Floyd Mayweather Jr., the world’s greatest fighter, faces one of his toughest challenges to date as he defends his WBC Welterweight World title against Robert Guerrero. There’s been a war of words in the build-up to the fight, including Mayweather accusing Guerrero of using his wife’s recent battle with cancer to sell the fight and Guerrero’s father calling Mayweather a “woman beater”.

This Saturday night the talking stops and the action begins as Mayweather and Guerrero go toe-to-toe in the MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas, in one of the biggest fights of the year! We’ll bring you all the action, including the WBC World Featherweight title clash between Daniel Ponce de Leon and Abner Mares LIVE and EXCLUSIVE on BoxNation.

And you can see the full televised running order here.

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LAS VEGAS, May 2 – A bevy of undefeated Mayweather Promotions rising stars will get the crowd ready for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” when they compete in undercard bouts that will lead into the four-fight SHOWTIME PPV telecast taking place this Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Warming up fans watching at home will be “MAY DAY Live: Countdown to Mayweather vs. Guerrero” which will include up to two live preliminary fights, special ALL ACCESS features and exclusive interviews and will air live on SHOWTIME at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.

In the “MAY DAY Live: Countdown to Mayweather vs. Guerrero” main event, undefeated Las Vegas light heavyweight Badou Jack (13-0, 9 KO’s) will put his unblemished record on the line against knockout artist Michael Gbenga (13-7, 13 KO’s) of Silver Springs, Maryland by way of Accra, Ghana in an eight-round bout. Plus, time permitting, a six round matchup between rising super middleweight star Luis Arias (4-0, 3 KO’s) of Las Vegas will go toe-to-toe Palmdale, California’s DonYil Livingston (8-2-1, 4 KO’s) will also be featured.

A member of the 2008 Gambian Olympic team, Badou “The Ripper” Jack now fights out of Las Vegas, where he has made a strong impression in the fight capital of the world as an exciting prospect with championship potential. Unbeaten in his two fights thus far in 2013, the 29-year-old Jack is eager to shine in his adopted hometown this Saturday.

Thirty-three-year-old Michael “The Amazing” Gbenga rallied from a rocky start to his career to win nine of his last 11 bouts and, like all of his previous contests, each of those victories ended by way of knockout. Excited for his Las Vegas debut this weekend, Gbenga’s intention is clear when he faces Jack…he’s looking for the knockout.

One of Mayweather Promotions’ most promising up and coming prospect, Milwaukee native Luis Arias has gotten off to a fast start in his professional career, winning all four of his fights since making his pro debut in November of 2012. The 22-year-old former amateur standout has every intention of making it five in a row when he steps into the MGM Grand Garden Arena ring against Livingston.

A native of Tulsa now making his home in Palmdale, California, 28-year-old
DonYil Livingston is looking to get back on track after tough losses to Elie Augustama and Paul Mendez. Prior to those defeats, the talented Livingston was on the fast track to the top, and after a hard training camp, he’s revving up to resume his quest for a world title.

In other undercard bouts, Las Vegas’ Ronald Gavril (3-0) risks his unbeaten professional record in a super middleweight four round fight against Phoenix’ Roberto Yong (5-6-2, 4 KO’s), and opening the event in a four-round super middleweight bout will be Las Vegas’ Lanell Bellows (3-0) facing Charleston, West Virginia’s Matthew Garretson (2-0, 1 KO).

“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and 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). Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship. Up to two preliminary fights will be featured as part of “MAY DAY Live: Countdown to Mayweather vs. Guerrero” which will air live on SHOWTIME at 7:00 p.m. ET/4:00 p.m. PT.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” are still available for purchase with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts at ARIA, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York, are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

LAS VEGAS, May 2 – Jose Aguiniga was forced to withdraw from his fight tomorrow night against Francisco Vargas at The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas after he was rushed to the hospital this afternoon after collapsing in the gym apparently suffering from severe dehydration. The previously scheduled eight-round welterweight clash between Antonio Orozco and Jose Reynoso has been increased to a ten-round fight and moved up to the main event slot of tomorrow’s card which will be televised by FOX Sports Networks and FOX Deportes.

In previously announced bouts, Flint, Michigan’s Anthony Dirrell (24-0, 21 KO’s) battles Houston’s Don Mouton (11-6-1, 9 KO’s) in an eight-round light heavyweight co-feature and 2012 United States Olympians Joseph Diaz Jr. and Errol Spence Jr. return to the ring in a quest to remain perfect as professionals. Dallas’ Spence Jr. (4-0, 3 KO’s) faces Brandon Hoskins (16-4-1, 8 KO’s) Columbia, Missouri in a six-round junior middleweight bout while Joseph Diaz Jr. (3-0, 1 KO) of South El Monte, Calif. will take on Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico’s Eric Gotay (3-1, 1 KO) in a six-round junior featherweight battle.

In addition, the Cinco de Mayo weekend card will also feature 2012 United States Olympian Dominic Breazeale, Puerto Rico’s undefeated Carlos Velasquez and Los Angeles prospect Joet Gonzalez.

The night of boxing action, which will take place on the eve of the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” mega-event, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions and sponsored by Corona. Doors for the fights which take place in The Chelsea open at 6:00 p.m. PT and the first bell rings at 6:30 p.m. PT. The FOX Sports Networks and FOX Deportes bi-lingual simulcast will air live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT. FUEL TV will rebroadcast the fight on July 21 at 12:00 p.m. ET/9:00 a.m. PT.

Ringside tickets are priced at $100 with reserved seating tickets priced at $60 and general admission tickets available for $30 and are available for purchase at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com or through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 and www.ticketmaster.com. All event guests will have access to a new, socially dynamic nightlife experience curated by a live DJ, dancers and an interactive gaming pit.

Already 4-0 with four knockouts since turning professional last November following his participation in the 2012 Olympics, Anaheim’s Dominic “Trouble” Breazeale is back in action again on Friday, hoping to keep his knockout streak going when he takes on Hannibal, Missouri’s Lance Gauch (3-6-2, 3 KO’s) in a six-round bout to open the evening’s broadcast.

28-year-old Carlos Velasquez (14-0, 11 KO’s) made a triumphant return to the ring after a two-year layoff last November, scoring a near shutout decision win over Roberto Bonilla. Tomorrow, the Catano, Puerto Rico native is back to meet Miami’s Giorgi Mtchedlishvili (8-4-1, 1 KO) in a six-round junior lightweight battle.

Opening the show, junior featherweights Joet Gonzalez (3-0, 1 KO) of Los Angeles and Alex Chavez (1-0) of San Fernando, Calif. meet in a four round matchup.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com and www.mayweatherpromotions.com, become a follower on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/MayweatherPromo,www.twitter.com/anthonydirrell, www.twitter.com/PuroOrozco, www.twitter.com/ErrolSpenceJr, www.twitter.com/JosephDiazJr and www.twitter.com/Breazealeboxing and visit the Golden Boy Facebook Page and www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions.com.

For more information on FOX Deportes visit www.FOXDeportes.com, become a follower on Twitter at www.twitter.com/FOXDeportes and visit www.facebook.com/FOXDeportes on Facebook.

For more information on The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas visit www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com, become a follower on Twitter at www.twitter.com/cosmopolitan_lv and visit www.facebook.com/thecosmopolitan.

Las Vegas, Nevada – The Ultimate Fighting Championship is once again taking over Fourth of July weekend in Las Vegas. The organization formally announced today that UFC® middleweight champion and undisputed pound-for-pound king Anderson Silva will return to the Octagon® on Saturday, July 6 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena to face undefeated No. 1 contender Chris Weidman. That’s not all: this week in July also marks the return of the UFC Fan Expo®, as well as Fight Week, a series of fan events, concerts, and appearances featuring your favorite UFC fighters and personalities.

“The best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, Anderson Silva, defends the middleweight title for a record 11th time on July 6 when he takes on unbeaten Chris Weidman,” UFC President Dana White said. “Weidman is 9-0 in his pro career and has incredible wrestling and power. He said he will shock the world at UFC 162 and end Anderson’s reign atop the middleweight division. With UFC 162, the UFC Fan Expo and Fight Week, this is going to be an amazing week for fight fans. You have to be in Las Vegas this Fourth of July weekend!”

In addition to the Silva-Weidman showdown, Frankie Edgar (15-4-1, fighting out of Toms River, N.J.), a former lightweight champion and currently the third-ranked featherweight in the world, battles Brazil’s Charles Oliveira (16-3, 1 NC, fighting out of Guaruja, Sao Paulo, Brazil), while former Strikeforce middleweights make their UFC debuts as Tim Kennedy (15-4, fighting out of Austin, Texas) takes on Rio de Janeiro’s Roger Gracie (6-1).

In addition, fourth-ranked “The Korean Zombie,” Chan Sung Jung (13-3, fighting out of Po-Hang, South Korea) returns from a yearlong layoff due to injury to meet second-ranked Ricardo Lamas (13-2, fighting out of Chicago, Ill.) in a fight that could determine the next challenger for the featherweight title, while fifth-ranked featherweight Cub Swanson (19-5, fighting out of Palm Springs, Calif.) faces Germany’s sixth-ranked Dennis Siver (21-8).

Other bouts for UFC 162 include:
Seventh-ranked middleweight star Mark Munoz (12-3, fighting out of Lake Forrest, Calif.) vs. heavy-handed 10th-ranked contender Tim Boetsch (12-3, fighting out of Sunbury, Pa.).
185-pound fan favorite Chris Leben (22-9, fighting out of Oahu, Hawaii) vs. Andrew Craig (8-1, fighting out of Houston, Texas).
Northern Ireland’s Norman Parke (17-2) vs. Japan’s Kazuki Tokudome (12-3-1) in a lightweight showdown.
Brazil’s Edson Barboza (11-1) challenges Montreal’s John Makdessi (11-2).
Heavyweights Shane Del Rosario (8-1, fighting out of Irvine, Calif.) vs. Dave Herman (21-5, fighting out of Temecula, Calif.).
Welterweights Seth Baczynski (17-7, fighting out of Apache Junction, Ariz.) vs. Houston’s Brian Melancon (6-2).
Portland’s Mike Pierce (16-5) vs. David Mitchell (12-2, fighting out of Santa Rosa, Calif.) in a welterweight contest.

Tickets for UFC®162: SILVA vs. WEIDMAN, presented by BUD LIGHT®, go on sale Friday, May 10 at 10 a.m. PT and are priced at $1200, $850, $600, $400, $250 and $125. Tickets will be available at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket prices do not include applicable service charges.

UFC® Fight Club™ members will have the opportunity to purchase tickets to this event Wednesday, May 8 at 10 a.m. PT via the website www.ufcfightclub.com. A special Internet ticket pre-sale will be available to UFC newsletter subscribers Thursday, May 9 starting at 10 a.m. PT. To access this presale, users must register for the UFC newsletter through UFC.com.

UFC®162: SILVA vs. WEIDMAN will be available live on Pay-Per-View at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT on UFC.TV, iN DEMAND, DirecTV, DISH Network, Avail-TVN, and in Canada on BellTV, Shaw Communications, Sasktel, and Viewer’s Choice Canada for a suggested retail price of $44.99 US/$49.99 CAN for Standard Definition and $54.99 US/$59.99 CAN for High Definition.

About The UFC Fan Expo®
The UFC Fan Expo® returns to Las Vegas on Friday, July 5 and Saturday, July 6 at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center. Fans will have the chance to meet their favorite stars during autograph sessions, meet-and-greets, interactive Q&A sessions, grappling tournaments, training and development seminars, and much more. Over 50 UFC stars are scheduled to appear and more than 150 exhibitors will also be on hand, giving fans the opportunity to purchase and experience some of the best sports and lifestyle products on the market today. Tickets and VIP packages are on sale now at www.ufcfanexpo.com. To request media credentials visit https://cervello.ufc.com/signup/UFCFanExpo2013.

About UFC Fight Week
The UFC and Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) are partnering to make Fourth of July week not just a Las Vegas tradition, but the ultimate week-long celebration of the UFC for fans around the world. Some of the biggest properties in Las Vegas will be hosting UFC themed events, including the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Mandalay Bay, Lagasse’s Stadium at the Palazzo, Fremont Street Experience, Golden Nugget, South Point, and more. The signature sporting occasion will feature the largest ever gathering of fighters, unprecedented access to UFC stars, exclusive pool parties hosted by Octagon Girls™, a concert, UFC Fan Expo®, charitable events in the community, Tuff-N-Uff amateur MMA tournament, official UFC parties, and, of course, the week will culminate with one of the biggest sporting events of the year, UFC® 162: SILVA vs. WEIDMAN. For more information, visit http://www.visitlasvegas.com/ufc and http://www.ufc.com/fightweek.

For more information or current fight news, visit www.ufc.com. All bouts live and subject to change.

About the Ultimate Fighting Championship®
Universally recognized for its action-packed, can’t-miss events that have sold out some of the biggest arenas and stadiums across the globe, the UFC® is the world’s premier mixed martial arts (MMA) organization. Owned and operated by Zuffa, LLC, headquartered in Las Vegas and with offices in London, Toronto and Beijing, UFC produces more than 30 live events annually and is the largest pay-per-view event provider in the world. In 2012, the UFC burst into the mainstream with a landmark seven-year broadcast agreement with FOX Sports Media Group. The agreement includes four live events broadcast on the FOX network annually, with additional fight cards and thousands of hours of programming broadcast on FOX properties FX and FUEL TV. This also includes the longest-running sports reality show on television, The Ultimate Fighter®, which airs on FX.

