WATCH MAYWEATHER – MAIDANA PRESS CONFERENCE AT 4 PM ET

“THE MOMENT: MAYWEATHER VS. MAIDANA” FIGHTER GRAND ARRIVALS FLASH QUOTES

LAS VEGAS (April 29, 2014) — Main event and undercard fighters for “THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana” made their grand arrivals Tuesday to the MGM Grand Hotel Lobby to officially kick off fight week activities leading up to this Saturday night’s SHOWTIME PPV® event.

FLOYD “MONEY” MAYWEATHER, 10-Time, Five-Division World Champion and WBC Welterweight World Champion

“We’re five days away from another big event; this bout is about two fighters coming together giving the people what they want to see.

“Maidana is hungry, he’s ready and he has a great knockout ratio. It’s all about keeping composure and sticking to the game plan.

“It’s the best fighting the best. I’m glad he believes in himself and that’s what it’s all about. It’s champion versus champion and country versus country.

“Saturday night you’re not going to see the same Floyd Mayweather. I’ll be right there going toe-to-toe.”

MARCOS MAIDANA, WBA Welterweight World Champion

“To see all these people here supporting me is amazing.

“I know people think I’m going to lose, but I come to win and I’m not afraid of anybody or anything.

“I have the support of the Latino people and I’m coming to win.”

AMIR “KING” KHAN, Former Unified Super Lightweight World Champion

“It’s going to be a great event, my first time fighting at the MGM Grand, not in Las Vegas but at the venue.

“I worked very hard, I feel healthy and strong at 147.

“I’m not looking past Collazo. He’s a good, strong fighter. We just want to put on a show and the best man will win.”

LUIS COLLAZO, WBA International Welterweight Champion

“You can expect fireworks in the ring on Saturday.

“I love being the underdog. I’ve been the underdog my entire life. I may be underrated, but I’ve never faded.

“I’m humbled by the opportunity to be here. I’m going to give the fans a great night of boxing.”

ADRIEN “THE PROBLEM” BRONER, Former Three-Division World Champion

“I told Molina it’s work time. I’m going to beat him. Everybody knows Adrien Broner.

“It’s amazing to be on Floyd’s card. He’s going to do his thing and I’m going to do mine.”

CARLOS MOLINA, Junior Welterweight Contender

“There’s no pressure in this fight; we put in the hard work.

“We know what Broner brings and we’re ready to shock the world. We’re going to bring the heat and surprise a lot of people.

“I’m going to let my fists do the talking.”

J’LEON LOVE, Undefeated Super Middleweight Contender

“There’s no pressure. I’m training hard for the task in front of us.

“We know Marco is very tough, but I plan on coming out victorious.”

MARCO ANTONIO PERIBAN, NABF Super Middleweight Champion

“I’m happy to be here in Vegas. I plan to use this platform to grow my career.

“It motivates me to fight against a Mayweather Promotions fighter. You will see a new Marco Periban on Saturday.”

ANDREW TABITI, Undefeated Cruiserweight Prospect

“We’ll see what happens on Saturday night. I’m going to bring my speed, power and my technical skill.”

RONALD GAVRIL, Undefeated Super Middleweight Contender

“All I have to say is, next fight, next knockout.”

ANTHONY OGOGO, Undefeated Middleweight Prospect and 2012 Olympic Bronze Medalist

“I’m very honored to be here in Las Vegas. It’s a crazy place, but I love it and it’s where I want to fight.

“I’m going to put my heart and soul into this fight.”

ASHLEY THEOPHANE, Welterweight Contender

“It’s good to be back here for the biggest show that there is.

“It’s all about getting that win and moving on to the next.”

LANELL BELLOWS, Super Middleweight Prospect

“Fan’s can expect fireworks. I’ll be ready for war come Saturday.”

LADARIUS MILLER, Welterweight Prospect

“I’m honored to be here and I’m ready to bring my talent on May 3.

“Everyone should expect excitement in the ring.”

# # #

THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” is a 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles. This is the third fight of Mayweather’s lucrative multi-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc. THE MOMENT is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. In the co-main event, Amir Khan faces Luis Collazo in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC silver welterweight world title. The pay-per-view undercard also features a 10-round junior welterweight fight between Adrien Broner and Carlos Molina as well as a 10-round super middleweight bout featuring J’Leon Love vs. Marco Antonio Periban. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000 and $750 are still available, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets $550 and $350 are sold out. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com orwww.ticketmaster.com.

Six MGM Resorts Properties will host live closed circuit telecast of THE MOMENT: Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage and Monte Carlo. General admission tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $75, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711 or at www.mgmgrand.com. Select properties also will sell tickets through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or by purchasing online at www.ticketmaster.com. “THE MOMENT” will also be broadcast on nearly 520 select movie theaters across the country. Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.

SHOWTIME SPORTS® EXPANSIVE PROGRAMMING LINEUP FOR MAYWEATHER VS. MAIDANA FIGHT WEEK BEGINS TONIGHT WITH A REPLAY OF SATURDAY’S FIGHT OF THE YEAR CANDIDATE: LUCAS MATTHYSSE VS. JOHN MOLINA FOR

NEW YORK (April 29, 2014) – SHOWTIME Sports® will offer a blitz of live and documentary programming across multiple platforms this week in advance of the SHOWTIME PPV® presentation of “THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana” – a four-fight telecast headlined by boxing superstar and No. 1 pound-for-pound titlist Floyd “Money” Mayweather against Marcos Maidana in a 12-round welterweight world championship unification fight this Saturday, May 3 (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

The lineup features live events and exclusive content including live coverage of fight week, the premiere of ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Maidana Episode 3, classic fights, and COUNTDOWN LIVE, a one-hour show on SHOWTIME preceding the pay-per-view event.

The excitement begins tonight, April 29, on SHO EXTREME and continues with five consecutive days of daily fistic programming in support of “THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana.’’ The schedule:

Tonight, April 29
Last Saturday’s terrific SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING tripleheader, highlighted by the universally lauded Fight Of The Year candidate, Matthysse vs. Molina, delivered it all – drama, brutal action, and unrelenting intensity. Don’t miss the replay of the instant classic tonight/Tuesday at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHO EXTREME.

Wednesday, April 30
SHOWTIME Sports Press Pass Live will stream the MAIN EVENT FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE live at 4 p.m. ET/1 p.m. PT on www.sho.com/sports. The live program is available to simulcast on your network and website.

ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Maidana EPISODE 3 premieres on SHOWTIME at 10 p.m. ET/PT.

CLASSIC FIGHTS – An encore presentation of Marcos Maidana vs. Victor Ortiz will air on SHO EXTREME at 11:45 p.m. ET/PT.

THURSDAY, MAY 1
SHOWTIME Sports Press Pass Live will stream the UNDERCARD FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE featuring Amir Khan, Adrien Broner and all the undercard fighters at 3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT on www.sho.com/sports. The live program is available to simulcast on your network and website.

CLASSIC FIGHTS – Marcos Maidana vs. Jesus Soto Karass will air on SHO EXTREME at 10:30 p.m. ET/PT. Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto will air on SHO EXTREME at 11:05 p.m. ET/PT.

FRIDAY, MAY 2
WEIGH-IN LIVE: Mayweather vs. Maidana, a one-hour live program, will air on SHOWTIME at 6 p.m. ET/ 3 p.m. PT and include coverage the official weigh-in, plus a special ALL ACCESS LIVE segment highlighted by an unedited, unscripted, live face-to-face meeting between the main event combatants a mere 24 hours before they square off in the ring. This program will be fed live via satellite, and stream on YouTube, Ustream and www.sho.com/sports. WEIGH-IN LIVE is available to simulcast on your network and website.

SHO EXTREME MARATHON will air five continuous hours of content related to “THE MOMENT,” including a replay of the WEIGH-IN at 10 p.m. ET/PT, Amir Khan vs. Marcos Maidana at 11 p.m. ET/PT and an ALL ACCESS marathon of all three episodes beginning at midnight ET/PT.

SATURDAY, MAY 3
SHO EXTREME MARATHON will continue with more than three hours of non-stop programming Saturday morning. ALL ACCESS Episodes 1, 2 and 3 will air consecutively beginning at 10 a.m. ET/PT. SHO EXTREME will air Mayweather’s record breaking pay-per-view event from last September vs. Canelo Alvarez at 11:30 a.m. ET/PT and Maidana’s hard-earned upset decision over Adrien Broner last December at 12:30 p.m. ET/PT.

COUNTDOWN LIVE: Mayweather vs. Maidana, a one-hour preview show on SHOWTIME that leads directly into the pay-per-view begins at 8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT and will be fed via satellite, and stream via YouTube, Ustream and sho.com/sports. The live program is available to simulcast on your network and website.

Mayweather vs. Maidana Fight Week Coverage on Fight Network

Toronto – Fight Network, the world’s premier 24/7 television channel dedicated to complete coverage of combat sports, presents live fight week coverage for The Moment: Mayweather vs. Maidana leading up to the highly anticipated welterweight championship unification bout between boxing’s pound-for-pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather and rugged WBA champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana this Saturday night on Showtime PPV.

The live coverage gets underway on Wednesday, April 30, at 4 p.m. ET, with a broadcast of the final pre-fight press conference from the MGM Grand Garden Arena, the site of Saturday’s blockbuster pay-per-view clash.

Then, on Friday, May 2, at 6 p.m. ET, Fight Network presents the live weigh-in as all the fighters tip the scales and face off one last time before throwing down on Saturday night.

In addition, Fight News Now Extra will feature exclusive satellite interviews with competitors from Saturday’s card, plus highlights from the grand arrivals and fighter workouts.

Then, on Saturday, May 3, at 12 p.m. ET, get your dose of boxing’s greatest superstar early as Fight Network presents a Mayweather fight marathon, featuring a quartet of classic battles against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez and Shane Mosley.

Getting the live fight action started early, Fight Network presents a special edition of Golden Boy Live! this Friday, May 2, at 10 p.m. ET, headlined by former world champion Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith facing tough Illinois contender Ryan “Dangerous” Davis at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

In other featured bouts on the live May 2 card, rising lightweight star Mickey “The Spirit” Bey will meet hard-hitting Mexican veteran Alan “Explosivo” Herrera in a 10-round matchup and in the televised opener, Argentina’s Jesus Cuellar squares off with former world champion Rico Ramos in a 12-round bout for Cuellar’s WBA interim featherweight title.

The live fight week coverage complements a stacked slate of live events this week on Fight Network, including ONE Fighting Championship 15: Rise of Heroes on Friday, May 2, at 7 a.m. ET, Cage Warriors 68 on Saturday, May 3, at 4 p.m. ET, plus GLORY 16 Denver on Saturday, May 3, at 9 p.m. ET.

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

KHAN READY TO DAZZLE AGAINST SLICK COLLAZO THIS WEEKEND ON BOXNATION AS HE LOOKS TO PUT FRUSTRATING YEAR BEHIND HIM

LONDON (April 29) – British boxing star Amir Khan has vowed to look his best yet despite spending the past year out the ring.

