Las Vegas (June 11, 2015) – Former WBO world champion Ruslan Provodnikov has confirmed that he will appear at the Las Vegas Convention Center for the second annual Box Fan Expo that will take place Saturday Sept. 12. The Box Fan Expo will coincide with Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s last fight and Mexican Independence weekend.

Ruslan Provodnikov also known as the “Siberian Rocky,” is a Russian professional boxer in the Light Welterweight division and is a former WBO Light Welterweight Champion. He is a fan favorite because of his fighting style and how he developed a reputation for being an exciting, come-forward, aggressive fighter. His fight with Tim Bradley was named “2013 Fight of the Year” by Ring Magazine and the Boxing Writers Association of America.

Provodnikov joins “Terrible” Terry Norris, Joel “El Cepillo” Casamayor and “El Feroz” Fernando Vargas among early commitments to this year’s Box Fan Expo.

This unique fan experience event, which allowed fans to meet and greet boxing legends, past and current champions and other celebrities of the sport, debuted last September to large, enthusiastic crowds. This year the Expo will run from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and once again, allow fans a chance to collect autographs, take photos and purchase merchandise and memorabilia.

Exhibitors such as boxing gear, apparel, broadcasting media and other brand companies who wish to participate will have a chance to showcase their products to fans and the whole boxing industry.

Last year’s inaugural Box Fan Expo featured some of the most popular fighters and boxing celebrities in recent history. Fans were treated to visits with Mike Tyson, Roy Jones Jr, Sergio Martinez, Amir Khan, Zab Judah, Mikey Garcia, James Toney, Riddick Bowe, Leon Spinks Terry Norris, Shawn Porter, Chris Byrd, Jesse James Leija, Lamon Brewster, Ray Mercer, Earnie Shavers, Mia St-John, Erislandy Lara, Peter Quillin, Jean Pascal and Austin Trout. Also appearing were current WBC Champion Deontay Wilder, the charismatic Vinny Pazienza, Paul Williams, noted commentator Al Bernstein and top trainer Roger Mayweather of Mayweather Promotions.

The roster of attendees for this year’s Box Fan Expo will be announced throughout the next several months and weeks leading up to the event.

Tickets to the Box Fan Expo are available online at: http://www.boxfanexpo.eventbrite.com

View the official promo video of Box Fan Expo here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/video-2/

View Promo Flyer here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/promo-flyer/

View Photos Gallery 2014 here: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/photos/

For anyone in the boxing industry or brand companies who wish to be involved and reserve a booth as an exhibitor or sponsorship opportunities, please contact Box Fan Expo at:

U.S.A telephone number: (702) 997-1927 or (514) 572-7222

For any inquiries please email: boxfanexpo@gmail.com

More information on the Box Fan Expo is available at: http://www.boxfanexpo.com

To view Ruslan Provodnikov video press release go to: http://www.boxfanexpo.com/ruslan-siberian-rocky-provodnikov-confirmed-for-second-annual-box-fan-expo-taking-place-saturday-sept-12-in-las-vegas/

You can follow Box Fan Expo on Twitter at: https://www.twitter.com/BoxFanExpo and on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/BoxFanExpo

By Norm Frauenheim-

A shuffle the top of the marquee begins to unfold, almost like a political campaign, in an inevitable transition put into motion by Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao. Despite record-setting revenue, the fight was an artistic flop, yet a sign that the business is moving on in search of new stars.

They’re there, on a list topped by Gennady Golovkin, Canelo Alvarez, Terence Crawford and Roman Gonzalez. A preliminary, yet intriguing move takes place Saturday in the Miguel Cotto-Daniel Geale fight at Brooklyn’s Barclays Center. The HBO-televised bout sets the table.

If Cotto – a prominent face in the Mayweather-Pacquiao generation — wins, it looks as if he’ll face Alvarez for perhaps his last big payday in another chapter in the rich Puerto Rican–Mexican tradition. If Cotto loses, then maybe Golovkin bypasses Carl Froch and goes straight to an anticipated date with Canelo in a bout sure to include Fight-of-the-Year hype.

It’s no coincidence, perhaps, that Golovkin plans to be at ringside for Cotto-Geale. He knocked out Geale. He wants Cotto’s version of the middleweight belt. Of all the potential contenders for the pound-for-pound office about to be vacated by Mayweather, Golovkin looks like the front-runner, both in ring skill and popular appeal.

If there were an election among Mexican fans in Los Angeles, Golovkin, a Kazak, would get a lot of votes. In his last two bouts in LA, the crowd has been filled with people wearing T-shirts and campaign-style button that said: Mexicans for GGG.

There’s A-side leverage in that kind of popularity. At some point, it’s bound to bring GGG out the most-feared category and into a powerful bargaining position. Ducking GGG will soon become a bad business move, especially with the Mayweather-Pacquiao generation at the brink of retirement.

Andre Ward looms as another potential candidate in the race to succeed Mayweather. He’s not as likable as Golovkin. But he might be skilled enough to beat him. We’ll begin to see soon enough. In his first fight since November 16, 2013, Ward faces Paul Smith on June 20 in hometown Oakland.

Meanwhile, don’t be surprised if this race gets as crowded as the one with Republicans running for president. There’s talk that master-tactician Mikey Garcia, an unbeaten super-featherweight at 34-0, is preparing to come back. He hasn’t fought since January 25, 2014.

There’s also Deontay Wilder, the first American with a heavyweight belt since Shannon Briggs, who knocked out Sergei Liakhovich for the WBO title in 2006 and stalking Wladimir Klitschko ever since.

Wilder, likable and probably a couple fights away from seriously challenging Klitschko, has boldly declared his candidacy. Wilder likes to talk and he said a lot in a conference call Wednesday for his first title defense June 13 against unknown Eric Molina in Birmingham, Ala. Wilder said he can be a bigger star than Mayweather.

“Most definitely, and I say that with high confidence because the heavyweight division is the cream of the crop in the first place,’’ said Wilder, the WBC champion. “The things that I bring, the charisma, the excitement, the personality that I have, everything about me is all me. It’s totally me.

“Some guys, when they have cameras in their face, they presume to be a certain type of person or the persona about them changes. When the camera is off, they’re a totally different person. I don’t have split personalities. I’m not a fake person. Everything about me is real. Everything you see on (Showtime) All-Access is me. Nothing is scripted, nothing is planned up, nothing.’’

Nothing, other than being next.

LONDON (28 May) – Boxing ace Amir Khan is refusing to overlook Chris Algieri despite media talk of a clash next up with pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather.

The 28-year-old Bolton star has been mooted as ‘Money’ Mayweather’s final opponent in September before he hangs up his gloves on an illustrious 19-year professional career.

However, Khan has refused to be drawn into any Mayweather talk and insists his focus is solely on New Yorker Algieri, who he faces live and exclusive on BoxNation this Friday night.

“My thoughts are only on Chris Algieri and him alone,” said Khan. “I’m not looking past Friday night because in boxing you can never do that – I’ve learnt that through the years.

“I’m focused only on Algieri because I know he’s a dangerous opponent and he’s someone who has my full respect. I will need to be on my ‘A’ game against him because he has a history of upsetting the odds,” said Khan.

“You can’t ignore that history but at the end of the day I believe I will have too much for him.”

The former unified champion was referring to shock wins over the highly touted Emmanuel Taylor and the then WBO light-welterweight champion Ruslan Provodnikov, victories which propelled Algieri into a megafight with Manny Pacquiao.

The 31-year-old was convincingly beaten in that fight last November but showed tremendous heart to keep persevering, something which impressed Khan.

“I think Algieri has learnt a lot of things from the Pacquiao fight. He may have lost but he showed great determination and will in there to keep getting back up and fighting,” said Khan.

“The fact he has changed trainers too shows the type of character he is. He wants to improve and get better and he recognised that he has to make changes – that’s something to admire.

“John David Jackson is a very good trainer but it takes time to pick things up with a new coach so I’m going to be looking to take advantage of that. It’s going to be a very difficult night for Algieri,” he said.

Khan knows first-hand how changing trainers can also impact positively having made the switch from Freddie Roach to San Francisco based Virgil Hunter three years ago, a move which is really beginning to bear fruit.

“Each training camp my bond with Virgil is getting stronger. He gets to know me more and I think each performance people are beginning to see that,” said Khan.

“Against Luis Collazo and then Devon Alexander in my last fight you saw the improvements we have been making and I believe this time you will see even more positive things.

“Virgil knows what works for me and how to get through to me – he’s making me a complete fighter. I’m a smarter fighter than I ever was before and know now how best to use assets such as my speed and movement,” he said.