In addition to its reach on FOX, UFC programming is broadcast in over 145 countries, to nearly 800 million TV households worldwide, in 28 different languages. UFC content is also distributed commercially in the United States to bars and restaurants through Joe Hand Promotions, in English throughout Canada via Premium Sports Broadcasting Inc. and Australia via Main Event and in French throughout Quebec via Interbox. The UFC also connects with tens of millions of fans through its website, UFC.com, as well as social media sites Facebook and Twitter. UFC President Dana White is considered one of the most accessible and followed executives in sports, with nearly 2.6 million followers on Twitter. Ancillary UFC businesses include best-selling DVDs and video games, an internationally distributed magazine, UFC.TV offering live event broadcasts and video on demand around the world, a new franchise in development with EA, UFC GYM®, UFC Fight Club affinity program, UFC Fan Expo® festivals, branded apparel and trading cards.

In the opening bout of the evening, Fernando Fuentes scored a four round majority decision over Cristian Lorenzo.

The bantamweight bout featured two undefeated fighters that saw Fuentes win by scores of 40-36, 39-37 and 38-38.

Fuentes, 117 ½ lbs of Hemet, CA is now 2-0-1. Lorenzo, 117 ½ lbs of Tijuana, MX is now 2-1

INGAPORE (May 2, 2013) – Glory Sports International (GSI), the parent company of the world’s premier kickboxing league, announced today that it will bring its developmental Road To GLORY USA tournament series established to identify America’s next great Kickboxing superstars, to the historic Rave Eagles Club Grand Ballroom, 2401 W. Wisconsin Ave in Milwaukee, WI with a one-night, 8-man, single-elimination lightweight (154 pounds/70 kilograms) tournament on Saturday, May 11, 2013.

Advanced priced tickets for Road to GLORY USA are $35.00 GA ($40.00 door), $60.00 VIP Ringside or VIP Stage ($70.00 door) and $100.00 VIP Front Row ($110.00 door), and can be purchased in advance at Cagetix.com, NAFC.tv, The Rave/Eagles Club box office, by phone at 414-967-7767 or at the door.

The tournament is being held as part of four-time Muay Thai and kickboxing world champion and famed fight trainer Duke Roufus’ and his business partner Scott Joffe’s North American Fighting Championship (NAFC) “Knockout Kings” Muay Thai and Kickboxing show.

The winner of the Road to GLORY USA Milwaukee tournament, featuring a host of prolific prospects, will be awarded a $20,000 grand prize and a multi-year contract with GLORY, where they will have the opportunity to compete against some of the world’s elite kickboxing champions and superstars.

“We are looking forward to continuing what has been an extremely productive and exciting search for new, undiscovered martial arts athletic talent in a country that has traditionally excelled in professional sports, but has yet to truly demonstrate its potential in the kickboxing ring,” said Glory Sports International CEO Andrew Whitaker. “With the athletes we’ve identified in our Road To GLORY USA tournament series thus far, the stage is being set for a major, future growth spurt in American Kickboxing talent.”

Slated for action in the Road To GLORY USA lightweight tournament are KO artist Cyrus “Black Dynamite “Washington (53-21, 48 KOs) of Saginaw, MI; Shidokan Karate, boxing and Muay Thai expert Muhsin Corbbrey (33-10-2) of Tulsa, OK; Muay Thai champion Michael Mananquil (26-4-1, 8 KOs) of San Bruno, CA; battle-tested striking sensation Jose Palacios (42-10, 13 KOs) of Fremont, CA; rising star Jameel “The Real Deal” Massouh (28-9, 8 KOs) of Milwaukee; kickboxing star and police officer Dustin Johnson (17-5, 10 KOs) of Baton Rouge, LA; national and North American Muay Thai champion Ben “Stone-Man” Yelle (23-15-1, 10 KOs) of Marquette, MI; and six-time kickboxing and Muay Thai champion Troy Sheridan (19-2, 9 KOs) of Stouffville, Ontario, Canada.

A draw to determine the Road To GLORY USA lightweight tournament’s quarterfinal stage matchups will take place on a date and location to be announced soon.

In the event that any of the quarterfinal stage fight winners sustain an injury that precludes him from returning to the ring for the tournament’s semifinal stage, the winner of a tournament “alternate” bout between Gustavo Rodriguez (17-4) of Rockford, IL, and Jon Henderson (9-1) of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada will replace the injured fighter in the tournament.

Doors at The Rave Eagles Club Grand Ballroom will open for the event at 4:00 p.m. CST and the first preliminary bout begins at 4:15 p.m.

For more information, visit www.gloryworldseries.com.

About GLORY:

GLORY World Series (www.gloryworldseries.com) is the world’s premier Kickboxing league, producing live events across the globe featuring one-night, 16-man ‘Grand Slam’ tournaments and 8-man ‘Slam’ tournaments, which are open to only the best fighters in each of six different weight classes. The fight series also includes events with traditional, single bouts.

With television deals spanning every continent, online live video streaming of all shows and the world’s largest online martial arts library, GLORY is one of the world’s most widely distributed sporting organizations.

Owned and operated by Glory Sports International (GSI), the organization has offices in the UK, Netherlands, Japan, Malaysia, Singapore and the US. Its personnel include an unprecedented mix of accomplished entrepreneurs and senior level executives from the diverse worlds of finance, sports marketing, television and martial arts fighting.

In 2013, GLORY launched the Road To GLORY tournament fight series to identify and develop new Kickboxing talent in the United States, Japan and elsewhere around the globe into future champions and superstars of the sport.

PROVIDENCE, R.I. (May 2nd, 2013) — With Vladine Biosse and Shelito Vincent already grabbing headlines as the co-main event on Classic Entertainment & Sports’ Friday, May 17th, 2013 professional boxing event at Twin River Casino, the stacked undercard is threatening to steal the spotlight.

Two more regional showdowns are on tap for “The New Era,” starting with Pawtucket, R.I., middleweight Thomas Falowo (9-1, 7 KOs) stepping up to face undefeated power-puncher Tylon Burris (5-0, 3 KOs) of Hartford, Conn., in a six-round bout. Super middleweight Rich Gingras (12-3, 8 KOs) of Attleboro, Mass., a former contestant on The Contender reality television series, will battle the red-hot Joey Gardner (11-5-1, 1 KO) of Woonsocket, R.I., in a six-round bout.

The always-busy Falowo, who’s known for throwing a high volume of punches from start to finish, will have his hands full with Burris, who has raised eyebrows in New England following an impressive knockout win over previously-unbeaten light heavyweight prospect Kevin Cobbs in November. Falowo has won his last three bouts, all by knockout, since suffering his first loss in May of 2012.

The Gingras-Gardner showdown came to fruition after Providence’s Alex Amparo was forced to withdraw from his scheduled rematch with Gardner due to a rib injury. Gardner, who has won his last three fights, will instead face Gingras, a former cruiserweight now looking to make his mark in the super middleweight division.

Tickets for “The New Era” are $41.00, $76.00, and $126.00 (VIP) and can be purchased by calling CES at 401.724.2253/2254, online at www.shop.cesboxing.com or www.twinriver.com, at the Players Club booth at Twin River, or through any TicketMaster location. Doors open 6 p.m. with the first bout scheduled for 7.

In the first half of the co-main event,Biosse (14-2-1, 7 KOs) will face Philadelphia veteran Latif Mundy (10-5, 4 KOs) in an 8-round super middleweight bout, while Vincent (8-0) will fight the dangerous Christina Ruiz (6-5-2, 4 KOs) of San Antonio, Tex., in an 8-round bout for the vacant Women’s International Boxing Association (WIBA) International super bantamweight title.

Biosse, a two-time winner on ESPN’s Friday Night Fights, is looking to avenge a Jan. 19 loss to Marcus Upshaw against the 5-foot-8 Mundy, who has faced tough competition in recent years against Ossie Duran, Matt Korobov and Patrick Majewski; the three have a combined record of 68-11-2 with 35 knockouts.

Ruiz, a two-time title challenger, will be Vincent’s toughest test as she fights for a title for the first time in her career. Ruiz recently lost a unanimous decision to International Female Boxing Association (IFBA) super bantamweight champion Kaliesha West in California and also challenged Alicia Ashley for the then-vacant World Boxing Council (WBC) title in July of 2011. Her last two wins (February of 2011 and April of 2010) have come by knockout. Vincent is coming off a March 1 win over Mikayla Nebel and is already 2-0 in 2013.

Also on the undercard, Boston’s Maceo Crowder (2-0, 1 KO), the half-brother of former U.S. Olympian and Providence native Demetrius Andrade, will return from a three-year absence to face Harwich, Mass., veteran Paul Gonsalves (4-3, 3 KOs) in a four-round super middleweight bout; and welterweight Jon Smith (1-0) of Cranston, R.I., will battle newcomer Oscar Diaz of Hartford, Conn., in a four-round bout. Hyannis, Mass., heavyweight Jesse Barboza (5-1-1, 3 KOs) will take on West New York, N.J., challenger Phillip Triantafillo (2-2, 1 KO) in a four-round bout. All fights and fighters are subject to change.

For more information on “The New Era” and all of CES’ upcoming shows, visit www.cesboxing.com.

(Twin River has waived its 18+ rule for “The New Era.” Anyone under the age of 18 must be accompanied by an adult and must enter through the West entrance.)

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Featherweight champion Mikey Garcia will defend his crown against former world champion Juan Manuel Lopez on June 15th in Dallas, Texas

“Any way you look at it, it’s a great matchup — experience [Lopez] versus youth [Garcia], righty [Garcia] versus lefty [Lopez] and Mexican [Garcia] versus Puerto Rican [Lopez],” said Top Rank’s Carl Moretti. “Can’t thank HBO execs enough for their help in making this true crossroads bout.”

“‘Juanma’ has plenty left to give Mikey all he can handle, especially after getting two tuneups since the [second] loss to Salido,” Moretti said. “He’s very, very confident and [making] the weight is no issue at all.”

“That metroplex is a great fight scene and somewhat untapped,” Moretti said, adding that Top Rank chairman Bob Arum spoke with Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban about the card on Wednesday and “he’s pumped.”

“You can’t be afraid to try something new,” Moretti said. “Remember — amateurs built the ark, professionals built the Titanic.”

LAS VEGAS (May 2, 2013) – The stars and scribes always come out when Floyd “Money” Mayweather fights, and there will be an abundance of both when the Eight-Time and Five-Division World Champion returns to the ring to face Six-Time and Four-Division Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in the highly anticipated main event of “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” this Saturday, May 4 live on SHOWTIME PPV from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

So who is going to triumph? The experts overwhelmingly like Mayweather to be victorious, but none expect it to be simple or easy. Mayweather is the favorite as always, but most expect a competitive, hard-fought scrap, and no one foresees a blow-out.

Here’s how they see the Mayweather-Guerrero fight:

ATHLETES

Terry Bradshaw, NFL Hall of Fame QB who’ll be performing at The Mirage in June (Mayweather): “Mayweather is a proud fighter who wants to remain undefeated. He knows how to win big fights…and he won’t lose a fight in Vegas!”

Marlon Byrd, New York Mets Outfielder (Mayweather): “Floyd’s going to knock him out in the eighth round.”

Ed Davis, Memphis Grizzlies Forward (Mayweather): “Because his record is 1,000-0 and he will NOT lose. Floyd by knockout in the sixth round.” Twitter: @eddavis32

DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors Guard/Forward (Mayweather): “Floyd might have to work a little bit, but at the end of the day Floyd is going to be Floyd and finish him off. He wins by eighth-round knockout.” Twitter: @DeMar_DeRozan

Braylon Edwards, NFL Wide Receiver (Mayweather): “Never bet against Floyd.” Twitter: @officialbraylon

Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees Outfielder (Mayweather): “I have to say Floyd’s going to keep that zero in the loss column.”

DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver (Mayweather): “My big bro Floyd is going to win.”

Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers Outfielder (Mayweather): “Floyd by decision. He’s too fast for Guerrero.”

Kevin Krigger, Jockey of Goldencents in the KentuckyDerby (Mayweather): “I’ve seen some of Guerrero’s fights and he didn’t impress me that much. He didn’t look like a guy who could beat Mayweather. It depends on what Mayweather wants to do with him. He might want to use him to prepare for his next fight. Mayweather will win by knockout in the sixth.”

Andrew McCutchen, Pittburgh Pirates Outfielder (Mayweather): “It will be a good fight and it will go the 12-round distance, but in the end, Mayweather will be victorious by a unanimous decision!”

Shabazz Muhammad, Former UCLA Basketball Guard/Forward (Mayweather): “Floyd knocks him out in the fifth.”

Jermaine O’Neal, Phoenix Suns Center (Mayweather): “Floyd will be a little rusty to start the fight off because of the long layoff, but will pick-up a lot of steam around the third round. Then he will begin to beat Guerrero up and ultimately knock him out by the sixth.” Twitter: @jermaineoneal

Doug O’Neill, Trainer of Goldencents Santa Anita Derby winner and one of the top contenders in the May 4 KentuckyDerby (Mayweather): “Floyd is an experienced, cagey veteran. He will find Guerrero’s weaknesses and win by fifth-round knockout.”

Metta World Peace, Los Angeles Lakers Forward (Mayweather): “Mayweather will rally late in the fight to win a decision, eight rounds to four.”

Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens Running Back (Mayweather): “By the eighth round, Mayweather will have worn him out and will capitalize with a knockout.”

Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback (Mayweather): “I think it’ll be a good fight, but Money always makes the right adjustments so I don’t see him losing. Floyd wins a unanimous 12-round decision.” Twitter: @mikevick

Dion Waiters, Cleveland Cavaliers Guard (Mayweather): “Hardwork and dedication are the keys. I spent some time with Floyd in Las Vegas last year and he is the hardest-working athlete I’ve ever seen. I can’t see him losing now or ever. He wins by fifth-round technical knockout.” Twitter: @dionwaiters3

Maalik Wayns, Los Angeles Clippers Guard (Mayweather): “Floyd Money Mayweather is the greatest of all time. Enough said. Fourth-round technical knockout.” Twitter: @maalikwayns2

Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers Forward (Mayweather): “Mayweather is too fast for Guerrero and will win a 12-round decision.” Twitter: @yungsmoove21

ENTERTAINERS

Jahlil Beats, Super Music Producer (Mayweather): “Mayweather gets the W. He’s the greatest of all time.”

Justin Bieber, Pop musician, Actor and Songwriter (Mayweather): “I’ve got Floyd all day.” Twitter: @justinbieber

Sean Cooper, FANTASY at Luxor Comedian (Guerrero): “Mayweather needs to hype up the fight he needs to lose. Money for the Rematch. Guerrero wins!’’

DeRay Davis, Comedian/Actor (Mayweather): “It’ll be a fourth-round knockout for the champ. He’s going to make an example of him.”

The Game, Rapper (Mayweather): “Floyd in 4.”

Brad Garrett, Comedian and Host at Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club at MGM Grand (Mayweather): “Mayweather in 9. ‘Money vs. The Ghost’…sounds like my divorce.”

Marquez Houston, Singer/Actor (Mayweather): “Floyd definitely wins. I’m going with a ninth-round knockout.”

Jinsu, Rapper (Mayweather): “Floyd by sixth-round TKO. Win No. 44 (will be) light work.”

Jackie Long, Actor (Mayweather): “Floyd will win by knockout in the fourth or fifth round.” Twitter: @jackielong

Mario Lopez, TV Personality (Guerrero): “It being Cinco De Mayo weekend and me being Mexican, I have to go with the upset and pick Guerrero by split decision in an entertaining and spirited fight.” #VivaMexico”

Lorena Peril, FANTASY at Luxor Star Powerhouse Vocalist (Mayweather): “Floyd will win a decision. He is a great champion and always brings his best into the ring.”

Da Problem, Rapper (Mayweather): “We all know Floyd going to go to work on his ass!”

Busta Rhymes, Rapper (Mayweather): “Floyd is gonna bust his ass”

Chris Shiflett, Lead Guitarist of Foo Fighters (Guerrero): “I think Mayweather is WAY overrated. Look at his record. Every elite fighter he’s ever been in there with was shot except Victor Ortiz (who was giving him problems until the whole thing melted down). De La Hoya was handling Mayweather with the jab. Mosley almost knocked him out. Cotto was winning that fight but gassed out because he’s shot. Everybody else Mayweather has faced was a bum. Guerrero is young, fresh and motivated. I don’t think he’s going to let Mayweather get in his head or be overwhelmed by the moment. The Ghost by decision.”

MEDIA

Matthew Aguilar, El Paso Times (Mayweather): “Guerrero’s youth may present Floyd with some middle-rounds problems, but ultimately he doesn’t have Floyd’s skills. Mayweather by unanimous decision.’’

David Avila, Riverside Press-Enterprise (Guerrero): “Robert Guerrero’s got the athleticism, ability and attitude to dethrone Mayweather on a decision.”

Ron Borges, Boston Herald (Mayweather): “Mayweather wins a decision. He will be in tough for a while, but he has too much speed, knowledge and defensive skills for Guerrero.”

JT The Brick, Talk-Show Host, Fox Sports Radio (Mayweather): “Speed and experience wins it for Mayweather via eleventh-round technical knockout.”

Damian Calhoun, Orange CountyRegister (Mayweather): “I see this being a close fight. Guerrero’s toughness and determination will cause Mayweather some problems at times, but I expect Mayweather to use his smarts and defensive skills, and then adjust to be able to secure a victory by unanimous decision.”

Steve Carp, Las Vegas Review-Journal (Mayweather): “Mayweather by decision. With only five fights left in his career, I expect Floyd to be ready to fight and not tarnish his legacy. While southpaws have given him some trouble in the past and Guerrero hits harder than people give him credit for, I don’t think he can do enough damage over 12 rounds to beat Floyd.”

Mike Coppinger, USA Today (Mayweather): “It may end up being the toughest fight of Floyd’s career, facing a southpaw who likes to rough up his opponents, but it’s hard to pick against the greatest fighter of this generation. Guerrero will find a lot of success in the early rounds, but as Mayweather always does, he’ll make the necessary adjustments. Mayweather will counter Guerrero and turn his aggression against him. Floyd will begin to land more and more as the fight winds down, leading to a close, unanimous decision.”

Percy Crawford, FightHype.com (Mayweather): “I think it will look a lot like the Ortiz fight minus Guerrero doing something as crazy like not protecting himself at all times. Floyd will use Guerrero’s aggression against him and pick him apart over 12 rounds with Guerrero having one or two moments in the fight.”

Tim Dahlberg, Associated Press (Guerrero): “All fighters get old, and Floyd Mayweather is no exception. Jail and not fighting for a year at a time takes its toll. This is the fight he suddenly ages, and gets his first loss. Guerrero by decision.”

Flattop, Fightnews.com (Mayweather): “Floyd’s speed, power and class will be too much for Guerrero, who’s tough and has skills, but Mayweather has been the total package his entire career. Guerrero will be competitive for a few rounds until Mayweather decides to turn up the heat. Guerrero will be knocked down a few times and he will get back up each time. I could see his corner throwing in the towel once it becomes a ‘May Day’ exhibition; otherwise Mayweather will score a lop-sided decision or late-round knockout.”

Lyle Fitzsimmons, The Fight Network (Mayweather): “Admittedly, Guerrero is young, tough and powerful, but unless Mayweather gets old overnight, Guerrero is also still vulnerable to precisely the sort of precise punishment ‘Money’ has dished out to the myriad of foes who have entered with the same ‘I’ll rough him up’ promises. A la Arturo Gatti, the ‘Ghost’ gets beaten up in a lot of his wins and, like Gatti, he’s in over his head with Mayweather, who wins by tenth round tecknical knockout.”

Norm Frauenheim, 15rounds.com/The Ring (Mayweather): “Guerrero will make things interesting for a while with pressure and toughness. The toughness might surprise Mayweather, but the pressure won’t. He’ll counter it with patience and then precision. Mayweather’s right will land, occasionally early and with damaging frequency later. It might not score a knockdown, but in the end, however, Mayweather’s accuracy will bruise, cut, exhaust and force a tenth-round technical knockout stoppage.”

Karl Freitag, FightNews.com (Mayweather): “Mayweather by unanimous decision. Guerrero hasn’t stopped anyone north of lightweight and Mayweather is more than happy to go the rounds, so in a fight that seems certain to be going the distance, it’s hard to pick against Floyd, who is a big favorite for a reason.”

Leighton Ginn, The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Calif.), (Mayweather): – Mayweather will win by ninth round technical knockout. He was a heavy favorite, but now even more so with Guerrero facing legal problems in New York.”

Kevin Iole, Yahoo (Mayweather): “I think it’s going to be a closer fight than a lot of people believe and I would have given Guerrero a better shot were it not for the arrest in New York that took a few days out of his training and has to have had some kind of impact upon his focus. Mayweather’s legs aren’t the same, but nobody sees punches coming more clearly than he does. He’ll have to fight hard to keep Guerrero from mauling him, but Floyd is slick at using his elbows to create space, as he did in the Ricky Hatton fight. In a fiercely contested fight, I expect Mayweather to win by decision.”

Steve Kim, MaxBoxing.com (Mayweather): “Mayweather will win by decision. Bottom line, I think unless Floyd has gone backwards physically, he’s simply too sharp and accurate for the hard-charging Guerrero.”

Bill Knight, El Paso Times (Mayweather): “Floyd may have a little rust, but he is still too quick, too good and will wear Guerrero down and win by ninth-round technical knockout.”

Ryan Maquiñana, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (Guerrero): “Up until this year, I’d have to go with the untouchable Mayweather if I was forced to pick, but given Guerrero’s southpaw tools, busy hands, ring IQ and fearlessness, it feels like the perfect storm for an upset. If he can take advantage of the 36-year-old Mayweather’s inactivity and aging legs, the ultimate question is whether Floyd will still fight with the fire of a king who doesn’t care there’s a $30 million check waiting for him, win or lose. Guerrero takes a 12-round decision.”

Gabriel Montoya, MaxBoxing.com (Mayweather): “Mayweather is not looking to get beat in the first of a massive six-fight, $300 million deal. Supremely skilled, but with all 36 years showing in his increasingly less mobile legs, Mayweather faces in Guerrero, a determined, skilled and experienced boxer. At 147, Guerrero is not a power puncher nor particularly fast, but he’s a strong southpaw who understands that style can be troublesome for the shoulder roll defense Floyd employs at times. The first few rounds will be clinch-filled as the fighters search for their rhythms. Floyd’s age combined with a year-long layoff might make for some exciting moments for Guerrero fans, but ultimately, Guerrero will find the speed and accuracy of Floyd unmanageable as “Money” finds his range and pot shots his way to a unanimous decision. One down, five to go.”

Gordon Marino, Wall Street Journal (Mayweather): “I think Robert is too vulnerable to the right hand and Mayweather’s is whipsaw fast. Also, unlike Andre Berto, when Guerrero pins Mayweather to the ropes, Mayweather is not going to square up. Eighth round technical knockout for Mayweather.”

David Mayo, MLive.com/The Grand Rapids Press (Mayweather): “In losing a step and fighting in front of opponents, Mayweather has made himself more dangerous and put himself in more danger. No one solved the early version and no one has solved the latter version either. Guerrero’s a solid pro’s pro, but he isn’t the best to have tried and Mayweather has to get old before our eyes to lose. That will happen if Mayweather fights long enough, but I’m guessing this isn’t the night and he breaks down Guerrero with typical technique and precision until he gets a chance to finish later in the fight. Mayweather wins in nine.”

Robert Morales, Los Angeles News Group (Mayweather): “Even though I believe Mayweather has slowed down just a bit, I don’t think it will be enough for Guerrero to land enough clean punches to win the fight. Mayweather wins a decision.”

Kieran Mulvaney, ESPN.com (Mayweather): “Guerrero will make Mayweather fight. He will swarm him, hit him on the arms, shoulders, hips, wherever he can. He’ll slow him down and keep Mayweather in front of him and that’ll be his downfall. Floyd may not have the legs he once had, but his hand speed is still tremendous and his accurate punches carry weight. Guerrero will be in close, head down, and constantly vulnerable to flashing Mayweather uppercuts inside. They’ll gradually wear him down and one will finally drop him, leading to a Mayweather barrage and a tenth round technical knockout, but Floyd will be hurting for days afterward.”

Rick Reeno, BoxingScene.com (Guerrero): “This is the first time I’m picking against Mayweather, but I believe the stage is set for Guerrero to pull off the ‘Upset of the Year’ (and possibly the decade). Unlike some of Mayweather’s past opponents, Guerrero has chased this fight for several years. He is fresher, hungrier, throws a lot more punches, has a good chin, is very physical and does have the ability to adjust. He’s certainly Mayweather’s most difficult opponent in several years. As long as Guerrero controls the pace and prevents Mayweather from making it a technical boxing match, the fight is his to win by close 12-round decision.”

Martin Rogers, Yahoo Sports (Mayweather): “Mayweather is too strong, too skilled and too clever and he will win by decision.”

Mike Rosenthal, The Ring Magazine (Mayweather): “I think Guerrero is a very good all-around fighter and tough as nails, but Mayweather is a great fighter even if he has slipped a tad. Mayweather by unanimous decision.”

Jon Saraceno, USA Today (Mayweather): “Floyd shakes off the rust and wins a decision.”

Lem Satterfield, The Ring Magazine Online (Mayweather): “There will be some treacherous moments for Mayweather simply due to his relative inactivity compared to Guerrero’s. Mayweather will have been out for nearly a year since his last fight against Miguel Cotto on May 5 last year, but I believe that he will have enough determination and savvy to elude significant damage on the way to a victory on points over 12 rounds.”

Tim Smith, New York Daily News (Mayweather): “Guerrero is no slouch as he proved against Andre Berto, but Mayweather is no Berto. Mayweather is one of the best boxers and most skilled defensive boxers of this generation. He won’t be standing in one spot for Guerrero to tee off on him. Everyone thinks they have a plan against Mayweather, but he is so adaptive in the ring that plans unravel and boxers are left grasping at straws just to stay in the ring with him. I don’t think Guerrero is the tactical match for Mayweather, but I think he has a good enough chin to withstand what Mayweather can throw at him. Mayweather by decision.”

Bob Velin, USA Today (Mayweather): “Guerrero is one of the toughest fighters in the business, and has a will to win that is second to none in the sport. But he has never faced anyone like Mayweather. Mayweather is the best there is at defending himself, as in, avoiding punches. Guerrero will likely try to make Mayweather fight his fight, which is a ‘toe-to-toe, I-can-wear-you-down-before-you-can-wear-me-down’ style. Guerrero may get to Mayweather’s left shoulder, but it’s unlikely he will do much damage to Mayweather’s head or body. Mayweather’s patience will frustrate Guerrero and take him out of his game. Meanwhile, Mayweather will counter Guerrero at every opportunity and end up winning on points.’’

Mark Whicker, Orange County Register (Mayweather): “Mayweather by ninth round technical knockout. He has adjusted to age and become a far better offensive fighter.”

Michael Woods, ESPN NewYork.com (Mayweather): “Floyd gets the W, same as last time, and the time before, and the time before that. Guerrero is willing and skilled, but limited. Floyd gets the unanimous decision, but his face will tell you after that he’s been in a fight.”