The former unified light-welterweight world champion has endured a frustrating 12 months having seen his chances of fighting Floyd Mayweather disintegrate when the pound-for-pound ace opted to fight Argentine bruiser Marcos Maidana instead.

Despite the setbacks, which saw Khan pass up the opportunity to take on Devon Alexander last December for the IBF welterweight title following assurances he would land ‘Money’ Mayweather, the Bolton pugilist is upbeat about his upcoming fight with the tricky southpaw Luis Collazo.

“It was a difficult time,” said Khan. “But the fact is I moved on fairly quick when I knew the Mayweather shot wasn’t happening. It was just about refocusing my mind on the next opponent and luckily we were able to announce Luis Collazo straight away which allowed me the chance to get back in the ring as soon as possible.

“I wanted a tough challenge at welterweight and not just to go in there against some average guy. Collazo is a legitimate welterweight who is very confident after his win against Victor Ortiz but I know I have the tools to beat him,” said Khan.

The Olympic silver medalist goes into the fight having not been in the ring since he overcame Julio Diaz in Sheffield last April.

Yet, Khan is confident he will be much improved having spent the last year locked away in the San Francisco gym of his esteemed American trainer Virgil Hunter.

“You’re going to see an improved Amir Khan, the best Amir Khan, there’s no doubt in my mind about that,” he said.

“Over the last 12 months I’ve been in camps with Virgil and we’ve been working on certain aspects of my game that I never really got the chance to work on because I just didn’t get the time as I was fighting so often.

“Through the last few months I’ve been focusing on improving myself and adding certain things to my game. Because I didn’t have an opponent lined up and I wasn’t fighting I had the time to look at myself and work on things I wanted to work on.

“On May 3rd I’m going to put that all into practice on the biggest stage and not only beat Collazo but look to beat him in real style,” said Khan.

The 27-year-old is also refusing to look past the Brooklyn banger as talk of a showdown with Mayweather later this year, should he prevail, constantly being mooted.

“I’m not thinking about other possible fights, my mind and my attention is solely on Luis Collazo. To overlook him would be foolish, he needs to be respected and I give him that respect,” said Khan.

“I don’t know what the future holds for me, all I know is I have to get through Luis Collazo to see what that might be. It’s a tough fight but one I’m ready for and very confident about.

“I can’t wait to get in the ring on Saturday because it’s been so long – I wish it was tomorrow,” Khan said.

The 33-year-old Collazo is also well aware of how big a fight this could be in his career.

The Puerto Rican-American has shared the ring with a number of top fighters, including a closely contested bout with fan favourite Ricky Hatton back in 2006.

Now, however, he is at a crossroads in his career, with a win over Khan propelling him into a shot at even bigger fights.

“This fight [against Khan] is my whole career right in front of me,” said Collazo. “I believe if I beat Amir Khan I have a bigger future in boxing and if I don’t, I have to start from the bottom again. I am not looking beyond Amir Khan. He is my main focus. From here whatever happens happens, but Amir Khan is all I’m thinking about right now.

“A win over Khan does put me in the Mayweather sweepstakes, but my sights are set on Khan,” he said.

Khan and Collazo’s bout will act as the chief support on a packed bill at the MGM Grand this Saturday, which also sees the brash talking Adrien Broner back in action against Carlos Molina, before the headliner Mayweather looks to make it 46-0 against the rugged Maidana.

BoxNation viewers will be able to see a special hour long countdown show previewing the respective Mayweather and Khan fights this Friday at 7pm, with the final ‘All Access: Mayweather v Maidana’ show premiering on Saturday at 7pm.

Mayweather vs. Maidana/Khan vs. Collazo is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Saturday midnight. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

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

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

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

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

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

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

“THE MOMENT: MAYWEATHER VS. MAIDANA” SHOWTIME PPV® FEATURED FIGHTERS QUOTES

FLOYD “MONEY” MAYWEATHER, 10-Time Five-Division World Champion & WBC Welterweight World Champion

“On May 3, I’ve got to go out there and take my time, keep my composure and be me. Everybody thinks he’s just going to be a pushover, but I don’t think so. That’s why I’m training hard and I’m pushing myself to the limit every day.

“I know Maidana is going to come and bring his best, so I know that I cannot overlook him. I’m in training every day and dedicating myself.

“I think Maidana is more confident now than he was when he faced the kid from St. Louis, Devon Alexander. I think he’s more confident now, so I think he’s more ready and tough. If you have more confidence it’s going to make you fight harder.

“Of course I want my name to go down in history as the best, but also making smart business moves to be very lucrative and build your portfolio is important.

“I’ve been in so many career-defining fights I can’t really choose one particular that defines my legacy, but all of them played a major role.

“I can feel when a guy’s gonna punch. I can feel it. I don’t even have to see it; I can feel it.

“Maidana punches extremely hard if he has an 80 percent knockout ratio. That’s obviously his best attribute, but a lot of times when a guy’s swinging a lot of big shots and they’re not landing, you get fatigued like that.

“I haven’t been hit by Maidana yet, so I can’t really say if he’s the hardest puncher I’ve faced. I may be the hardest puncher he ever fought. He hasn’t been hit by me yet, so we’ll just have to see if he’s the hardest puncher.

“Boxing is always very, very important to me and always will be because this has put me in a position to have everything that I have. I want to help this sport live on. I want to help this sport continue to grow. That’s what it’s about.

“I think that I don’t get my credit that’s due because I think that I make A-level and B-level fighters look ordinary, but that comes from just having a sharp mind and just really pushing myself in training

“When I was young I always loved to entertain, I always loved to promote. We’ve done house parties when we were young teenagers, 13, 14. I know how to promote and make sure the party was packed, so promotion has always been something I am good at.

“It’s about being a smart. I don’t go into a fight thinking about losing. It’s about winning at life. The most important thing is winning at life.

“Before I became a champion, I worked hard. Now that I am a champion, each fight I have to work harder and harder to stay in this position.”

MARCOS “EL CHINO” MAIDANA, WBA Welterweight World Champion

“I’m very happy to be part of this event. I have prepared myself for the best part of my career.

“I’m going to go out to win it. Others haven’t been able to do it, I’m training to do it. I’m training to be the first one to do it.

“All I’ve got to say for people doubting me is to order the fight because they’re going to enjoy a good fight. They’re going to see me beat Floyd Mayweather.

“I feel better now that I’ve been working with Robert Garcia. I feel much better. My punches are connecting even stronger now because the punches are being thrown in a better location and with precision.

“I’m fighting and beating great fighters, most of them have the same style, very similar style and defensive, but I already beat Broner the way I did and I think I can do the same with Mayweather, but until I’m in the ring we’ll look for things that no one has seen.

“With Broner, everybody thought I had to knock him out and I beat him with a decision. I am preparing myself to go 12 rounds if it’s necessary. I’m preparing to hurt him every time I throw punches and if a knockout comes, then great, but I am preparing myself to win after 12 rounds.

“This is the most important part of my career. The fight with Broner gave me a lot of exposure, but this fight itself is the biggest fight of my career and it would be a tremendous upset and that’s what I’m training for, to upset the world and to do it for my country. It would be huge for my country.”

AMIR “KING” KHAN, Former Unified Super Lightweight World Champion

“I’m looking forward to the big fight against Luis Collazo. It’s my first fight at 147. I’m excited, I really believe that I belong in the welterweight division; it’s going to be my division for my future career.

“I really believe we can steal the show, and that’s all we want to do. Whenever I fight I want to give it 100 percent. I want to give the fans what they want to watch, and I really believe that this fight could be the one that could steal the show on the night.

“We’ve been working on just being patient, being smart, using the feet and the hands at the right time, using the defense and the offense at the right time, and my trainer Virgil Hunter has been changing me up. He’s making me understand the sport of boxing.

“This is a tough sport when you go into the ring with the likes of these tough guys like Collazo, and the fighters that you’re going to be facing, you have to be 100 percent ready. So I really believe I’ll be a better fighter at 147, I’ll be stronger, and I’ll keep a lot of my energy and strength and power in the shots.

“You’ll definitely see a different Amir Khan coming into this fight because I’ve had a lot of time to work on things, and work on new strategies, and also work with my trainers, Virgil Hunter and also my strength conditioner, Tony Brady. So, I know I’m going to be ready in this division, and I can’t wait to step in the ring.

“Collazo’s a one-of-a-kind fighter. He has his own style. I respect the way he fights and he always causes big problems to his opponents, and he does really well in the ring. I’m not going to compare him to any opponent I’ve faced before.

“Physically I think I’m a better fighter, and like I said, moving up to the next weight category is only going to make me a better fighter. We don’t want to go in and take easy fights, we want to fight the best out there, and it shows that Luis Collazo is one of the best out there by knocking out Victor Ortiz in his last fight, and proving himself.

“I really believe that I needed a long break off, and taking that time off sometimes makes you metaphysically and mentally a better fighter. I expect time will tell; we’ll see how much I’ve become a better fighter on the night of the fight.

“[On Collazo’s knockout of Victor Ortiz] It shows that he’s got power, he’s got speed, he’s got great movement. This is going to be a good fight, it’s going to be a tough fight. We’re going to be up against a tough Collazo; even the fights he’s lost, Collazo’s been very, very close.

“It’s all about putting a great performance on, putting a great fight on and giving the crowd what they want. The fans want to see a good fight, the fans want to see an exciting fight, and I think us two, the two styles we have will make this fight very exciting, and very good to watch.”

LUIS COLLAZO, WBA International Welterweight Champion

“This is a fight that could take me to another level in the welterweight division, and I’m just very humbled by the opportunity. May 3 is going to be a great night of boxing.

“Khan’s got great speed, but I think he might be a little bit slower than Andre Berto was, and that was a big fight for me. Come fight night we’ll definitely see if his speed is going to be a factor or not.

“If he takes me lightly, more power to him. But come fight night I’m just going to try to capitalize on all his mistakes. That’s my main thing, and I’m just working my butt off. I’m working hard to give all fans what they want, a great and exciting show.

“Sometimes all fighters are vulnerable. We all make mistakes. We’re not perfect, but that’s why different styles make beautiful fights and I’m just going to try to capitalize to the best of my ability.

“Khan is a great fighter, he’s been on top of the game quite some time now, and to be able to get this fight, it’s great. This is just getting me closer to where I really want to be, at the top of the welterweight division.

“I’ve been the underdog all my life, all my fights I was the one trying, the next fighter to step up. He’s coming to the welterweight division. I’m more than happy to welcome him to this weight class.

“You’ve got to go in there to take care of business, and you’ve got to be careful with how you’re taking shots. If you know you’re taking shots and the refs think you’re hurt, keep it moving, don’t stay there and keep getting those shots, and just be smart. I learned a lot from my previous fights and I’m just grateful for all the experiences that I have.