Khan vs. Algieri is live and exclusive on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD, Virgin 546, TalkTalk 525) this Friday night. Visit boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-
About BoxNation
BoxNation, the Channel of Champions and proud partner of Rainham Steel, is the UK’s first dedicated subscription boxing channel. For £12* a month and no minimum term customers can enjoy great value live and exclusive fights, classic fight footage, magazine shows and interviews with current and former fighters.
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Buy LUTA (www.luta.co.uk) clothing and support Fight for Peace.
Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

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

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By Norm Frauenheim-

Nearly three weeks have passed since Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s decision over Manny Pacquiao in the Letdown of the Century and there’s been no backlash.

Canelo Alvarez’ knockout of James Kirkland on May 9 drew HBO’s biggest audience for non-pay-per-view bout since 2006. A week later, there was a capacity crowd at the rebuilt Forum for Gennady Golovkin’s stoppage of Willie Monroe Jr. and Roman Gonzalez’ celebrated return to the U.S. market.

Perhaps, damage from Mayweather-Pacquiao was contained. Maybe, that’s because it was a fight that boxing’s traditional demographic couldn’t afford. It was an event for the one percent, which yawned throughout 12 rounds and then piled into Bugattis, Ferraris and private jets for a holiday aboard Mediterranean yachts.

Truth is, the one percent was probably never coming back anyway. Meanwhile, the game’s loyal customers had already moved on to the leading names in an emerging generation that has supplanted Mayweather and Pacquiao, who were old news before opening bell. Just plain old, too.

Controversy will linger over the Pacquiao-Mayweather money grab, and that’s all it ever was. Conspiracy theories about the severity of Pacquiao’s shoulder injury will circulate and re-circulate.

Mayweather will continue to blame the Filipino for the lousy fight, yet there was never one second when Mayweather ever showed any inclination at taking matters into his own hands. Pacquiao wasn’t throwing punches at his usual rate. There were moments when he appeared to be wide-open for a fight-ending uppercut. But it was never attempted. Mayweather was content to remain in a defensive posture, even backing away on his heels in later rounds when it was clear Pacquiao had no chance. In a Showtime replay, his father and trainer, Floyd Sr., exhorts his son to get more aggressive.

“You fighting like you scared, man,’’ Floyd Sr. said.

In the post-fight news conference, Mayweather repeatedly demanded an apology from pundits who had said the fight didn’t happen five years ago because he was scared of Pacquao.

Did his father apologize for saying it during the fight? Just wondering.

But there’s been no immediate backlash evident at the box office or in the television ratings. Traditional fans had a pretty good idea about what would happen anyway. Mayweather fought as he always has. He took no chances, fighting for another day – or more to the point—another paycheck.

The guess in this corner is that we have seen the last of Pacquaio, at least in the U.S. He was in decline before he underwent surgery for a reported tear in his right shoulder four days after the fight. It’s expected to heal in six to nine months. Maybe he could fight in 2016. But will he be any better then than he has been the last three-to four years? Doubtful.

Then, issues at how and when he disclosed the injury linger. Why at the post-fight news conference and not in documentation before the weigh-in? The Nevada State Athletic Commission has talked about an investigation, saying Pacquiao could be fined or suspended. Meanwhile, more than 30 civil lawsuits have been filed, many listing him as a defendant. The suits appear to be frivolous. If deflated fans can sue Pacquiao, can New England Patriots quarterback Tom Brady be next?

But they’re there and they’re a headache. If Pacquiao fights again, maybe it will be in a farewell bout at home in the Philippines or in tax-friendly China. Another fight in the U.S. would probably mean lawyers and legal fees.

Then, there’s Mayweather. If there’s a backlash, he might feel it. Mayweather says he intends to fight in September in what would be the final bout in his six-fight deal with Showtime. It figures to be another PPV telecast, perhaps against Amir Khan. But anecdotal evidence indicates there won’t be many return customers. At least 4.4 million bought the Pacquiao-Mayweather telecast at about $100 for high-def. Those lawsuits, no matter how frivolous, represent a groundswell of anger directed at both Pacquiao and Mayweather.

If there’s a September bout, history will be a big part of the sales pitch. It represents a chance for Mayweather to equal Rocky Marciano’s 49-0 record. With a victory, Mayweather could further his claim on the TBE brand, The Best Ever. But even that is problematic. The devil is in the numbers. Mayweather’s caution, never more evident than it was against a vulnerable Pacquiao, has stopped 54.11 percent of his 48 opponents. Marciano scored KOs in 87.76 percent of his bouts. Advantage: Marciano.

Mayweather says he’ll retire after his next fight. But he also says he changes his mind. His pursuit of an unbeaten legacy is reason to think he’ll try to go 50-0 with the 50th bout as the inaugural event at a Las Vegas arena currently under construction.

Mayweather, then a free agent and ever the businessman, could sell No. 50 to the network that offers the most money. But how much would it really be worth? Sift through the remains of Mayweather-Pacquiao, and there’s evidence that it’ll only be a tiny fraction of what looks like a last chance to cash in.

NEW YORK (May 12, 2015)—The boxing blockbuster event, Floyd Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao, shattered the previous record for total pay-per-view buys and now ranks as the highest-grossing pay-per-view of all time. Initial reports from distributors indicate that the event generated more than 4.4 million U.S. buys and more than $400 million in domestic pay-per-view revenue alone. With additional revenue from the live gate at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, international television distribution, sponsorships, closed circuit and merchandise sales, the event is expected to generate in excess of $500 million in gross worldwide receipts. The news was announced jointly by Showtime Networks Inc., a subsidiary of CBS Corporation, and HBO in conjunction with event promoters Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank, Inc.

The welterweight world championship unification bout nearly doubled the previous record of 2.48 million buys generated by the Oscar De La Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather boxing event in 2007 and nearly tripled the record $150 million in U.S. pay-per-view revenue generated by Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez in 2013.

Live gate receipts for the star-studded event at the MGM Grand Garden Arena produced more than $71 million in revenue, dramatically eclipsing the previous live gate record of $20 million (for Mayweather vs. Canelo) for both the sport of boxing and Las Vegas.

Additionally, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao set the record for closed circuit admissions and revenue both in Las Vegas and at establishments nationwide. The event sold nearly 46,000 closed circuit admissions at MGM Resorts International properties in Las Vegas alone and was available at more than 5,000 bars, restaurants and commercial establishments throughout the U.S.

Distributed in 175 countries worldwide, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was available in essentially 75 percent of the world’s territories, setting the revenue record for international distribution.

As reported last week, Mayweather vs. Pacquiao drew enormous numbers on social media. For example, Facebook reported that 37 million unique people contributed more than 115 million interactions from the start of the event to 30 minutes following its completion, a new record for a boxing event.

The May 2 promotion included unprecedented marketing and cross-promotional support from distributors as well as record revenue from the event’s major sponsors.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was a 12-round welterweight world championship unification bout promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., and co-produced and co-distributed by HBO PPV® and SHOWTIME PPV®.

By Norm Frauenheim-

There are more tired excuses than reasonable explanations for what happened May 2 in the colossal failure to fulfill even a fraction of the expectations for the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao fight.

Still, everybody attached to the pay-per-view affair will try. They have to. Believe it or not, there’s even more money to be made. There are still contracts to fulfill.

Hence, we’ll hear form Mayweather all over again Saturday night (9 p.m. ET/PT) in a Showtime exclusive with Jim Gray in a production titled “Inside MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO Epilogue.”

After all the outrage throughout the week following the welterweight bout, it sounds more like autopsy than epilogue. Still, it should be interesting to hear Mayweather address a laundry list of issues and allegations that has emerged since his unanimous decision over Pacquiao at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand.

According to a Showtime release, Mayweather talks about mid-week news that he’d be willing to do a rematch. He confirms he sent a text to ESPN’s Stephen A. Smith, saying he would be interested in a second fight. In what sounds like good news, however, he’s changed his mind.

“Did I text Stephen A. Smith and say I will fight him again? Yeah, but I change my mind,” Mayweather says. “At this particular time, no, because he’s a sore loser and he’s a coward… If you lost, accept the loss and say, ‘Mayweather, you were the better fighter.’ ”

After all the ridicule and criticism of the first fight, wouldn’t a rematch be a working definition of insanity? You know the one about doing the same dumb thing over and over again. Of course, Mayweather might change his mind again. Besides, this is boxing. Oh boy, a trilogy.

According to the release, Mayweather also addresses the post-fight disclosure from Pacquaio that he fought with an injury to his right shoulder. He underwent surgery for a tear on Wednesday in Los Angeles.

“Excuses, excuses, excuses,” says Mayweather, who is 48-0 with one fight left on his Showtime contract. “I’m not going to buy into the bull—… and I don’t want the public to buy into the bull—-. He lost. He knows he lost. I lost a lot of respect for him after all of this.”

According to the release, Mayweather also says he did not know of Pacquiao’s injury, which is believed to have happened in early April while sparring at the Wild Card Gym in Hollywood, Calif.

