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Quotes From Mayweather Media Day

Published

11 years ago

August 30, 2013

LAS VEGAS (Aug. 29, 2013) – Seventeen days before the record-breaking “THE ONE: MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO'' mega-event on Saturday, Sept. 14, from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., live on SHOWTIME PPV^®,, boxing superstar Floyd “Money” Mayweather hosted the biggest Media Day of his career Wednesday at The Mayweather Boxing Club.

Hordes of media from around the world crammed into the upscale gym in Las Vegas to watch the Eight-Time and Five-Division World Champion (44-0, 26 KO's) as he continued to prepare for his long-awaited showdown against WBC, WBA & Ring Magazine Super Welterweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (42-0-1, 30 KO's) during Mexican Independence Day Weekend.

During his Media Day, which lasted nearly three hours, a confident, relaxed and chiseled Mayweather (pictured above, in Stephanie Trapp-Showtime photo) did countless interviews, posed for photos and worked out. His workout consisted of hitting the mitts, hitting the heavyweight bag, hitting the speed bag, jumping rope, stretching and doing calisthenics.

Viewers who watched a live stream of the proceedings also got to watch Mayweather get a haircut in his dressing room before heading for his workout.

FLOYD MAYWEATHER

“This was just a light workout today; it was cool. I appreciate all the media coming out and the fans for supporting me throughout my career. It's been truly a blessing.

“I think I'll be a lot sharper for this fight. My training camp has been great. Actually, this is one of my best training camps I've had, probably since 2005. On my first day back, I got right back into sparring. I think I sparred seven rounds. So as of now, my training camp's been smooth. My dad is happy, Leonard (Ellerbe) is happy, Al (Haymon) is happy and I'm happy. I've been boxing a lot of rounds so I'm sharp. I'm in great condition and happy to get right back in there. I feel tremendous.

“My weight is made. I came into training camp weighing 150 or 149 and I came into the gym today probably weighing 150 or 149.

“Canelo is a solid competitor but it is what it is: I've faced the best in this sport, I know what it takes to be involved in a fight of this magnitude and I'm dedicated to my craft. I was born for this.

“This is a great matchup. He's a puncher. I'm a sharp boxer. You know, a lot of times I hit these guys and I make them go into survival mode. Even in the Robert Guerrero fight I was looking for the knockout, but I hurt my hand. So I wasn't impressed with myself — because I didn't get the knockout. This time around, I'll be looking for the knockout.

“He's banking on his youth, I'm banking I on my experience. I have a lot of experience in championship fights. Look at his resume, look at my resume and see what you come up with.

“I can't talk about the past, but I can talk about the present time and I can talk about the future. The present time is, I'm undefeated, and the future is, I'm going to continue to work hard and give the fans what they want to see.

“On Sept. 14, I just want everybody around the world to tune in and enjoy a great night of boxing.''

(More on facing Canelo)

“He's no pushover; I can't overlook him. I just have to go out and execute the game plan and do what I do best. Nothing worries me. I can make adjustments.

“He is one of the best in boxing at this particular time. He's young and strong. He's got guts so we'll see how the fight plays out.

“It's not about the weight, it's about the skills. The skills pay the bills. I can't wait to get in there and compete and test my skills against this young guy. I feel good, I'm still hungry.''

(On Canelo's opposition)

“Did Canelo KO Austin Trout? This is a whole different ballgame. He may be predicting a knockout but all you have to do is look at the opponents he's faced. I really don't know too many, but a lot of the guys went the distance with him. And we're not just talking about A-fighters but D- and C-fighters. Guys that he should have knocked out in the fourth round, they were able to go into the eighth and ninth rounds even though they were caught with numerous shots.'

“I don't think Ricky Hatton's brother is on the level of a Floyd Mayweather.''

(On notion that Canelo will stop him)

“Oscar said he was gonna knock me out also. Did you see what happened in that fight? People are entitled to do their opinion. People are going to say what they're going to say. My job is to be the best I can be and continue to do my job. There's a reason I do record-breaking numbers.

“My last fight against Guerrero, he thought it was just gonna be easy. A lot of times people, fighters, look from the outside and think to themselves, 'this can't be that difficult,' but once they get inside that squared circle with me it's totally different.''

(Gameplan)

“I'm going to show him a lot of angles. I have a lot of experience, and experience is going to be a factor. It's going to be real, real different for him at this level.''

(On Canelo's Popularity)

“Among Hispanic/Mexican/Latin fighters, I don't really know who has the biggest following but if I had to say so, I would say probably (Juan Manuel) Marquez because he has accomplished more and done a lot for the sport of boxing. So I don't support the thought (or subscribe to the feeling) that Canelo has a bigger following than (Marquez).''

(On why Canelo took this fight)

“I can't really say. Of course, sometimes some people want their No 1 spot, not just No. 1 in (their) weight class but they want to be known as the best in their sport. They want all the attention, the paydays, the money. (For me) this took years and years of hard work and dedication, belief and a strong team.''

(His hands)

“I went to three different doctors after the Guerrero fight. Everything is OK.''