“From the Ricky Hatton fight I learned that anything could happen. And from the Victor Ortiz fight, I learned don’t leave it to the judges. I learned a lot and I’m just very excited and humbled by this opportunity. And come May 3 I’m just going to keep giving the boxing fans what they want, some more excitement.”

ADRIEN “THE PROBLEM” BRONER, Former Three-Division World Champion

“At the end of the day, everybody is looking for Adrien Broner to be this new humble guy. Well, if you’re looking for Adrien Broner to be this new humble guy, you won’t get it. I’m still the same fresh, flashy, young, rich and famous guy. I’m a young man, and I respect every fighter, but I’m ready to fight.

“Molina is a hell of a fighter. Like I said, I don’t disrespect any boxer. It takes a lot to get inside that square circle and I don’t take any boxer lightly. I just want him to be on his A-game May 3.

“Anybody taking a loss that I did, it would probably break them. But coming from where I come from, I’m strong mentally and physically so I’m OK. I’m personally proud of myself and I don’t care that a lot of people are looking for me to just go in here and walk over this guy, but at the end of the day they’re forgetting that he’s not just somebody to walk over, he’s a top-class fighter.

“After this fight they will see that I’m still ‘The Problem.’ Anybody can get it in the ring. I’m still the same guy.

“I know there’s a lot of people that dislike the things that I do, but there’s a lot of people that love the things that I do and they want to see Adrien Broner back on top and I will not disappoint them and anybody who wants to see me.”

CARLOS MOLINA, Junior Welterweight Contender

“We’re working hard for this fight. We’re very humbled to get this opportunity to fight on the big fight, on a Mayweather undercard, against Adrien Broner. We’re excited and we’ll be ready come May 3.

“I know the whole world is seeing me as an underdog, but that just motivates me even more. I think I’ve got a lot to prove in this fight. I’m coming off a loss with Amir Khan, so I’m going to go in there and I’m going to give it my all come May 3rd. I’ve been working extremely hard for this fight.

“I’m just going to continue to work hard and give you guys a great show come May 3. I know what’s on the line. I’m fighting a world-class fighter, so I’m going to give it my all.

“He’s a three-time world champion. He’s the one that’s supposed to put on a show, so I’m right here, just working hard and getting ready for May 3.”

J’LEON LOVE, Undefeated Super Middleweight Contender

“Periban is a tough fighter. I know he’s going to come with his A-game. I’m definitely going to come with my A-game, and that’s what’s makes fights right there.

“I’ve been training extremely hard. I’m definitely focused. It really comes down to May 3. I’m going to put my heart and all my determination into this fight.

“His talent is respected, but we’re definitely going to come in there and give it our all and make sure we come out victorious. I know that he’s trying to make history for his country. I’m trying to make history for my family and me and do what I have to do to win this fight.

“I am young. I’m still learning. I’m definitely there mentally and physically. We made the right decisions for our career and I have the best team behind me.

“I have a job to do and my job is to be in the best shape possible, be mentally focused and physically focused for these fights and this is a big opportunity. I’m making a name for myself, from small time Eastern Michigan; I’m putting all that on the map
and this is what I’ve dreamed of since I was a kid.

“With Periban, he has a great skill set. He’s tough, strong, he’s tall and he’s a rangy fighter. He has a lot of skill and he has a good jab. Anything can happen in this fight and you can’t look past anybody and a guy like him. He can upset a lot of people.

“I’m just being myself. I don’t want to be like Adrien Broner or Floyd Mayweather. I want to be like J’Leon Love. I’m just a cool guy. I’m laid back. I’m silly at times. That’s just me. I’m not angry. I’m blessed. I’m just happy to be alive. I’m healthy and these opportunities are coming and I’m happy for it.”

MARCOS ANTONIO PERIBAN, NABF Super Middleweight Champion

“I understand that Mr. Love is in the way of me capturing my dream of fighting for the world championship. It’s very important for me to become world cChampion because by doing so I will be the first Mexican in history at 168 pounds to ever hold the championship for the WBC.

“It’s a fight that I must take the opportunity and be successful in and I can’t let Mr. Love beat me because basically it derails my opportunity to become world champion and to make history for Mexico.”

“I’m very focused. I want that title. I want that title for Mexico, so you can expect a very focused and determined fighter on May 3..

“Love is a very dangerous fighter and he has a lot of technical skills to him, so basically my training is no longer focused on my strength, but basically on the tactics that I’m going to use to fight Love.”

# # #

“THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” is a 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles. This is the third fight of Mayweather’s lucrative multi-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc. THE MOMENT is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. In the co-main event, Amir Khan faces Luis Collazo in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC silver welterweight world title. The pay-per-view undercard also features a 10-round junior welterweight fight between Adrien Broner and Carlos Molina as well as a 10-round super middleweight bout featuring J’Leon Love vs. Marco Antonio Periban. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

MARCOS MAIDANA TO BRING ARGENTINIAN PRIDE INTO THE RING ON MAY 3 AGAINST FLOYD MAYWEATHER ON SHOWTIME PPV®

LAS VEGAS (April 28, 2014) – On Saturday, May 3, Marcos “El Chino” Maidana will be fighting for more than the unified welterweight world championship and glory of defeating the pound-for-pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather. The hard-hitting Argentine powerhouse will be representing a country with a deep and storied tradition in the sweet science when he steps into the ring at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in a 12-round welterweight world unification bout live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

For a country known for its passion for soccer, Argentina boasts an impressive boxing history that includes 39 world champions. Today, high profile Argentine boxers are littered across the sport’s landscape including middleweight world champion Sergio “Maravilla” Martinez, former interim world champion Lucas “The Machine” Matthysse, who is coming off of an amazing win over John Molina last Saturday, former WBC welterweight World ChampionCarlos “Tata” Baldomir, three-time light welterweight world champion Juan Martin “Latigo” Coggi and current WBA Interim Featherweight World Champion Jesus Cuellar.

“I know I not only carry the weight of my Argentine people into the ring with me, but also the pride and glory of Hispanics around the world,” said Maidana. ” It would mean everything to me to be able to do something that no one has done in this sport before. I know it will bring great pride to Argentina.”

Mayweather has faced other Argentine fighters during his storied career, defeating Gustavo Cuello in 1998, Carlos Rios in 1999 and Baldomir in 2006, all three by unanimous decision. The question now is whether Maidana is the person who will end this trend.

“Maidana has every possible chance of winning. He has two bricks in his hands and he’s shown that fact on several occasions,” Martinez told Boxing Scene.

“Marcos has the power to hurt Mayweather. We saw that in the [Adrien] Broner fight,” said Matthysse. “If he connects with the right shot and has a chance to connect with more shots, he will be able to beat Mayweather.”

“I think Maidana could win this fight by way of knockout, that’s the only way to go against Mayweather,” Baldomir told ESPN in a recent interview. “Maidana has to break Mayweather’s defense and land one of his signature heavy punches.”

“As an Argentine, I must confess that a victory from Maidana will bring Argentina a huge pride, especially because he’s facing Floyd Mayweather, who is the best pound for pound fighter in the world,” said Coggi. “El Chino has a heavy punch, that’s key for his victory over Mayweather. ”

Despite the long line of champions, the history of Argentines facing No. 1-rated pound-for-pound champions is also strewn with disappointments. Four times an Argentine fighter has found himself in that position and has failed to break through. While these losses were to the household names of Jack Dempsey, Marvin Hagler, Pernell Whitaker and Muhammad Ali, Argentine fans are no doubt clamoring for one of their own to capture their own legendary moment.

Maidana is off to a good-start in making Argentine history, after his thrilling upset of Broner last December. He became the second boxer, after Martinez to be awarded with the “Marca Pais” or “Argentine Trademark.” This honor is given by the Argentine Ministry of Tourism as a way of expressing the pride and support that the Argentine nation has for those individuals.

Maidana will take this and his powerful fists into Las Vegas this week with the hopes of rewriting the history of Argentine boxing from one of just-misses to one of triumph and glory.

# # #

SUPERSTAR MAYWEATHER WARY OF DANGEROUS MAIDANA AS HE PLANS TO BEAT HIM AT HIS OWN GAME LIVE ON BOXNATION THIS WEEKEND

LONDON (April 28) – Pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather is refusing to underestimate renowned knockout artist Marcos Maidana ahead of their megafight this weekend.

The pair clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on Saturday night, live and exclusive on BoxNation, with boxing’s number one superstar adamant that he will need to be at his very best to overcome the formidable Argentine.

Despite some calling into question Maidana’s chances, the WBC welterweight world champion believes the Santa Fe native’s victory over Adrien Broner to claim the WBA crown last December shows he’s not one to be overlooked.

“Adrien Broner’s a good boxer and he roughed Adrien Broner up and he got the victory, so we can’t say what this guy, can or he can’t do. We cannot overlook the guy,” said Mayweather.

“I can’t just say he’s going to be an easy fight because he’s not going to be an easy fight for me, I don’t think so. What I have to do is I’ve got to make sure that I’m at my best.

“I think when Maidana’s facing me his confidence is built after he beat Adrien Broner because he feels that both of the styles are very, very similar, so it’s like the same style.

“So May 3 I’ve got to go out there and take my time, keep my composure and be me. Everybody thinks he’s just going to be a pushover, but I don’t think so. That’s why I’m training hard and I’m pushing myself to the limit every day,” he said.

Despite his impressive victory over Broner, the 30-year-old Maidana has already suffered defeat at the hands of another man fighting on the bill, British star Amir Khan.

The former unified light-welterweight world champion takes on Luis Collazo on the same night, but Mayweather has refused to focus solely on attacking Maidana’s body, a focal point Khan and others have used to their benefit.

“My focus is this guy. I’m pretty sure he’s going to be well rounded and ready for this fight because this is at a total different level.

“Against Amir Khan, the guy could have been doing a lot of sit-ups and making his body in tip-top condition and tip-top shape. Amir Khan could have just caught him with a good shot,” said Mayweather.

“My body is in very good condition, but sometimes a guy can hit me with a good shot and I can feel it, but we just don’t know how we’re going to approach the fight.

“We’re going to take our time and go out there and if a guy leaves an opening on his face, we’re going to take it, if he leaves an opening on his body we’re going to take it, but we can’t just say we’re going to go in there and everything is going to go to the body. We’re going to take our time and pick the guy apart,” he said.

No matter how the fight pans out the elusive Mayweather, who has captured eight world titles in five weight divisions, is certain that this will be one of the most entertaining bouts this year as he looks to stand in front of the rugged Maidana.

“We must realize that I am the bigger guy even though I walk around at 150. I go no higher than 152. I’m naturally the bigger guy because I’ve been at 147 almost 10 years now, so I’m naturally the bigger guy. I think that my dad has the game plan to stay in the pocket, make the guy miss and make the guy pay,” he said.

It is the fact he is able to see the shots coming and adjust which will allow Mayweather to adopt this game plan despite the threat such a bold strategy like this presents against one of the best punchers around.