In an interview with Filipino media on the Sunday after the fight, Pacquiao alleged sabotage. He said that
Mayweather knew about the shoulder. He alleged that somebody, perhaps a Mayweather plant at the Wild Card, leaked the news.

Pacquiao said Mayweather repeatedly pulled on his right arm in an attempt to aggravate the injury. Pacquiao said he re-injured the shoulder in the fourth, ironically his best round in the 12-round bout.

“Absolutely not,” Mayweather says when asked if he was aware of the injury. “He was fast. His left hand was fast. His right hand was fast and he was throwing them both fast and strong.’’

NEW YORK (May 7, 2015)—Sports Emmy® Award winning reporter Jim Gray of SHOWTIME Sports® sat down with pound-for-pound champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather for an exclusive and candid interview late Tuesday night, just days after Mayweather dominated Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao en route to a 12-round unanimous decision victory last Saturday night in Las Vegas. The interview will premiere this Saturday, May 9, on SHOWTIME immediately following the network’s premiere of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao (9 p.m. ET/PT).

In the interview, Mayweather addresses the claim made by Pacquiao’s camp that the Philippine fighter sustained an injury to his right shoulder that hampered his ability during the bout. Mayweather also discusses the possibility of a rematch with Pacquiao and fighting beyond his next scheduled event in September.

“Absolutely not,” Mayweather told Gray when asked if he could detect a problem with Pacquiao’s shoulder during the bout. “He was fast. His left hand was fast. His right hand was fast and he was throwing them both fast and strong.

“Excuses, excuses, excuses,” continued Mayweather, who remains undefeated in his professional career with 48 wins, no losses and no draws.

“I’m not going to buy into the bull—… and I don’t want the public to buy into the bull—-. He lost. He knows he lost. I lost a lot of respect for him after all of this.”

Mayweather goes on to address the possibility of a rematch.

“Did I text Stephen A. Smith and say I will fight him again? Yeah, but I change my mind,” said Mayweather. “At this particular time, no, because he’s a sore loser and he’s a coward… If you lost, accept the loss and say, ‘Mayweather, you were the better fighter.’”

The compelling interview will air immediately following the SHOWTIME premiere of the welterweight world championship unification bout at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The interview will be immediately followed by the premiere of INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO Epilogue, the acclaimed original documentary series from SHOWTIME Sports.
# # #
Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, FLIX ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

In one of the most-anticipated events on the action-packed HBO Boxing calendar, the brightest, fastest-rising star in the sport meets one of his toughest challenges to date when WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING: CANELO ALVAREZ VS. JAMES KIRKLAND AND HUMBERTO SOTO VS. FRANKIE GOMEZ is seen SATURDAY, MAY 9 at 9:00 p.m. (live ET/tape-delayed PT) from Minute Maid Park in Houston, exclusively on HBO. The HBO Sports team will be ringside to call all the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: May 10 (10:30 a.m.) and 11 (11:45 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates: May 10 (3:00 p.m.) and 12 (11:30 p.m.)

Canelo Alvarez (44-1-1, 31 KOs) of Jalisco, Mexico and James Kirkland (32-1, 28 KOs) of Austin, Tex. will compete in a scheduled 12-round super welterweight fight. Both men are known for an aggressive, come-forward style, which should produce an all-action affair.

Following an impressive 2014 campaign that included victories over fierce brawler Alfredo Angulo and crafty southpaw Erislandy Lara, Alvarez, 24, makes his 2015 debut looking for another dominant performance in his return to Texas, where a fervent fan base will provide a hometown feel for the Mexican slugger.

With just two fights over the last three years, including a stunning knockout of Glen Tapia in 2013, Kirkland, 31, returns rested and primed for battle. The Texas native boasts remarkable knockout power, having not allowed any opponent to reach the final bell since 2007. The winner will be in line for a super welterweight title fight later this year.

A scheduled ten-round super lightweight fight opens the evening, with seasoned veteran Humberto Soto (65-8-2, 35 KOs) squaring off against undefeated Frankie Gomez (18-0, 13 KOs). Soto, 34, is a former three-division champion coming off a decisive victory last September over John Molina, Jr., while unbeaten prospect Gomez, 23, continues to rise in the ranks.

Leading off the telecast will be the replay of the May 2nd blockbuster pay-per-view event from Las Vegas in which Floyd Mayweather met Manny Pacquiao in a much anticipated welterweight unification title bout.

Follow HBO boxing news at hbo.com/boxing, on Facebook at facebook.com/hboboxing and on Twitter at twitter.com/hboboxing.

All HBO boxing events are presented in HDTV. HBO viewers must have access to the HBO HDTV channel to watch HBO programming in high definition.

The executive producer of WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is Rick Bernstein; producer, Jon Crystal; director, Johnathan Evans.

® WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Manny Pacquiao will have surgery on his torn rotator cuff in his right shoulder following his loss to Floyd Mayweather this past Saturday in Las Vegas.

“We have an MRI scan that confirms he has a rotator cuff tear. He has a significant tear,” said Dr. Neal ElAttrache, who was still with Pacquiao at his Kerlan Jobe Orthopedic Clinic office in Los Angeles when he spoke to ESPN.com.

“After speaking with the doctor, it was determined that the best method and approach is for Manny to have surgery,” Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz said. “Manny is doing OK.”

“Manny did the best he could under the circumstances,” Koncz said. “We have to give Floyd credit, too. Floyd was the better man [Saturday] night. Floyd did a tremendous job, and he won the fight.”

“Once you know he has a tear that’s not going to heal on its own, then the decision for an active person is you want to try to fix this before it gets bigger,” ElAttrache said. “If all goes as expected with the surgery and the rehab is successful, Manny could be back training in about six months. At that point, he will be regaining strength and endurance, and competition is reasonable within nine months to a year. But this is a severe enough tear that it won’t heal without being repaired.”

“It’s part of the game,” Pacquiao said at the postfight news conference. “I don’t want to make alibis or complain or anything [but] it’s hard to fight one-handed.”

“I thought he fought a courageous fight under all the circumstances, and I’m very proud of what he accomplished tonight,” Pacquiao’s promoter Bob Arum said of Pacquiao at the postfight news conference.

“The medications he was taking were disclosed on his medical questionnaire, but not the actual injury,” Aguilar said after the fight. “This isn’t our first fight. This is our business. There is a process, and when you try to screw with the process, it’s not going to work for you.”

“Athletes always fight hurt,” Arum said at the news conference. “We felt that the work that was done on the shoulder during training would give him the opportunity to use the right hand. We were disappointed when in the third round the injury kicked up again, but this is always the case with sports. You get guys injured in training. He then deals with the injury, he thinks he’s conquered it and then he gets re-injured in the game. It happens in football. It happens in any sport.”

“If [Pacquiao] would have come out victorious, the only thing I could have got up here and said was, ‘I have to show respect and say he was the better man,'” Mayweather said. “Both my arms were injured. Both my hands were injured, but as I’ve said before, I always find a way to win.”

They said that after the injury Pacquiao saw a doctor and it was decided that “with short rest, treatments, and close monitoring, Manny could train and, on May 2, step into the ring against Floyd Mayweather.

“Manny’s advisors notified the United States Anti-Doping Agency of the shoulder injury and the treatments being proposed by the doctors during training and on fight night. USADA spoke to Manny’s doctors twice, investigated, and confirmed in writing that the proposed treatments, if used, were completely allowed. The medication approved for fight night was a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory [Toradol]. Manny continued to train and his shoulder improved, though not 100 percent. This is boxing, injuries happen, and Manny is a warrior. Again, in consultation with his doctors, promoter and advisors, Manny decided to proceed with the fight anticipating that he could receive his pre-fight treatment. That specific treatment had been approved by USADA in writing at least 5 days before the fight.” Pacquiao and Arum also said they believed that because the medications he was taking were disclosed that he would be able to continue with the treatment on fight night.

“On his pre-fight medical form filled out earlier in the week, Manny’s advisors listed the medications that Manny used in training and the medications that might be used on fight night,” they said in the statement. “A few hours before he was expected to step in the ring, when Manny’s doctors began the process, the Nevada commission stopped the treatment because it said it was unaware of Manny’s shoulder injury. This was disappointing to Team Pacquiao since they had disclosed the injury and treatment to USADA, USADA approved the treatments, and Manny had listed the medication on his pre-fight medical form.

“Also, USADA had provided a copy of its contract with the fighters to the commission. An hour before the fight, Manny’s advisors asked the commission to reconsider and the director of USADA advised the commission that USADA had approved the fight-night treatment, but the commission denied the request. “With the advice of his doctors, Manny still decided to proceed with the fight. His shoulder wasn’t perfect but it had improved in training camp. However, as Manny has said multiple times, he makes no excuses. Manny gave it his best.”

