting in a lot of work to get to this point.

Q: Where did you train and who did you train with?

A: I’ve been preparing with Floyd Mayweather Sr. at Mayweather Boxing Club.

Q: What made you decide to train there?

A: I’ve been training there for a while, so we just wanted to continue with what’s been successful.

Q: What have you been doing to pass the time when you’re not at the gym?

A: I don’t do that much actually. I rest. I might drop by the gym to see Floyd train. Other than that I just eat, sleep and train.

Q: What motivates you most during training camp?

A: I want to become a world champion. I know I could have done it a while ago, but I’m with the right team now and I have the opportunity.

Q: You make a living in the toughest, most hardnosed sport there is. So what makes you truly happy?

A: Living up to the expectations that I set for myself.

Q: You’re coming off of consecutive wins. Do you think that you’re carrying some momentum heading into your fight with Miguel Vazquez?

A: Yes, absolutely. I’m always working on improving. I think I improve rapidly and I’ll do whatever I can to get better.

Q: You’ve fought at MGM Grand once before. Do you believe that your previous experience there will help you, and if so, how?

A: As long as there’s a ring, it doesn’t matter where it is. If there’s a ring I’m going to fight. I might enjoy fighting on the biggest stage, but the fight is going to be the same no matter where it happens.

Q: Do you think that your 10th round loss to John Molina Jr. last year was a setback for you, and did you learn any particular lessons from that defeat?

A: It wasn’t a setback because I won every round. I started playing around at the end and he got me. I only really got hit three times, and he kind of blindsided me at the end. The fight was easy though.

Q: How’s everything going with Floyd Mayweather Sr. in training? Are you doing anything new this time around in training camp?

A: We stepped things way up this time around. We’re doing old school stuff. People wonder why he’s such a good trainer. It’s because he came up around guys who worked with greats like Joe Louis and Sugar Ray Robinson. We’ve been working on some of the same things those guys practiced.

Q: Are you doing anything special to prepare for Miguel’s style of fighting? Do you see anything unique about his style that you’re looking to expose?

A: Yes, there are things I can expose. I’m not preparing any differently though. I’m good at adapting and my preparation helps me be ready for everything.

JAMES DE LA ROSA

Q: We’re less than a week away from fight night. How are you feeling physically?

A: I feel really good. This is probably the best I’ve ever felt and the closest I stayed on weight throughout camp.

Q: Where did you train and who did you train wtih?

A: I’m trained in my hometown of Harlingen, Texas with my dad.

Q: What made you decide to train there?

A: I wanted to be close to my family.

Q: What have you been doing to pass the time when you’re not at the gym?

A: I’m always at the gym. I’m always trying to stay consistent and doing something to keep myself loose.

Q: What motivates you most during training camp?

A: The opportunity that I have and the spot that I’m in right now. Sometimes it takes fighters a long time to recover from losses, but I have the opportunity to keep on going and prove that I belong.

Q: You make a living in the toughest, most hardnosed sport there is. So what makes you truly happy?

A: Being in the ring makes me happy. My kids keep me happy of course, but being at the gym and in the ring is always on my mind. I love what I do, and I love putting on a show for the people. I’ve been boxing since I was eight. So I really love everything about the sport.

Q: Did any family come along with you for training as you prepare for this fight?

A: My dad’s my head trainer so he motivates and pushes me. I’ve always asked my dad to treat me like any other fighter. So he works with me and always encourages me.

Q: After dropping two of your last four bouts, do you think your fights with Conyers and Willis were setbacks for you?

A: They were losses, but I learned a lot from both of those fights. Now I’m coming back harder than ever, and I know what I have to do to continue being successful in this sport.

Q: This will be your first fight at MGM Grand. Angulo has fought there once before earlier this year. Do you think that his familiarity having fought there previously will play to his advantage?

A: No, because when I get in the ring I feel that it’s my time to put on a show. It doesn’t matter who I’m fighting or where he’s been. Whether the crowd is rooting for him or not, he’s going to know my name by the end of the night.