ABOUT “MAYDAY: MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO”:
“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and 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). Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” are still available for purchase with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and will also be available for purchase by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Mauricio Herrera 140 – Ji-Hoon Kim 140
Miguel Acosta 135 – Miguel Gonzalez 135
Taras Shelestyuk 151 – Brandon Adams 151
Hector Serrano 144 – Michael Peralta 143
Richard Contreras 123 – Jose Iniguez 126 ½
Fernando Fuentes 117 ½ – Cristian Lorenzo 117 ½
Joshua Conley 156 – Eric Prado 153
Promoter: Banner Promotions & Thompson Boxing
Venue: Omega Products Outdoor Events Center
1st Bell: 5:45 Pacific Time. ESPN 7pm Pacific Time / 10 pm Eastern

POUGHKEEPSIE, N.Y. (May 2, 2013) – Irish featherweight contender Patrick “The Punisher” Hyland headlines “The Heat Is On” professional boxing card, presented by Final Round Promotions, in association with Team Snooki Boxing, Saturday night, May 18, at Mid-Hudson Civic Center in Poughkeepsie, New York.

Hyland (27-1, 12 KOs), rated No. 11 by the World Boxing Association (WBA), faces an opponent to be determined in the eight-round main event. The 29-year-old Hyland, who lives in Marlboro, New York, is coming off his first pro loss. Last December in Las Vegas, he lost a 12-round decision to undefeated Javier Fortuna for the vacant Interim WBA featherweight title.

“We’re excited to bring pro boxing back to Poughkeepsie with Patrick Hyland headlining once again,” promoter Mike Pascale (Final Round Promotions) said. “Patrick learned valuable experience fighting for the world title. Although he lost, Patrick went 12 hard rounds with Fortuna, who is 22-0 with 16 KOs. We’re still confident that Patrick will be world champion and the May 18th fight is his next step in that direction. We also have some of the best talent in the Hudson Valley fighting on this show.”

Unbeaten Michael “Lefty” Brooks (9-0-1, 2 KOs), fighting out of Long Island, takes on Yonkers favorite Chass McDowell (6-3, 1 KO) in the eight-round co-feature for the vacant New York State lightweight title.

Newburgh (NY) light welterweight Treysean Wiggins (3-0, 3 KOs) meets David Roman “The Riot” Curiel (3-1-1, 1 KO) in a six-round bout.

Also fighting on the undercard in separate four round bouts are Newburgh heavyweight Detroy “The Destroyer” Jones (5-1-1, 2 KOs) vs. TBA, Newburgh bantamweight Michael Del Valle in his pro debut vs. Derrick Bivins (1-1-1), Queens cruiserweight Armin “The Bosnian Prince” Mrkanovic (5-3, 3 KOs) vs. Eric George (0-2), of Niagara Falls, Albany heavyweight Kimbo Bethel Boykin (6-1, 5 KOs) vs. TBA, New York City super featherweight Jodie Ann Wells in her pro debut vs. TBA, and Puerto Rican featherweight Kendal Santos (0-1) vs. Micah Brown (1-6-1).

Tickets, reasonably priced at $35.00, $50.00 and $100 (Gold Ringside), are available to purchase at the Mid-Hudson Civic Center and through all Ticketmaster outlets.

Doors open at 6:30 p.m. ET with the first bout scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET. Go to www.finalroundpromotions.com for additional information.

LAS VEGAS (May 1, 2013) – Tensions flared, insults flew and blows were nearly exchanged during the final main event press conference Wednesday for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” this Saturday, May 4, live on SHOWTIME PPV from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

No, Eight-Time and Five-Division World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. and Six-Time and Four-Division Champion Robert “The Ghost ‘’Guerrero didn’t go at it three days before they’ll get paid to do so, but their trainers, who also are their fathers, Floyd Sr. and Ruben Guerrero, got into it during a heated, intense verbal exchange. This time, Ruben was the instigator. Before he even made it to the podium to speak, he was hurling insults at Floyd Jr., who was seated at the dais.

Later, it was Floyd Sr.’s turn. After the speaking portion of the press conference had concluded, the fighters had already posed for photographs and Floyd Jr. was doing an interview with SHOWTIME when Floyd Sr. approached the stage, screaming at Ruben every step of the way.

Floyd Sr. had watched the proceedings from the media section (at Floyd Jr.’s insistence). Once he made it on the stage, the fathers were quickly separated and order was restored.

See below what the fighters, their fathers and executives said Wednesday:

FLOYD MAYWEATHER, Eight-Time and Five-Division World Champion

“I want to thank God, my entire team, Golden Boy, CBS, SHOWTIME, everybody behind the scenes for doing a tremendous job.

“Obviously, Robert Guerrero has done something right to get here. He’s the best out there. I’ve pushed myself to the limit. I’ve done all I can do to be the best I can be.

(Regarding his decision to keep Floyd Sr. off the dais): “Just to avoid any conflict. That’s why I let my father sit down low, in the audience, because I don’t want any conflict. I’m trying to avoid anyone getting hurt. If I’m up here and Robert’s up here, and my dad and his dad get to fighting, and they fall on him or fall on me, somebody’s finger gets broke or something happens, somebody gets cut, then we’re talking about hundreds of millions of dollars down the drain

“I think I made a smart decision. I don’t have to fight his father. I’m here to fight the fighter. Like I told my dad, just carry yourself in a classy way.”

(Regarding the addition of his father to his corner after the Miguel Cotto fight): “It was an exciting fight, but I feel there are certain things my father can see that maybe Roger can’t. When you have diabetes, your vision gets bad. I can’t afford for somebody’s vision to be bad in a big fight like this.”

ROBERT GUERRERO, Six-Time and Four-Division World Champion

“First off I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I’m ready. I’m excited. You guys talk about this being Floyd Mayweather’s home, we’re doing a home invasion (on Saturday).

“Like my father said, ‘I am who I am, I’m going to be who I am.’ That’s who he (Ruben) is. I can’t tell him what to say and tell him what not to say. That’s my father. He’s going to do what he does.

“That 0 has to go. Records are made to be broken. On May 4, that record is going to be broken. He’s going to have his first loss. You better believe that because I’m ready to go. I can’t wait.

“My dad is pumped up. That’s the real Mr. ALL ACCESS right there. It’s good you have security here and the officers because he’s not all talk.

“I’m relaxed and ready to go. It’s fight time. That’s what I’m here for. It’s time to make it happen

“Anytime is the right time to catch Floyd. It’s just a matter of getting the fight. You’ll see a new WBC world champ on Saturday. I’m taking over. Records are made to be broken and we’re going to give him his first ‘1.’”

FLOYD MAYWEATHER SR.

(Regarding his son prohibiting him from sitting at the dais): “He knows how I am. He knows I’m the kind of guy I am that I won’t be listening to that B.S. and that I’m gonna attack.

“The head trainer is always supposed to be up there on the podium. I guess they didn’t want me up there. Why is his daddy up there and I’m down here?’’

(On whether the Ruben Guerrero tiff may spill over to Saturday): “The thing about it, when his son gets his butt whupped, you know he’s not going to want to get his whupped too. I don’t think it’s going to spill over anywhere. I think the crap’s going to be over with once his son gets whupped.”

RUBEN GUERRERO

“I’m ready. My son is ready. I’m blessed. He’s blessed. I am what I am. My son’s gonna beat him up.’’

(On the disagreement and Floyd Sr. not being on the dais): “I’ll hurt him, man. If I hit him one time, I don’t want to be responsible. He opened his mouth first. He opened the can of worms. If he’s going to talk, I’ll do it for real.

“They should’ve let him hang up here like a real man.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“On behalf of Mayweather Promotions, I want to thank all of our partners. This has been a wonderful, wonderful promotion. I want to thank all the fans watching this on CBS Sports Network. This will be a great event on Saturday night. Thanks to all of you today for coming out.”

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

“I’m pleased to welcome back Floyd Mayweather to his home for the first time since last May 5 when he fought Miguel Cotto and to welcome back Robert Guerrero, who is making his debut on pay-per-view and fighting for the first time at MGM since he fought Michael Katsidis (April 2011).”

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President of Golden Boy Promotions

“I want to thank everybody involved with this promotion. It’s a pleasure to be able to put on such a great event. We’re making history, one fight at a time. Mayweather is fighting a young, hungry lion in Guerrero. I’m really looking forward to it.

“Plus the co-feature and the two other fights are going to make for a very, very special, explosive and entertaining night of fighting.”

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions

“I want to thank all our sponsors. This is the largest number we’ve ever had.

“This is a top-notch card from top to bottom. Robert Guerrero deserves to be here. He wanted this fight and plans to shock the world. This will be the toughest fight for Floyd. The co-feature is one of the most anticipated showdowns: Ponce De Leon and Abner Mares. You won’t want to miss a second of it.

“This event has been much talked about and is just a few days away. We have a few tickets left. The telecast is available in Spanish using SAP (Secondary Audio Programming), and you can watch it on closed circuit and in movie theatres.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports

“SHOWTIME is in the middle of an extremely strong run of boxing events and boxing programming, perhaps the strongest in its history, and the ratings reflect that.

“Two weeks ago, in front of nearly 40,000 fans in the sold-out Alamodome, we saw Canelo Alvarez come of age in a very hard fought victory over Austin Trout. It was a fight that attracted over 1.3 million viewers, the second most in SHOWTIME’s Nielsen history.

“Last Saturday, in front of the largest boxing crowd in the history of BarclaysCenter, we drew the largest boxing rating of any of the networks.

“I call this the Grand Finale. Not only because it’s Floyd Mayweather and pay-per-view, but because we have a determined challenger who is going to make him fight. The co-feature between Ponce De Leon and Mares could be a main event anywhere. In fact it was a main event until we moved it to this card.”
# # #

ABOUT “MAYDAY: MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO”:

“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and 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). Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” are still available for purchase with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and will also be available for purchaseby phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com

CORONA, CALIFORNIA (May 1, 2013)—This Thursday night, 2012 Olympic Gold Medal winner Taras Shelestyuk will make his second professional outing when he takes Brandon Adams in a four round Jr. Middleweight bout that will be part of a special edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights card at the Omega Products International.

Adams is trained by former Light Heavyweight title challenger Yaqui Lopez.

The show is promoted by Banner Promotions and Thompson Boxing Promotions.

Shelestyuk of Sumy, Ukraine made an impressive pro debut on March 29th when he dropped Kamal Muhammad three times for a first round stoppage victory.

“I prepared for this fight 100 percent. It’s a four round fight and I want to give everyone who watches it an exciting fight”, said Shelestyuk.

“Taras has been doing very well in the gym. Freddie Roach and his assistant Marvin Somodio are very happy with his progress and we are already talking about a possible big fight soon”, said Shelestyuk manager Vadim Kornilov.

“I was very impressed and delighted the way Taras handled his debut”, said Banner Promotions CEO Arthur Pelullo.

“”I look forward to his bout on Thursday and we see big things for Taras in the future.

In the ten round main event, former world title challenger Ji-Hoon Kim (24-8, 18 KO’s) takes on Mauricio Herrera (18-3, 7 KO’s) in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

In the ten round televised co-feature, former world champion Miguel Acosta (29-6-2, 23 KO’s) battles Miguel Gonzalez (20-3, 15 KO’s).

All bouts are subject to change without notice.
Doors open at 5:00 P.M. (Pacific Time)
First fight at 5:45 P.M.
First Bout on ESPN2 at 7:00 P.M.
Ticket prices: $100, $60, $40.
Tickets are available by calling 714-935-0900 or by visiting the website: www.thompsonboxing.com

Episode 4 of ALL ACCESS: MAYWEATHER vs. GUERRERO takes fans inside the final preparations for undefeated Eight-Time and Five-Division World Champion Floyd Mayweather and Six-Time and Four-Division World Champion Robert Guerrero as they enter the last days before their showdown, “MAY DAY: MAYWEATHER vs. GUERRERO.” The episode premieres TONIGHT, May 1 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME.

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“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and 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). Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” are still available for purchase with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.comor www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and will also be available for purchaseby phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

02 May 2013 – Manila: ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC) has formed an exclusive agreement with Yahoo! Philippines, the number one news site in the Philippines. Yahoo! Philippines will feature exclusive content on its website all year long, including exclusive interviews with fighters, behind the scenes footage and feature highlight stories. Yahoo! readers will also stand a chance to win a trip to future ONE FC events.

ONE FC CEO Victor Cui stated, “On behalf of ONE FC, I will like to welcome Yahoo! Philippines on board. Yahoo! is an internationally recognizable brand and the number one news site in the Philippines and we are beyond excited to have Yahoo! Philippines as an official media partner. The partnership will present unique opportunities for both parties and is testament to the phenomenal growth that ONE FC has made. “

Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and has 11,500 employees in 25 countries, provinces, and territories. Yahoo! Philippines is the number one web news portal in the country.

For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Twitter @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.

About ONE Fighting Championship™

Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Fighting Championship™ (http://www.onefc.com) is Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization. ONE Fighting Championship™ hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Fighting Championship™ has partnered with STAR Sports, the number one leader in sports content, for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans across 70+ countries in Asia.

On SportsCenter beginning Wednesday, May 1, bilingual reporters Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) of ESPN’s Friday Night Fights and ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates and ESPN.com senior writer Dan Rafael (@danrafaelespn) will report from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, site of Saturday’s Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Robert Guerrero fight for Mayweather’s WBC welterweight title.

Coverage will include one-on-one interviews with each fighter on Wednesday, following Friday’s weigh-in, which will be aired live on SportsCenter at 6:12 p.m., and after Saturday night’s fight. Osuna and Rafael will also provide instant analysis pieces leading up to the fight, while ESPN2 Friday Night Fights’ analyst Teddy Atlas will craft an “Atlas Fight Plan” for both Mayweather and Guerrero, showing what each must do to win.