During training, Manny Pacquiao suffered a right shoulder injury. Manny went to see world-class doctors, partners in the prestigious Kerlan Jobe Orthopedic Clinic, who performed tests and, in consultation with Manny, his promoter, and his advisors, concluded that with short rest, treatments, and close monitoring, Manny could train and, on May 2, step into the ring against Floyd Mayweather.

Manny’s advisors notified the United States Anti-Doping Agency (“USADA”) of the shoulder injury and the treatments being proposed by the doctors during training and on fight night. USADA spoke to Manny’s doctors twice, investigated, and confirmed in writing that the proposed treatments, if used, were completely allowed. The medication approved for fight night was a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory (Toradol).

Manny continued to train and his shoulder improved, though not 100%. This is boxing, injuries happen, and Manny is a warrior. Again, in consultation with his doctors, promoter and advisors, Manny decided to proceed with the fight anticipating that he could receive his pre-fight treatment. That specific treatment had been approved by USADA in writing at least 5 days before the fight.

On his pre-fight medical form filled out earlier in the week, Manny’s advisors listed the medications that Manny used in training and the medications that might be used on fight night. A few hours before he was expected to step in the ring, when Manny’s doctors began the process, the Nevada Commission stopped the treatment because it said it was unaware of Manny’s shoulder injury.

This was disappointing to Team Pacquiao since they had disclosed the injury and treatment to USADA, USADA approved the treatments, and Manny had listed the medication on his pre-fight medical form.

Also, USADA had provided a copy of its contract with the fighters to the Commission. An hour before the fight, Manny’s advisors asked the Commission to reconsider and the director of USADA advised the Commission that USADA had approved the fight-night treatment, but the Commission denied the request.

With the advice of his doctors, Manny still decided to proceed with the fight. His shoulder wasn’t perfect but it had improved in training camp.

However, as Manny has said multiple times, he makes no excuses. Manny gave it his best.

Philadelphia, PA (May 4, 2015)– This past weekend in Las Vegas, Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fought in what was the most anticipated bout in a generation. Several big name fighters were in attendance, but the one who appealed most to the hundreds of thousands of fans who flocked Sin City for the fight was “The Siberian Rocky” Ruslan Provodnikov.

Provodnikov posed for hundreds of pictures and signed countless autographs. He also participated in “Radio Row” where he talked on a plethora radio stations from around the country.

Provodnikov was also spotted and recognized by “A-List” celebrities who actually asked to take their pictures with the Jr. Welterweight star at the HBO/Showtime pre-fight,red carpet party.

Saturday’s welterweight unification showdown between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao will premiere on SHOWTIME® next Saturday, May 9 at 9 p.m. ET/PT. The delayed telecast of Mayweather vs. Pacquiao will feature exclusive analysis from SHOWTIME boxing experts and will be immediately followed by the premiere of INSIDE MAYWEATHER vs. PACQUIAO Epilogue. The Sports Emmy Award-Winning “Epilogue” shines the spotlight on fight week and takes viewers inside the ropes and into the mind of a prizefighter like no other show on television.

# # #

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, as well as the multiplex channels SHOWTIME 2™, SHOWTIME® SHOWCASE, SHOWTIME EXTREME®, SHOWTIME BEYOND®, SHOWTIME NEXT®, SHOWTIME WOMEN®, SHOWTIME FAMILY ZONE® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ XTRA. SNI also offers SHOWTIME HD™, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ HD, SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, FLIX ON DEMAND® and THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™. All SNI feeds provide enhanced sound using Dolby Digital 5.1. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV®.

New York, NY – May 4, 2015 – For the first time ever, a pay-per-view blockbuster world championship fight will be seen in space, as SHOWTIME Sports® and HBO Sports® have partnered with NASA to release the welterweight title unification bout between 11-time, five-division world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather and eight-division world champion Manny “PacMan” Pacquiao to the United States astronaut crew on the International Space Station. At the request of the ISS, the fight was packaged and delivered for the crew to watch at their leisure. Mayweather defeated Pacquiao by unanimous decision in Saturday night’s main event, and remains undefeated with a record of 48-0.

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao was a 12-round welterweight world championship unification bout promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., and sponsored by Tecate. The pay-per-view telecast was co-produced and co-distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and SHOWTIME PPV® on Saturday, May 2 live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

By Bart Barry–

Saturday at MGM Grand Garden Arena, in the best fight of May 2015, so far, American Floyd “Money” Mayweather easily decisioned Filipino Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, and more importantly, he made $100 million. Official scores went: 116-112, 116-112 and 118-110. Only one judge got right a match in which Pacquiao won two rounds, Mayweather possibly lost two rounds, and the rest were not close.

If there is a happy take-away from Saturday for our beloved sport, it is no better than this: Realizing, for once, the average pay-per-viewer drunkenly echolocates boxing telecasts like a bat – forming a picture in his mind as much from what he hears as what fills his eyes – the cocommentating crew from cable networks HBO and Showtime checked-and-balanced itself to an objective broadcast that presented the fight in its lopsided lack of glory, engendering no claims of scandal.

If historians return to Mayweather-Pacquiao someday, though its ultimate irrelevance is probable, it will be to mark a very talented athlete’s final vengeance on a sport he’d grown to hate deeply. There will be a montage of essential moments in this marking: Mayweather gloomily glancing down on Pacquiao’s forehead at the Friday weighin, Mayweather standing directly in front of Pacquiao with his gloves at his waist, Mayweather skipping frantically away in round 12, and Mayweather standing on a ringpost to yell at a large assemblage of people who realized they’d been had again – and this time, worst of all, by five years of their own imaginings.

Manny Pacquiao deserves no praise for his Saturday effort. He made no adjustments. He took entire rounds off. And he gracelessly claimed he won the fight afterwards and further subverted what esteem aficionados held for him, hours later, by attributing his listlessness to a shoulder injury – as if he’d not used that same shoulder to raise his arms jubilantly overhead at the Friday weighin. Coach Freddie, whose termination is likely in promoter Top Rank’s third Manny remake (since already it’s apparent the injured-shoulder gambit smells too desperate), deserves even less praise than Pacquiao does; he trained his charge for a fighter with no more dimensions than Antonio Margarito showed. Sure, Mayweather was much faster at evading counters than Roach was on the handpads, and for an injured fighter Pacquiao certainly hurled that counter right hook, didn’t he, but ultimately Mayweather used the playbook Juan Manuel Marquez wrote in 42 rounds against Pacquiao to expose exactly how little Roach actually taught Pacquiao in their vaunted educational sessions together.

Commentator Jim Lampley was right in his midfight allusion to Marquez-Pacquiao 3, the match whose second half saw Pacquiao hopelessly swim at Marquez, taking five steps where Marquez needed two, and thoughts of Marquez returned, too, in round 9 when Mayweather caught Pacquiao pure with a right cross the much larger man did not plant on, and it was a reminder why, whoever will be recalled as the greater fighter, Marquez will remain the more beloved one for showing a form of courage with which Mayweather is yet to familiarize himself.

How enormous must Mayweather have looked to Pacquiao in that opening round? Seven-feet and about 250 pounds, probably, as Mayweather’s chin was farther from Pacquiao’s anxious fists as any chin ever has been. Unsurprisingly, Paulie Malignaggi, already our generation’s best commentator, seated beside Lennox Lewis, easily its worst, was the one to distill the fight to its quintessence: Mayweather fought at his desired time and distance, and Pacquiao did not.

In round 4 Pacquiao finally caught Mayweather with a punch, countering him with a left cross the same way Marcos Maidana countered him with a right hand in September, and Mayweather put his hands up, retreated and felt what Manny had for him. Which was not much. Pacquiao fought “intelligently” and retreated himself, back to the middle of the ring, so as not to expend energy carelessly. Imagine that: Pacquiao calculated he had a better chance of outsmarting Mayweather than outworking him. It was a reminder, along with Mayweather’s considerable size advantage, of the second part that made this fight a mismatch the day it was signed: Pacquiao, since his 2010 fight with Margarito, is fractionally active as laymen think he is. Pacquiao lost a 2012 decision to Timothy Bradley because he was inactive and inaccurate. He opted for frantic activity in his fourth match with Marquez and got iced. Mismatches with punching bags got split by a rematch with Bradley in which Pacquiao, promised the benefit of every scoring doubt, fought no more than 90 seconds of each round. A kinder and wiser Pacquiao is what aficionados have been served for 4 1/2 years now.

The only chance Pacquiao had or would ever have against Mayweather is if science somehow took the wildcat demon who shredded Erik Morales nine years ago and added 20 pounds of muscle to his frame without slowing him a wink. An impossible thing, in other words, Pacquiao ever had a chance against Mayweather, and every single reader of this column knew it the night Marquez left Pacquiao in a heap, and then we chose to suspend our disbelief because a boxing promoter is good at nothing so much as legerdemain, waving crazily a Chris Algieri doll in his right hand while palming the two-headed Marquez coin in his left.