Q: Are you doing anything special to prepare for Angulo’s style of fighting? Do you see anything unique about his style that you’re looking to expose?

A: I’ve seen a lot of stuff that I hope to expose. There are lots of things that he does wrong, and we’ve been working so that I can capitalize on them once we get in the ring.

# # #

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA Welterweight Belt and WBC Welterweight and Super Welterweight World Titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts and “The Equalizer” in theaters Sept. 26 and The Mexican Tourism Board – Mexico: Live it to Believe It!. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and is the fourth fight of a six-fight deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. In the co-main event, Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC Super Bantamweight Title against Manuel Roman in a 12-round bout and Miguel Vazquez faces Mickey Bey in a 12-round bout for the IBF Lightweight World Championship. In the pay-per-view opener, Alfredo Angulo squares against James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout (162 lbs.). The event will be also available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Plus, SHOWTIME will televise John Molina Jr. against experienced Humberto Soto in a 10-round junior welterweight bout during “Mayweather vs. Maidana 2: COUNTDOWN LIVE” (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT, immediately preceding the live pay per view event).

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 will be shown on the big screen in over 500 movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. For more information visit www.FathomEvents.com

By Bart Barry–

Saturday at MGM Grand, over which a 20-story Manny Pacquiao banner likely will not drape, American welterweight Floyd “Money” Mayweather will make a rematch with Argentine Marcos “El Chino” Maidana as part of Mexican Independence Day festivities. Mayweather will seek the definitive victory that eluded him Cinco de Mayo weekend. The fight will happen on Sept. 13 in part because nothing cries ¡Viva México! quite so proudly as an American fighting an Argentine in a casino’s sanitized climes.

Consensus among aficionados is that Mayweather won their first tilt while being beaten upon most satisfactorily, beaten upon in a way that can bend a career trajectory and eventually enable more realistic record comparisons with prizefighters of greater accomplishment. Those who would dissent with official scorecards, though, raise an interesting thought experiment: What if the fight had been scored like Maidana was the prohibitive favorite, not Mayweather, with a full 25-percent anchored to ring generalship?

What is most alarming about the latest installments of Showtime infomercials, alarming at least for the rematch’s box-office revenues, is how, with fewer dramatic scores and gasping narration, and frumpy Warren Buffett in lieu of spacey Roger Mayweather, Floyd is no longer odious at all. He wishes to be. Like an aged magician trying to conjure one more white bunny out the black hat for a birthday party whose kids have seen the trick nine times without promised cake or ice cream, Floyd inadvertently loops back on himself, often in the same clip: I don’t have to talk about how great I am, because I am the greatest and nobody is better than me, because I don’t have to talk about how great I am.

Made to look like a witling on social media by a scorned rapper pal, Floyd can no longer shout smug witticisms at an upturned camera; now YouTubers get Professor Mayweather, fatigued in yellowing light, offering a discourse on how little he cares what anyone says, shortly before securing his yoga mat in a perimeter of hundred-dollar bills. Hip-hop culture, such as it has been for 20 years now, is more synonymous with thespians teaching suburban kids how to appear menacing than anything militant or self-assured, or even clever, and Floyd has long, and oddly, wished to supplant the genuinely macho thing he does for a living with a ruined art form’s hamfisted thuggery. Still, has any public figure in even this meretricious age performed so many hours of heartfelt insecurity as the “Money” documentaries, invented by HBO and aped by Showtime, drive Mayweather to?

A living, breathing antonym for the word contentment, Mayweather has unflinchingly shown how much cannot be bought with so much money. After years of giving neither strippers nor a fiancée nor a harem of ageing women a dot of genuine enthusiasm, in Episode 2 Mayweather spiritlessly drives his squadron of luxury automobiles to his boxing gym – wherein he joyfully watches other men smash one another for the duration of a sadistic, 31-minute round. An embellished $500 million in career earnings, the Big Boy Mansion, an apartment’s worth of footwear, nine employees just to count rope skips, $10 million in sports cars – and the only time the man flashes the feral grin of his true nature is when watching a spectacle men perform round the world, free of charge, outside a hundred thousand bars every Friday night.

