LAS VEGAS – It was more of a scene than a weigh-in. More about the crowd than the scale.

The often mundane ritual of fighters in underwear stepping onto a scale was transformed Friday into a rock-and-roll like event that began about five hours before Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Canelo Alvarez even arrived at the MGM Grand.

Fans wearing red wigs in honor of Canelo’s hair and caps with Mayweather’s TMT logo stood in a line that snaked through the hallway leading into the Grand Garden Arena and between the slot machines on the casino floor. About 90 minutes before the fighters were scheduled to weigh in, the place was jammed. A crowd of 12,200 was waiting. Fans who had hoped to see them were turned away.

It was called the biggest weigh-in crowd in boxing history. There are no numbers to prove it or disprove it. But it’s fair to say that it was unprecedented and a huge sign that the Showtime telecast of the Mayweather-Canelo card Saturday night has a real chance at breaking the pay-per-view record of about 2.5 million, set in Mayweather’s 2007 decision over Oscar De La Hoya.

Only the buzz for Mayweather-Canelo was off-the-scale.

At 150 1/2 pounds, Mayweather was a pound-and-half lighter than the mandated 152 for the junior-middleweight bout. The catch weight was the source of some controversy. It was supposed to have put Canelo at a disadvantage. At least, the Mayweather camp thought so. But if Canelo had any trouble making weight, it wasn’t evident. He coolly tipped the scale at 152 pounds. Not a fraction of an ounce more. If in fact he did struggle and was weakened in the process, it might become evident midway through Saturday night’s fight, scheduled for 12 rounds. On the scale, however, Canelo looked comfortable.

“I was born ready,’’ Canelo said, abandoning his usual Spanish for English in his final words before leaving the stage to chants from a predominantly Mexican crowd.

Experience is supposed to be one of Mayweather’s biggest advantages over the 23-year-old Canelo, who is stepping onto boxing biggest stage for the first time. But as opening bell gets close, Canelo has remained relaxed and confident. Nothing appears to intimidate him, not even Mayweather, who tried.
The 36-year-old Mayweather (44-0, 26 KOs) chewed gum and talked at Canelo (42-0-1. 30 KOs) as the two posed, face-to-face, after stepping off the scale. Mayweather held the World Boxing Council’’s specially-made version of the 154 pound belt, which includes seven pounds of gold. At current gold prices, it’s worth about $150,000.
Mayweather, nicknamed Money, grabbed Canelo’s right arm and shoved the belt toward the Mexican challenger. Mayweather wanted him to hold it. Canelo slapped Mayweather’ hand away and walked off.

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said Canelo turned to him and said he doesn’t take orders from Mayweather.

“He told me: ‘I’m not going to do what the guy tells me to,’ ’’ Schaefer said.

The fiercely-independent Bernard Hopkins, who was on stage in his role as a Golden Boy partner, was impressed by Canelo’s move.

“Bernard told me: ‘That’s a veteran move,’ ‘’ Schaefer said.

It’s clear Canelo wants no handouts. If he is going to win gold, he intends earn it. Now, the real question is whether he has enough speed in his feet and hands to do so.

“You know how these kids are,’’ said the favored Mayweather, who continued to be about 5-2 pick Friday afternoon at the MGM Grand’s sports book.

In another much-anticipated fight, Lucas Matthysse (34-2, 32 KOs) and Danny Garcia (26-0. 16 KOs) made weight, 140 pounds each, for their junior-welterweight bout. Garcia had to step onto the scale for a second time. In his first trip to the scale, he was half-pound too heavy, because the scale was rocking.

So was that crowd.

NOTES: Unbeaten super-middleweight Andre Ward, a pound-for-pound contender, was on the weigh-in stage among fighters promoted by Golden Boy and Mayweather. Ward’s presence created a lot of speculation about whether is he still trying to break away from promoter Dan Goossen. Ward went to court in an apparent attempt to break with Goossen. And arbiter ruled in Goossen’s favor. “It’s nothing,’’ Goossen said. “He has a signing in town (Las Vegas) tomorrow (Saturday). So he went to the weigh-in. Andre happens to be a boxing fan. He went there and was brought up on stage. He knows these guys, grew up with them. These are good things, not bad.’

LAS VEGAS – It wouldn’t be a big fight card without a crazy dad lurking in somebody’s corner.

Angel Garcia, junior-welterweight champion Danny Garcia’s father and trainer, filled the role Thursday with a noisy stand-up that included God, country, a Latino beat, a couple of comic-book heroes and a condemnation of anybody who doesn’t think his son can beat favored Lucas Matthysse Saturday night at the MGM Grand.

He didn’t comment on Syria. Then again, maybe we just missed that one. After all, there’s only so much time in one news conference and even a good digital recorder has limited space. Let’s just say that as we write this, Angel Garcia is still talking.

“Vegas don’t know nothing,’’ said Angel, who transformed his turn at the podium into a bully pulpit vacant since Ruben Guerrero was there in May before son Robert Guerrero’s loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. “You don’t know nothing. I know everything.’’

Crazy dads have been part of boxing’s dysfunctional family since at least Floyd Mayweather Sr., who has said little and been notably absent from the stage in the theater leading up to his son’s junior-middleweight fight Saturday night against Canelo Alvarez at the MGM Grand. But if you were expecting some silence with Mayweather Sr. in the background, forget it.

After thanking God, Angel talked about those skeptical of his son’s chances as though they were infidels, or at the very least un-American. He expects a big Latin crowd from Argentina supporting the power-punching Matthysse with Argentine colors, baby-blue and white. Angel Garcia talked about his Latino background. He and his unbeaten son (26-0, 16 KOs) are of Puerto Rican descent. But they are Philadelphia, through and through.

“Danny is an American fighter,’’ Angel said. “He represents the United States, the same country that sends you a welfare check. You sign it, don’t you? Then, you’re an Americanito.’’

Angel promised that the 140-pound titles would remain in his son’s American hands in a bout that might be the most entertaining fight on the Mayweather-Canelo card. There’s been a lot of attention of Matthysse’s knockout ratio. It’s at a head-rocking 86.49 percent. He has 32 stoppages in 36 fights, a record that includes 34 victories and two losses, both by decision. In his last bout, Matthysse generated a lot of attention with crushing third TKO of Lamont Peterson in May.

“His knockout of Lamont Peterson was heard around the world,’’ Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said.

But Angel Garcia mocked stories about punching power that initially, he said, made Matthysse sound like Superman.

“Then, he knocked out Lamont Peterson and, whoa, Aquaman is back,’’ Angel said.

Matthysse shrugged his shoulders when asked about Angel Garcia’s mix commentary, insults and comedy. It didn’t affect him anyway, he said.

“Not at all, because I don’t understand what he says,’’ Matthysse said in Spanish.

Matthysse, about a 5-2 favorite Thursday afternoon, only promised that he would win. But Angel vowed that his surprising son would not be beaten.

“If he loses, I’ll cut my head off,’’ Angel said.

That might be the only way to silence him.

LAS VEGAS—In a rematch of their entertaining draw in December, Shawn Porter scored a ten round unanimous decision over Julio Diaz at the Premium Ballroom at the MGM Grand

Scores were 98-92, 97-93 and 97-93 for Porter

Former world title challenger Marco Antonio Periban and undefeated Badou Jack fought to a majority draw in a ten round Super Middleweight bout.