Those who surround Floyd Mayweather know he cannot imagine boxing in his absence; for Mayweather, the sport of boxing ends the day he retires. Because of Mayweather, few of us will have the presence or means to argue with him when that day comes. Against the future of boxing, then, I’ll take Mayweather: UD-49.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

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HBO Sports presents FLOYD MAYWEATHER VS. MANNY PACQUIAO, the replay of their high-stakes world welterweight unification title fight, SATURDAY, MAY 9 at 9:00 p.m. (ET/PT) on HBO. The pay-per-view broadcast team, which was ringside at the MGM Grand Garden Arena describing the blow-by-blow, calls all the action. The telecast will be available in HDTV.

The bout featured boxing’s two biggest superstars in a showdown that was six years in the making and captivated sports fans worldwide. The event took place Saturday, May 2, and was carried live on pay-per-view.

The replay will be paired with the previously announced “HBO World Championship Boxing®” live doubleheader from Minute Maid Park in Houston that will be headlined by the highly anticipated super welterweight collision between Canelo Alvarez and James Kirkland. That event marks Canelo’s 2015 ring debut.

Other HBO playdates for all three bouts: May 10 (10:30 a.m.) and May 11 (11:45 p.m.)

HBO2 playdates for all three bouts: May 10 (3:00 p.m.) and May 12 (11:30 p.m.)

® HBO WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING is a registered service mark of Home Box Office, Inc.

LAS VEGAS — It was supposed to be one for the books. It wasn’t. More like one for the banks.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao got a lot richer Saturday night while fans got poorer in a bout that was sold, sold and sold as the greatest in history. It wasn’t even the greatest one in the last month. Give that prize to Lucas Matthysse’s victory over Ruslan Provodnikov a couple of weeks ago.

There was no knockout. There were no knockdowns. There was only a decision, as dull as it was one-sided.

Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) claimed it, putting another notch in his unbeaten quest, yet doing nothing for his claim on being The Best Ever. TBE still belongs to Sugar Ray Robinson, or Muhammad Ali, or Sugar Ray Leonard, or Roberto Duran.

“When the history book is written, it was worth the weight,’’ Mayweather said.

Worth the money, yeah. Mayweather could have earned as much as $180 million, depending on the per-per-view television revenue. For Pacquiao (57-6-2, 38 KOs) the payday could be as big as $100 million.

But money gets spent. The real history lives on if the action within the ropes is memorable. It wasn’t.

Yeah, Mayweather defeated Pacquiao. On the historical scorecards, however, he did nothing to improve his chances at becoming the equal of Ali or whole host of other legends.

“I was smart.’’ said Mayweather, who won 118-110 on one card and 116-112 on two. “I out-boxed him.’’

Mayweather, who booed loudly repeatedly by the capacity crowd, did exactly that with his careful, predictable precision. But he didn’t exactly out-work Pacquiao.

“He didn’t do noting,’’ said the Filipino Congressman, who was cheered by his many fans. “I thought I won the fight.’’

Mayweather’s strategy was evident, almost immediately. Pacquiao has always been vulnerable to a lead right. In the first round, Mayweather threw four of them. Landed four, too, none with any great impact. But they were accurate and they would often be for the next 11 rounds.

“My dad wanted me to do more,’’ Mayweather said his trainer, Floyd Sr., who had talked about is son wining by KO. “ But I had to take my time. Manny Pacquiao is a great competitor and very dangerous.

Pacquiao was more aggressive in the second. He moved forward, yet without any of the side-to-side movement that had made him so hard to predict earlier in his career. Instead, he lunged , landing a good body shot , but little else.

In the third, Pacquiao appeared to gain some momentum with body shots that slowed down Mayweather. It also could have allowed Pacquiao to measure the unbeaten American.

In the fourth, Mayweather, suddenly flat-footed, was there for a left hand, always the most potent weapon in Pacquiao’s arsenal. It landed, dazing Mayweather and pushing him into a hasty retreat on to the ropes.

By then, the fight had taken on a certain rhythm. It was almost routine. Pacquiao would attack and Mayweather would go into his sniper mode with sporadic, yet accurate shots, both left and right.

After it was over, Mayweather was asked about his plans. He has one more fight on his Showtime contract.

“My last fight is in September,’’ he said.

For the first time, some in the crowd actually cheered him

Photos by Chris Farina / Top Rank

Follow all the action live from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas as the long awaited super fight between Floyd Mayweather and Maanny Pacquiao is a finally here. All the action begins at 9 PM with a 2 fight undercard featuring world champion Vasyl Lomachenko defending his Featherweight title against Gamalier Rodriguez as well as Leo Santa Cruz battling Jose Cayetano

12 ROUNDS–WBA, WBC, WBO WELTERWEIGHT TITLE–FLOYD MAYWEATHER (47-0, 26 KO’S) VS MANNY PACQUIAO (57-5-2, 38 KO’S)

ROUND 1 Good right from Mayweather..hard right..10-9 Mayweather

Round 2 Pacquiao lands a left to the body…Mayweather lands a right…Pacquiao lands a left..19-19

Round 3 Mayweather lands a lead right..Pacquiao gets in a body shot..Lead right from Mayweather..Hard right…29-28 Mayweather

Round 4 Pacquiao landing combinations on the ropes..Big left stuns Mayweather..Pacquiao lands a flurry on the ropes..Big right hook..Mayweather lands a right..Pacquiao gets a left and a body shot..38-38

Round 5 2 hard rights from Mayweather..Jab..48-47 Mayweather

Round 6 Straight left from Pacquiao…straight left to body..Pacqui landimg combos on the ropes..57-57

Round 7 Good right from Mayweather..Left from Pacquiao..67-67

Round 8 Pacquiao lands a left..body shot..Hard right from Mayweather..and another..77-76 Mayweather

Round 9 Hard left from Pacquiao…86-86

Round 10 left to body from Pacquiao..Mayweather lands a jab..Good counter right from Mayweather..96-95 Mayweather..

Round 11right from Mayweather..Bidy shot from Pacquiao..right from Mayweather…hook..106-104 Mayweather

Round 12 Mayweather getting away from Pacquiao…116-113 Mayweather

118-110, 116-112 2 times for Floyd Mayweather

10 ROUND FEATHERWEIGHTS–LEO SANTA CRUZ (29-0-1, 17 KO’S) VS JOSE CAYETANO (17-3, 8 KO’S)

ROUND 1 Big right from Santa Cruz…2 rights..Left from cayetano,,,10-9 Santa Cruz

Round 2 2 rights from Santa Cruz…hard right…Cayetano lands a left..20-18 Santa Cruz

Round 3 Santa Cruz lands a right..Hard right to the head..2 more rights…30-27 Santa Cruz

Round 4 Santa Cruz lands a body shot…40-36 Santa Cruz

Round 5 Hard right from Santa Cruz…50-45 Santa Cruz

Round 6 Santa Cruz lands 2 lefts to the body...60-54 Santa Cruz

Round 7 2 hard shots on the ropes…70-63 Santa Cruz

Round 8 Santa Cruz has a knot on his forehead…79-73 Santa Cruz

Round 9 santa Cruz continue to dominate ...89-82 Santa Cruz

Round 10 99-91 Santa Cruz

100-90 on all cards for Leo Santa Cruz

12 ROUNDS WBO FEATHERWEIGHT TITLE–VASYL LOMACHENKO (3-1, 1 KO) VS GAMALIER RODRIGUEZ (25-2-3, 17 KO’S)

Round 1 Straight left from Lomachenko..combination..10-9 Lomachenko

Round 2 20-19 Lomachenko

Round 3 Lomachenko lands a combination…30-28 Lomacohenk

Round 4 Rodriguez is cut over his right eye..Hard left from Loamchenko..Body shots..Hard right hook…40-37 Lomachenko

Round 5 Rodriguez docked a point for a low blow..Fast combination from Lomachenko….50-45 Lomachenko

Round 6 Lomachenko landing alot more…60-54 Lomachenko

Round 7 Hard body shot from Lomachenko….COMBINATION AND DOWN GOES RODRIGUEZ..70-62 Lomachenko

Round 8 Uppercut, right and uppercut from Lomachenko..Rodriguez gets another point deducted for a low blow..3 punch combination…80-70 Lomachenko

Round 9 BIG RIGHT HOOK AND DOWN GOES RODRIGUEZ AND HE TAKES REFEREE ROBERT BYRD’S 10 COUNT AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

For more information on ESPN’s week-long coverage from Las Vegas visit ESPN Mediazone.
For behind-the-scenes stories and content, visit ESPNFrontRow.com
For photos of ESPN in Las Vegas visit ESPN Images.