“I can see the shots,” said Mayweather. “Actually, I can feel when a guy’s going to punch. I can feel it. I don’t even have to see it; I can feel it. You know, this is just with experience and being around the sport so long. I can just feel a guy when he’s going to shoot his shot. A lot of times guys telegraph their shot. Their body language gives away when they’re going to shoot because of how they position themselves.

“So when a guy positions himself in a certain way you know what shot he’s going to throw, but my thing is whatever a guy’s best attribute is, whatever he does best, my goal is to take that away from him and make him resort to doing something else,” he said.

Mayweather vs. Maidana is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Saturday night from midnight. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

Mayweather-Maidana: A master’s secrets to making Money

By Bart Barry–

Saturday American Floyd “Money” Mayweather will fight once more at MGM Grand, this time with Argentine Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, in a welterweight title match the prestigious WBA has honored with “Super World” status, defying courageously those haters who argued for its belt to bear an “Average World” or “Lopsided World” appellation. Mayweather, who doesn’t care what anyone thinks, probably wouldn’t have paid their fees for anything less than a shot at “Super World” supremacy. How serendipitous.

If a Buddhist monk who spends his days meditating in a burlap coverall tells you he doesn’t care what others think, you might believe him. But if ever a man who spends tens of millions of dollars on conspicuous displays of his wealth tells you he doesn’t, check your wallet. Recently Robin Leach came out of retirement – surely he doesn’t need the money, because everyone who comes out of retirement never needs the money, just a rekindled love of the game – to walk us through the Big Boy Mansion in the 15th or so vacuous homage to Floyd Mayweather’s residence, showing us the million-dollar automobiles Mayweather drives alternately to a boxing gym and fastfood eatery, and the bedizened jewels Mayweather wears over white t-shirts.

It was another tired move from a tired franchise in a tired sport. Most of the off-television coverage of Saturday’s match has treated the prohibitive ratio oddsmakers assign the fight, declaring in a short declarative sentence not unlike that last one that Marcos Maidana hasn’t a jot of a chance of beating Floyd Mayweather. Those guys know their craft, and they understand probability better than Mayweather’s companions do, and they see no reason Maidana should beat Mayweather, and they are correct, there really isn’t a reason to expect anything that resembles a competitive main event Saturday. If you’re reading this, though, you’re part of the reliable half-million or so Americans our industry needs to buy every fight, and for your loyalty you deserve some reason to watch better than what pap Showtime infomercials offer.

Floyd Mayweather has to be in control of everything to be comfortable. Raised in what might euphemistically be called an unstable household, Mayweather imposes order wherever he can and does not relinquish it. He is perhaps the greatest handicapper of opponents boxing has ever seen, never endangering himself in a real fight against a real opponent when it can possibly be avoided. If Mayweather did not know about Antonio Margarito’s propensity for liberal hand-wrapping techniques in 2006, Mayweather absolutely knew something was off about him and wanted no part of a guy who was that big, somehow made 147 pounds for a few minutes of every year, and was incapable of discouragement.

Mayweather got the hell out of his contract with promoter Top Rank, in retrospect the best business decision made by a boxer in a generation, and fought Margarito’s wornout sparring partner Carlos Baldomir instead, because the Argentine surprised everyone and beat Zab Judah, three months before Mayweather did (don’t ask), and then changed his name to “Money” from “Pretty Boy” – a somewhat lamentable choice, as Mayweather has more beauty in person than cameras credit him, and money is, well, an idea so mundane it’s what every American dad spends 40 weekly hours making.

When he’s on, “Chino” Maidana does an excellent imitation of a fighter who is not in control. His footwork is a jumbled mess, his right hand is more like a club than a piston, his left hand is thrown with many times more commitment than technique, and his defense is poor enough that, after 38 prizefights and many more amateur bouts, his dad felt compelled to interrupt a televised barbecue and tell Chino to employ head movement. Odds are, that’s not the way to beat Mayweather – odds are, once more, pronouncedly that way. But in about the only reasonably unfiltered answer Mayweather gave his conference-call audience last week, “Money” did mention Emanuel Burton-Augustus as his toughest opponent, and Burton/Augustus was an old-time opponent who understood the value of dropping a competitive fight to a hometown favorite, quite often a more lucrative way to make a living than Maidana’s approach of whupping someone like Victor Ortiz in Staples Center, and imagine for a second the skill it takes to travel the country losing competitive fights without imperiling yourself unnecessarily. It also takes a lad who’s a bit off-kilter, and Burton-Augustus was surely that.

Maidana’s style was not built to solve the Mayweather style – Maidana’s style was built only to pulverize whatever object, animate or otherwise, came in its way – but it might have the ancillary effect of discomfiting Mayweather enough to make him entertain us for a brief respite, at least entertain us more than the aggregate of Mayweather’s last two opponents, Ghostly Canelo, managed to do. When I asked Paulie Malignaggi a few months ago how you fight a guy like Maidana, Malignaggi said you do nothing you didn’t learn in your first six months in a boxing gym. You go back to basics till you’re boring yourself.

Mayweather knows to do this; unlike the impostor buffoon Maidana traumatized in December, Mayweather comes right out of his cutiepie defense the second he’s touched for real. In their 2010 match, Shane Mosley dropped a right hand on Mayweather that made Money’s knees clap, and what did Mayweather do next? He set his hands high, went forward behind his jab, and applied pressure, like they teach on your first day in a gym.

Mayweather has much better footwork than the men whom Maidana has beaten up, and he’s physically stronger, too. He knows Maidana can be discouraged, and he will locate, before the bell sounds for round 4, the guy who dropped every minute to a 147-pound Devon Alexander and barely outboxed at 140 an unretired version of Erik Morales knocked-out twice by Manny Pacquiao five years earlier at super featherweight.

As ever, if this fight goes nine minutes without Mayweather being hurt badly, it will not be competitive. I’ll take Mayweather, UD-12, then, and hope for the sake of this increasingly moribund sport and its committed fans to be entirely wrong.

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

Video: All Access: Mayweather vs. Maidana – Lifestyle of the Rich and

HIGHLY TOUTED KNOCKOUT KING KEITH ‘ONE TIME’ THURMAN READY TO TURN UP THE HEAT ON FORMER WORLD CHAMPION JULIO ‘THE KIDD’ DIAZ AS HE EYES WORLD TITLE GLORY

LONDON (April 25) – Rising star Keith Thurman is ready to do the business against former world champion Julio Diaz this weekend before going after IBF champion Shawn Porter.

The highly touted Thurman, who has been making serious waves in the welterweight division, goes up against the experienced Diaz, who ran Amir Khan extremely close 12 months ago, this Saturday night at the StubHub Center in California, live on BoxNation.

Florida native Thurman’s reputation continues to grow with many in the sport predicating that he will be the man to rule over the 147 pound weight class in the near future, but first one of boxing’s biggest punchers must show the hype is for real as he faces his sternest test yet.

“What excites me most is being in the main event. They could have put me on other cards as a co-feature, but this shows me respect and I want to thank Golden Boy for that,” said Thurman, who has amassed a record of 20 knockouts in his 22 wins.

“Every fighter has to take it one fight at a time, and I’m going in on Saturday to do my job. Winning on Saturday is obviously very important. Others in my division are already name-fighters, but I’m just starting to build mine.

“I’m still coming up in the world of boxing. So this is a chance for me to show that I’m not like all others,” he said.

The unbeaten 25-year-old has proven to have a crowd pleasing style, which he refuses to change, and will continue with that against the respected Diaz.

“I expect Diaz to fight his heart out,” said Thurman. “He says he plans to knock me out. I don’t know if that’s fight hype or his strategy, but I’ll be ready. I want guys who come to fight. I want to make and be in the best fights. On my record I have an ‘O’ but I’m not afraid to let it go.

“I work very hard and count my blessings that I’m where I’m at. I love the support the fans give me. We’re going to give them a real fight on Saturday,” he said.

A potential fight which has been mooted for later this year is a clash with the current IBF welterweight world champion Porter.

The all-action Porter, who recently blasted his way past Paulie Malignaggi in a highly impressive knockout win, has gone from strength-to-strength since he faced Diaz in two closely contested bouts, prior to capturing his world title against Devon Alexander last year.

Thurman is aware of how closely Diaz ran Porter but is eyeing up the possibility of facing the Ohio man should he prevail in his next fight.

“Diaz had some great performances against Shawn Porter and he gave Amir Khan a great fight. Diaz is a former world champion. They say he’s a veteran with a lot of experience. But I’m 25 and have been at this for 18 years, so I’m a veteran, too,” he said.

“I’ve known Shawn Porter and his Dad for years. I know they’re calling me out. When the time is right, we’ll fight. I expect to fight for maybe another 10 years,” Thurman added.

34-year-old Diaz, however, believes he is no one to overlook having been counted out on many occasions before springing a surprise.

The two-time world champion believes he can do much of the same when he faces off against one of boxing’s most touted prospects.

“They said I was an old man three years ago and said it was time for me to retire. Actually, I’ve been hearing the same thing for 15 years. They said it when I lost my title. They said it when I got knocked out. But I’m still here,” said Diaz.

“I’ve always felt like a world champion, which is a reason that I’m able to come back and win fights no one thinks I can. The biggest mistake I made, I think, was staying at lightweight too long. I think I fought at 135 for 12-13 years,” he explained.

“Going against Thurman is a very dangerous opportunity for me, but one I have to take. I have to take a big risk in any fight that comes my way to get the big reward.

“Keith Thurman is for real. He’s getting all the attention. But that’s the way it always is before my fights. Let’s see what they’re saying after our fight on Saturday,” said Diaz.

Saturday night’s card is stacked with some of the biggest hitting stars around, with Argentine ace Lucas Matthysse making his ring return following his thriller against Danny Garcia last September when he steps in against another puncher in John Molina.

World title action on the night sees the heavy handed Omar Figueroa defend his WBC lightweight belt against fellow Texan Jerry Belmontes.

Also, this Sunday from 7pm, BoxNation viewers will be able to see the premiere of episode two ‘All Access: Mayweather v Maidana’ as we delve into their respective camps ahead of the mega showdown next Saturday night.

Thurman vs. Diaz is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) this Saturday night. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

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

FLOYD “MONEY” MAYWEATHER MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

Kelly Swanson
Thank you, everybody, for joining us today. We are promoting “THE MOMENT” and we’ve had so many great moments promoting this event. I find this call to be one of our special moments because we have none other than the pound-for-pound king, Floyd “Money” Mayweather available to talk to you today. He, of course, is a 10-time five-division world champ and the current WBC Welterweight World Champion.

You will be receiving your fight week schedule very shortly and it will give you all the details for what’s to come next week as we prepare for the fight week of the May 3 bout. So without further ado, I’m going to turn it over to Leonard Ellerbe, Chief Executive Officer of Mayweather Promotions, to make the introductions.

Leonard Ellerbe
I’d like to thank everyone for joining us on the call today. We’re just 10 days away from “THE MOMENT.” Will this be the moment that Maidana shocks the world and becomes victorious? You just have to see. Will this be the moment that, for the first time, Maidana gets stopped? You have to just wait and see.