In addition, ESPN Deportes will air two special Golpe a Golpe shows – one to cover the weigh-in live on Friday at 6 p.m. and another immediately after the bout on Saturday evening. Coverage will be led by boxing experts Osuna, David Failtelson and Jorge Eduardo Sanchez, alongside the legendary Mexican Champion Juan Manuel Marquez. The experts will also provide analysis and the latest news leading up to the fight across the network’s news and information programming.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (May 1, 2013) – On the heels of her second-career Invicta Fighting Championships “Fight of the Night” performance, crowd-pleasing, prolific striker Leslie “The Peacemaker” Smith (5-3-1) of Pleasanton, Calif. has signed a new, multi-fight agreement with the women’s world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) promotion and will drop from bantamweight (135 pounds) to flyweight (125 pounds) and challenge Jennifer Maia (7-2) of Curitiba, Brazil. at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on Saturday, July 13.

The winner of the Invicta FC 6 matchup between Smith and Maia will be awarded a title shot against newly crowned Invicta FC World Flyweight Champion Barb Honchak (8-2) of Bettendorf, Iowa.

“We are excited to bring Leslie under the Invicta Fighting Championships umbrella for the long-term and to watch her compete in a new weight class that is becoming super competitive in our promotion,” said Invicta FC President Shannon Knapp. “Since we launched our live event series last year, Leslie has demonstrated incredible tenacity and athleticism by putting on some of the most memorable fights in our cage. She is a true warrior as is her opponent Jennifer Maia, so we are looking forward to an explosive matchup between two of the sport’s stars on what will be Invicta FC’s biggest fight card to date.”

The 30-year-old Smith engaged in an all-out war with former Strikeforce champion Sarah Kaufman at Invicta FC 5 at Ameristar Casino Hotel Kansas City on April 5. Following the conclusion of the three-round contest that many believe Smith won, however, Kaufman was awarded a controversial, split decision, prompting widespread boos from the displeased, capacity crowd.

Smith also won “Fight of the Night” honors at the inaugural Invicta FC event on April 28, 2012, after slugging it out relentlessly with fellow striker Kaitlin Young for the duration of their three-round bantamweight bout. The fight was declared a majority draw, setting up a much-anticipated rematch at Invicta FC 3 on Oct. 6 that saw Smith take charge and finish Young with an onslaught of punches from mount position in the second round (2:19) of the matchup.

Maia, a 24-year-old submission specialist, notched her first victory in the Invicta FC cage with a stunning upset, unanimous decision win over superstar Zoila Frausto Gurgel on April 5. Recognized as one of Brazil’s quickest rising stars, Maia made quick work of each of her first four professional career opponents, scoring a first round TKO (punches) in her pro debut on Suelen Pinheiro Ribeiro in 2009, and submitting each of her next three opponents inside the first round.

Tickets for Invicta FC 6: Cyborg vs. Coenen 2, go on sale soon.

In the main event of the stacked 13-bout card, ferocious KO artist and pound-for-pound sensation Cris Cyborg (11-1, 1 NC) of Curitiba, Brazil will face off with fellow superstar and submission ace Marloes Coenen (21-5) of The Netherlands in the first-ever Invicta FC world featherweight (145 pounds) championship bout.

The showdown between rivals Cyborg and Coenen marks a highly-anticipated rematch to their explosive, barnburner first fight in Sunrise, Fla. on Jan 30, 2010 in which Cyborg emerged victorious by way of TKO (punches) in the third and final scheduled round (3:40) of action.

In the co-main event, reigning Invicta FC world strawweight (115 pounds) champion Carla “Cookie Monster” Esparza (9-2) of Redondo Beach, Calif. will put her title on the line against undefeated JEWELS champion Ayaka Hamasaki (9-0) of Tokyo, Japan.

About Invicta Fighting Championships:

Invicta Fighting Championships (www.invictafc.com) is a world championship Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fight series dedicated to providing female athletes with a major platform to hone their skills on a consistent basis. Founded in 2012 by longtime MMA executive Shannon Knapp and sports aficionado Janet Martin, Invicta is committed to pioneering the future growth of women’s MMA by promoting the best possible matchups between female competitors and identifying and developing future superstars of the sport.

David Itskowitch
We’re on the home stretch now for the big one. Again, May 4th, MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, live on Showtime pay-per-view beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET, 6:00 p.m. PT. Our main event is, of course, Floyd “Money” Mayweather against Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the Vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship.

Also, we have on today’s call, Daniel Ponce De Leon vs. Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce De Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship. We also have Leo Santa Cruz vs. Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and opening the pay-per-view broadcast is J’Leon Love vs. Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight bout for the vacant NADF Middleweight Championship.

We’re sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. We still have some tickets remaining for the event. They can be purchased through Ticketmaster or at the MGM Grand. We also have closed circuit tickets available for $50. Closed circuit telecast will happen at the ARIA, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo, and New York- New York. We urge everybody if you’re in town, you can’t get a ticket to be at MGM Grand, come out and see it with other fight fans on closed circuit. It’s a great experience.

So now without any further ado, I’d like to introduce our first fighter we have on the call today. He’s a young man who broke on the international scene in 2012. In June, he won the IBF Bantamweight World Championship with a 12-round decision win over Vusi Malinga. He went on to defend his belt an unprecedented three times in 2012 with victories over Eric Laurel, Victor Zaleta and Alberto Guevara.

He will look to keep his undefeated record intact when he faces Munoz this Saturday night. He has a record of 23-0-1 with 13 KO’s; from Los Angeles, California, Leo Santa Cruz.

Leo Santa Cruz
Hello, everybody. I’m very happy to be here and I’m very excited and I’m ready.

Itskowitch
All right, Leo. Thank you. We’ll now turn over to Q&A for Leo.

Q
Your last fight was on CBS and made a big splash. Now, you’re on a major card with Floyd Mayweather and Abner Mares, who there have been mention of you fighting him at some point. How big is this for you in terms of making an impression in the big lime light?

Santa Cruz
It’s a big pressure for me because being with Ponce de Leon and Mares and Mayweather, they know that they give good fights. They’re going to steal the show. So, for me to be on that card, it’s telling me that people are expecting a lot from me too. So, I will be training really hard in the gym and we’ll be giving it all we got so we could come out there May 4th and impress other people and give it all we got. That’s what we got to do, show the people and the fans what they want, what they like.

And I have big pressure, but I’m very motivated. I’m very happy and excited to be on this big undercard.

Q
Can you talk about the rise in weight? Is that beneficial to you? Were you having any weight issues, and also, the notion of your power going into the next weight class? Can you address all of those issues?

Santa Cruz
Yes. The bigger names are in 122 and that’s what we want to fight. Before, I thought earlier in my career, once I fight 122, and they said that I look stronger in 122, that I look stronger. I look much better. So, that’s why we move up to 122. So, I think it’s now official. We’re going to move 122.

We’re going to try to win this fight. We have to go out there and try our best and hopefully it goes good and then the next fight, or a couple of fights, we’re going to try to go for the world title again.

Q
When you say you want to look good and you’re on this big card, would a decision in your mind be palatable, or do you need to be spectacular and really kind of score a knockout in an impressive fashion?

Santa Cruz
Yes. That’s what we’re going to try to do. We’re going to try to go out there and we’re going to try to work the body and try to stop it because we’re going to try to be the first one to stop him because nobody has ever stopped him. So, we’re going to try to go out and try to impress with a knock-out and be the first one to stop him. If not, we’re going to try to do a good, good decision that I could impress all the fans and they could keep on following me and be impressed.

Q
What objectives do you have? You’re moving up in division. You’re moving up obviously from 118 to 122. Why are you doing that, and what are your plans?

Santa Cruz
Obviously a lot of the better fighters are at 122. A lot of the big names are there and at 126 as well. So, my objective is to fight at 122 a couple of times, hopefully be able to fight for world title. If I’m able to win a world title, defend it a few times, and then I can very easily move up to 126.

Q
What’s the difference in the gym? What have you been doing differently in the gym? What have you been working on? How do you feel at 122, fighting at a bigger weight?

Santa Cruz
I’ve been working on many things. First of all, I feel really good. I feel a lot stronger at 122 and I’ve been working a little bit on my defense with my father and my brother. We’ve been working on lateral movement, a lot of waste movement, bobbing and weaving and everything is going great.

Q
How important is it for you to be fighting on May 4 underneath these huge names – Mayweather, Guerrero, Daniel Ponce de Leon, Mares? How important is it for you and how do you feel about fighting on this date?

Santa Cruz
It’s very important. It’s an important fight. It’s an important date. It’s a pay-per-view. It’s probably one of the most important fights of my career. It’s almost like fighting for a world title. I got to take advantage of it. I got to steal the spotlight. I got to make fans. There’s going to be so many people watching this show that I have to make a name for myself.

Obviously, Mayweather’s going to put a good fight like he always does. Daniel Ponce de Leon, Abner Mares are going to put on a good fight. I want to stay too far behind. I got to put up a good fight as well so I can be able to steal some fans, have people follow me. It’s important for my career. It’s important for the future.

Q
You fought five times in 2012. You’re fighting for the first time this Saturday this year. Were there plans by you or your team to slow things down a bit for this year?

Santa Cruz
They told me that they had something good for me, to just be patient and wait and the patience was worth it because I’m not on this big undercard. Anybody would like to be on this card. Thank God and thank the promoter and my manager that they pick me to be on this undercard. So, I’m very happy.

Monica Sears
Leo, if you want to make any closing comments.

Santa Cruz
Yes, I want to say to all my fans, thank you for all the support. They’re the ones that are keeping me out here, training really hard. They’re the ones that give me the motivation to keep on fighting because it wasn’t for them, I wouldn’t be where I am right now. So, I say thank you and on May 4th, I’m going to go out there and give it my all. I’m going to give it my best because I’m going to give what the fans want.

I’m going to go out there and give it my all. I’m not going to give up and I’m going to try my best to impress them and to give them what they want. So, I say thank you.

Itskowitch
Okay. I’ll first say a few remarks. I’d like to introduce a young man who turned professional in 2005 after representing Mexico in the 2004 Olympics. He won his first world championship in 2011 when he defeated Joseph Agbeko for the IBF Bantamweight World Championship in Showtime’s Bantamweight Championship Series. After defending his title against Agbeko in a rematch later that year, Mares moved up to 122 pounds in 2012 and beat Eric Morel for the vacant WBC Super Bantamweight belt.

In his most recent fight, he made a major statement with an exciting win over WBA Bantamweight Super World Champion, Anselmo Moreno last November and now, he’s ready to face Daniel Ponce De Leon for the WBC Featherweight World Championship and possibly become the three times Three-Division World Champion. He’s got a record of 25-0-1 with 13 KO’s, originally from Guadalajara, Mexico, now fighting out of Hawaiian Gardens, California, Abner Mares. Abner?

Mares
Hello. Hi. I’m happy to be on this card. I can’t wait to put on the show May 4th and I’m excited to be fighting Daniel Ponce de Leon, another warrior.

Itskowitch
Thank you, Abner. Now, to say a few words; he was a 2000 Olympian, has won world titles in the Junior Featherweight and Featherweight divisions. In 2005, he won the vacant WBO title at 122 pounds and went on to defend the belt six times. He’s 32-years-old and on a 3-0 winning streak right now, including his September 2012 win over Johnny Gonzales. He captured the WBC Featherweight World Championship, making him the two time world champion. He’s now looking to make it four in a row when he defends his title against Mares on Saturday night.

He has a record of 44-4 with 35 KO’s from Cuauhtémoc, Mexico, now fighting out of Los Angeles, California, Daniel Ponce de Leon. Ponce?

Ponce de Leon
Good afternoon. Thank you for being here, everybody and enjoy the fight May 4th.

Itskowitch
Okay. I guess we can now turn over to the media for questions for Abner and Ponce.

Q
I’d like to ask you about when this fight came about, it really came about because of the fact that you were not able to get the fight that you had told all of us for a long time that you really wanted, which was the fight against Donaire to unify your title at 122 pounds.

Can you just talk about going from thinking that maybe you might have a chance to get that fight, there was an offer extended, it didn’t work out. He went and was doing his other fight that he ended up losing to Guillermo Rigondeaux and now you’re taking the opportunity to go up in weight and in your first fight at the weight; you’re getting a chance to fight for the world title. Sort of your feelings about how that all sort of played out.

Mares
I think it just played out great. I mean things started falling into place. It went from wanting to get that big fight against Nonito Donaire and pressuring for that fight. Obviously, … weren’t comfortable with the contract and then it went to Ponce having a fight against Menes and that fight falling through and myself getting the opportunity to fight Ponce.

So, I think everything happens for a reason. Everything’s fell into place and I think it was meant to be. Thank God, I thank Golden Boy and everybody in my whole team for making this possible to give me an opportunity to fight for another world title with the opportunity of becoming three time world champion. I’m excited for this weekend.

Q
Abner, when you gave up the title after you didn’t get the fight against Donaire and you made the decision to go to featherweight, had you given up the title and made that announcement knowing that you were going to get Ponce, or just taking the opportunity, not knowing if this would be your fight and it just ended up working out that way? In other words, did you know that you were getting a big fight when you left the weight class without the Donaire fight in your back pocket, or did it come along after you had already made that decision to give up the belt and to move up in weight?

Mares
It actually came along. I mean, again, it fell into place. I think any other fighter, and I myself was thinking of taking-getting my feet wet first at 126, a featherweight. We were trying to get a fight in Mexico, something comfortable. But again, things have started happening, started falling into place and I got this opportunity.