Is it any wonder someone grounded as Marcos “El Chino” Maidana does not respect Mayweather? One gathers from watching the men at choreographed “media” events Maidana looks Mayweather’s way and thinks: I’ll never box like him, I’ll never have a fraction his money, but, che, I’m so much happier than he is that, pues, oh well.

Expectations are unusually low for this event – not only does one hear nary a peep from his peers about the fight, but an unknown middleweight vacating a meaningless belt, midweek, stole its headlines, and an incredible Friday morning performance by a different Latin American, Nicaragua’s Roman “Chocolatito” Gonzalez, assured aficionados would have better things to discuss last weekend – and they might yet be missed. The feeling is that Maidana had his best possible fight against Mayweather in May, and Mayweather ultimately made adjustments enough to prevail, and so, whither something finer?

Worse yet, Maidana appears to believe an abundance of desperation was his greatest flaw last time, a belief both his trainer and his trainer’s trainer rushed to disabuse him of, and a pensive Maidana standing unperturbed across from a 37-year-old Mayweather, one whose brittle hands have fairly stiffened but one opponent in 8 1/2 years, make for a pay-per-view spectacle almost certain to leave Mayweather’s endearingly thrifty new advisor Warren Buffett feeling cheated. While referee Kenny Bayless is quite good and generally not officious, he was recently selected to atone for Tony Weeks’ disobedience in May, allowing Maidana to punch Mayweather several times after Mayweather specifically told him not to, and Bayless knows better than to ignore what prefight instructions he’ll be given in Mayweather’s dressing room.

Expect a far more sanitized thing, one that resembles a sporting event more than a fight, immediately after Maidana’s first skyhook righthand caresses the back of Mayweather’s head, Saturday. Barring a delightful surprise, the circus barking will commence round Round 9, comparing Mayweather to whichever great comes to mind, asking in a solemn tone if there’s anyone left for Mayweather to face, without pausing to ask how this legend who needed 24 rounds to win definitively against Marcos Maidana might have done in a Montreal ring with Roberto Duran.

It matters little, alas. Floyd Mayweather is now the ringmaster of boxing’s dilapidated big top.

Bart Barry can be found on Twitter @bartbarry

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 5, 2014) -We are just over a week to go until “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” and for the boxing fans who can’t make it to the MGM Grand Garden Arena and still want to experience this event live, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions are pleased to announce that several Las Vegas locations will be offering closed-circuit telecasts of “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2.”

Tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $75, not including handling fees. All seats are general admission and select venues are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster (800-745-3000), www.ticketmaster.com, MGM Resorts International Contact Center (866-740-7711), and all MGM Resorts International ticket offices. You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase tickets.

**Guests are encouraged to pick up their tickets at least 4 hours prior to event time to prevent waiting in long lines at event time.

Properties hosting these telecasts are MGM Grand Premier Ballroom, Monte Carlo Diablos, Monte Carlo The Pub, Monte Carlo Double Barrel, Mirage Events Center and Bellagio Hyde Lounge.

# # #

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA Welterweight Belt and WBC Welterweight and Super Welterweight World Titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts, “The Equalizer” in theaters Sept. 26 and The Mexican Tourism Board – Mexico: Live it to Believe It!. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and is the fourth fight of a six-fight deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. In the co-main event, Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC Super Bantamweight Title against Manuel Roman in a 12-round bout and Miguel Vazquez faces Mickey Bey in a 12-round bout for the IBF Lightweight World Championship. In the PPV opener, Alfredo Angulo squares against James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout (162 lbs.). The event will be available in Spanish through secondary audio programming (SAP).

Mayweather vs. Maidana will be shown on the big screen in over 500 movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. For more information visit www.FathomEvents.com

LONDON (Sep 4) – Floyd ‘Money’ Mayweather gears up for his rematch with the big-hitting Marcos Maidana next Saturday night, live on BoxNation.