(Staying ahead of the game)

“Every guy I face is always heavier. I think I'm just a very, very sharp fighter. I stay mentally sharp; by that I mean I stay five or six steps ahead of my opponents. This is chess, not checkers. These are moves you have to think about. At this level, you've got to get 10 steps ahead of your opponent.”

(On what it takes to remain at the top)

“You've got to be mentally tough, push yourself to the limit, be physically sharp, have a great chin and a tremendous heart.''

(The ONE 10-city media tour)

“The tour was wild, crazy. It started in New York and ended in Los Angeles. I think it was great for me, Canelo Alvarez, the chance to embrace the fans and also to get the chance to go to Mexico. I have a lot of fans in Mexico.''

(Fighters that impress him)

“I like Leo Santa Cruz. He's unbelievable. I think he should be on the pound-for-pound list.''

(On Garcia-Matthysse)

“Both fighters at 140 pounds are really tough punchers and great fighters. I can't see it going the distance.''

(Still The ONE)

“I'm the face of boxing and I'm happy that I was able to transcend and change the sport in a totally different way. At one particular time in the late 70's, 80's and all the way to the 90's, it was all about the heavyweights. Then I came in and brought attention to the smaller guys. I think I've done a lot for the sport of boxing, and boxing has done a lot for me.''

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“This is the fight that the fans wanted. They demanded it, and this is the fight that Floyd wanted. In my opinion, this fight will be the biggest in the history of the sport.

“Canelo fought on a few of our undercards. We know what he brings to the table. He is a tremendous fighter, he is the biggest star in Mexico and he has a tremendous following. Floyd has a lot of Mexican fans, too. He loves Mexico. Mexicans are intelligent fans. They know the sport of boxing. Floyd has defeated a number of Mexican fighters and he has a tremendous amount of respect for their history and their fighters.

“I think now is the right time for this fight to happen. Canelo is coming off a big victory with Austin Trout and Floyd with Guerrero. This is The ONE.

“An active Floyd Mayweather … WOW.”

ISHE SMITH, IBF Junior Middleweight Champion

“It's been an amazing last six months. I was honored with an “Ishe Smith Day.'' It's been a rollercoaster ride for me since the days of The Contender and it was tough, and it hurt, but to be a world champion now and have Floyd behind me is just really exciting. I am blessed.

“One thing Floyd told me: 'I can get you to the door but then it is up to you. On Sept. 14 (when he defends against Carlos Molina), this is another opportunity where he shows me the door.

“And like I did in Detroit (when he won the title over Cornelius Bundrage), I plan on knocking that door down again.”

ASHLEY THEOPHANE, Former Brisith Junior Welterweight Champion who faces Pablo Cesar Cano in opening bout of pay-per-view telecast

“You know this has been my dream since I was five years old. I watched Mike Tyson and Sugar Ray Leonard and was inspired by them. It's been an amazing journey. America has opened up and welcomed me as well as the Money Team.

“This is the biggest fight of my life, and I know I need to come out victorious. It is a magnificent card; you've got three world champions on there.”

“THE ONE: MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO,“ a 12-round fight for Canelo's WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight World Championships and Mayweather's WBA Super Welterweight Super World Championship taking place Saturday, Sept. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O'Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Valvoline, Mexico Tourism, Fred Loya Insurance and Nature Nutrition. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, WBC, WBA Super and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia and thunderous puncher WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion Lucas Matthysse square off in a fight presented in association with Swift Promotions and Arano Box Promotions. Also, Ishe Smith vs. Carlos Molina square off in a 12-round battle for Smith's IBF Junior Middleweight World Title which is promoted in association with Warriors Boxing. The opening bout on SHOWTIME PPV features a 10-round welterweight showdown between Pablo Cesar Cano and Ashley Theophane. The mega-event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP).

Less than 24 hours after going on sale in June, the event wassold out, but six MGM Resorts properties will host live closed circuit telecasts of “THE ONE.” Properties showcasing the event include ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York. General admission tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $100, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property's box office outlets and also are available for purchase by phone with a major credit card at866-799-7711. Closed circuit ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling(800) 745-3000or online atwww.ticketmaster.com. “THE ONE” will also be broadcast on nearly 550 select movie theaters across the country. Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.

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2015 Fight of the Year – Francisco Vargas vs Takashi Miura

Published

9 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

The WBC World Super Featherweight title bout between Francisco Vargas and Takashi Miura came on one of the biggest boxing stages of 2015, as the bout served as the HBO pay-per-view’s co-main event on November 21st, in support of Miguel Cotto vs Saul Alvarez.

Miura entered the fight with a (29-2-2) record and he was making the fifth defense of his world title, while Vargas entered the fight with an undefeated mark of (22-0-1) in what was his first world title fight. Both men had a reputation for all-out fighting, with Miura especially earning high praise for his title defense in Mexico where he defeated Sergio Thompson in a fiercely contested battle.