It was a closely contested bout with each guy having small spurts of effectiveness. Periban was cut around the left eye but that did not seem to deter him

Scores were 96-94 for Periban and 95-95 on two cards.

Periban, 168 lbs of Mexico City is now 20-1-1. Jack, 168 lbs of Las Vegas is now 15-0-1.

Julian Williams and Hugo Centeno fought to a no-contest as a cut over the left eye of Centeno forced the bout to be stopped in round four.

Williams hurt Centeno with a left hook in round one. Despite a height disadvantage, Williams continued to find a home with the left hook. The two clashed heads and a cut over the left eye forced the bout to be stopped in round four.

Williams, 154 lbs of Philadelphia is 13-0-1. Centeno, 153 lbs of Oxnard. CA is now 19-0.

Jermall Charlo stopped fellow Houstonian Rogelio De La Torre in round seven of a scheduled eight round Middleweight bout.

Charlo dominated and eventually dropped De La Torre and the fight was stopped at 1:50 of round seven.

Charlo, 156 lbs is now 16-0 with 12 knockouts. De La Torre, 153 lbs is now 10-4.

2012 U.S. Olympian Errol Spence Jr. destroyed Jesus Tavera in round one of a scheduled eight round Jr. Middleweight bout.

Spence dropped Tavera twice and the bout was called at 2:33 of round one.

Spence, 148 lbs of Dallas, TX is now 8-0 with 7 knockouts. Tavera, 154 lbs of Mexico City, MX is now 5-4.

Diego De La Hoya started his pro career in sensation fashion as he looks to carry on the family tradition as Oscar’s Cousin scored a third round stoppage over Luis Cosme in a scheduled four round Super Bantamweight bout.

De La Hoya jumped all over Cosme and started a huge flurry that dropped Cosme and the fight was stopped at 1:53 of round three.

De La Hoya, 122 lbs of Mexicali. MX is now 1-0 with 1 knockout. Cosme, 122 lbs of Bayamon, PR is now 8-4.

Robert Easter kept his perfect knockout streak in order as he disposed of Lance Williams in round one of a scheduled eight round Lightweight bout.

Easter dominated and dropped Williams three times and the bout was stopped at 2:43 of round one.

Easter, 134 lbs of Akron, OH is now 7-0 with 7 knockouts. Williams, 133 lbs of Muscatine, ID is now 6-2.

2012 U.S. Olympian Terrell Gausha need just 161 seconds to dispose of Bruce Runkle in a schedule six round Middleweight bout

Gausha landed a left to the body in round one that sent Runkle. Moments later a booming left hook sent Runkle to his back and the fight was stopped at of round one.

Gausha, 160 lbs of Cleveland, OH is now 6-0 with 4 knockouts. Runkle, 158 lbs of Wheeling, WV is now 4-3-1.

2012 U.S. Olympian Dominic Breazeale notched his seventh straight knockout as he dispatched John Hill in round three of a schooled eight round Heavyweight bout.

Breazeale landed a straight right that sent Hill down in round one. A huge right at the end of round two sent Hill down for a second time. In round three a huge left hook sent a battered Hill down for third and final time as when he rose to his feet referee Jay Nady stopped the bout at 1:08 of round three.

Breazeale, 248 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is now 7-0 with seven knockouts. Hill, 235 lbs of Charleston, WV is now 6-3.

LAS VEGAS – Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Canelo Alvarez arrived late and stayed late Wednesday at a news conference in a venue that figured to be an appropriate setting. Cirque Du Soleil usually plays at the MGM Grand’s KA Theatre. But boxing’s traditional version of the circus was surprisingly understated.

Mayweather coolly played the CEO role with comments that seemed to say he thinks Alvarez is the junior-partner in a junior-middleweight, pay-per-view fight Saturday night that figures to do some record-setting business.

The 23-year-old Canelo has 42 victories on a 43-fight ledger that includes no losses and one draw. It looks impressive. But Mayweather questioned the quality of opposition. Mayweather made it sound as if the Alvarez record was full of more holes than a block of Swiss cheese. Alvarez beat Matthew Hatton, Ricky’s brother, whom Mayweather beat. Alvarez beat Jose Cotto, Miguel’s brother, whom Mayweather also beat.

“You fight Miguel Cotto’s brother, but you don’t fight Miguel Cotto,’’ Mayweather said in comments after the formal portion of a news conference for pound-for-pound king’s second fight in a Showtime deal worth a potential $250 million. “You fight Ricky Hatton’s brother, but you don’t fight Ricky Hatton.’’

It was a follow-up to Mayweather’s comments at the podium during the formal part of a news conference that started about 40 minutes late.

“If he had faced 42 Mayweathers, he’d be 0-and-42,’’ he said.

Alvarez, who has been as unflappable as he is inexperienced on boxing’s biggest stage, sounded as if he isn’t listening to Mayweather. There were familiar questions about how the 23-year-old redhead will deal with Mayweather’s speed and elusiveness.

“I’m the same,’’ Canelo said. “I’ve got the same qualities.’’

What he won’t have, however, is the same paycheck. Mayweather is guaranteed $41.5 million, a record for one fight, according to several media reports. But there was some dispute Wednesday about Canelo’s purse. Mayweather said Canelo will collect $8 million.

“With no upside,’’ Mayweather said as if he had hired the popular Mexican.

Not true, according to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who said Canelo’s upside is “significant.’’ During the news conference, Schaefer said he talked to Televisa, which will televise the bout in Mexico. He said was told that the network expects the Mexican audience to be between 70 and 80 million.

According to a contract filed with the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Canelo is guaranteed $5 million. But that doesn’t include international revenue. According to various sources and news reports, however, Canelo can expect to earn at least $12 million.

Saturday boxing fans will congregate for “The One,” a pay-per-view fight card with two co-main events, Argentine junior welterweight Lucas “The Machine” Matthysse versus Philadelphian Danny “Swift” Garcia, and Floyd Mayweather versus Saul Alvarez. Since that questionable prefix “co” was put there by someone else, and since any aficionado can tell you Matthysse-Garcia is much the more interesting fight, here is its preview.

That Lucas Matthysse is unknowable is a development charming as can be, that a fighter of temperament so unsuitable to the day’s discipline of promoting twice to fight once now supplies the entertaining portion of our sport’s largest 2013 event is a hopeful turn. Matthysse is a fighter who effectively hails from parts unknown, an Argentine township, Trelew, named after a colonizing Welshman, of all incongruous things, immigrated to Patagonia 130 years ago. Patagonia’s climes are famously harsh and unknown even to most Argentines, cold temperatures and rough seas and the sort of beating wind that, wherever it occurs round the world, makes the people whose ears it cuffs notably insular.

In a June conversation, Sergio Martinez, Argentina boxing’s singularly gracious ambassador (how many active world champions give 30 minutes to a writer asking questions unconstruable, even tangentially, to themselves?), conceded he was not quite familiar with Patagonia, thinking he could have passed through years before, maybe – but what winds and harshness its climate was about, and what men of almost unmatchable physical strength it birthed! Matthysse is not charismatic like his brother Walter, four years Lucas’ senior; he is timid in a way unaware of its timidity – those who joke about his quietness get a curious glance from him, as if he were certain he misunderstood them, a man who considers being in their presence a concession enough to gregariousness: I am here answering your questions, and I believe you said I am not talkative, but that cannot be correct, because I am here, so perhaps you’ll repeat yourself?