I like to take advantage of the opportunities and this fight was presented. It’s a tough fight. It’s a hard fight to start with at 126. But again, I think it’s a great opportunity and I’m going to take full advantage of it.

Q
Okay, but just to be clear, when you gave up the title, you didn’t know that this was going to be taking place.

Mares
No. No, no, no. I gave up my title thinking I was just moving up to 126 and looking for the opportunity. But again, this opportunity was presented for the reason his fight fell through. I was looking for a fight at 126 and things just happened.

Q
Okay, and I want to ask Ponce the same question when Abner’s done answering. It is an unusual situation that both of you guys, two top fighters, champions, both managed by the same manager. Frank Espinoza’s obviously done a good job to get you guys to where you are, but it’s not a normal thing that managers have their fighters face each other. I’m wondering if either of you have an opinion on that happening and how that has in any way either been a problem, or worked out well or if you’re happy with the way things are split up.

I know Frank has talked to me about making sure that he does everything 50 percent down the line that doesn’t try to favor either one of you guys, whether it’s everything from the ring walks to how things are done in the dress room ahead of time; all the different things that go into taking care of a fight. What are your thoughts on that aspect of this matchup that is a little unusual, Abner?

Mares
Okay, no, I mean Frank has kept it really professional in that sense. I mean I really, really appreciate and want to let it be known that Frank has been nothing by professional in that sense. He’s been-it was hard. It must be hard for him.

He’s away from my camp. He hasn’t stepped a foot in my gym since I started camp out of respect to me and out of respect to Ponce. I’m sure he hasn’t been to his camp either. He just calls me on a professional sense, for interviews, but nothing regarding my training.

Again, it’s tough for him to make this fight happen and I just thank him for making this fight happen and at the same time, I’m sure it’s hard for him. I mean I’m comfortable as far as giving me the opportunity and, as well, keeping it fifty-fifty for me and Ponce.

Ponce De Leon
No, everything’s fine. It’s actually kind of easy because it was easy to make the fight. Golden Boy, Frank, represent both fighters. So, it was kind of easy to make the fight. There’s no controversy whatsoever. Golden Boy, you guys have been neutral. Everything has been neutral with Golden Boy and with Frank as well. He’s been neutral. So, everything’s been fine.

Q
Obviously, this is a difficult fight. Abner’s a very good fighter. He’s a smaller guy coming up though, but at the same time, he’s a very good boxer. How do you see the fight coming out this Saturday?

Ponce De Leon
I’m a tough fighter. I’m a pressure fighter. I like to come forward and make fights, which is good and it’s going to be a very difficult fight, but I trained hard. I trained very, very hard and I’m going to be ready for the fight.

Q
How important is it for you fight a big fight card like this one underneath Mayweather? How important is it for you, and how do you feel fighting on the fight card?

Ponce De Leon
Well, it’s very important. Fighting underneath Mayweather, it’s a big show and not only that, but also fighting on Cinco de Mayo. That’s a big fiesta for Mexico, tradition. I’m excited to be fighting there. Mexico’s, they’re warriors. They’re warriors. They’ve been at war. It was actually May 5th is about a war. So, it’s very good.

I’m just happy also that the U.S. recognizes it, that it’s an important holiday for all Mexicans. So, I’m very, very excited.

Mares
It’s great. I’m very, very excited. Obviously, when you fight underneath Mayweather, the fans come out. People pay attention. It gets everybody to tune in. So, it’s very, very good. It’s going to be important for me to try to steal the spotlight. It’s going to be a very, very good fight and I just feel that hopefully on Sunday after the fight, nobody’s really talking about Mayweather. I hope everybody’s talking about the great that the two Mexicans put on, Abner Mares and Ponce De Leon.

Q
Abner, you fought your last six fights against who’s who – Perez, Darchinyan, Agbeko twice, Morel, Moreno. I think the boxing public appreciates your ability. Do you feel generally appreciated in a relation to guys like say Tim Bradley and Adrien Broner?

Mares
This year I’m not quite yet to that level where I think I deserve it. I know Bradley fought a lot of great fights and it only took him that one fight against Pacquiao to really get him recognized. I am looking for that big fight and I think I have been doing it 5:30 p.m. and keep on going. I don’t plan on stopping here after Ponce. I plan on fighting any other top elite fighter.

I just hope that I do get direct relation after this fight that I’m going to put in on May 4th in this great, great performance.

Q
You fought guys like Gamboa and Broner. There are some people who have already beat Broner and obviously we fought Lopez and lost that fight. Do you feel that those fights could be a barometer for you maybe winning spectacular and in comparison, you want to do better than those guys did against?

Mares
Definitely. I think I’ve proven myself already to some point by just fighting all these elite fighters and pretty much letting people know that I’m … face anyone. And those names that you brought up I mean just are big, elite names, big names and I will definitely and anybody that knows boxing knows that I will definitely fight them any given day.

Of course, I got this big fight, this tough fight against Ponce De Leon and God willing, getting past this fight with a victory I will most definitely look into those things as well.

Q
Okay, last question for you. You’re moving up in weight. He does hit very hard. In relation to the guys that you’ve fought and the fact that you’re moving up, how big a factor-can you characterize the factor that Ponce De Leon’s power is and how that factors into your strategy?

Mares
I mean it’s a big factor knowing that I’m stepping in a different weight class, heavier weight class and already going in against a heavy puncher. It’s hard, but I think it’s all mental. I think it’s all mental. I’m going in weighing the same. He’s weighing the same that same night and after, I know I’m going to recuperate and I’m going to be at least six to ten pounds heavy the next day.

I think that night, I want to let it be known that skills and smartness skills power and power and pressure any day. So, I think that’s going to be my key and I plan to put it to work on May 4th.

Q
Okay. Same question that I left on with Abner; given the fact that he’s moving up in weight, how much do you think your size and your power relative to what he has seen, how much do you think that will be a factor in this fight?

Ponce de Leon
Basically that is going to be a difference. It is going to be somewhat of a difference and you do have to take it into account. I’ve done it before in my career. I fought as high as 130 and I noticed a difference in size and in power. So, I’m sure that he’s going to feel the difference as well. It’s hard to just jump up all of a sudden to another weight class and be fighting for the world title. It’s very, very tough.

But, even though I say that, I’m not going to take it. I’m going to be very, very careful, obviously. I’m going to still think about my game plan and I’m preparing myself as if I’m fighting a solid 126 pounder featherweight in my division.

Q
Okay. My last question for you; you fought, as I mentioned, Gamboa, Broner, Lopez and you’re coming off that big win over Gonzales. How does he compare to Gonzales first of all? Are you looking at him as a more difficult opponent or about the same? And then, how did the fights with Gamboa and Broner who are both boxers, you fought Broner at a higher weight class, how will those fights prepare you for this one?

Ponce De Leon
Well, Abner is very similar to them. He’s very similar. He’s a good technician. He’s got a very, very good style, but the difference is that he’s smaller. I fought both Gamboa and Broner at 130. They were bigger guys and I fought Johnny Gonzales at 126. He’s a good technician. It was a tough fight as well. It wasn’t that easy, but the difference is that Abner’s a smaller guy.

But, nevertheless, I know it’s going to be a tough fight. It’s going to be a hard, tough fight and that’s what I prepared myself for. I prepared myself for a tough fight and the most important thing is to make a good fight.

Q
Okay, real quick, since you touched on it, you talked about what it was like for you to move up and fight Gamboa and Broner. You just mentioned that he’s smaller. Again, I want to ask you are you planning on emphasizing at all your size and your power to a degree that maybe he hasn’t seen in his past?

Ponce De Leon
I’m going to come out and fight. I’m going to come out and fight. I have my strategy and I’m going to come out and fight. Obviously, depending on how the fight goes, if I feel that there’s a big advantage in using my size and my power, then I’m going to take advantage of it. I’m going to take advantage of it. I’m going to feed off of that and use it to my power and to my advantage.

But, at the same time, since he is a smaller guy, he can very well be faster. So, I got to be careful with that as well. So, it all depends. I’m going to come out with my strategy. If feel that I can utilize my size and power, then I’m going to use that and use it to my advantage.

Q
You’re moving up. You’re moving up to a different weight division. How’s your preparation been? What have you been doing in the gym? How do you feel?

Mares
I feel very good. I feel very strong. That’s the difference. Believe it or not, those four little pounds make a difference. I’m not dehydrated. I don’t have to struggle to make the weight. So, I feel very, very strong and my sparring, I’ve been sparring guys that are bigger, lightweight, junior welterweights.

But, I’ll know fight night what I have to do to be successful. I’m going to know fight night what it’s going to feel like. It’s different moving up in weight. But right now, I feel very good and I feel very strong.

Q
Abner, you’ve been moving up in weight. You’re going to move up again. Do you think this is too fast, it’s too early in your career to be moving up to this weight class, or do you think it’s good timing?

Mares
Look, the most important thing for me is to make good fights. I want to make good fights. I want to make my fans happy, all the boxing fans. I want them to be happy and coming out to my fights. So, that’s the most important thing for me.

This is going to be a good fight and moving up a weight or whatever, I look for the biggest possible fight at 122. There was one fight and that fight wasn’t able to be made. So, the next biggest thing was to move up and to fight for this title, and that’s what I’m doing.

But, the most important thing, again, are the fans, the boxing fans, and I want to make them happy. And if I make them happy I’m doing my job.

Q
You’ve been studying Abner. Do you see any weaknesses, anything that you can take advantage of?

Ponce De Leon
Well, I’m not going to give away any secrets, but I do have my strategy and I’m going to stick to my game plan, but I will say this; Abner has a big heart. I know that. He’s a very, very good fighter. He’s a pressure fighter. He knows how to pressure when he needs to and again, it’s going to be a good fight. And I’ll know fight night whether I have to box a little more or I have to put on pressure as well. And I’m going to know fight night what happens.

Q
Ponce, if you’re victorious on Saturday, what’s ahead? What can you tell us? What are your plans? What would you like to do?

Ponce De Leon
Well, I still feel that I have a lot to give to the sport. I feel a lot better now, a lot more confident, a lot stronger than I did when I was champion before at 122. Believe it or not, it’s a lot easier now I feel fighting because I have a lot more experience. But look, I’ll do whatever. I’ll fight anybody. I’ll do whatever my promoter says and I’ll be ready for anything, anything that comes ahead.

Q
How important is it for you to win your third world title and as many divisions?

Mares
It’s very motivating. It’s very, very motivating to me that I’m able to do it. I’m still very young. I’m 26-years-old and I’m able to do that in such a short period of time. Obviously, Julio Cesar Chavez did it. He was able to do it and to be able to do that, to be the next person to do it, it just feels great. It’s a motivating factor for me.

Q
Most of your career, all your career has been fights in the United States. Is this fight important to help boost your name and your fans in Mexico?

Mares
No, not really. I mean obviously people do know me in Mexico. This is a good fight against a tough champion, a very good champion in Ponce De Leon, Mexican champion people know. But, little by little, people are starting to know me. They’re starting to get to know me in Mexico because of the great fights I made in the past, the great opponents I’ve had. I think that the real switchover is going to be when I eventually fight in Mexico, which is something that’s a dream of mine, something I’ve been wanting to do, something I’ve talked to my promoter about.

And when I do that I feel that people-I’ll be able to win them over finally and they’ll see me fighting in the country of Mexico.

Q
Obviously, this is a historical fight. You said it itself, winning a third title in the Third-Division. How important is it for you to become a Mexican idol? Do you think this is going to do it for you?

Mares
Look, I don’t think about that. I don’t plan for it. I don’t think about that. Again, the most important thing for me is to make good fights, make great fights, let the people put me where they want to put me. Let them decide whether I’m an idol or not. I don’t worry about that.

I train hard to make good fights. I think that this is going to be a very good fight with Daniel Ponce De Leon and that’s the most important thing for is to make good fights and for the people to be happy. So, I don’t worry about that, or I don’t plan for it, to try to be an idol.

Q
I’d like to ask both fighters for their analysis of the Mayweather-Guerrero main event and who they both think will win and why, and then I have a follow-up question for Abner.

Mares
That fight-I don’t know. I’m just thinking about my fight. I don’t know. I just hope that it’s a good fight, but not as good as our fight. That’s it.

Ponce de Leon
Hey, it’s difficult to pick somebody. Mayweather is a very good fighter. He’s a difficult fighter, best defense, good fighter and Robert Guerrero too. Robert Guerrero is a very, very good fighter, worthy of this challenge. I just think that it’s up in the air. It’s a 50-50 fight. It’s up in the air and I just think it’s going to be a very, very good fight.

Q
Thanks and for Abner; Abner, regarding Guillermo Rigondeaux’s recent performance against Nonito Donaire, I was wondering if you were disappointed in the loss of a potential super fight opponent, or do you see it differently?

Mares
No. I was definitely not disappointed. If anything, I was more in shock, not shock, but I was like-I was one of the many people that thought Nonito was going to take it. I’m obviously going to back that up because I’ve said that Nonito was going to win and he didn’t. Rigondeaux gave him a hell of a fight, just a boxing clinic. He just out boxed him and did whatever he did with him on that fight.

I’m not disappointed at all. Everybody knew I wanted to fight Nonito. Rigondeaux exposed him. I wanted to be the one to do that, but he beat me to it. And now, I would love to fight any of them, either Rigondeaux or Nonito.

I saw Rigondeaux already in the amateurs in the Pan American Games. He beat me. Yes, it was a controversial fight and I would love to fight him again. But again, I have a fight less than a week away from now and I plan on seeing that fight first and then let’s see what happens.