#MayPac Predictions from ESPNers

With one day remaining until the biggest fight of a generation, ESPN on-air personalities offered their fight predictions for tomorrow’s welterweight unification title matchup between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao. Of the 30 picks, 20 selected Mayweather to win, while six picked Pacquiao to win. Four were undecided or felt the fight would end in a draw.

Reminder: ESPN’s week-long coverage from Las Vegas continues tonight with live coverage of the weigh-in on a SportsCenter Special (5 p.m. ET, ESPN2). SportsCenter will have live coverage throughout the day tomorrow leading up to a SportsCenter Red Carpet Special (8 p.m., ESPN). Following the fight, a SportsCenter Special will provide fans with analysis, interviews and post-fight reactions (approx. 12 a.m. ESPN).

Picking Mayweather:

Paul Azinger, ESPN golf analyst:
Mayweather goes the distance to win.

Max Bretos, ESPN studio anchor:
Mayweather by unanimous decision. Based on everything I have seen and heard, Mayweather has never been more focused for a fight. After losing to Tim Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez, Pac Man has won his last three fights. None of those opponents are anywhere near the quality of “Money.”

Chris Broussard, ESPN NBA Insider:
Mayweather by unanimous decision.

Jonathan Coachman, ESPN Radio host/studio anchor:
There is a reason Floyd Mayweather is undefeated despite all of the out of the ring troubles. My heart is very different than my head here. I believe this fight will go the distance and Mayweather will win a unanimous decision. Floyd just doesn’t knock people out.

Kevin Connors, ESPN anchor:
My heart says Pacquiao – my head says Mayweather. Floyd wins a unanimous decision, as usual, in a fight that fails to live up to the hype. Sorry to be a Grinch, but they’re about five years too late.

Colin Cowherd, ESPN Radio host:
Styles create fights and I think these fighters come together and I fear it could be a pretty pedestrian fight with Mayweather taking the decision.

Robert Flores, SportsCenter co-host:
Mayweather by split decision. Neither one of these fighters have knocked anyone out recently. Mayweather would prefer to use defense and just enough offense to get things done. Pacquiao is fast, and will hit Floyd occasionally, but it won’t be enough to get a decision, much less a knockout.

Brad Gilbert, ESPN Tennis analyst:
Money Mayweather will win easy. Might even be a knockout or like 10-2 in rounds by decision.

Todd Grisham, ESPN Friday Night Fights studio host/anchor:
Anyone expecting an exciting, toe-to-toe thriller on Saturday night is delusional. Yes, Pacquiao can certainly deliver that type of fight but Mayweather has never, and will never. Look back at his 47 wins. They mostly look the same. He pretty much just picks his spots, employs incredible defense and wins on points in less than spine-tingling performance. Same thing happens here. Mayweather by decision.

Chris Hassel, ESPN studio anchor:
Mayweather. Final round KO. With Pacquiao pounding on Mayweather, Justin Bieber distracts the ref when he breaks out into song from his ringside seat while 50 Cent enters the ring and hits Pacquiao, from behind, with a folding chair.

Darren Haynes, ESPN studio anchor:
Mayweather by unanimous decision. Floyd Mayweather is known for his defense. There’s an old saying “Defense Wins Championships” for Floyd Mayweather, his defense is going to win him…A BOAT LOAD OF MONEY!

Doug Kezirian, ESPN studio anchor:
Mayweather by decision. Pacquiao is easier to root for, but he is several years past even having a puncher’s chance in a fight I expect Mayweather to dominate.

Bob Ley, Outside the Lines host, SportsCenter anchor:
Domestic violence consciousness. Unanimous decision.

Juan Manuel Marquez, ESPN Deportes boxing analyst:
My prediction is that Mayweather will win the fight on points.

Patrick McEnroe, ESPN tennis commentator:
Floyd. Unanimous decision.

Bernardo Osuna, ESPN boxing reporter/ESPN Deportes commentator:
My feeling is that this is the fight that Manny Pacquiao can win based on his punching power, hand speed and footwork. The thing is, he’s facing the smartest fighter of his generation who in 47 fights, has proven that he can make in fight adjustments that neutralize his opponents’ strengths. I expect some rocky moments early for Floyd, but anticipate a split decision win for a 48-0 record.

Dr. Jerry Punch, ESPN play-by-play announcer/reporter:
Mayweather in four by KO.

Dan Rafael, ESPN.com senior boxing writer/analyst:
Mayweather wins in 12.

Jorge Eduardo Sánchez, ESPN Deportes commentator:
In my opinion, Floyd Mayweather wins on points.

Marcellus Wiley, SportsNation co-Host, ESPN Radio co-host:
Mayweather wins this fight in an exciting and dominating display of size, savvy, and IQ!

Picking Pacquiao:

Teddy Atlas, ESPN boxing analyst:
Pacquiao by controversial decision.

Allen Bestwick, ESPN play-by-play announcer:
Pacquiao goes the distance, by decision.

John Buccigross, SportsCenter anchor:
Pacquiao. First round. Because it’s my dream and I’ll dream what I want to.

Brian Campbell, ESPN.com boxing writer/analyst:
Pacquiao by split decision.

Dari Nowkhah, SEC Network host:
Pacquiao in a decision. If I were able to choose an outcome, I would choose Manny in a KO 15 seconds into the fight, but I will settle for this.

Reese Waters, SportsCenter fan correspondent:
Pacquiao KO win in the 10th round. Because all the world’s a boxing ring and we are merely betters.

Undecided or Draw:

John Anderson, SportsCenter anchor:
My prediction for the fight – pain. Stolen directly from Clubber Lange (Mr. T) in Rocky III. As for the actually fight…I am one of the few disinterested.

Nigel Collins, ESPN.com boxing and ESPN Friday Night Fights contributor:
I’ve never bought into the opinion that Mayweather would easily outbox Pacquiao. I thought it was a 50-50 fight when the match was first talked about years ago and I still think it’s a 50-50 fight today. If, however, Pacquiao is as aggressive as Marcos Maidana was in his first fight with Mayweather, I can see Manny prevailing a competitive contest. He’s much faster than Maidana and significantly more accurate with his punches, which would allow him to outwork Floyd and win a close decision.

Darren Rovell, ESPN sports business reporter:
My prediction? Three million pay-per-view buys: Even though it’s at a record breaking price of $99.95, $20 more than the previous high, this is a fight that people just have to see. They’ll get to this number despite bars and illegal streams. This will double the previous pay-per-view revenue record of $150 million (Mayweather-Canelo, 2013).

Joe Tessitore, ESPN Friday Night Fights blow-by-blow commentator, in Las Vegas anchoring coverage for SportsCenter:
I am predicting a “majority draw.” If Manny fights his best fight I think this will be a very difficult fight for the judges to score. I can see some judges giving rounds to Manny based on being more the aggressor and his volume of punches against Floyd. Then others will favor Floyd’s effective counter punching and controlled moments. I predict scores of — 115-113 Mayweather, 114-114, 114-114.

ESPN The Magazine’s “Fight for Perfection” issue hits newsstands today, featuring Floyd Mayweather on the cover, with a profile written by senior writer Tim Keown. This third installment of the Keown on Mayweather series in The Mag [following the Money Issue in 2012 and the Fight Issue in 2013], examines Mayweather as he prepares for the pinnacle of his career, and its end.

The feature includes an overall preview of tomorrow night’s bout versus Manny Pacquiao. In addition, there’s an all-access photo story of Pacquiao written by The Mag’s Pablo Torre. Keown provided insight to ESPN FrontRow.com on his latest story with Mayweather. Read Full Q&A

ESPN All-in from Las Vegas for Mayweather Pacquiao

· For more information on ESPN’s week-long coverage from Las Vegas visit ESPN Mediazone.

· For behind-the-scenes stories and content, visit ESPNFrontRow.com

· For photos of ESPN in Las Vegas visit ESPN Images.

By Norm Frauenheim

LAS VEGAS – It was a carnival and a concert. It was chaotic. Demonstrators protesting domestic violence stood on one street corner. A preacher stood on another. Seek God, he told a passing crowd full of people seeking a ticket that not even God could afford. They spoke Tagalog, English, Spanish, Russian, politics and Hip-Hop. They waved flags of every stripe.

It was a weigh-in. But the scales were incidental.

Crowds, chaos and cops gathered in and around the MGM Grand Arena for an event Friday that was scripted in every way, yet off the scale for the kind of attention it has generated. Ordinary weigh-ins are about as exciting as watching somebody brush their teeth. But nothing about Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. has been ordinary.

Only extraordinary.

Many among the 11,500 in the Grand Garden Arena for the weigh-in formality paid from $170 to $500 for tickets initially priced at $10 apiece just for the chance to see a couple of welterweights step on and off a digital scale. For the record, Mayweather was 146 pounds; Pacquiao 145.