Danny Garcia is more talkative, if less charismatic, but appears nearly quiet by contrast with his buffoonish father who, conceivably, alleviates his son’s obligatory promotional affrays by servicing every hysteria, and the more publicly the more hysterically, with an impulsive bent nuns once exorcised from third graders with rulers. What should be obscured by manufactured story lines – “We are one week from ‘The One,’ and Lucas Matthysse loves his daughter, and Angel Garcia loves his son” – were there not more compelling subjects to treat, like Saul Alvarez’s ginger coif and Floyd Mayweather’s orchidaceous rides, is this: Matthysse and Garcia, both, are prizefighters in the best sense of the term. Both have been doing it a long time, both take seriously the craft, and neither was expected by his promoter to be where he is.

Matthysse was an anonymous Argentine, in 2010, with a likely inflated record that might nevertheless by rubbed against the vessel of Zab “Super” Judah’s latest self-reinvention, Comeback VII, till it flashed a shiny Brooklyn Back in the House! at those who go for such, and when Matthysse pulled Super offscript, dropping him in round 10, American matchmakers put a “*not on my watch” beside the Argentine’s name. Danny Garcia was probably supposed to lose to Nate Campbell and Kendall Holt in 2011, he was certainly supposed to lose to Erik Morales in March 2012, and when that didn’t happen, he was granted a dream chance to present Amir Khan with the WBC’s garish green belt before that esteemed institution could complete an audit of Garcia-Morales I and uncover a contractual clause that read: “The belt will be awarded to Erik Morales on March 24, or left vacant until the belt can be awarded to Erik Morales.”

Garcia promptly proved Khan’s career was fraudulent as Morales’ comeback, a comeback to which Garcia put the lie, drilling Morales on the canvas like a screw in soft pine, before apparently pleading with his advisor Al Haymon, whom he now shares with Matthysse, to spare him the Argentine’s unrelenting cruelty. This narrative, deliciously as it complements Matthysse’s taciturnity with Garcia’s fashion sense, is all wrong because it assumes, in part, Garcia was surprised as everyone else he could drop a trio of Morales, Khan and Judah six times in 30 rounds, but Garcia was not surprised, and do believe he’ll be unsurprised, too, if he does what has proved heretofore impossible: Drop Lucas “The Machine” Matthysse. It’s not impossible, and no longer even feels impossible, when one marries two images in his mind: The force with which Garcia turned his left fist on Morales’ chin in October, and the force with which Matthysse turned his chin onto Lamont Peterson’s left fist in May.

What is most underrated about Garcia, the justifiable underdog in the meaningful match of Saturday’s card, is his sense of timing, his understanding of an opponent’s rhythm and physique. Garcia has self-belief as well and confides in his left hook to the head the way Mickey Ward fancied a left hook to the body. That sort of thing can get a lad spearchiseled by Matthysse, which may well happen anyway but shouldn’t till Garcia somehow lands his reckless/wreckful left hook and subjects Matthysse’s soul to what doubts he makes money giving others. It says here if a knockout is scored in the first two rounds it will be Garcia’s, if a knockout is scored between rounds 3 and 10 the victory will belong to Matthysse, and if Saturday’s best fight somehow makes it to round 11 there is no telling what happens in the six minutes of butchery that follow.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

Chris Arreola got back in the Heavyweight picture with a first round destruction of Seth Mitchell in a scheduled twelve round bout at the Fantasy Springs Resort in Indio, California.

Mitchell came out throwing hard shots but got caught with a left hook that hurt him that him hanging on. Arreola laded a hard flurry of punches that sent Mitchell to the canvas. After Mitchell wanted to fight on, which may have been the wrong decision as he ate another fuselage of punches until referee Jack Reiss rescued Mitchell at 2:24 of round one.

Arreola, 242 lbs of Riverside, CA is now 36-3 with 31 knockouts. Mitchell, 242 lbs of Brandwyne, MD is now 26-2-1.

“I want to thank myself for putting the work in,” said a fresh and jubilant Arreola after the stoppage. “I worked my ass off in Phoenix preparing for this fight. I respect Seth for his power, but the big difference for me was in training camp.”

“I have been my only downfall,” he continued. “I should only have one loss on my record. All my other losses are on me for not training properly. But I came here to win tonight. And it was easy work.”

A stunned Mitchell said, “I got caught. I am very disappointed. I was confident in my ability to win this fight. My heart just hurts right now. This was a big fight for both of us, a fight that I wanted. I didn’t want to step back after beating Jonathan Banks.”

Efrain Esquivias scored the biggest win of his career when he knocked out former two division champion Rafael Marquez in a scheduled 10 round Featherweight bout.

Marquez fought well early as he landed some nice rights and could not miss with the uppwercut. Esquivias slowly but surely got into the fight in round four as he was very effective with the right hand. Esquivias started landing those right at the beginning and end of hard combinations and age was showing on the 38 year-old Marquez.

Esquivias was having a nice round seven until Marquez had his last stand as he landed a huge flurry against the ropes just before the bell. Esquivias got back on track in round eight as he was landing some solid flurries. Esquivias came out in round nine and landed a crushing right hand that sent the future Hall of Famer to the canvas. Marquez wobbled to his feet and the fight was called off just nineteen seconds into round nine.

Esquivias, 126 lbs of Carson, CA is now 17-2-1 with 10 knockouts. Marquez, 126 lbs of Mexico City will contemplate retirement with a record of 41-9.

Esquivias drilled Marquez with a lead right hand in the ninth sending Marquez down. After a brief look, referee Raul Caiz Jr., waved it off without a count. “I am slow starter,” said an emotional Esquivias after the bout. “He caught me early, but I finished strong and that’s what matters.”

When asked about beating a legendary warrior, “It means everything. He’s one of my favorite fighters. When he beat Tim Austin I became a big fan of Rafael. Now, I am in the ring with him and it’s a huge honor. I am still his biggest fan. He’s a great champion.”

Marquez was taken to Desert Hospital on a stretcher.

SAN DIEGO (September 7, 2013)– Ricky Burns was fortunate to keep his WBO Lightweight championship with a twelve round split draw with Raymundo Beltran at the Scottish Exhibition Centre in Glasgow, Scotland

The fight was televised LIVE in the United States on AWE (formerly Wealth TV) and www.awetv.com

Burns controlled the first round and a he as he jabbed and worked the body. Beltran started landing some hard shots with the left hook and began to find his rhythm in round’s two and three. In round four, Beltran rocked Burns with a perfect left hook. Beltran continued to press Burns against the ropes where Burns started to look uncomfortable.

The fight changed in round eight when Beltran dropped Burns with a crushing left hook. Beltran continued to back up Burns and work him on the ropes. Burns recovered in spots in round’s eight through ten but he had a look of frustration on his face as he could not keep Beltran off of him. The two fought it out with championship courage down the stretch with Burns being slightly more active but from the looks of the battle, it was not enough to overcome the lead that Beltran buit up.

According to the judges, Burns was able to back his way into the draw as U.S. Judge Carlos Ortiz gave him the 115-112; Andre Van Grootenbruel of Belgium had 115-113 for Beltran while British judge Richie Davies scored it even at 114-114.

Burns, 134.3 lbs of Scotland, fought with a severely injured jaw from round two on, is now 36-2-1 while Beltran, 134.8 lbs of North Hollywood, CA via Los Mochis, MX is now 28-6-1.