Obviously, this fight will be brought to us by none other than SHOWTIME PPV® and without further ado, I’d like to introduce the man who controls and runs everything at SHOWTIME, none other than the Executive Vice President and General Manager of SHOWTIME Sports, Stephen Espinoza.

Stephen Espinoza
Just a couple of programming notes before I turn it back over to Leonard and to Floyd. We will be premiering Episode 2 of All Access this weekend, 6:00 p.m. Pacific, 9:00 Eastern immediately preceding our three-fight, heavy hitters card. If you missed Episode 1, it’s available just about everywhere from the SHOWTIME website to On-Demand, SHOWTIME Anytime and YouTube and virtually everywhere else.

We were also well into our pre-fight programming on SHOWTIME OnDemand and SHOWTIME Anytime as well as many other places. We are already featuring classic Mayweather fights, classic Maidana fights and many of the undercard fighters from J’Leon Love to Adrien Broner to Amir Khan, but I know you are all anxious to hear from the champ, so I’ll turn it back over to you, Leonard, and I will see you all next week.

L. Ellerbe
So without further ado, TBE, the man himself.

Floyd Mayweather
First, I want to thank Stephen Espinoza, I want to thank SHOWTIME, I want to thank CBS, I want to thank Leonard Ellerbe, I want to thank Al Haymon, I want to thank Richard Schaefer, I want to thank Kelly Swanson, I want to thank everybody, all the networks and all the people that are covering this fight and all the people that have covered my fights throughout the years.

I want to thank you guys and I just want to say I really appreciate you and everybody that’s a part of the event and that helped get these events started, “THE MOMENT”. I couldn’t choose a better team, because we work as one. I know Maidana is going to come and bring his best, so I know that I cannot overlook him, so I’m in training every day and dedicating myself.

Q
What were you able to do, in terms of the promotion, that you all were able to put together, such an amazing card?

L. Ellerbe
Yes, the card from top to bottom is stacked. We felt as though the fans; it’s all about giving the fans the value for their money, and that’s what Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions is about when we’re putting on these major events.

Q
Can you just talk about your relationship with Leonard and why that has been so successful and so stable over the years?

F. Mayweather
This is something a lot of people don’t know. Let me enlighten people on the story with Leonard Ellerbe. Now, Leonard Ellerbe had not a good job but a great-paying job in D.C. He’s from D.C. Had a good-paying job, and people don’t know how Leonard got with me.

Leonard came out here. Leonard used to go on trips, used to pay his own way to go on trips with us and just help out, and he used to leave his job. He’d leave his job and fly on his own money because he had, I think, it was a six-figure paying job. He also was a fitness trainer. He had another job, so he was making very good money.

He left all that, paid his own way to come support me, and one particular time he was doing some charity work for me. He was doing everything to make sure I got up to do my runs, he was doing security work for me and everything, and all he was making, it wasn’t big money because I was making good money but I wasn’t paying him what I feel like I should have been paying him. But you know, times have changed. He stuck with me through thick and thin. We’ve been through a lot together. He stuck with me through everything. I’m happy to say he’s a multimillionaire now, so I feel like it was worth it, the wait was worth it, and we go through a lot.

A lot of times people don’t see we go through a lot. Because we strive for the best. We strive for the best, but at the end of the day it’s about communication and one thing that we can do, I respect him as a man, he respects me as a man and we can communicate, and I will always love Leonard Ellerbe. He’s doing a tremendous job.

S. Espinoza
If I could make one addition back to your first question, there are some things that Floyd and Leonard are actually I think a little too modest about, so I’ll go ahead and voice this for them.

As you’ve heard from Richard and Leonard in the past, this is the most expensive undercard in the history of pay-per-view undercards. To be more specific that is an investment by Floyd and by Mayweather Promotions. So all credit goes to him for investing not just in this event but in investing in the growth of the sport because from the network perspective, it is only through events of this magnitude that we really grow to the casual fans. When we talk about appeal to the casual fans, Floyd is head and shoulders above everyone else.

This is not a card that we needed to support this event. This was something that Mayweather Promotions went above and beyond to do and took money out of their pocket to do so, and I think that needs to be recognized as an investment in the sport.

Q
When you have been devising the game plan for Marcos Maidana did you or your team feel as though it was really Devon Alexander that laid down the blueprint to defeat somebody like Maidana?

F. Mayweather
I think that what’s different is Maidana may not be accustomed to fighting southpaws, so that could have played a major key into his fight with Devon Alexander. Also he was fighting on Alexander’s turf and I think the difference between me and Alexander, he’s a more straight-up boxer. I think he’s a more straight-up boxer but I think when Maidana’s facing me his confidence is built after he beat Adrien Broner because he feels that both of the styles are very, very similar, so it’s like the same style.

I think he’s more confident now than he was when he faced the kid from St. Louis, Devon Alexander. I think he’s more confident now, so I think he’s more ready and tough. If you have more confidence it’s going to make you fight harder.

Q
Is Maidana as good as he was against Broner? Is he as bad as he was against Alexander? Or is he really average, in between there somewhere?

F. Mayweather
You know, I can’t really say, but one thing that I did notice, as some of you know I look at a lot of things. I don’t have anything against anyone, but I noticed that when the guy, Alex Ariza, was in Amir Khan’s corner and when he faced Maidana, Amir Khan looked super strong in that fight. Then you go back and look at it, I go look at Maidana’s fights against certain guys, like when he fought Alexander, he was strong, he was still coming ahead because he’s the kind of guy that comes straight ahead, and liked the looped shots. He wasn’t as strong as he was in the Adrien Broner fight. In the Adrien Broner fight he was a lot stronger than he was in a lot of his past fights.

So you know, I don’t know if Alex Ariza plays a major role into that, but when I sit back and I look, I’m looking at Pacquiao versus Bradley and I notice ever since Ariza has not been with Pacquiao anymore there’s been a total change in his power. So I look at things like that and I question things like that to myself, but I don’t worry about anything and I’m not going to say nothing about Ariza because I think he’s a pretty cool guy. I don’t really know him, but we got USADA, which is the best in the world, and we’re going to continue to go out there and do what we supposed to do.

L. Ellerbe
To touch on what Floyd just said, I have got firsthand information on the Maidana-Alexander fight. He (Maidana) was asked to pull out the fight because he was very, very sick. He was asked to pull out but he refused to. He’s not one, obviously, to make any excuses, but the facts are what the facts are.

Q
Floyd, you mentioned the Pacquiao and Bradley fight. Did you watch the fight? What were your thoughts on Pacquiao’s performance.

F. Mayweather
Yes, actually I did watch the fight. You know, I haven’t seen Pacquiao fight in years. I’ve seen highlights. I haven’t seen Pacquiao since before Miguel Cotto. I thought that he deserved congratulations. He’s the better man, but as far as Bradley, whoever he’s working out with, they have to make a lot of changes because he’s lifting too many weights. I think he’s more worried about how he looks when he get on the scale instead of how he performs inside that ring. I thought that Bradley went out there and fought his heart out, but I think he was pulling a lot of shots like an amateur. I think he was making a lot of mistakes and he was very fatigued early on. I think that he was making a lot of mistakes, falling off balance and fighting like an amateur.

I think both fighters fought like amateurs. I thought Pacquiao fought like an amateur also, and I wasn’t pleased with his performance, but he got the victory the best way he knows how, but I wasn’t pleased with his performance and I’m seeing something totally different in Pacquiao.

So FightHype had a story out that I was looking at that was very interesting. You go read the story when Freddie Roach was saying that he didn’t know what Alex Ariza was giving his fighters. He didn’t know what he was giving his fighters. So go read the FightHype article. Pull it up.

It was kind of crazy when I heard that, but like I said before, I don’t see the same pop in Pacquiao’s shots. Once again, I’m not saying this guy is doing anything, but I don’t see the same snap in his shots. He’s getting tired when he wasn’t getting tired before. I’m seeing something totally different whereas me, I’m still sharp, I’m still smart, I’m not getting fatigued. I wasn’t getting fatigued from the beginning, and those are the things that I see. I don’t know if you guys see it, but that’s what I see.

Q
At this time in your boxing career, what is most important to you – your legacy or business or what?

F. Mayweather
A little bit of both. Of course, I want my name to go down in history as the best, but just making smart business moves to be very lucrative and build your portfolio.

Q
What fights do you feel like so far define your legacy the most, Floyd?

F. Mayweather
I can’t really say. I really don’t know. I’ve been in so many career-defining fights I can’t really choose one particular one, but all of them played a major role, a very major key.

Q
Can you kind of characterize what’s going to happen in this fight? And also, how big are body shots going to be in this fight, because a body shot is what Khan dropped him with in the first round.

F. Mayweather
My focus is this guy. I’m pretty sure he’s going to be well-rounded and ready for this fight because this is at a total different level. Against Amir Khan, the guy could have been doing a lot of sit-ups and making his body in tip-top condition and tip-top shape. Amir Khan could have just caught him with a good shot. My body is in very good condition, but sometimes a guy can hit me with a good shot and I can feel it, but we just don’t know how we’re going to approach the fight. We’re going to take our time and go out there and if a guy leaves an opening on his face, we’re going to take it, if he leaves an opening on his body we’re going to take it, but we can’t just say we’re going to go in there and everything is going to go to the body. We’re going to take our time and pick the guy apart.

Q
Are going to be staying in the pocket – is that what you meant when you said that?

F. Mayweather
We must realize that I am the bigger guy even though I walk around at 150. I go no higher than 152. I’m naturally the bigger guy because I’ve been at 147 almost 10 years now, so I’m naturally the bigger guy. I think that my dad has the game plan to stay in the pocket, make the guy miss and make the guy pay.

Q
Can you describe what you see from your vantage point and what you look for in a fight?

F. Mayweather
Well, I can see the shots. Actually, I can feel when a guy’s gonna punch. I can feel it. I don’t even have to see it; I can feel it. You know, this is just with experience and being around the sport so long. I can just feel a guy when he’s going to shoot his shot. A lot of times guys telegraph their shot. Their body language gives away when they’re going to shoot because of how they position themselves.

So when a guy positions himself in a certain way you know what shot he’s going to throw, but my thing is whatever a guy’s best attribute is, whatever he does best, my goal is to take that away from him and make him resort to doing something else.

Q
What does Maidana do best?

F. Mayweather
Well, he punches extremely hard if he has an 80 percent knockout ratio. That’s obviously his best attribute, but a lot of times when a guy’s swinging a lot of big shots and they’re not landing, you get fatigued like that.

Q
You and Al Haymon will be honored two days before your fight as Fighter of the Year and Manager of the Year. Can you characterize your relationship with him and what that means to you to be honored like that?

F. Mayweather
Like I said before, it’s a huge honor. I’m very thankful, very blessed, and everybody that voted for me, all the media and all the people on all of the social outlets, different social media sites, I’m just thankful. I didn’t do it by myself; everybody that’s on this conference call played a major role with helping me and helping Al.