The fight started out hotly contested, and the intensity never let up. Vargas seemed to win the first two rounds, but by the fourth round, Miura seemed to pull ahead, scoring a knock-down and fighting with a lot of confidence. After brawling the first four rounds, Miura appeared to settle into a more technical approach. Rounds 5 and 6 saw the pendulum swing back towards Vargas, as he withstood Miura’s rush to open the fifth round and the sixth round saw both men exchanging hard punches.

The big swinging continued, and though Vargas likely edged Miura in rounds 5 and 6, Vargas’ face was cut in at least two spots and Miura started to assert himself again in rounds 7 and 8. Miura was beginning to grow in confidence while it appeared that Vargas was beginning to slow down, and Miura appeared to hurt Vargas at the end of the 8th round.

Vargas turned the tide again at the start of the ninth round, scoring a knock down with an uppercut and a straight right hand that took Miura’s legs and sent him to the canvas. Purely on instinct, Miura got back up and continued to fight, but Vargas was landing frequently and with force. Referee Tony Weeks stepped in to stop the fight at the halfway point of round 9 as Miura was sustaining a barrage of punches.

Miura still had a minute and a half to survive if he was going to get out of the round, and it was clear that he was not going to stop fighting.

A back and forth battle of wills between two world championship level fighters, Takashi Miura versus “El Bandido” Vargas wins the 2015 Fight of the Year.

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Jan 9 in Germany – Feigenbutz and De Carolis To Settle Score

Published

9 years ago

January 4, 2016

The Sweet Science

This coming Saturday, January 9th, the stage is set at the Baden Arena in Offenburg, Germany for a re-match between Vincent Feigenbutz and Giovanni De Carolis. The highly anticipated re-match is set to air on SAT.1 in Germany, and Feigenbutz will once again be defending his GBU and interim WBA World titles at Super Middleweight.

The first meeting between the two was less than three months ago, on October 17th and that meeting saw Feigenbutz controversially edge De Carolis on the judge’s cards by scores of (115-113, 114-113 and 115-113). De Carolis scored a flash knock down in the opening round, and he appeared to outbox Feigenbutz in the early going, but the 20 year old German champion came on in the later rounds.

The first bout is described as one of the most crowd-pleasing bouts of the year in Germany, and De Carolis and many observers felt that the Italian had done enough to win.

De Carolis told German language website RAN.DE that he was more prepared for the re-match, and that due to the arrogance Feigenbutz displayed in the aftermath of the first fight, he was confident that he had won over some of the audience. Though De Carolis fell short of predicting victory, he promised a re-vamped strategy tailored to what he has learned about Feigenbutz, whom he termed immature and inexperienced.

The stage is set for Feigenbutz vs De Carolis 2, this Saturday January 9th in Offenburg, Germany. If you can get to the live event do it, if not you have SAT.1 in Germany airing the fights, and The Boxing Channel right back here for full results.

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2015 Knock Out of the Year – Saul Alvarez KO’s James Kirkland

Published

9 years ago

December 29, 2015

The Sweet Science

On May 9th of 2015, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez delivered a resonant knock-out of James Kirkland on HBO that wins the 2015 KO of the Year.

The knock-out itself came in the third round, after slightly more than two minutes of action. The end came when Alvarez delivered a single, big right hand that caught Kirkland on the jaw and left him flat on his back after spinning to the canvas.Alvarez was clearly the big star heading into the fight. The fight was telecast by HBO for free just one week after the controversial and disappointing Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fight, and Alvarez was under pressure to deliver the type of finish that people were going to talk about. Kirkland was happy to oblige Alvarez, taking it right to Alvarez from the start. Kirkland’s aggression saw him appear to land blows that troubled the young Mexican in the early going. Alvarez played good defense, and he floored Kirkland in the first round, displaying his power and his technique in knocking down an aggressive opponent.

However, Kirkland kept coming at Alvarez and the fight entered the third round with both men working hard and the feeling that the fight would not go the distance. Kirkland continued to move forward, keeping “Canelo” against the ropes and scoring points with a barrage of punches while looking for an opening.

At around the two minute mark, Alvarez landed an uppercut that sent Kirkland to the canvas again. Kirkland got up, but it was clear that he did not have his legs under him. Kirkland was going to try to survive the round, but Alvarez had an opportunity to close out the fight. The question was would he take it?

Alvarez closed in on Kirkland, putting his opponent’s back to the ropes. Kirkland was hurt, but he was still dangerous, pawing with punches and loading up for one big shot.

But it was the big shot “Canelo” threw that ended the night. Kirkland never saw it coming, as he was loading up with a huge right hand of his own. The right Alvarez threw cracked Kirkland in the jaw, and his eyes went blank. His big right hand whizzed harmlessly over the head of a ducking Alvarez, providing the momentum for the spin that left Kirkland prone on the canvas.

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez went on to defeat Miguel Cotto in his second fight of 2015 and he is clearly one of boxing’s biggest stars heading into 2016. On May 9th Alvarez added another reel to his highlight film when he knocked out James Kirkland with the 2015 “Knock Out of the Year”.

Photo by naoki fukuda

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