“First and foremost it was an excellent fight”, said AWE CEO Charles Herring.

“The one silver lining out of all this is that fans were able to witness this controversial decision on AWE where in past years, fights like this flew under the radar. But Ray Beltran won the fight and he and the fans around the world deserve a rematch.”

In a battle of undefeated Cruiserweights, Stephen Simmons scored a ten round unanimous decision over David Graf.

Simmons dropped Graf in round four from a right to the side of the head. The two exchanged some exciting flurries and Simmons had Graf in trouble several times.

Simmons, 198 lbs of Edinburgh, Scotland won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-92 and is now 9-0. Graf, 193 lbs of Germany is now 10-1.

Scotty Cardle remained undefeated with a decision win over Gary Fox in a Lightweight bout.

The Referee scored the bout 79-73

Cardle, 135.3 lbs is now 12-0. Fox, 138 lbs is now 11-2

Callum Smith scored a 1st round destruction over Karil Psoknk in a scheduled six round Super Middleweight bout.

Smith dropped Psonko twice with body shots and Psonko did not want to continue after the second knockdown at 2:30 of round one.

Smith is now 7-0 with 5 knockouts. Psonko is now 10-27-2.

–BOXING RETURNS TO AWE ON SATURDAY OCTOBER 26TH WHEN TOP RANKED WELTERWEIGHT KELL BROOK (30-0, 20 KO’S) TAKES ON FORMER WBA WELTERWEIGHT CHAMPION VYACHESLAV SANCHENKO (34-1, 23 KO’S)

The network is currently available nationally on Verizon FiOS TV channel 169 and 669 in HD, AT&T U-Verse TV channels 470 and 1470 in HD, along with over 100 cable systems across the country and worldwide. The new website for AWE is www.AWEtv.com.

About AWE

AWE is the premier lifestyle and entertainment network —the destination for exclusive and original programming, simultaneously transmitted in high definition and standard definition. AWE delivers informative shows to its viewers, providing invaluable insights on what every American dreams of – from travel secrets to fast cars, from outrageous homes to live boxing events, and much more. The network fills a television vacuum by delivering intellectually stimulating, thought-provoking entertainment and always-unbiased news from an insider’s perspective. For more information, please visit www.awetv.com

There’s a theory that Canelo Alvarez has nothing to lose on Sept. 14 in his long-awaited showdown with Floyd Mayweather Jr. The reasons add up. Canelo is 23. He’s about to collect a career-high purse, expected to be between $10 and $13 million. He’s facing a 36-year-old fighter, whose tactical mastery has finally allowed him to prevail in the debate about who is at the top of the pound-for-pound’s mythical ratings. It’s no myth at all. It’s Mayweather and only Mayweather.

A loss for the young and still-unbeaten Canelo could become a valuable lesson in the ongoing education of a fighter who is beginning to look a lot like the pound-for-pound’s heir apparent.

What’s to lose, especially if a competitive performance from Canelo in a narrow defeat on the scorecards leads to a rich rematch?

Dumb question.

At least, it was when it was asked of Canelo during an international conference call.

“I think I have a lot to lose,’’ he said. “This is a fight that is very important to me. I have a whole lot to lose. I just don’t see it that way.’’

There’s pride in the answer. It’s an intangible. It’s just hard to know whether it gives Canelo more of a chance on his first night ever on boxing’s biggest stage and against a fighter who has ruled that stage like personal property. But it is evident that pride motivates Canelo as much as money moves Mayweather, who has been guaranteed a record-setting $41.5 million for the second bout in a Showtime deal worth a potential $250 million. Pride is there, in the tone of Canelo’s words. It’s also there, beneath all of that attention-grabbing red-hair, in stubborn eyes the color of combustible flint.

Be careful, and Mayweather has been. He seems to know that Canelo, although young, is dangerous. Whatever has passed for trash talk in the build-up for the biggest fight since Mayweather’s victory over Oscar De La Hoya in 2007 hasn’t exactly been outrageous.

If anything, Mayweather seems to have kept his rhetorical powder dry. His sharpest words seem to be more intended for De La Hoya, Canelo’s promoter. Mayweather, a promoter in his own right, has never liked De La Hoya. Don’t look for the two to start exchanging Christmas cards any time soon, if ever. Despite that, Mayweather seems to agree with De La Hoya about one thing: Canelo is just beginning to approach his potential.

“He hasn’t shown one bit of what’s he’s capable of,’’ De La Hoya said. “He hasn’t put it all together, because he hasn’t fought Floyd Mayweather, the best pound-for-pound fighter. Mayweather will bring the best out of him.’’

He might. Then again, Canelo’s pride might exert a pressure all its own and result in chances that Mayweather has always exploited with unerring efficiency. That might be the lesson. It also might be a lot to lose. But damaged pride has never needed stitches. It heals faster than a bloodied face. As an intangible, it is potentially powerful enough to give a Canelo a chance on Sept. 14. And if not then, maybe later in a rich rematch.

SAN ANTONIO – The greatest victory of New York City welterweight Luis Collazo’s career thus far has been a controversial decision loss to WBC titlist Andre Berto in 2009, and Monday night against Californian Alan Sanchez, Collazo fought like a man about whom that can rightly be said.

The main event from Cowboys Dancehall, a second installment of the early week boxing schedule Fox Sports 1 recently kicked-off and a collaboration between Golden Boy Promotions and Leija-Battah Promotions, was a 10-round welterweight fight that represented the least of its nine-match card – starting, continuing and ending as a lusterless sparring session in which neither man was imperiled and Collazo relied on two of the distinct features that keep his generally unremarkable fights on television: His hometown and tattoos.

Collazo (34-5, 17 KOs) defeated Sanchez (12-3-1, 6 KOs) by unanimous scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 97-93, using his crafty southpaw style to subdue both the light-hitting Sanchez and the Texas crowd. Without a round onto which a marker might be placed, with, in other words, round 4 being the same as round 7 being the same as round 10, Collazo’s third win in two years was cautious to a point of being incautious: A fighter with Collazo’s record and aspirations must not squander television dates the way he did Monday night.

RAUL MARTINEZ VS. DANIEL QUEVADO
If it cannot be said the career of San Antonio junior featherweight Raul Martinez is in upswing, after “La Cobrita’s” Monday victory over California’s Daniel Quevado things might nevertheless be better than they appeared four months ago when Martinez was soundly beaten at Alamodome by a fighter with a losing record.

After the opening three rounds of Monday’s match, Martinez (30-3, 18 KOs), who appeared early not to have power enough to keep Quevado (13-14-3, 8 KOs) at bay, began to walk the larger Californian into punches, connecting with several of the match’s most meaningful blows at the end of the third.

Then after nearly three minutes of unsustained offense in which neither man had a decisive advantage, in the final seconds of round 4 Martinez buckled Quevado, this time with a 3-2 combo. Immediately afterwards, Quevado, who’d spent much of the previous six minutes moving his right arm in a winding motion while throwing nary a punch with it, told his corner he was unable to continue, citing his right shoulder and awarding Martinez a victory officially scored TKO-5.

That Martinez won by knockdown was important for his future, after his April loss in a four-round match. That Martinez appeared slower and less powerful at his new weight, and absorbed blows aplenty from a .500 fighter like Quevado, though, leaves a number of doubts about that very same future.