Q
Do you think Maidana is the hardest puncher that you’ve been in with?

F. Mayweather
Well, I haven’t been hit by Maidana yet, so I can’t really say. I may be the hardest puncher he ever fought. He hasn’t been hit by me yet, so we’ll just have to see if he’s the hardest puncher.

Q
How many instances have you actually even just been hurt in a fight? I remember Mosley buzzed you pretty good. How many other punches have hurt you in a fight?

F. Mayweather
I’m not really sure; you get hit with good shots sometimes, but any true champion just shakes it off and just keep fighting. That’s just part of the game.

Q
It seems that the only way this guy can beat you is with his power. Do you see him being able to outbox you for 12 rounds?

F. Mayweather
Adrien Broner’s a good boxer and he roughed Adrien Broner up and he got to victory, so we can’t say what this guy, what he can or he can’t do. We cannot overlook the guy. I can’t just say he’s going to be an easy fight because he’s not going to be an easy fight for me, I don’t think so. What I have to do is I’ve got to make sure that I’m at my best. So May 3 I’ve got to go out there and take my time, keep my composure and be me. Everybody thinks he’s just going to be a pushover, but I don’t think so. That’s why I’m training hard and I’m pushing myself to the limit every day.

Q
You’re 37 now and there’s not a person out there who would think that you’ve slowed down in the least. You might even be better than you were 10 years ago. But my question is, is boxing any more or less important in your life now than it was, say, five or 10 years ago?

F. Mayweather
Boxing is always very, very important to me and always will be because this has put me in a position to have everything that I have. This has put me in a position to be able to secure my family and secure myself. Boxing is something I love and that’s all we know, is the fight game. But I just want to be a part of the sport. I want to help this sport live on. I want to help this sport continue to grow. That’s what it’s about.

Q
You can’t fight forever. Have you been thinking about what you’d like to do in boxing once you hang it up?

F. Mayweather
Yeah, I’m going to continue to just help Mayweather Promotions grow, I want to continue to help fighters and I want to continue to help this sport, period. Even if they’re not with Mayweather Promotions, I want to continue to keep boxing around. I want boxing to grow. We are always looking for the next Floyd Mayweather, so after this fight I have three more fights and we have to be looking for the next Floyd Mayweather, we have to be looking for the next pay-per-view star, but I think you have a lot of guys out there that can – I don’t know if they can replace Floyd Mayweather, but I think they can become pay-per-view stars, and Canelo is one of those guys.

Q
Were you impressed by Canelo in his fight against Angulo? Did you see that fight? That just made your win over him seem even bigger.

F. Mayweather
Canelo looked unbelievable against Angulo. I was like, this guy, he’s back. What else can I say? It’s the only thing I can say, that he’s back.

Q
Bernard Hopkins talked about some time before he retires possibly fighting you. Obviously, he’s a lot bigger than you. Have you ever entertained that thought?

F. Mayweather
I mean, I think everybody’s trying to hit the jackpot and fight Floyd Mayweather, from heavyweight all the way down to flyweight. I think Bernard Hopkins, I didn’t get to see the fight. I think I caught the first two rounds because I really wanted to watch Kid Chocolate because he’s originally from Grand Rapids, Mich., so I wanted to root for Kid Chocolate because I know he’s a friend of mine and he came up watching me.

But I watched the first couple rounds and I thought that Bernard Hopkins was losing the fight, I guess. Then I went for a six-mile run, so I guess when I was out doing my six-mile run I guess he picked the pace up and I guess he was victorious. But I can’t take that away from Bernard Hopkins. He’s a legend. He’s a legend like myself and of course, you get your biggest payday when you’re facing Floyd Mayweather.

Q
Floyd, in your last fight in Vegas against Canelo Alvarez, the public perception was obviously a little bit different then going into this one – bigger, stronger, he had what people perceived to be the skillset to finally be the guy who maybe knocked you off in the ring, and people don’t have that same type of feeling, I don’t think, about Maidana.

My question is that do you worry at all about any sort of a letdown going into this fight after all the hype that surrounded THE ONE?

F. Mayweather
No. You know, I try to always think positive. We always try to think positive. All we can do is dedicate ourselves and work hard and try to get good results. It’s the only thing I can really say.

You had a fighter in Canelo that you rarely see, so that was something that everybody wanted to see, and it was more like a chess match and I was Bobby Fischer. So then, with this fight you have a guy, a rugged guy that comes straight ahead with an attitude of ‘I just don’t care.’ He just dethroned one of the top undefeated fighters, so like I said before, it’s a good matchup.

Q
Do you feel like to a certain degree that maybe you’ve become a little bit of a victim of your own success? You’ve made so many great fighters throughout your career look ordinary when they get in the ring with you. A guy like Shane Mosley, a Hall of Fame fighter, you made him look ordinary. A guy like Juan Manuel Marquez, another Hall of Fame fighter, you made him look ordinary. So do you think that maybe in the public’s perception you don’t get a lot of the credit for these fights not because you’re not fighting good fighters but because when they get in the ring with you you’re on another level and just making them look ordinary?

F. Mayweather
Yes, so yes, back to that question you were asking, I think that I don’t get my credit that’s due because I think that I make A-level and B-level fighters look ordinary, but that comes from just having a sharp mind and just really, really pushing myself in training, pushing myself very, very hard in training and so when it’s time to go out there and perform, everything is easy.

Q
If you could take yourself out of your head for a second here and not be Floyd Mayweather and looked at yourself from an outside perspective, how would you approach a fight with Floyd Mayweather? How would you train and prepare to fight Floyd Mayweather?

F. Mayweather
I can’t really say. How would I fight Floyd Mayweather? I don’t really know. I can’t really say. I just go out there. It’s just second nature to me. I just go out there. It’s what I’ve done my whole life. I was born to be a fighter. But when I was young I always loved to entertain, I always loved to promote. We’ve done house parties when we were young teenagers, 13, 14. I know how to promote and make sure the party was packed, so promotion has always been something I was very, very strong in, but now that we have our own company I’m very, very happy with that, but how would I fight Floyd Mayweather? I really don’t know. I really can’t say.

Q
Floyd, how important is for your legacy to retire undefeated and who do you think has been the closest fighter to defeating you?

F. Mayweather
As I said before, it’s about being a smart. I don’t go into a fight thinking about losing. It’s about winning at life. The most important thing is winning at life. I don’t really think about losing in the ring. I think about winning in life, just period. So as far as what guy, a lot of times people say the Castillo first fight. In the Castillo first fight I wasn’t just fighting Castillo; I was fighting Larry Merchant, so he’s commentating, persuading everybody to look at the fight a certain way whereas I was hurt in the fight, my arm was hurt in the fight, but there’s no excuses. I know I won, and I’m not just saying it just to say it. I know deep in my heart I won. That’s why if I feel I didn’t win I wouldn’t have fought him in a rematch. I’m saying when I did it the first time I came back and did it the same way a second time.

Emanuel Agustus, but when I fought him he was Emanuel Burton. He was probably by far, I mean, well-rounded and one of my toughest opponents. And he was the guy that didn’t have a real – his record didn’t reflect how he fought. Normally he takes fights on a week notice, a two-week notice or a four, five-day notice whereas with me had a chance to go to training camp and prepare. So Emanuel Agustus was a very, very, very tough opponent that I faced, but we got the job done and it’s not about winning – it’s not about winning inside the ring; it’s about winning outside the ring. The only thing I care about is winning outside the ring, it’s more important than winning inside the ring.

Q
In the last hours there have been a lot of rumors about a Pacquiao-Canelo fight. Are you disappointed that Pacquiao’s willing to fight Canelo instead of you in a very big fight?

F. Mayweather
Well, I don’t think Pacquiao-Canelo is going to (happen). I mean, me personally, I don’t think so, but if that fight was to happen I’d choose Canelo to win. I don’t think the fight is going to happen.

Q
Floyd, thanks a lot for hanging in there with us on this conference call. I’m going to take you to a different arena a little bit. At the beginning of the NBA regular season you made a trip to Miami and had a chance to address The Heat during practice. What do you remember from your message to them? A lot of their players still talk about what you told them and how it’s motivated them going into these playoffs.

F. Mayweather
Well, you know, I just talked to LeBron and told him, told all the players that each year’s going to be tough. Each year’s going to be tough. It’s just going to get rougher, so you guys have to apply yourself like champions. I mean, you guys have to work harder. Everything get tougher and rougher and you have to work harder. That’s no different for me in my position. Before I became a champion, I worked hard. Now that I am a champion, each fight I have to work harder and harder to stay in this position, so that’s basically what I was speaking about to the players.

Q
Do you see any similarities between you staying on top of your game for so many years and these guys trying to three-peat and win three straight championships?

F. Mayweather
Man, it’s a lot of similarities, but it’s different also because these guys, these guys are a team to where with me it’s a one-on-one battle to where if the team loses you have to realize still, LeBron James is going to have to take all the slack to where it’s no different from a fighter. If I lose, that’s why I said, there’s some similarities where it’s a team sport, but if they lose, one guy has to deal with all the criticism to where like with me, with what I’m doing, of course I have a team, I have somebody that’s going out there and instructing me. I have a team but still, it’s a one-on-one sport. And you know, if something happens everything’s going to fall back on me the same way.

Q
And lastly, one part of the story that they told was that you mentioned taking that shot from Sugar Shane and how it sort of rocked you and they were probably going to get rocked during the course of a season but the important thing was to come out a real, true champion, you’re going to come out on your feet and withstand all the criticism, withstand all the pressure and all of that kind of thing. Do you remember that part of it?

F. Mayweather
Well, I told them, like these guys are gunning for you. These guys are gonna gun for you. Even though you guys were the No. 1 in the East this year, but you’re still the world champions and people are coming for that throne, so just like Canelo, he fought me one way. That doesn’t mean Maidana’s going to fight me the same way Canelo fought me. So like I said before, you’ve got to make adjustments and be able to adapt to any style.

K. Swanson
Thanks, Floyd. Leonard, would you like to wrap it up?

L. Ellerbe
I would just like to thank everyone for joining us on the call today. THE MOMENT, we’re just 10 days away and we look forward to everyone coming to support our event.

K. Swanson
Okay, terrific. Thanks, everybody, for joining us and again. The fight week schedule’s coming soon and we’ll have a really great Fight Week. Thanks. Bye, everybody.

***”THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” is a 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles. This is the third fight of Mayweather’s lucrative multi-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc. THE MOMENT is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. In the co-main event, Amir Khan faces Luis Collazo in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC silver welterweight world title. The pay-per-view undercard also features a 10-round junior welterweight fight between Adrien Broner and Carlos Molina as well as a 10-round super middleweight bout featuring J’Leon Love vs. Marco Antonio Periban. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES FOR SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING TRIPLEHEADER SATURDAY AT STUBHUB CENTER IN CARSON, CALIF.