The world’s best pound-for-pound fighter will share the ring again with the ferocious Argentine, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, as he looks to prove that he is still boxing’s top dog.

Over the years, Mayweather has captured the imagination of the sporting public, not merely from his dazzling performances inside the ring, but also from his lavish and extravagant lifestyle away from the squared circle.

The unbeaten Michigan born fighter, with a record of 46-0, has reported to have grossed over $350m during his 18-year fight career.

Ahead of his highly anticipated ring return on September 13th, BoxNation delves into the money man’s taste for the finer things in life and gives an insight into how Mayweather spends some of his hard earned cash:

Cars

Mayweather turned professional in 1996 taking on the little known Roberto Apodaca. However, as a treat for entering the paid ranks the then 19-year-old bought himself a 1996 Mercedes-Benz S600, a car which he still owns to this day.

It will come as no real shock that the prizefighter now owns a fleet of exotic cars, so many in fact he has his own collection for whichever city he is in. He has a Las Vegas collection, for his main residence, a Miami collection, when sunning himself in his favourite holiday destination, a Los Angeles collection and various others throughout the United States.

The superstar’s favourite cars include his three Bugatti’s – which come in at over £1.5m each – a Lamborghini Aventador, Ferrari 599 GTB and a Rolls Royce Drophead Phantom.

When he doesn’t fancy driving any of those he has a bunch of other vehicles that he whizzes around in, including a Lexani Motorcar, blinged up vans, SUVs and even his own bus!

Watches

Whenever he sees a watch he likes the welterweight ace says he just buys it. We’re not talking your run-of-the mill Casio watches here, we’re talking watches that cost more than your average house – and the car that goes with it.

The 11-time world champion has a Piaget Galaxy worth $1 million, a Jacob & Co. Rainbow Tourbillon worth $2 million and an Audemar Piguet Royal Oak worth $1.3 million, just to name a few.

Mayweather likes to refer to his cars as his ‘toys’ and his costly collection of watches as his ‘wrist toys’. Everything he has he says represents ‘the best of the best’ – at those sorts of prices he’s right about that one.

Properties

Mayweather has a host of properties that he owns and rents including those in New York, Los Angeles and Miami. In fact, the reigning world champion recently sold his spectacular Miami condo worth an estimated $2.6m.

His main residence, however, is in the desert of Las Vegas where he kicks back in his four-story 22,000 square-foot property known simply as the ‘Big Boy Mansion’ that includes a pool that overlooks the Nevada landscape, a full-size movie theatre – with his own private balcony, and rooms adorned with the finest Italian marble and granite.

Everything about his $9m house screams luxury, with no expenses spared even when it comes to minute things such as the shower heads in the bathrooms which he insists have to be ‘top of the line’.

When at work Mayweather is confined to a 22ft ring so there’s no doubt he appreciates the extra space when he gets back home to his seven bedrooms and nine bathrooms!

Plane

Mayweather is reported to own a Gulfstream G-V private jet worth $45m.

The 96ft long aircraft can seat up to 18 people and is used by the American boxer when he is engaging in his promotional tours ahead of his bouts.

His entourage, which includes bodyguards over 7ft, fly on a separate plane because Mayweather is fearful of having too much weight in the cabin.

Jewellery

The 37-year-old once had $7m worth of jewellery stolen from one of his Las Vegas houses.

Mayweather is undoubtedly the ‘King of Bling’ and has an unrivalled collection of jewels which include gold chains, diamond encrusted rings and platinum bracelets.

During the press tour ahead of his first bout with Maidana, the slick megastar spent close to $250,000 in 20 minutes buying his 13-year-old daughter a pair of earrings and a necklace – that was before the real business began when he started haggling with staff over $3.5m worth of jewellery to take home following his promotional escapades.

Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana 2 is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) on Saturday Sept 13th. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

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Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

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