RAU’SHEE WARREN VS. OMAR GONZALEZ
Officially, Cincinnati’s Rau’shee Warren’s made-for-television showcase match was a lopsided decision that came after Warren dropped his opponent, San Antonio junior featherweight Omar Gonzalez, five times. In actuality, though, the fight had more suspenseful moments than its score would imply and decidedly more than Warren or his handlers anticipated.

In the second television bout of Monday’s fight card, Warren (7-0, 3 KOs) decisioned Gonzales (6-10, 1 KO) by unanimous scores of 60-49, 60-49 and 60-51. Despite hurling, and landing, a multitude of left crosses from his southpaw stance, though, Warren was not able to stop Gonzales, and collected a fair number of counter left hands himself.

After a truly shaky start, an opening round that found him dropped twice by counters, Gonzales applied himself more effectively in the second, giving nearly as good, if not accurately, as he got from his three-time Olympian opponent. The third saw Gonzales land the round’s more powerful punches, straightening-up Warren several times with right-hook counters thrown from the San Antonian’s southpaw stance.

The entirety of the match’s momentum changed in the fourth, however, as Warren made the puncher’s compact – let’s both hit each other and see what happens – and landed accurate punches enough to fell Gonzales. An adjustment between rounds, too, convinced Warren he could not miss with left-hand leads, and then he did not miss.

Warren’s rhythm did not sustain, though, and the fifth was a far closer round than its predecessor, leading to a sixth that saw Warren return to form and drop Gonzales twice more, this time with increasingly vicious shots that knocked Gonzales down with considerably greater force. The decision brought no suspense but did come at the end of a prizefight that reiterated a number of lingering questions about Warren’s power and defense, the sorts of questions a man with a losing record should not be allowed to ask a top prospect with Warren’s resume.

UNDERCARD
The seventh fight of the card, a match between local junior middleweight Jairo Castaneda (3-0, 1 KO) and Austin’s Warren Stewart (0-2), delighted the filled-in Cowboys Dancehall crowd, with Castaneda securing his career’s third victory by three scores of 40-36, but also showed Castaneda to be a fighter whose chin is inappropriately high in exchanges and whose right crosses need improved power if their thrower is to become more than a local attraction.

Monday’s final pre-television bout, one featuring two Texas middleweights, Austin’s Kenton Sippio-Cook (3-0, 3 KOs) and Brownsville’s Juan Manuel Reyna (4-2, 2 KOs), saw a spirited round and a half followed by an odd ending, when Sippio-Cook landed a low blow from which Reyna was unable to rise, at 2:08 of round 2, after five minutes of attempted recuperation. While the official result was announced as a technical knockout for Sippio-Cook, this will have to be reviewed by Texas officials – as a referee who believed a knockdown to be scored by a clean punch would not give a fighter five minutes to recover.

Before that, two Texas flyweights threw heartily at one another in a four-round female match that saw Laredo’s Christina Fuentes (2-3-3) decision Houstonian Paola Ortiz (0-1) by unanimous scores of 39-37, 39-37 and 40-36.)

Monday’s second fight saw a massive mismatch in fighter weights if not class, as two Texas heavyweights, Austin’s Aaron Rosa (0-0-2), who weighed 256, and Brownsville’s Juan Manuel Alvarez (0-0-1), who weighed 200.4, made battle for four rounds, mutually assaulting and tiring one another and scoring a majority draw the ringside judges had 40-36, 38-38 and 38-38.

The night’s opening match between two Texan junior lightweights, Houston’s Rogelio Moreno (1-1) and San Antonio’s Christian Santibanez (0-2), one that featured Moreno’s activity against Santibanez’s reach and flying chin, ended with a unanimous decision for Moreno by scores of 39-37, 39-37 and 40-36.

Opening bell rang on a half-filled Cowboys Dancehall at 6:38 PM local time.

On Sept. 14 boxing fans will congregate for “The One,” a pay-per-view fight card with a main event, Floyd “Money” Mayweather versus Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, and a co-main event, Lucas Matthysse versus Danny Garcia. Since that questionable prefix “co” was put there by someone else, and since any aficionado can tell you Matthysse-Garcia is much the more interesting fight, what do you say we save its preview for next week and treat Sept. 14’s other main event now?

There is a temptation whenever one watches Floyd Mayweather on a program he credits himself with executively producing to fixate on the banality of the spectacle, the vapidity of a guy telling you autobiographical details for the 17th time that were boring the first time, 6 1/2 years ago. But such fixation is missing the point if one wishes to understand the spectacle, forgiving, as always, any adult understandably uninterested in understanding the spectacle.

The purpose of the spectacle, and this Mayweather well comprehends, is saturation, a process television does better than its predecessor mediums, a means not unlike what immersion serious foreign-language students subject themselves to, a way of surrounding a person’s associations, and therefore thoughts, with an idea that goes to the very root of what makes a mind human: Sociability. A desire to socialize is what helped our ancestors climb out the trees in which they were cowering from all predators larger and faster and stronger, which were most, and develop an unprecedented form of communication that took them, in record time, to a place of predatory dominance so far beyond their adversaries they locked up the descendants of the creatures that feasted on them, in zoos, for their children’s amusement.

A biological drive to be round others and communicate with them, connecting in some necessary way, is the trait television preys on, flashing images that say nothing so profoundly as: “This is important because everyone is watching it because it is important enough for everyone to watch.” It’s an algorithm even a kindergartner can untwine, doing something because you are doing it, and it works and works so long as television can find its way to your retina, a gambit the ongoing unpleasantness between Time Warner Cable and CBS now cancels.

But wait, Showtime’s got round Time Warner Cable by posting its wholly unoriginal “All Access” program on the internet! Yes, well, that is helping it reach exactly zero new pay-per-viewers, because if you cared enough about “All Access: Mayweather vs. Canelo” to search for it online, your purchase of their Sept. 14 show is already accounted for; you are the 300,000th buyer, not the millionth. Which leaves the promotion with Canelomania in Mexico, real a phenomenon as anything built on television but doubtfully enough to set what records “The One’s” press tour assured.

Canelomania is evidence of television’s power in a way not even Mayweather quite understands; Alvarez is marketed continually, and has been for years, by Grupo Televisa, a media outfit whose affiliates own more than half the television stations in Mexico – for an American to understand Televisa’s power, he’d have to go back to the pre-cable days of three channels in the United States, and then combine a couple. The Televisa script says Alvarez is a midnight-clad villain but an innocent-faced hero, a fireheaded anomaly but an everyman, a taciturn corrupter of other men’s flesh but a caresser of baby’s cheeks, an urbane fashionista but a tamer of beach steeds, a man who dines in a silver microfiber suit and bathes in a ballbearing black bikini bottom – like an OkCupid profile unrestrained by plausibility. He has dated a Televisa reporter, dated Miss Mexico for Televisa, and visited on Televisa with Mexican president Enrique Peña Nieto, the husband of a Televisa actress.

Canelo Alvarez is the Mexican rendition of contemporary American marketing’s best invention: An otherwise unmarked canvas with a unique imprimatura layer – Tiger Woods in 1998, Barack Obama in 2004 – onto which young and old alike can project their own best qualities. Earl Woods, an all-American dad in the very worst sense of those words, helped market his son as a savior; before America’s leader was President Obama he was derisively called “The One” by Republican campaign operatives; and in two Saturdays Saul Alvarez fights in “The One,” a singular event that will either mark Alvarez as boxing’s savior (Mayweather sure wasn’t) or, much more likely, mark him as yet another “one” some country or ethnicity got hoodwinked into projecting its collective pride on for what 36 minutes it took Floyd Mayweather to unknit him.