LOS ANGELES (April 24, 2014) – With Oscar De La Hoya presiding over the festivities, Golden Boy Promotions hosted the final press conference for their exciting, stacked fight card this Saturday, April 26 headlining Keith Thurman vs. Julio Diaz at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., live on SHOWTIME® (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, following the premiere of ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Maidana Episode 2) and SHO EXTREME® (7 p.m. ET/PT)

“It’s great to be back,’’ said De La Hoya, President of GBP, at the outset. “Great to be back.

“Saturday will be a treat for the fans. This is the real deal here. These are real fighters in real fights and you’re going to get some big-time action on Saturday night. There are still some tickets left, but they are going fast. We are expecting a great crowd at StubHub. I’m really looking forward to it. We have terrific fights from top to bottom

“It’s really exciting for me to be here at StubHub Center. Thank you to Golden Boy for believing in me. This is a testament that we can do it. Get yourself off the canvas, get back up and fight harder. That’s the way you should go.”

The 12-round main event Saturday on SHOWTIME will pit unbeaten,power-punching WBA Interim Welterweight Championship Keith “One Time” Thurman (22-0, 20 KOs), of Clearwater, Fla., against former world champion Julio “The Kidd” Diaz (40-9-1, 29 KOs), of Coachella, Calif.

In the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING co-main event, hard-hitting former interim 140-pound world champion Lucas “The Machine” Matthysse (34-3, 32 KOs), of Trelow, Chubut, Arg., will be opposed by offensive-minded John Molina (27-3, 22 KOs), of Covina, Calif., in a scheduled 10-rounder that could wind up as a Fight of the Year candidate. Opening the telecast will be an All-Texas WBC lightweight world title fight between undefeated defending champion Omar “Panterita” Figueroa (22-0-1, 17 KOs), of Weslaco, and a nemesis from his amateur days, Jerry “The Corpus Christi Kid” Belmontes (19-3, 5 KOs), of Corpus Christi.

Promising unbeaten junior welterweight Antonio “Relentless” Orozco (15-0, 9 KOs) of San Diego, Calif., takes on Mexico City’s Martin “El Brochas” Honorio (32-8-1, 16 KOs) in the main event on SHO EXTREME. Other SHO Extreme scraps will include talented Jermall Charlo (17-0, 13 KOs) against Albuquerque’s Hector Munoz (22-12-1, 14 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight clash and, time-permitting, 2012 Brazilian Olympian Yamaguchi Falcao (0-0-1), of Sao Paulo, against Carlos Badaldua (pro debut), of Tijuana, Mexico, in a 4/6-round middleweight fight.

Tickets priced at $150, $75, $50 and $25, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges, are on sale and available online at AXS.com, by phone at 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849) and at StubHub Center Box Office (Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. PT to 6 p.m. PT). VIP Suites are available by calling 877-604-8777. For more information on group discounts or VIP packages, please call 877-234-8425.

What the boxers and executives said Thursday:

KEITH THURMAN, WBA Interim Welterweight World Champion

“This fight right here for me is a dream come true. This is what I’ve been doing since I was seven. It’s where I want to be, the headliner in a SHOWTIME event.

“Julio has been giving some stiff competition. They call him ‘The Kidd’ because he keeps performing despite his age. He is coming to win, to find those holes and show us young fighters what he knows. I look forward to an excellent fight.

“My motto is KOs for life. I’m going to do it again. To me the judges have the best seat in the house. This is a terrific card. Heavy hitters across the board. Just come and enjoy the show.

“I’m grateful, I have been looking forward to Saturday for a long time. This camp was the longest camp I’ve had –10 weeks. I was getting prepared for anybody, I was preparing for the world. I’m ready to rumble. ‘One Time’!’’

JULIO DIAZ, Former World Champion

“Everyone always says thank you Golden Boy, but I really mean it. I’ve been through everything. This is the best treatment I’ve ever had as a fighter, despite coming from a couple of losses; I’m still headlining an event. I appreciate the opportunity.

“This is a tough opportunity, a dangerous opportunity. I’m facing a dangerous, tough fighter, but he’s not unbeatable. I take my job seriously. It’s going to be a tough fight but I guarantee you it’ll be an exciting fight.’’

LUCAS MATTYHSSE, Former Interim World Champion

“I’m very happy to be here. I want to thank Golden Boy, my promoter, and everyone involved for this fight. I just want to say I am ready to go and glad to be back.

“I know what Molina brings to the table. This will be a great fight. Get ready for an explosion, an exciting fight on Saturday.’’

JOHN MOLINA, Junior Welterweight Contender

“The judges may not be needed. This is going to be a war. Bombs away.

“Matthysse is a feared fighter. With his power, he’s shown he can explode at any time. People tell me I should fight him like Danny Garcia did, but I’m not Danny Garcia.

“I’m going to bring my A-Game, he’s going to bring his A-Game. There isn’t going to be a whole lot of running, just setting down in front of each other and exchanging. Matthysse gives a lot when he hits, and he takes a lot when he gets hit.

“I’m a slow starter, but he’s a notoriously slow starter, too. I definitely plan to go in and gain some respect right off the bat. But when the eggs start to roll, that’s when the real action kicks in.

“Two days out, I feel a combination of things. I’m excited. I’m thankful for this opportunity on such a great stage. I’m confident I can capitalize on all the advantages I possess. I feel my power is better at 140 pounds. There is going to be a great crowd on Saturday. I’m ready.’’

OMAR “PANTERITA’ FIGUEROA, WBC Lightweight Champion

“We are here now, and we are ready. I don’t care about winning or losing. I’m going to go out there and put on a great show and try to punch my opponent as much as possible, which is the best feeling in the world.

“It’s going to be a good fight. We’ve seen each other a few times in the amateur tournaments and we say hi. In the ring it’s a different story.

“It’s an honor to fight in the same card as Matthysse, I look up to him. He’s a power hitter like I am. I know all these guys are going to put on a good show. We’ll see you there.’’

JERRY BELMONTES, Lightweight Contender

“I’d like to thank everybody involved for making this fight. It’s going to be a terrific fight, a styles fight. He’s the brawler, I’m the boxer. We’re both from Texas, so this is a big fight our state.

“We’re good friends. I watched Omar grow up. I hope he doesn’t take it personal when I take the title belt away from him on Saturday.’’

ANTONIO OROZCO, Unbeaten, Hard-Hitting Junior Welterweight

“I want to thank Golden Boy, my manager, Frank Espinoza, everybody for this opportunity on Saturday. I’m ready for a great fight. I’m ready to put on a show.’’

YAMAGUCHI FALCAO, 2012 Olympic Games Bronze Medalist From Brazil

“Today is a special day. It’s a day when I finally can start thinking about my pro career. I spoke with my father and he told me that one day I would become a world champion. I won a bronze medal for Brazil in the 2012 Olympics. That fulfilled a dream of mine.

“Saturday begins another dream come true for me. I take my first step in becoming a world champion. Standing up here with all these great champions is so great. I hope to fight the very best in my career. I’m going to make it big in boxing, and it all starts this Saturday.’’

JARMALL CHARLO, Undefeated, World-Ranked Junior Middleweight

“I’m excited to be part of such an explosive card. To look at these guys around me – Matthysse, Thurman–is an honor.

“I want to thank my team for helping me bounce back and regaining my focus. My opponent took this fight on short notice, but you have to be in great shape all the time. I know I can fight on short notice because I stay in great shape.’’

HECTOR MUNOZ, Veteran Junior Middleweight

“I’m looking forward to going in and putting a lot of pressure on him. Thanks to everybody for getting me this fight.’’

JOSEPH JO-JO DIAZ, Promising, Unbeaten Super Bantamweight

“Thanks to Golden Boy and their staff for putting me on this great card. I’m fighting a guy with a ton of experience. I’m sure he’s ready but I had a strong, hard camp and I’m ready to put on a show.

“I hope all the fans tune in. Saturday is going to be great night of boxing.’’

CHRIS DEBLASIO, Vice-President of Sports Communications, SHOWTIME Sports
“In the last two years SHOWTIME has become the leader in televised boxing. I think there’s no mistake about that. We are televising the biggest events in sports, the most competitive fights and quite literally on the most aggressive schedule you can imagine.

“Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast features three incredible fights with all heavy hitters, knockout fighters that are looking to make a statement in really deep divisions at 147 and 140 pounds. There’s lot to be gained and some to be lost from reach fighter, but we know they’ll come out strong.’’

ANDY FOSTER, Head of California State Athletic Commission

“Welcome back Golden Boy. Golden Boy is the No. 1 stakeholder in California and California does the most boxing in the world. We are pleased to be regulating the fight on Saturday and wish the fighters a safe and successful night.”

In non-televised fights on Saturday: Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (16-0, 12 KOs), East Los Angeles, vs. Orlando Vasquez (12-3-1, 6 KOs), Bayamon, P.R., 10 rounds, welterweights; Joseph “Jo-Jo” Diaz Jr. (9-0, 7 KOs), South El Monte, Calif., vs. Luis Maldonado (38-11-1, 29 KOs), Calexico, Calif., 8 rounds, super bantamweights; Terrell Gausha (8-0, 5 KOs), Cleveland, vs. Charles Whitaker (40-14-2, 24 KOs), Miami, Fla., 8 rounds, super welterweights; and Sharif Bogere (23-1), Las Vegas, vs. Artura Urena (26-16-1, 22 KOs), Mazatlan, Mexico; 8 rounds, lightweights. The first live fight is at 1 p.m. PT.

# # #

ABOUT THURMAN vs. DIAZ, a 12-round fight for Thurman’s Interim WBA Welterweight World Championship on Saturday, April 26, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Casamigos Tequila. It will take place at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., and will air as the main event of the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). In the co-feature, Argentine knockout artist Lucas Matthysse faces hard-hitting John Molina in a 10-round junior welterweight bout that is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Goossen Tutor Promotions. In the opening bout of the telecast, Omar Figueroa Jr. defends his WBC Lightweight title against fellow Texan Jerry Belmontes. Preliminary fights will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME®.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.homedepotcenter.com, follow on Twitter at www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.twitter.com/shosports, www.twitter.com/StubHubCenter, https://twitter.com/keithfthurmanjr www.twitter.com/JohnMolinajr135, www.twitter.com/OmarFigueroaJr and www.twitter.com/Jerry_Belmontes, follow the conversation using #ThurmanDiaz or become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing and www.facebook.com/StubHubCenter.

No promises, but does Mayweather’s ‘A’ game mean a KO?

By Norm Frauenheim-

Floyd Mayweather Jr. has said repeatedly during the promotional push to his May 3 bout with Marcos Maidana that nobody has ever seen him at his best.

He said it again Tuesday during his media day at his Las Vegas gym. He introduced the idea on March 8 during a
round-table session with reporters before Canelo Alvarez’ victory over Alfredo Angulo at the MGM Grand.

“I still haven’t been able to move my ‘A’ game up,” Mayweather said then. “I’ve beaten fighters with a ‘C’ game, probably a ‘D’ game. I’ve never had to do it with an ‘A’ game.”