Q
Of course. With regard to Rigondeaux performance, were you more surprised by how effective Rigondeaux was or by how ineffective Donaire was?

Mares
I think a little bit of both. I mean I already knew how Rigondeaux fought because he hasn’t changed at all – same style at the amateurs, really more as a defense fighter. I think I was a little bit shocked too, surprised that Nonito seemed like he didn’t train. He seemed like he was out of gas and didn’t know what to do.

But again, I blame that on his last four or five fights that he had. No fighter level to what Rigondeaux’s style and performance. I think that was a big major thing why he didn’t look that impressive.

Sears
Thanks, everyone, for being on the phone. Thanks to both Daniel and Abner. Do you guys want to make any last comments before we conclude the call?

Mares
Yes, just make sure you watch May 4th.. It’s going to be a great night of fights. Its Cinco de Mayo – a Mexican weekend and I plan to keep it that way, a Mexican weekend. Thank you so much.

Ponce de Leon
Thank you all. Thank you for all the support, especially Golden Boy Promotions, Frank Espinoza, the fans. I’ll wait for you guys. I’ll see you guys hopefully on May 4th, wait for a great fight and God bless everybody.

END OF CALL

ABOUT “MAYDAY: MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO”:
“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and 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). Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.

Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” are still available for purchase with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and will also be available for purchase by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online atwww.ticketmaster.com.

02 May 2013 – Manila: ONE Fighting Championship™ (ONE FC) has formed an exclusive agreement with Yahoo! Philippines, the number one news site in the Philippines. Yahoo! Philippines will feature exclusive content on its website all year long, including exclusive interviews with fighters, behind the scenes footage and feature highlight stories. Yahoo! readers will also stand a chance to win a trip to future ONE FC events.

ONE FC CEO Victor Cui stated, “On behalf of ONE FC, I will like to welcome Yahoo! Philippines on board. Yahoo! is an internationally recognizable brand and the number one news site in the Philippines and we are beyond excited to have Yahoo! Philippines as an official media partner. The partnership will present unique opportunities for both parties and is testament to the phenomenal growth that ONE FC has made. “

Yahoo! is headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, and has 11,500 employees in 25 countries, provinces, and territories. Yahoo! Philippines is the number one web news portal in the country.

For more updates on ONE Fighting Championship™, please visit www.onefc.com and follow on Twitter @ONEFCMMA and Facebook at www.facebook.com/ONEFCMMA.

About ONE Fighting Championship™
Headquartered in Singapore, ONE Fighting Championship™ (http://www.onefc.com) is Asia’s largest mixed martial arts organization. ONE Fighting Championship™ hosts the best Asian mixed martial artists and world champions on the largest media broadcast in Asia. ONE Fighting Championship™ has partnered with STAR Sports, the number one leader in sports content, for an unprecedented 10-year cable television deal with a coverage that spans across 70+ countries in Asia.

Montreal, Tuesday, April 30th, 2013 – InterBox and Groupe Yvon Michel (GYM) are proud to announce all six undercard bouts that will support the historic fight between Lucian Bute (31-1-0 24 KO) and Jean Pascal (27-2-1 16 KO) on Saturday, May 25th 2013 at the Montreal Bell Centre. 4 title belts will be on the line for this Mega Card that has already convinced over 17,000 fans to purchase their tickets. Several new good tickets have been placed into circulation for the general public on Monday.

Froch vs Kessler II: IBF and WBA World titles Unification bout aired live at the Bell Centre

The evening’s festivities will get under way at 6:30 PM at the Bell Centre, with the live presentation of the much anticipated rematch between Carl Froch (30-2-0, 22 KO) and Mikkel Kessler (46-2-0, 35 KO) on big screen. The winner of this bout will unify the Super Middleweight titles (IBF & WBA). Both boxers squared off for the first time during the Super 6 Boxing Series in April 2010 in Denmark, with Kessler walking away from a hotly contested showdown with a unanimous decision victory on home soil (115-113, 116-112, and 117-111). Having promised Carl a rematch in his Home Country, Kessler signed on the dotted line to fight Froch at the 02 Arena in London. Froch is looking to avenge his loss and add the WBA belt to his long list on accomplishments.

Alvarez vs Green

Undefeated #5 rated WBA Light Heavyweight contender Eleider Alvarez (12-0-0 8 KO) will be looking to score a 4th consecutive knockout at the Bell Centre. His customer is a tough one and certainly no stranger to Quebec. Allan Green (32-4-0, 22 KO), a former Super 6 contestant, is 2-0 in Quebec rings, having beaten Quebeckers Sebastien Demers and Renan St-Juste. This bout is scheduled for 10 rounds.

Gauthier vs Roman

Sebastien Gauthier (22-4-0 14 KO) from St-Jerome, Quebec, has not had life easy his last few fights, having come out the losing end of physical and bloody wars with ex-World champions Steve Molitor and Rodrigo Guerrero. Gauthier will be looking to renew with the win column but will be facing another tough test in California boxer Manuel Roman (15-2-3, 6 KO) over 8 rounds.

Bizier vs Rios

Quebec native Kevin Bizier (20-0-0, 14 KO) is set to dispute his second fight in 2013. His opponent, the rugged and experienced Aldo Nazareno Rios (48-6-0, 11 KO) from Argentina, will be looking to capitalize on Bizier’s inactivity. Ranked IBF #3 and WBA #6, Bizier will have his hands full with Rios, who has only been KOed once in 54 fights! Rios’ two defeats by decision in World title fights prove he is a tough contender. This bout is scheduled for 8 rounds.

Zewski vs Samuels

Strong off another eye-popping victory last April 13th in New York, Mikael Zewski (19-0-0, 15 KO), from Trois-Rivieres, Quebec, will reacquaint himself with his Quebec fans on May 25th. His opponent, Derrick Samuels (18-4-1, 5 KO), will have a tough task in front of him. The last time the undefeated Zewski boxed at home, he annihilated his opponent in 37 seconds (Cesar Chavez on November 3rd 2012). Zewski will be looking to make another huge statement on May 25th. This bout is also scheduled for 8 rounds.

Bouchard vs Cotroni Jr: A local fight that promises emotion!

Sebastien Bouchard (6-0-0, 2 KO) from Quebec will face the biggest test of his young career on May 25th. Undefeated in 6 bouts, he will lace the gloves vs. Frank Cotroni Jr. (7-1-0 4 KO) in a bout scheduled for 6 rounds at 154 lbs. The blue chip prospect of the Club Empire Gym of Quebec City is looking at this fight as his spring board into bigger and more meaningful fights. Both boxers have been calling each other out for the last year, which is great news for fight fans!

New good tickets available!

Tickets for Pascal vs. Bute are on sale at the Bell Centre Ticket Office by dialing 1-877-668-8269 or by visiting www.evenko.ca. Tickets are also available at Club de boxe Champion by calling (514) 376-0980. Now that the Bell Centre configuration is complete, new good seats are available for the first time at the ticket office.

-30-

LOS ANGELES, April 30 – England’s Lee Purdy, the number four rated IBF welterweight contender, is set to face IBF Welterweight World Champion Devon Alexander in place of Kell Brook who had to withdraw from the May 18 bout against Alexander at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, New Jersey after suffering a foot injury. The bout will be telecast live on SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® along with Lamont Peterson vs. Lucas Matthysse as the main event.

“We look forward to Devon facing a formidable opponent in the U.K.’s Lee Purdy,” said Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. “We have a great card for fans in Atlantic City and those watching at home on SHOWTIME and it will be an exciting night for everyone on May 18th.”

St. Louis’ Devon Alexander (24-1, 13 KO’s) is a master boxer who has already won world titles in two divisions despite being only 25 years old. Alexander is the former IBF and WBC world title holder at 140 pounds, with wins over Lucas Matthysse, Juan Urango and Junior Witter to his name. In 2012, “The Great” made his move to welterweight and by the time he was finished defeating former World Champions Marcos Maidana and Randall Bailey, he was crowned the IBF Welterweight World Champion.

Fighting out of Colchester, Essex, Lee “Lights Out” Purdy (20-3-1, 13 KO’s) has amazed British fans by sailing to the top of the welterweight division despite having no amateur career. A pro since 2006, the 25-year-old brings a knockout streak into his first world title fight, having finished off four consecutive opponents, including longtime contender Cosme Rivera in March.

Peterson vs. Matthysse is presented by Golden Boy Promotions, sponsored by Caesars Atlantic City, Corona and AT&T and will air live on SHOWTIME at 9:15 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) immediately following ALL ACCESS: MAYWEATHER vs. GUERRERO Epilogue which will air at 9:00 p.m. ET/PT. In the co-main event, Devon Alexander faces off against Lee Purdy for Alexander’s IBF Welterweight World Championship. SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® is available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary fights will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $125, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes and service charges, are on sale now and are available for purchase at the Boardwalk Hall box office, by calling Ticketmaster at (800) 736-1420 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

NEW YORK (April 30, 2013) – SHOWTIME and CBS Sports Network have lined up an aggressive schedule of programming this week in anticipation of “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,’’ the four-fight pay-per-view telecast event of the year this Saturday, May 4, (live at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, SHOWTIME PPV) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.

Fans will get a final behind-the-scenes look into both fight camps before Saturday’s fight on ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Guerrero Episode 4 this Wednesday, May 1 at 10 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

· Wednesday, May 1 – Final Press Conference featuring Floyd Mayweather and Robert Guerrero live from Hollywood Theatre at MGM Grand airing live on CBS Sports Network at 4:30pm ET/1:30pm PT.

· Wednesday, May 1 – Episode 4 of ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Guerrero at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME gives fans one last chance to catch a glimpse of the lives of Mayweather and Guerrero as they prepare to battle this Saturday.

· Friday, May 3 – WEIGH IN LIVE from MGM Grand Garden Arena airing live on SHOWTIME and CBS Sports Network at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT.

· Saturday, May 4 – MAY DAY LIVE includes up to two live preliminary fights, special ALL ACCESS features and exclusive interviews from the MGM Grand Garden Arena. MAY DAY LIVE will air live on SHOWTIME at 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT.

SHOWTIME PPV – Saturday, May 4 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT)

*Telecast will be available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).

WBC & VACANT RING MAGAZINE WELTERWEIGHT TITLES – 12 ROUNDS

Floyd Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero

43-0 (26 KO’s) 31-1-1, 18 KO’s

Grand Rapids, Mich. Gilroy, Calif.

WBC FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE – 12 ROUNDS

Daniel Ponce De Leon vs. Abner Mares

44-4 (35 KO’s) 25-0-1 (13 KO’s)

Cuauhtemoc, Mexico Hawaiian Gardens, Calif.

VACANT USBA JUNIOR FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE – 10 ROUNDS

Leo Santa Cruz vs. Alexander Munoz

23-0-1 (13 KO’s) 36-4 (28 KO’s)

Los Angeles, Calif. Bolivar, Venezuela

VACANT NABF MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE – 10 ROUNDS

J’Leon Love vs. Gabriel Rosado

15-0 (8 KO’s) 21-6 (13 KO’s)

Las Vegas, Nev. Philadelphia, Penn.

SHOWTIME – Saturday, May 4 (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT)

*Telecast will be available in Spanish on secondary audio programming (SAP).

SUPER MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 8 ROUNDS

Badou Jack vs. Michael Gbenga

13-0 (9 KO’s) 16-7 (16 KO’s)

Las Vegas, Nev. Accra, Ghana

MIDDLEWEIGHTS – 6 ROUNDS (TIME PERMITTING)

Luis Arias vs. DonYil Livingston

4-0 (3 KO’s) 8-2-1 (4 KO’s)

Las Vegas, Nev. Palmdale, Calif.

· Saturday, May 4 – Following the SHOWTIME PPV event, CBS Sports Network will provide complete analysis of the action with commentator Barry Tompkins and analyst Steve Farhood, as well as live coverage of the post-fight press conference.

During the week leading up to the bout, CBS Sports Network also will air encore presentations of classic fights featuring Mayweather and Guerrero. Fights airing in their entirety include Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya (May 2007), the most watched pay-per-view event in history; the controversial fight between Mayweather and Victor Ortiz (September 2011); Mayweather vs. Ricky Hatton (December 2007); Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley (May 2010) and Mayweather vs. Juan Manuel Marquez (September 2009).

SHO PPV ANNOUNCERS: Brian Kenny will host the SHOWTIME PPV telecast, with Mauro Ranallo calling the action, Al Bernstein and Paulie Malignaggi serving as expert analysts and Jim Gray reporting. Barry Tompkins will call the action on SHOWTIME with Steve Farhood serving as expert analyst. Alejandro Luna will call the blow-by-blow for SAP and Raul Marquez will serve as color commentator.

PRODUCERS: The executive producer is David Dinkins Jr. with Bob Dunphy directing.

NEW YORK (April 30, 2013) – More than 300 people attended this past Sunday’s second annual New York State Boxing Hall of Fame (NYSBHOF) induction dinner, sponsored by Ring 8, at Russo’s On The Bay in Howard Beach, New York, as 20 inductees from the Class of 2013 were honored.

“This is the second year for the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame,” NYSBHOF and Ring 8 president Bob Duffy explained. “This is for New York but it could be the Brooklyn Boxing Hall of Fame with so many of this year’s inductees from Brooklyn. The New York State Boxing Hall of Fame is for New Yorkers and one by New Yorkers. All of these inductees are responsible New Yorkers. We remember their services from the 40s, 50s and 60s, when boxing was so big in New York, and it’s big again today. A lot of people in the audience will be inducted for years to come. The dream of Tony Mazzarella was to have the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame – New Yorkers for New Yorkers.”