Is this fight unwatchably predictable as Mayweather’s last? No, decidedly it is not; Alvarez is a legitimately larger prizefighter who throws his right cross early, like one who knows no better, and Mayweather is a man who, Shane Mosley avers, can be caught with a righthand during the five minutes it takes him to secure escape routes and seal an opponent’s every exit. If Alvarez somehow buckles Mayweather the way Mosley did, Money May will have pounced on him a creature sourly distinct from the Sugar Shane he got 40 months ago.

But if the bell rings to begin round 3 and Alvarez has yet to imperil Mayweather, well, you’ll still have the co-main for solace, but not suspense: In his lifetime of fighting both amateurs and professionals, Mayweather has seen everything about Canelo, save his fabulous redbrick hair, at least 50 times, while Canelo has seen the likes of Mayweather not once. Plan accordingly.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

Ilunga Makabu scored a scintillating fifth round stoppage over Eric Fields in a scheduled twelve round Cruiserweight bout at the Emperor’s Palace in Gauteng, South Africa.

The bout was fast paced with Makabu starting to land fast and heavy shots in round three. The momentum for Makabu continued in land four before he landed a combination that was followed by a devastating left that landed flushed on the chin and Fields crumbled to the canvas on his back and the fight was stopped at 1:59 of round five.

Makabu of South Africa is now 15-1 with 14 knockouts. Fields of Oklahoma is now 22-2.

Ryno Liebenberg stopped Gabriel Ramirez in round one of a scheduled twelve round Light Heavyweight bout.

Liebenbeg dropped Ramirez with a hard combination early in the round round. Liebenberg landed a hard over hand right that hurt Ramirez whose left eye was cut bad. Liebenberg dropped Ramirez two more times with Ramirez taking the ten count on the third knockdown at 1:58 of round one

Liebenberg of South Africa is now 13-0 with nine knockouts. Ramirez of Argentina is now 13-5-1.

Johnny Muller extracted revenge as he stopped Tshepang Mohar in round eleven of their scheduled twelve round Light Heavyweight bout.

Muller landed the bigger shots on the taller Tshepang. He rocked Tshepang in the eleventh and continued tp land fush shots until Thsepang’s corner stopped the fight simultaneously as the referee at 2:28 of round 11.

Muller is 14-3-2 with 11 knockouts. Tshepang is now 9-7.

Canelo Alvarez keeps getting asked about how he will react to Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s trash talk. It’s a question that assumes the inevitable. Not if. But when. Funny thing is, there’s not been much of the Mayweather trash that seemed to type-cast him a couple of years ago.

The live stream of Mayweather’s media day from his Las Vegas gym Wednesday, projected a CEO-like persona. He was cool, calm and self-assured, almost eerily so, about his 152-pound fight on Sept. 14 at Las Vegas’s MGM Grand. Canelo said all of the right things Tuesday at his own media day from Big Bear, Calif. He talked as if he were reading from a tele-prompter. Nothing that Mayweather says, Canelo promised, will bother him.

Maybe not, but a Mayweather without the expected insults might be a reason for Canelo to sweat. Why? Mayweather doesn’t appear to be worried at all about the 23-year-old Mexican who is about to make his first step on to boxing’s biggest stage.

Much has been said about Mayweather’s evolution over the last couple of years, or at least since his infamous outburst at HBO’s Larry Merchant after his controversial stoppage of Victor Ortiz. He’s appears to have grown beyond the spontaneous, emotional outbursts that always seemed to there, just waiting to erupt. Maybe, his well-documented time last summer in jail is a factor. Maybe, it’s the accumulation of years and the wisdom that comes with them. Maybe, it’s because of his Showtime contract and the responsibility that comes with a potential $250 million. By way, that’s what Amazon founder Jeff Bezos paid for The Washington Post a few weeks ago. That might say more about the state of the newspaper biz than it does about Mayweather. But you get the idea. Mayweather is part mogul and part boxer these days. Trash-talk is for kids. He isn’t one anymore.

Nevertheless, profane insults from Mayweather continue to identify him as much as that precise counter. Hence, Canelo gets asked that familiar question. When trash-talk was as inevitable as his next breath, Mayweather often would explode into uninterrupted streams of it when threatened. Blame it on a streak of insecurity, or a big ego, or quick temper. Whatever the diagnosis, it’s probably still there, even if tempered by maturity. Scratch it with a real threat and an outburst figures to follow. In Canelo, there is no threat, or least that’s what Mayweather’s tone and words suggest.

“Am I fighting a guy who is just a pushover?’’ Mayweather said. “I don’t think so.’’

But, he then said in a matter-of-fact tone, Canelo record – 43 fights, 42 victories and one draw – includes opponents he should have knocked out.

“I’m not talking about A or B fighters,’’ said Mayweather, who praised Canelo as a solid boxer-puncher, yet also said that he went the distance against fighters who rated a C or D on his grade scale.

Between getting a fresh shave for his bald head and bites of a chicken diner, Mayweather talked about a lot more. There were jokes, some philosophy and an opinion that Juan Manuel Marquez deserves to be Mexico’s No. 1 fighter instead of the popular Canelo. But you never heard the flurry of expletives that are symptomatic of that one word: Worried.

He’s not.

Maybe, Canelo should be.

Carlos Condit avenged a 2009 defeat when he stopped Martin Kampmann in round four of a scheduled five round Welterweight bout at the Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Condit battered Kampmann with a combination of knees and punches and the fight was stopped fifty-four seconds into round four.

Condit, 170.5 lbs is now 29-7. Kampmann, 170 lbs is now 20-7

Rafael Dos Anjos scored a three round unanimous decision over Donald Cerrone in a Lightweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on all cards for Dos Anjos, 155.5 lbs and is now 20-6. Cerrone, 156 lbs is 16-7

Court McGee won a three round split decision over Robert Whittaker in a Welterweight bout.

McGee won by scores of 39-27 and 29-28 and is now 16-3. Whittaker won a card by a 30-27 tally but falls to 12-3.

Takeya Mizugaki scored a three round split decision over Erik Perez in a Bantamweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on two cards while a 3rd card read 29-28 for Perez.

Mizugaki, 135 1/2 lbs is now 18-7-2. Perez, 135 1/2 lbs is now 13-5.

Brad Tavares scored a three round unanimous decision over Bubba McDaniel in a Middleweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on all cards for Tavares, 186 lbs and is now 12-2. McDaniel, 185 lbs is now 21-7.

Dylan Andrews scored a third round stoppage over Papy Abedi in a Middleweight bout.

Andrews landed a hard right that sent Abedi to the ground and he got pounded until the fight was stopped at 1:32 of round three.

Andrews, 185 lbs of Gold Coast, Aus is now 18-5-1. Abedi, 184 1/2 lbs of Stickholm, SWE 9-3.

Brandon Thatch scored a first round stoppage over Justin Edwards in a Welterweight bout.

Thatch landed some thunderous knees and the fight was stopped.

Thatch, 170 lbs is now 10-1. Edwards, 170 lbs is 9-3.