Most of those same fans and virtually everyone out on those sidewalks won’t be there Saturday night for an opening bell to an exclusive event. Boxing is a sport defined by The People’s Champ. But most of the people can’t get into this one. It’s for the one percent, even at prices that have begun to decline during the last 48 hours. There’s plenty of argument about who wins, Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) or Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs). But there’s no debate about the scalpers. Everybody hopes they take a beating.

Yet even inflated prices have not extinguished the enthusiasm for a bout that has been in the public imagination for at least five years. Mayweather, 38, and Pacquiao, 36, are closer to the end than they are their primes. Even they concede as much. Both talked about retirement throughout the buildup for the bout, a joint pay-per-view telecast by HBO and Showtime (6 p.m. PST/9 p.m. EST).

A reason, perhaps, rests in the respective personalities. Mayweather is easy to dislike. Pacquiao is thoroughly likable. That difference was evident before and after the weigh-in. On the applause meter, it was no contest. It was unanimous for Pacquiao, the Filipino Congressman who smiled and raised his hands above his head like a triumphant American politician at his party’s national convention.

For Mayweather, there were mostly boos. For the last couple of weeks, national pundits have ripped him. His record of domestic abuse was the target of those protesters Friday. Mike Tyson, who was at the weigh-in, joined the critical chorus, calling him “a scared little man.” Laila Ali said he pitied him, calling him “a little boy.’’

Mayweather, subdued and polite throughout the hypoed-filled build-up, has repeatedly said the bout is not good-versus-evil. But try telling that to the crowd that gathered in and around the weigh-in.

Their roles have been cast.

Go ahead and argue about whether that’s fair. But there’s no debate about whether it’s profitable. Record revenue is expected. According to some projections, Mayweather could earn as much as $180 million. Pacquiao purse could hit the $100 million mark. There’s talk that the pay-per-view numbers will reach 4 million, almost twice the record.

The soaring expectations will be hard to fulfill, if not impossible. Mayweather goes into the bout favored by about 2-to-1 odds. He’s the bigger man and might be much bigger after a couple of meals before Saturday night’s opening bell. He’s also a calculating fighter, who at some point might capitalize on mistake the most expected from the more instinctive Pacquiao.

Yet Pacquiao’s calm and energy have been evident throughout one interview after another during the last couple of weeks. He’s been the happy warrior. To wit: When he stepped off the scale Friday, he ate a cookie. Then, he thanked Mayweather after the, posed for the cameras in the stare-down ritual.

“I said thanks, yes,’’ Pacquiao said. “Thank you for making the fight happen.’’

Mayweather said he never heard him. But he did glance over his shoulder at the Filipino after they broke the pose. There was a foreboding look in his eyes. Maybe there was anger. Maybe, fear. Maybe both. Maybe, he knows something nobody else does.

LAS VEGAS (April 30, 2015) – Undefeated WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz, WBO Featherweight World Champion Vasyl Lomachenko, their opponents and non-televised fighters participated Thursday in the undercard final press conference before their respective fights taking place this Saturday, May 2, live on pay-per-view at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

In pay-per-view fights before Floyd “Money” Mayweather meets Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao in their epic welterweight championship unificiation showdown, the Mexican star Santa Cruz (29-0-1, 17 KOs) will take on fellow Mexican countryman Jose Cayetano (17-3, 8 KOs) in a 10-round featherweight contest and Ukraine’s Lomachenko (3-1, 1 KO) will defend against Puerto Rico’s Gamalier Rodriguez (25-2-3, 17 KOs).

The pay-per-view telecast will be co-produced and co-distributed by SHOWTIME PPV® and HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/ 6 p.m. PT.

Also appearing at the press conference were boxers fighting on the non-televised portion of the card: Promising unbeaten Chris “Young King” Pearson (11-0, 9 KOs), who meets Said El Harrak (12-2, 7 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight bout; hard-hitting Jesse Hart (16-0, 13 KOs), who’ll face fellow unbeaten Mike Jimenez (17-0, 11 KOs) in a 10-rounder for the NABO, USBA and NABF Super Middleweight titles, power-punching Andrew “The Beast” Tabiti (9-0, 9 KOs), who will be opposed by Anthony Caputo Smith (15-4, 10 KOs) in a cruiserweight eight-rounder and undefeated super middleweight Brad Solomon (24-0, 9 KOs), who meets Adrian Rene Granados (13-3, 9 KOs) in a 10-round scrap.

Here is what the fighters and executives said Thursday at the Copperfield Theater at the MGM Grand:

LEO SANTA CRUZ
“I’m more than excited to be on this undercard. This is the biggest card I could have been on. I want to show the whole world who I am.

“I prepared very hard for this fight, like I always do. It’s going to be a historic night and I’m happy to be a part of that history.

“I know that everybody is here for Mayweather and Pacquiao but there will still be millions seeing me fight and I want to show them who Leo Santa Cruz is so that I can get a lot more fans.

“”I’m still young and there are many more fights to come. The fights the fans want, we’re going to give it to them. I know those fights are going to happen.

“I want to look spectacular and I want to get Cayetano out of there really fast. Sometimes these kind of fighters are the ones who give you the hardest fights because they come hungrier and have nothing to lose.

“Seeing my family here and having them in the arena on fight night is a huge motivation for me. I feel happier and more relaxed and I’m ready.

“I never underestimate a fighter. Any fighter in the ring is dangerous. I hope that Cayetano is ready so that we can give the fans a great show.”

JOSE CAYETANO
“I know that Leo Santa Cruz is a strong, difficult fighter but he also has weaknesses and that is what we prepared for, to give him a surprise.

“I’m a man that takes challenges and I’ve been preparing very hard, I’m always prepared for these types of fights. I’m very prepared and I feel very strongly that I will win.

“I came here for the opportunity to beat Leo Santa Cruz and for the opportunity to participate in such a grand event that is Mayweather vs. Pacquiao.

“I’m very happy and very grateful and very excited to get into the ring. It’s a huge commitment, the entire world will be watching me but that is why I accepted the fight, I know that if I beat him, bigger and better opportunities will come my way.

“I’m not nervous because it’s not the first time that I’ve faced a tough opponent. I’ve never faced a world champion but I’ve faced opponents that throw hard punches, so I’m not nervous, I’m excited.”

VASYL LOMACHENKO
“This is an opportunity to show everyone what I’m capable of doing and for millions of viewers to see that I can do it.

“The best fighters get the best opportunities in the ring, there are a lot of great fighters getting those opportunities including myself.

“It’s always a good feeling when people are saying good things about you.

“I’m very excited to be involved in a bout such as this one, May 2 will be a big show shown around the world. I’m very happy to be in the opening bout for this huge fight.”

GAMALIER RODRIGUEZ
“I’m looking forward to this big fight on Saturday. It’s a blessing to participate in this type of press conference and come Saturday, I will win! I’m sure of it. I will be champion.

“All of the attention toward Vasyl Lomachenko gives me motivation. I’ve been a fighter and a boxer since I was young and it’s added motivation to come out on top this weekend.

“I know that Lomachenko is a good and technical fighter but it doesn’t compare to my hunger and drive to be world champion.

“I wanted to take the opportunity during my speech at the press conference to let everyone know that I can here to fight. It’s going to be a hard fought battle and I’m very confident that I’ll win and become the champion this Saturday.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions
“I am so excited to be here today to discuss the great undercard which will be the lead-in to our long awaited, history making event taking place this Saturday night.

“The lead-in fight for Mayweather vs. Pacquiao will be a very exciting fight featuring Leo Santa Cruz and Jose Cayetano.

“Leo Santa Cruz is one of the classiest gentleman in the sport. He’s a very fan-friendly fighter and a Mexican warrior. He represents Mexico very well.”

BOB ARUM, Hall of Fame Promoter, Top Rank
“I know that every fighter deems it a tremendous honor to be part of this great event. We hope and believe that we will be presenting to the public through Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank, the best of boxing and the best fighters.

“Vasyl Lomachenko is considered to be the greatest amateur fighter of all time. Now, he looks for the same type of success he had as an amateur in the professional ranks. But this will be a very competitive fight, because Gamalier Rodriguez is a Puerto Rican who comes to fight and believes that he can upset Vasyl.

“A lot of the young men up here believe they are the next big thing in boxing, and many will be. But I know that Vasyl Lomachenko will be a big superstar in the sport of boxing.”
* * *

Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is a 12-round welterweight world championship unification bout promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Top Rank Inc., and is sponsored by Tecate con caracter, Paramount Pictures and Skydance Productions –Terminator Genisys, in theaters July 1st, Paramount Pictures & Skydance Productions present MISSION IMPOSSIBLE: ROGUE NATION, in theaters & IMAX July 31st, The Weinstein Company and the new movie Southpaw, starring Jake Gyllenhaal, in theaters everywhere July 24 and Mexico, Live it to Believe it.