The 2013 NYSBHOF inductees were (participants) Jack Dempsey (61-6-9, 50 KOs), Johnny Dundee (83-32-20, 17 KOs), Sandy Saddler (144-16-2, 103 KOs), Maxie Rosenbloom (207-39-26 (19 KOs), Joey Archer (61-6-9, 50 KOs), Iran Barkley (43-19-1 (27 KOs), Mark Breland (35-3-1, 25 KOs), Bobby Cassidy (59-16-3, 27 KOs); Doug Jones (30-10-1, 20 KOs), Junior Jones (50-6, 28 KOs), James “Buddy” McGirt (73-6-1, 48 KOs), Eddie Mustafa Muhammad (50-8-1, 39 KOs); (non-participants) Bob Arum, Shelly Finkel, Tony Graziano, Larry Merchant; Teddy Brenner, Mike Jacobs, Tex Rickard, and Don Dunphy,

Each inductee received a custom-designed belt signifying his induction into the NYSBHOF.

U.S. Congressman Peter King (R-NY), a strong supporter of boxing who introduced his close friend, Bobby Cassidy, was a guest speaker. “I congratulate all of the honorees today for their outstanding careers, especially my friend, Bobby Cassidy, for all he’s done,” Rep. King said. “I introduced, with Senator McCain, a bill (Muhammad Ali Act) to protect fighters and now we’ve introduced another bill asking the President (Obama) to pardon Jack Johnson. It’s an injustice.”

The inductees were selected by the NYSBHOF nominating committee members, including Jack Hirsch, Steve Farhood, Don Majeski, Henry Hascup, Ron McNair and Neil Terens.

All boxers needed to be inactive for at least three years, in order to be eligible for NYSBHOF induction, and all inductees must have resided in New York State for a significant portion of their boxing careers.

Dave Diamante served once again as Master of Ceremonies for the event. Special guests in attendance included Vito Antuofermo, Luis Colazzo, Vinny Maddalone, Renaldo Snipes, Leona Brown, and Mia St. John.

Go on line at www.Ring8ny.com for additional information about the New York State Boxing Hall of Fame.

Quotes from some of the inductees and their pictures are below. All pictures by Peter Frutkoff.

Junior Jones: “There are a lot of great fighters up here. This is a great event recognizing New Yorkers. I want to thank all of the people who were part of my team.”

Junior Jones

(L-R) NYSBHOF Nominating Committee member Henry Haschup, Junior Jones and Bob Duffy

Iran Barkley: “Teddy Brenner basically asked me, ‘You think you can fight.’ I told him I was going to be champion of the world and he said, ‘You’re never going to be champion.’ You don’t know how made he made me that day and I then beat everybody he put in against me.

“When I fought (Thomas) Hearns, nobody thought I could beat him, but I wasn’t afraid. I’m a Bronx guy and I was used to getting hits by bricks and bats. I won with blood, sweat and tears. I said to get ready to pick him up and carry him out.”

Iran Barkley

(L-R) John Reetz, Iran Barkley and Bob Duffy

Tony Graziano: “It’s an honor being here with all these greats and in the New York Hall of Fame.”

Graziano

(L-R) NYSBHOF Nominating Committee member Don Majeski, Tony Graziano and Bob Duffy.

Bobby Cassidy: “I truly appreciate and I’m honored to be standing here today. I started boxing in 1963. Teddy Brenner said I was a million-to-one shot but his long-shot paid off. Like a lot of guys, boxing saved me. It was go in the ring or go to jail. Everything I have is through boxing. I was sent all over the world. I was a fighter; just tell me where to show up. I never turned down a fight. I fought six opponents who fought for the title and beat four of them. All I ever wanted was to fight for the title. I never fought for the title and that really hurt me more than anything and I had 80 pro fights and 500 stitches. I’m a fighter and always will be. Standing up here makes up for never getting a title shot. I’m truly honored.”

Cassidy (L-R) U.S. Congressman Peter King, Bobby Cassidy, Chris Cassidy, Bobby Cassidy, Jr. and his two children.

Mark Breland:”It’s good to be here with all these guys. I’ve always looked up to, and I don’t know if he knows it, Tony Santana. I sparred with Eddie Mustafa Muhammad. It’s an honor to be here and accept this award. I had a lot of fights. I enjoy boxing; it’s a lot of fun. All my years in boxing, I always had a great manager, Shelly Finkel. He’s family.”

Breland (L-R) Master of Ceremonies David Diamante, Brian Adams, Mark Breland, Bob Duffy and Breland’s son.

Shelly Finkel: Anyone in the sport knows there are two families – one at home and the fighters. Somebody once asked me, when all is said and done, how do I want to be remembered? That I cared about my fighters. There have been so many incredible moments in the ring. I’ve had the greatest career with my fighters on the ring but, after the fighting, that I could help my fighters.”

Finkel (L-R) NYSBHOF Nominating Committee member Steve Farhood, Shelly Finkel and Bob Duffy

James “Buddy” McGirt: “This group of fighters up here, you don’t understand, it’ll be 100 years before you’d find a group of fighters like this. In 1987, Iran Barkley took to training camp. He didn’t need to do that and I was just another expense. But it helped me become world champion. In 1989, Eddie Mustafa Muhammad came to gym in Las Vegas everyday for five weeks to watch me train. As a fighter there are certain things you never forget. On November 29th, 1991, Eddie yelled my name and gave me a thumbs-up. It was the greatest night of my career. Everybody was yelling and what I remember was Eddie yelling, ‘McGirt.'”

McGirt (L-R) NYSBHOF Nominating Committee member Henry Hascup, James “Buddy” McGirt, NYSBHOF Board of Directors member Tony Mazzarella, and Bob Duffy.

Eddie Mustafa Muhammad: “This is special to me. I am very appreciative and humbled to put me in the New York Hall of Fame with all these terrific fighters. But, if you invite me again to another festive occasion like this, please (jokingly) don’t sit me between McGirt and Breland. They’re friends of mine, like family. Iran and I won many titles together. I told him that, if he listened to me, he’d be a three-time world champion. He looked at me like I was crazy. I blew it….he became four-time world champion.

“Now, I have my newest world champion, Ishe Smith, and Chad Dawson. I thank God for allowing me to transfer any skills, what I learned from my former trainers, to my students. I’ve had 18 world champions in a young career. After I retired, I didn’t know what to do, and Bob Arum said I could train because he knew I was working with Mike McCallum, who became world champion. I brought Floyd Mayweather his first world champion (Smith). I’m a part of the ‘Money Team’ and thank him for having the trust in me to train some of his young fighters.

“This is like winning a world championship. I love this!”

Muhammad (l-R) Eddie Mustafa Muhammad, NYSBHOF Board of Directors member Tommy Gallagher and Bob Duffy.

About Ring 8: Formed in 1954 by an ex-prizefighter, Jack Grebelsky, Ring 8 became the eighth subsidiary of what was then known as the National Veteran Boxers Association – hence, RING 8 – and today the organization’s motto still remains: Boxers Helping Boxers.

RING 8 is fully committed to supporting less fortunate people in the boxing community who may require assistance in terms of paying rent, medical expenses, or whatever justifiable need.

Go on line to www.Ring8ny.com for more information about RING 8, the largest group of its kind in the United States with more than 350 members. Annual membership dues is only $25.00 and each member is entitled to a buffet dinner at RING 8 monthly meetings, the third Tuesday of every month, excluding July and August. All active boxers, amateur and professional, are entitled to a complimentary RING 8 yearly membership.

Former two-division world champion David Haye will meet former Heavyweight title challenger Manuel Charr on June 29 in Manchester, England according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“I’m delighted to have agreed to a four-fight promotional deal with David Haye and Hayemaker,” said Eddie Hearn of Matchrrom Sport, who will co-promote the fight with Haye. “In my opinion David is the most exciting heavyweight on the planet and I’m over the moon to help bring his comeback fight against Charr to Sky Sports on June 29.”\

Last month, Charr continued his efforts, saying, “I heard that Haye is still looking for an opponent for his next fight. There’s no need to look any further. I’m right here waiting. Haye himself said that Vitali Klitschko couldn’t beat me — [that] instead Vitali’s doctor won the fight for him [by stopping the fight because of the cut]. I still want my rematch against Klitschko and Haye is my way to get there. Let’s do an eliminator for Vitali. I’m ready when you are, David!”

IBF Light Heavyweight champion Bernard Hopkins will make his mandatory defense against Karo Murat on July 13 in Brooklyn at The Barclays Center on Showtime according to Dan Rafael of espn.com

“The fight was made and we were looking for a date and we were holding July 13 at the Barclays Center for quite awhile for a fight,” said Golden Boy Promotions Richard Schaefer. “I talked to Murat’s promoter, Chris Myer from Sauerland Event, and they are OK with the date and I talked to Bernard and he was OK with it also, so since everyone was fine with it why not get it done? So I am finalizing everything for that date in that building.”

“The people at the Barclays Center are excited to have Bernard Hopkins back and Bernard is excited to go back to the Barclays Center,” Schaefer said. “He told me he is already training for the fight.”

Schaefer said that featherweight Gary Russell Jr., the 2011 ESPN.com prospect of the year who has been beset by injuries, will likely be on the televised undercard.

“We feel that Gary Russell is ready to take on anyone,” Schaefer said. “We want to see who is available and who will take the fight. It’s not easy to make a fight for Gary Russell because not too many people want to fight him.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, World Middleweight champion Sergio Martinez suffered a cut over his eye, a broken hand and injured knee in his Saturday bout with Martin Murray that will force Martinez to sit out the rest of the yerar.

“He’s probably out for the rest of the year. I just can’t see him returning this year,” said Martinez promoter Lou DiBella. “He probably needs another surgery to remove scar tissue from the knee and he needs more time to rehab it than he gave it after the Chavez fight.”

Although Martinez pronounced himself in perfect health going into the fight with Murray — “All of my injuries have healed 100 percent,” he told ESPN.com a few days before the bout — it turned out they were not.

“He was never fully recovered from the knee surgery,” said DiBella, noting that the injury made it very hard for Martinez to plant his feet. “The knee was OK early in the training camp but it wasn’t perfect. But with three weeks left in camp, it got much worse. He probably would have postponed the fight if was in a normal arena. He was damaged goods going in against Murray.”

“People who noticed his body wasn’t cut were correct,” DiBella said. “It wasn’t a normal camp. Murray was big and strong though and deserves props.”

The 100 percent humidity and a wet canvas hurt and he was also fighting a very good opponent. Martin Murray is a good fighter,” DiBella said. “I was scared sh—— but he pulled it out in the 11th and 12th rounds and Murray said he was hurt in the 12th round.

“Sergio had to use every trick in the book in 11 and 12 to pull it out. The fight had the makings of an upset, but I’m just glad it wasn’t. But he was banged up going into the fight. It was a real gutty performance. In any case, Sergio’s body needs time to recover.”

On Thursday May 2, former Lightweight world title challenger Ji-Hoon “Volcano” Kim (24-8, 18 KOs) will meet Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (18-3, 7 KOs) in the 10-round Junior Welterweight main event in an ESPN Boxing: Friday Night Fights Special Edition presented by Corona Extra. Thursday’s show from the Omega Products Outdoor Arena in Corona, Calif., will air live at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2 HD, ESPN Deportes and WatchESPN. The card is promoted by Banner and Thompson Promotions.

Commentators:
Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will be ringside describing the action for ESPN2 HD, while studio host Todd Grisham (@GrishamESPN) will provide the latest boxing news and highlights. Pablo Viruega and Delvin Rodriguez will call this week’s fights for ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates (Friday Night Fights). Bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna (@osunaespn) will present live interviews and reports for both shows.

Starting this Thursday, versatile sports reporter Claudia Trejos returns to ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates, joining Leopoldo Gonzalez in the studio. Considered one of the most respected Spanish-language sportscasters with vast experience covering boxing, Claudia is slated to be part of the network’s boxing coverage including Viernes de Combates every week. She will also appear across different studio shows. Trejos served as ringside reporter for Viernes de Combates in 2011 and occasionally filled in as studio host.

Studio:
Thursday’s studio show will discuss Saturday’s Floyd Mayweather-Robert Guerrero Welterweight title fight in Las Vegas and look back at the best of Friday Night Fights for the month of April.

Main Event:

California’s Herrera enters Thursday’s fight with two big wins on his record–a 12-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Ruslan Provodnikov and a 10-round majority decision over Mike Dallas. Herrera is looking to get back to his winning ways after a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Karim Mayfield in his last fight.

“I think Kim is a tough guy,” Herrera said. “He’s not really too much of a technician but he’s tough, he’s there to fight. He’s a people’s type of fighter – he’s an action fighter. I can give action, too. I’m coming out to prove something, and I plan to give one of the best performances of my career with Ji-Hoon Kim.”

South Korea’s Kim is looking to rebound from a 10-round unanimous decision loss to Ray Beltran. Prior to that, Kim won three fights in a row, all by 10-round unanimous decisions.

“We know Herrera is a very good boxer,” Kim’s co-manager Paul Lee said. “He’s lost, but only against great fighters like Mike Alvarado and Karim Mayfield. Those fighters are very hard to beat. He has very good movement and he’s fast, but we have some tactics to beat him.”

Co-Feature:
Friday’s 10-round co-feature will pit former Lightweight titlist Miguel “Aguacerito” Acosta (29-6-2, 23 KOs) against Miguel “Silky Smooth” Gonzalez (20-3, 15 KOs).

Follow ESPN’s Friday Night Fights on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like it on Facebook. Follow ESPN Deportes’ Viernes de Combates on Twitter @ESPNBoxeo. Also score the fights round-by-round with the “Live Friday Night Fights Facebook Voting App,” an application on the ESPN FNF Facebook page that allows viewers to score the fight round-by-round.