Darren Elkins scored a three round unanimous decision over Hatsu Hioki in a Bantamweight bout.

Scores were 29-28 on all cards for Elkins, 145 lbs of Portage, IN and is now 18-3. Hioki, 146 lbs of Nagoya, JP is now 26-7-2.

Jason High scored a first round choke out over James Head in a Welterweight bout.

High used the guillotine choke and the fight was over at 1:41 of round one.

High, 171 lbs is 18-4. Head, 170 1/2 lbs is 9-4.

Zak Cummings scored a first round choke out over Benny Alloway in a Welterweight bout.

The time was 4:19 of round one for Cummings, 170.5 lbs of Kansas City and is now 16-3. Alloway, 170 lbs of Gulf Coast Australia is 13-6.

Abel Trujillo (10-5) and Roger Bowling (11-4) fought to a controversial no-contest in a lightweight bout.

Bowling had Trujillo in chokes at the end of both round’s one and two. Trujillo reversed the second one and landed two illegal knees that was followed by a devastating right hand that knocked Bowling out at 4:57 of round two.

Martin Kampmann 170 – Carlos Condit 170.5
Abel Trujillo 155 – Roger Bowling 155.5
Benny Alloway 170 – Zak Cummings 170.5
Jason High 171 – James Head 170.5
Hatsu Hioki 146 – Darren Elkins 145
Brandon Thatch 170 – Justin Edwards 170
Pepy Abedi 184.5 – Dylan Andrews 185
Bubba McDaniel 185 – Brad Tavares 186
Erik Perez 135.5 – Takeya Mizugaki 135.5
Robert Whittaker 170.5 – Court McGee 170
Brian Melancon 170 – elvin Gastelum 170
Rafael dos Anjos 155.5 – Donald Cerrone 156

Saturday in Carson, Calif., Jhonny Gonzalez floored Abner Mares with a left-hook lead in the third minute of their featherweight title match then stopped Mares at 2:55 of round 1, scoring the sort of delightful upset that makes prizefighting a dasher of corporate plans and the corporate-minded folks that plan them.

Saturday’s plan was to continue a coronation of Mares, the 126-pound Mexican titlist who, in light of Nonito Donaire’s recently razed stature and Guillermo Rigondeaux’s impossible style (he’d handle Mares more easily than he handled Donaire), has run out of what opponents might attract large crowds, and fees from Showtime, a network long supportive of Mares for the good reason that he won its 2011 bantamweight tournament. Mares was valuable to Showtime though more important to Golden Boy because he was a first prizefighter developed by the outfit into a world champion, an accomplishment disproving, in small part, what was rightfully said of the promoter – handsome figurehead, good salesmen, no eye for talent.

There is, in other words, no chance Golden Boy expected its first homegrown world champion to get stretched in fewer than three minutes by a stalking-horse Mexican they promoted in an inaugural Boxing World Cup nearly eight years ago, when Gonzalez stopped Ratanachai Sor Vorapin to win the WBO’s bantamweight title, one Gonzalez defended seven months later against Fernando Montiel, in a rainstorm of boos at a venue then named Home Depot Center. Four months after that Gonzalez made the best fight any American saw live in 2006, a super bantamweight donnybrook with Israel Vazquez, a fight Vazquez won by 10th-round knockout, a fight that, were it not for YouTube, would have won 2006’s fight-of-the-year honors.

A 2007 knockout loss, on a body shot from a southpaw, a nifty bit of crossed-over footwork by one of the two best Filipino fighters Americans have seen, Gerry Penalosa, marked Gonzalez as the sort of man who did not win his biggest fights, which in its way made him pleasantly predictable, pleasant for being predictable, to any matchmaker looking to sell his network a genuine test, from a fabled and ubiquitous “tough Mexican” challenger, for any great young fighter. But Jhonny “Jhonny” Gonzalez did not see his career the way others do.

Gonzalez does not show the same self-deprecation about his craft he does about his name; in a number of interviews at Desert Diamond Casino, just south of Tucson, Ariz., in 2008 and 2007 and 2005, Gonzalez proved himself serious to a point of surliness, a man who believed he was cut from elite cloth and did not cotton to insinuations that first-round knockouts of unremarkable opponents like Leivi Brea were about burnishing a resume bright enough to get him beaten by more talented men on pay television.

The plan for Saturday was to have Showtime commentators walk a circular tightrope like this: While it would be an insult to Jhonny Gonzalez’s legacy to say he’s now what he was in his prime, it would also be an insult, an outrage even, to imply he is anything but the sternest possible test for Mares – a true superstar who just proved himself such by knocking out a man, in Gonzalez, many of us believed had a chance to beat him. That loop, repeated and reversed and reiterated thrice more, is how Saturday was scripted to go when Mares, the young superstar who once ate out of garbage cans and reminds himself he once ate out of garbage cans whenever he considers throwing money away (in garbage cans, one presumes), either scored a remarkable stoppage after round 8 or an incredible stoppage before then.

Instead of another Mares coronation, though, Showtime and Golden Boy must presently put together a rematch their young star must win – or else do it the HBO way, pretending Gonzalez no more beat Mares than Timothy Bradley beat Manny Pacquiao or Rigondeaux beat Donaire, and risk looking equally ridiculous. Writing of HBO, a child of Time Warner, a company that wisely divested itself of Time Warner Cable a few years back, there is Time Warner Cable’s ongoing contractual dispute with CBS, the parent company of Showtime. A goodish number of subscribers who pay Time Warner Cable to watch Showtime programming were sent scrambling for pirated online streams of Saturday’s fight because Time Warner Cable now blocks Showtime channels with a script that begins “The outrageous demands from CBS . . .”

It is the verbiage of businesschildren, not businessmen. Raised in a garishly self-interested generation to believe compromise is ever a synonym for weakness, the leaders of these companies, politicians more than entrepreneurs, and grotesquely overcompensated more than anything, now fail at one thing they are good at, if they are objectively good at something: Making a deal. They interrupt their customers’ service for the good of their customers, they say, and this is true, because their customers are not the witling Americans who purchase their products, but rather what computers daytrade their stocks, an army of machines collectively and absurdly called “shareholders” that sets executive compensation via the ticker symbols TWC and CBS. Any Time Warner employee of any kind itching to defend this system might first answer a simple question – “Why are we no longer called ‘AOL Time Warner’?” – and then familiarize himself with the historical omniscience of this free-market system that once openly guffawed at his company’s expense, and expenses.

Look elsewhere, then, for character, and find Jhonny Gonzalez and Abner Mares’ interaction on Twitter 38 days before their title match. While in training to render one another unconscious on Aug. 24, they had this exchange in their native Spanish on July 17:

Mares: A greeting to my great friend and proximate rival @JOGLEZ who is training hard, the same as I am, to give you all a great fight. #mexico

Gonzalez: @abnermares00 equally, a hug (for you), champion, and we’ll see each other in the ring. Encouragement!

That is what character looks like.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com

Abner Mares defies traditional categories, perhaps because he’s nimble enough to switch from one to the other quickly and sometimes seamlessly. Within a single fight, he moves from skill to skill, category to category, like an actor changing costumes.

From brawler to boxer, from puncher to careful tactician, Mares has a variety of roles he employs for every situation. His resourceful versatility isn’t exactly a secret anymore, but that doesn’t make it any less problematic for an opponent who can never be quite sure who and what he is facing from round to round.