For more information visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.toprank.com, www.SHO.com/Sports,www.hbo.com/boxing and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @MannyPacquiao @mayweatherpromo, @TRBoxing, @SHOSports, @HBOboxing and @Swanson_Comm, and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/TopRankMannyPacquiao www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/TRBoxing, www.facebook.com/SHOsports andwww.facebook.com/HBOBoxing.

By Joseph Davey

For me and I’m sure many boxing fans, Saturday’s superfight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao brings with it equal parts excitement for the bout itself and disdain for it’s coverage. For years at a time, mainstream sports media avoids boxing as if it were a plague that could infect the  very image of America’s most “wholesome” sports. If baseball, basketball and the NFL were an all American backyard barbecue, boxing would be the drunk uncle everyone tries to forget is there. Sure he has some good stories, but they’re the same few you’ve heard a million times.  
When a super fight does come along that’s worthy of public consideration, the talking heads of sports TV respond by dredging up the “I remember whens” and inevitably talking about the same three fighters (Ali, Leonard and Tyson) and how they relate to the upcoming fight. For men and women  who can break down and analyze the 1983 Super Bowl and the 72 World Series like it happened yesterday  and possess a near encyclopedic knowledge of every stat ever collected, their lack of insight into boxing is almost cringe inducing.  It’s as if boxing is constantly happening in the past. The current crop of fighters just never seems to measure up to the greats of yesteryear.   
Even boxing’s own fan base is often guilty of focusing on how much better those bygone fighters are than our current ones. But like all things in life, the past has a way of smoothing out the rough edges and leaving us with a rosy and nostalgic memory of what once was. Case in point is the seemingly constant comparison between Floyd Mayweather and Sugar Ray Leonard that the media is so fond of making. 
 
A common refrain is “yeah Mayweather is good, maybe even great, but Leonard is a legend”. After such comments we hear things like “Leonard fought fighters in their prime!” and “Leonard always fought the best there was! He wan’t afraid to take risks!”  All of which are mostly true. But Leonard’s career, looked at objectively, suffers from the same criticisms now being leveled a Mayweather. Early in his career, Leonard did fight fighters in their prime. His wins over Wilfred Benitez, Roberto Duran and Tommy Hearns were all career defining wins over equally great fighters in their prime. And all of them were the best available fighters at the time Leonard fought them. But Mayweather had a very similar run early in his career with victories over Genaro Hernandez, Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo; all of whom were in their primes.  

No one criticizes Mayweather for this stretch of his career because like Leonard, these wins were over the best in the division and represented fighters who were at the peak of their careers. But after those wins, Mayweather has been criticized for hand picking opponents who are past their prime, making them come up in weight to fight him and in the case of the impending Pacquiao fight, waiting until Pacquiao looked vulnerable to make the fight. This is the point where most media members bring up Leonard as an anti-Mayweather example; a man who never took the easy route and only fought the best at the peak of their powers. But the passage of time has seemingly erased the reality that it was Leonard who championed the tactics employed by Floyd to gain an edge over his opponents. In his bid to win the light heavyweight title, Leonard made titleist  Don Lalonde weigh in at 168 for the bout;  7 pounds under the light heavy limit. The same 7 pounds Mayweather had Juan Manuel Marquez come up in weight to challenge him for the welterweight title. And as incomprehensible as it is, many writers and analysts use Leonard’s win over Marvin Hagler as THE example of Leonard going out of his comfort zone to fight the best.  

They all seem to forget that the Hagler fight was first proposed in 1982, a full 5 years before the two fought. Of the 8 fights Hagler had in those 5 years, one was a close decision win over Roberto Duran and two were legendarily brutal wars against Tommy Hearns and John Mugabi. It was only after Hagler took massive punishment against Mugabi and looked past his best that Leonard came out of retirement and signed to fight him.  

People cite ongoing eye issues as the reason Leonard took so long to make the fight, but it rings about as hollow as Floyd’s drug testing issues holding up the Pacquiao fight. It may have been an issue for a short time, but neither was the reason the bouts were held up for 5 years. Whether Leonard is a better fighter is certainly a legitimate debate, but the way in which people forget that Leonard employed many of the same tactics as Floyd has as much to do with nostalgia as it does with the personas of each fighter. Leonard was universally loved by the public at large and Mayweather is almost as universally reviled. 

 It’s another favorite topic of discussion among the mainstream sporting press: Mayweather the domestic abuser. On the surface it’s a just criticism. What Floyd does outside the ring is over the top, obnoxious and in the case of his domestic violence issues, down right abhorrent. He at times is almost equal parts villainous persona and actual villain. There are no excuses for anyone, let alone a major sports figure, to commit such horrible acts against women. Yet, the way in which these sportscasters talk of his crimes as if they were synonymous with the problems that plague boxing and only boxing is laughable.  

Floyd is an incredibly easy target for this because of his refusal, in many cases, to even answer questions about the abuse. When he does, it’s done with such lack of remorse that he paints the worst possible picture: a man who is the face of a violent sport and has no remorse for using his trade on defenseless women. It is at the least a fairly accurate portrayal. For a man whose job is to render trained men unconscious to put his hands on a woman is a display of the worst qualities in human beings. The conclusion that is often made though, is that boxing is the wild west. It tolerates the worst acts of man so long as the millions of dollars at stake aren’t put in jeopardy. And it’s true.  

Things like steroid use, criminal behavior and underhanded politics are the norm for boxing. With multiple belts in each weight division and “title fights” that take place between fighters no one, including  boxing fans have ever heard of, it’s easy for the average sports fan to sit back and agree that “man, boxing messed up.” Yet for all of it’s flaws (and there are many), boxing is the most honest sport out there. Don’t believe me? Look at the NFL. 

 Few people batted an eye when Ray Rice was suspended for a paltry 2 games following his “alleged” domestic abuse allegations. It was only after the disgusting video of him knocking his wife unconscious that the NFL took real action against him. Anyone who thinks Rice would have sat out more than his 2 game suspension had the video not leaked is dreaming. Players routinely fail drug tests and get into “altercations” outside of the NFL, yet next to nothing is done.  

Kobe Bryant, still revered in the U.S. as well as around the world, settled out of court on civil charges that he raped a 19 year old hotel employee. He then publicly apologized to the fans and the woman who accused him of rape; yet in the same breath contended he did not rape her. A year later, he signed a multi-year, $136 million dollar contract with the Lakers. His sponsors returned. People swept it under the rug and comedians joked about it on late night TV.  
In a way, Floyd Mayweather asking “where’s the video” in response to his domestic violence incidents is his way of saying “why do they get away with it and not me?” Because in the mainstream sports world, it seems all America wants is a half baked apology and promise not to do it again. Sports fans want to see their “heroes” back on the field. And by swallowing their righteous indignation in order to see players return to action, boxing serves as the perfect scapegoat to relieve the American conscience. “Yes, what (sports star) did was bad, but did you see Mayweather?!” He didn’t even apologize!”  The same holds true with money.  

College football fans are more than happy to watch every meaningless bowl game despite the fact that they’re nothing more than hyped up cash grabs. And cash grabs off of the backs of athletes that are literally earning nothing for their effort. Boxing’s multiple belts are such thinly veiled attempts to squeeze money out of the fighters that they stand as a reminder of the greed inherent in the sport.  But for some reason bowl games and the relentless sponsorship ads that run through every major sporting event are passed off by the general public as legitimate forms of sports revenue. The bottom line is all sports are about money. The difference between boxing and the mainstream sports is simply that of appearance.  

Major League Baseball and the NFL hide their greed in boardrooms and closed door meetings. Boxing simply removes the veil and lets the public see the truth. The squabbles between promoters and networks that has been at the forefront of the run up to Mayweather – Pacquiao is merely a peek into the sordid world that is professional sports. In boxing, the fighters, trainers and promoters have always worn their hearts on their sleeve. The sport has always represented the best and worst in human nature. For those of us who love it, the raw honesty of the fighters in and out of the ring is why we keep turning in after the bright lights of a super fight have gone dark. it’s why we buy premium cable packages and shell out 99.95 to watch our “Superbowl”. It’s life in microcosm without the pretense of false appearances. 

 Boxing is the good, bad and ugly of the sporting world. On Saturday, Floyd Mayweather will be fighting for money. More money than any athlete has ever earned in one night of sports. He’s totally unapologetic about his reprehensible actions outside the ring. And yes, he’s fighting for his place in sports history. The question we should all be asking is whether we value the sport over the man. To claim boxing is everything wrong with sports is to gloss over the more difficult issues at play every time an athlete doesn’t live up to the ideals society has expected of them. When the fake apologies are removed and the money is on the table for everyone to see, we should all be asking ourselves whether we care more about the larger issues or just want to see a contest played out at it’s highest level. On May 2nd, maybe we should be asking ourselves whether  sometimes, it may be worth our money to see if the bad guy gets what’s coming. At the very least, all sports fans should have boxing to thank for that.