That leaves experienced and tough Jhonny Gonzalez with a difficult task Saturday at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., in the main event of a Showtime-televised card. Facing Mares is a little bit like playing Russian Roullette. At some point, Mares will find a skill that exploits a weakness.

“You can’t really compare Jhonny to my last opponent,’’ said Mares, who beat Daniel Ponce De Leon in May on the undercard of Floyd Maywetaher Jr.’s victory over Robert Guerrero. “Jhonny is more of a thinker than Ponce, who just came to brawl. I know I have to fight him in a very smart way.’’

If there’s one word that best describes Mares (26-0-1,14 KOs), it’s opportunistic. Sure enough, an intriguing opportunity is on the line for him in a featherweight fight against Gonzalez (54-8, 46 KOs). His promoter, Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, grabbed it and introduced it by arguing that Mares should be ranked No. 2 in the pound-for-pound ratings behind Mayweather.

The pound-for-pound debate is a little bit like a video game. It’s a collection of talking points and not much more. But it matters in terms of public perception. It’s Schaefer’s job to campaign for his fighters. In arguing for Mares, Schaefer has managed to get his name into the debate in a way that that figures to generate interest. Translation: A potential boost in television ratings.

The rest is up to Mares, who has held titles at three weights – 118 pounds, 122 and 126. He figures to beat Gonzalez, but now there’s some pressure on him to win impressively in a bid to further enhance his pound-for-pound credentials.

The opportunity is there because of mounting questions about the presumptive No. 2, super-middleweight Andre Ward, whose position has eroded because of inactivity brought on in part by injuries. Of late, most of the news about Ward has come from an arbitration hearing won by his promoter, Dan Goossen.

Meanwhile, another contender, middleweight champion Sergio Martinez, is on the shelf until next year because of knee and hand injures aggravated in difficult decision over Martin Murray in April. Juan Manuel Marquez is scheduled to resume his career on Oct. 12 against Timothy Bradley in his first bout since his December stoppage of Manny Pacquiao. Inactivity isn’t a loss, but it isn’t much of an argument for any fighter trying to hold onto his pound-for-pound status either.

Contrast that to Mares, who beat Eric Morel and Anselmo Moreno in 2012. If he can follow up his ninth-round TKO of Ponce De Leon with a definitive victory over Gonzalez, he can punctuate his pound-for-pound argument in a way that could be hard to counter.

LAREDO, Texas – Saturday at this city’s Energy Arena brought nothing unexpected, and perhaps 1,000 or so spectators, with the red corner going 6-0 (5 KOs), and Houston lightweight Juan “Baby Bull” Diaz winning the second fight of his comeback by a technical knockout that brought two white terrycloths flying in the ring from the corner of Diaz’s Brazilian opponent, Adailton De Jesus, in round 5. Saturday also brought recognition Diaz did not dissipate during his brief consideration of a career in pettifogging instead of prizefighting, and perhaps a wee bit of observational inadequacy too.

Even sitting 15 feet from Diaz and making him one’s sole point of concentration yields few fruitful revelations about the origins of his stamina. The question was got at a number of times from different angles during Diaz’s reign as lightweight champion, and usually, and properly, attributed to the smoothness of his physique, the languid shape and execution of his fatty-wrapped though not-nonexistent musculature – won by hours swimming laps in lieu of pumping reps, a physique naturally warmed by driving a baseball bat in a heavybag rather than snapping bicep-tightening uppercuts at a trainer’s handpads.

Diaz’s footwork is not spectacular, though he is rarely off balance in any way but one customary to volume punchers: weight too far forward, body draped over the left knee. Diaz remains, as ever, a proverbial sucker for the back uppercut, the punch Juan Manuel Marquez finished him with in the second loss of his career, a punch it takes a gambler to throw since it opens his chin to a left hook, a punch Diaz throws nearly well to the head as he throws to the body.

Diaz does that with an untold ferocity; it was the only part of being ringside for his Saturday fight with Adailton De Jesus that carried something unexpected: Diaz does not know he does not possess one-punch stopping power, or at least he fights like a man who does not know. He is instead a man who must apply geology’s study of pressure and time to undo the wills of other men who hurt other men for a living, to snatch their desire to punch him by showing them a different nature, a beast they’ve not seen, one who will not tire and will not stop punching them. While there is not one Diaz punch or even one Diaz combination that makes an opponent wince at the championship level, there is a relentlessness that raises an exasperation the peerless Larry Merchant once captured in a fittingly exasperated voice: What do I have to do to make this guy stop hitting me?

Opponents, and more so bystanders, see Diaz’s flaccid physique, the way his flesh tumbles harmlessly over the black waistband of his babyblue trunks, and suspect whatever viciousness he brings to the opening minutes is mere hot blood, akin to prison-yard fury. It’s not till the 15th minute opponents, and more so bystanders, begin to wonder what detail they missed about this friendly college grad any barroom tough would unhesitatingly accost, how in the holy hell Diaz has not relented one moment, how he could appear so physically unprepared for a craft he is so masterful at.

That’s when many a Diaz opponent makes the worst possible calculation, to try rope-a-doping a smart guy, to begin stopping each of Diaz’s punches with his body rather than slipping or ducking them – because, really, what could be the harm: The Baby Bull famously does not hit hard. The harm is this: by stopping Diaz’s punches for him, doing half his physical work, an opponent reaffirms Diaz’s fighting philosophy relentlessly as Diaz’s punches can be thrown. “This is comfortable,” Diaz thinks, “this feels right, this is like we do in the gym on those days when if they didn’t yell ‘Time!’ a 23-minute round could happen because when I’m in my place, turning into each punch turns me away from the next punch till the motion takes care of itself and I barely know or remember what happened that last half hour.”

Diaz keeps his hands open wide as his battleship-gray gloves allow until the last three or so inches before they crash against an opponent’s body, and at that instant he closes them into fists, providing just enough torque to make another prizefighter know he’s being hit by a prizefighter, not a soft, local-attraction, college-kid-makes-good, slapper, twisting his knuckles in the man’s elbows and shoulders and ears till that man’s capacity for proper defense is pulverized, and Diaz’s knuckles start to taste what’s tastier: ribs, cheeks, chin, liver. Diaz follows every clean punch with another clean punch; he does not pause if a left hook makes another man’s bones momentarily feel like lard on his fist, he does not “take a snapshot” – as promoter Oscar De La Hoya rightly accused Danny Garcia of doing in Diaz’s native Houston against Erik Morales – but instead watches with eyes big the other man’s sternum, a head’s length below the man’s now exposed chin.

What Diaz does to another in a prizefight is an entirely impersonal event, it is a fitness contest with a heavybag that occasionally punches back, and whether that man tires or does not is an afterthought to Diaz who has a tally of fully thrown punches to reach, 600 at least though perhaps 900, before he asks what his opponent is doing. It is a mindlessness mindfully planned that makes Diaz susceptible only to men who are more accurate than he, and derive deeper pleasure from meaningful punches perfectly delivered, and such men are rare.

That is why Adailton De Jesus’ cornermen threw one white towel over the rope just after the midway point of round 5, and when that didn’t make referee Jon Schorle make Diaz relent, they hurled a second towel at Schorle himself, bypassing decorum to demand mercy for their charge.

Bart Barry can be reached at bart.barrys.email (at) gmail.com