The suggestion is that Mayweather’s best-ever in an 18-year, unbeaten career will be on display against Maidana. There’s salesmanship attached to that. Mayweather, advisor Leonard Ellerbe and associate Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions have been effusive in their praise of Maidana. They have to be. Betting odds against the Argentine have ranged between 7-to-1 to 11-to-1. Showtime’s pay-per-view price tag is approaching sticker shock. At $64.99 to $74.99 for the PPV telecast, they have to assure a reluctant public that the Argentine has a real chance, despite overwhelming odds that say otherwise.

But there’s something else too. The best Mayweather ever would seem to be Mayweather by knockout. During the round table, Mayweather wouldn’t go that far. He knows not too. If he had, he would be left with the task of having to explain why there was no stoppage. It’s the very problem still confronting Manny Pacquiao after a rematch victory on April 12 over Timothy Bradley by decision following weeks of promising a knockout.

When asked in March whether Mayweather’s ‘A’ game meant a knockout, he quickly countered, saying:

“No, no, just winning.”

The KO prediction comes with a real downside if it doesn’t happen. But there’s plenty of upside if Mayweather does what he hasn’t promised. Can he stop Maidana? The one-sided odds say, yes, hell yes. Mayweather’s history of picking opponents indicates he believes there’s a real shot at a stoppage, too. First, it would fulfill some of the unspoken promise Showtime had in him when it signed the welterweight to a contract for a possible six fights and worth a potential $250 million. Then, it would end a knockout drought. Mayweather has won three straight by decision over Miguel Cotto, Robert Guerrero and Canelo since a stoppage of Victor Ortiz in 2011. But the fourth-round Ortiz stoppage was clouded by controversy over the way it happened. Ortiz was looking at the referee when the KO blow landed.

Mayweather hasn’t had a clean stoppage since a 10th-round TKO of Ricky Hatton in 2007. Maidana’s power makes him a lot more dangerous than Hatton. Maidana has been knocking out 81.58 percent of his opponents. Hatton’s KO ratio was only 66.67 percent. Still, there are similarities. Like Hatton, Maidana has spent more of his career at light-welterweight then welter. Maidana’s height is listed at 5-feet-7. Hatton was 5-7 1/2.

In a national conference call Wednesday, there were a few Mayweather comments that hinted at the KO possibility.

“We must realize that I am the bigger guy,” Mayweather said. “I walk around at 150, and I don’t go no higher than 152. I’m naturally the bigger guy because I’ve been at 147 for almost 10 years now. So I’m naturally the bigger guy.”

Big enough apparently to go toe-toe with Maidana.

“I’m not going to do a lot of moving,” Mayweather said. “I’m going to come straight ahead and do what I have t

The what sounds a lot like a KO.

PHX Homecoming
Referee Tony Weeks, who will work the Mayweather-Maidana fight, will return to Phoenix Saturday night for an Iron Boy Promotions’ card at Celebrity Theatre. Weeks, who started his career in Arizona, is schooled to work a Phoenix card that includes junior-middleweight Siju Shabazz (3-1, 3KO) in his co-main event bout against Rollin Williams (23-16-2 8KO). Shabazz was an Olympic alternate in 2008. Opening bell is scheduled for 6 p.m.

COUNTDOWN TO “THE MOMENT: FLOYD MAYWEATHER VS. MARCOS MAIDANA” NOW AIRING WITH UNPRECEDENTED DISTRIBUTION ACROSS MULTIPLE FOX SPORTS PLATFORMS

LAS VEGAS (April 24, 2014) – In preparation for what will be a matchup for the ages between undefeated 10-Time World Champion and current WBC Welterweight World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather and current WBA Welterweight World Champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Leigh Simons Productions will present “Countdown to THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana.” This primetime special 30-minute preview show will air on various FOX Sports platforms and will feature in-depth profiles and analysis of Mayweather vs Maidana and the televised undercard fights including Amir “King” Khan vs. Luis Collazo, Adrien “The Problem” Broner vs. Carlos Molina and J’Leon Love vs. Marco Antonio Periban.

“The Moment: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” will take place Saturday, May 3 from MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on SHOWTIME PPV®

Tune into any of the FOX Sports Network channels, FOX Sports, FOX Sports 1, FOX Sports 2 FOX Deportes and Televisa (check your local listings) for a behind-the-scenes look at the stars of this highly anticipated pay-per-view event.

The countdown show, brought to life by producer and creative director of Golden Boy Promotions Leigh Simons, will provide audiences with exclusive analysis and commentary leading up to the mega-event.

“This show features some of the best analysis and insight from writers, promoters and television executives that we have ever had the privilege of including in a countdown show,” said Simons. “Mayweather and Maidana are on a collision course and as evidenced by this show, neither fighter plans on taking a backward step.”

Below please find a bevy of links, which preview various parts of the special and fight highlights:

– Countdown to Mayweather vs. Maidana – Segment 1 May 3 live on SHOWTIME PPV

– Countdown to Mayweather vs. Maidana- Segment 2 May 3 live on SHOWTIME PPV

– Countdown to Mayweather vs. Maidana – Segment 3 May 3 live on SHOWTIME PPV

– Countdown to Mayweather vs. Maidana – Segment 4 May 3 live on SHOWTIME PPV

– Countdown to Mayweather vs. Maidana – Undercard May 3 live on SHOWTIME PPV

ABOUT “THE MOMENT”: MAYWEATHER VS. MAIDANA”:
THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” is a 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles. This is the third fight of Mayweather’s lucrative multi-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc. THE MOMENT is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. In the co-main event, Amir Khan faces Luis Collazo in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC silver welterweight world title. The pay-per-view undercard also features a 10-round junior welterweight fight between Adrien Broner and Carlos Molina as well as a 10-round super middleweight bout featuring J’Leon Love vs. Marco Antonio Periban. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

Tony Weeks named referee for Mayweather – Maidana

Referee Tony Weeks will be the 3rd man on May 3rd when Floyd Mayweather takes on Marcos Maidana at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Also at the Nevada commission meeting, the panel appointed the judges for the fight: Dave Moretti of Las Vegas, Burt Clements of Reno, Nev., and Michael Pernick of Florida.

The commission also appointed officials for the Amir Khan-Luis Collazo welterweight co-feature. Vic Drakulich of Nevada will be the referee and Adalaide Byrd and Jerry Roth, both of Las Vegas, and Cathy Leonard of North Carolina will serve as the judges. Drakulich has worked one previous Khan fight, his fifth-round knockout of Zab Judah in a 2011 junior welterweight unification bout. He has never been assigned to a previous Collazo fight.

‘I DON’T CARE ABOUT TITLES ALL I WANT TO DO IS BEAT MAYWEATHER!’ ROARS MAIDANA AHEAD OF MAY 3RD MEGAFIGHT LIVE ON BOXNATION

LONDON (April 24) – Knockout artist Marcos Maidana is gunning for pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather so bad he doesn’t care about any world titles up for grabs.

The Argentine kingpin knows gaining victory over Mayweather will be the biggest scalp of all despite the fact that both Maidana’s WBA welterweight title and the undefeated Michigan magician’s WBC belt are on the line.

The explosive 30-year-old, with 31 knockouts in his 35 wins, is adamant he will shock the world, causing the biggest upset since James ‘Buster’ Douglas’ overcame Mike Tyson nearly 25 years ago, when the duo clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on May 3rd.

“I am a champion and I am ready to fight for my title. Most importantly, I am preparing to beat Mayweather. The last thing that I’m worried about is my title. I want to just train and beat Mayweather,” said Maidana, whose fight is live on BoxNation.

“This is the most important part of my career. The fight with Adrien Broner gave me a lot of exposure, but this fight itself is the biggest fight of my career and it would be a tremendous upset and that’s what I’m training for, to upset the world and to do it for my country. It would be huge for my country,” he said.

Going into the fight Maidana is regarded as the underdog, yet, against Broner last December he was in the same position before his brutal annihilation left the man tipped as the next star of boxing truly humbled.

And again, the Santa Fe assassin insists his role as the dark horse only makes him more determined to succeed.

“It doesn’t bother me at all [what people say],” said Maidana. “What motivates me is that if I win, I’m going to beat the best in the world and that’s what motivates me. I’m going to go out to win it. If others haven’t been able to do it, I’m training to do it. I’m training to be the first one to do it,” he said.

His defiant, don’t-care attitude, which has become so synonymous with him, is backed up by his 2012 Trainer of the Year, Robert Garcia, who believes that Mayweather has never shared the ring with a fighter as ferocious as the man dubbed ‘El Chino’.

“Against Floyd, those that have tried and come forward, they have failed, but the fact is that Floyd has never faced somebody with the power and the heart, the determination that Chino has. This is a fighter who doesn’t worry about anything,” said Garcia.

“He’s not worrying about; I’m fighting the best pound-for-pound in the world or the best fighter in history. He’s not worried about that. He gets ready to fight and do what he does best and he does it against anybody.

“It doesn’t have to be the best in the world. He goes out there just to try to hurt his opponent and that’s what he’s training to do. He throws punches from different angles. He has tremendous power in both hands. Everybody knows that. There is no secret to that. He doesn’t respect whoever is in front of him,” Garcia said.

Under the tutelage of the respected Garcia, Maidana’s career has blossomed with the pair recording four wins out of four since they got together back in 2012 following the boxing ace’s loss to Devon Alexander.

It was Garcia who masterminded the stunning victory over Broner, with Maidana insisting – despite what some may feel – he doesn’t need the knockout to win.

“With Broner, everybody thought I had to knock him out and I beat him with a decision. I am preparing myself to go 12 rounds if it’s necessary [for Mayweather]. I’m preparing to hurt him every time I throw punches and if a knockout comes, then great, but I am preparing myself to win after 12 rounds.

“I already beat Broner the way I did and I think I can do the same with Mayweather,” said Maidana.

Prior to the big bill next weekend, a huge amount of top class action is set to take place over the coming days on BoxNation.

This Friday night, live from Russia, cruiserweights Dennis Lebedev and Guillermo Jones do battle once again for the WBA cruiserweight world title.

The pair met in May last year when Lebedev lost his world championship following a stoppage in the 11th round after a horrendous eye injury took its toll on the Russian despite being ahead on all three judges’ scorecards.

However, following the decision Jones was stripped of the title after irregularities in his drug test came to light, with both men now looking to put the record straight in the ring.

Furthermore, coming live and exclusive from the StubHub Center in Carson, California on Saturday night is a bill topped with the biggest punchers around.

Headlined by the rising star of the welterweight division, Keith Thurman, who is unbeaten having blitzed his way past 22 opponents on route to what he hopes will be a world title shot after he squares off against former world champion Julio Diaz.

Exciting Argentine Lucas Matthysse is also back in action as he makes his return following his toe-to-toe thriller with unified light-welterweight world champion Danny Garcia last September.

He goes up against the tough John Molina looking to continue his knockout streak which has seen him flatten 32 of his 34 opponents.

There will also be world title action on the night when WBC lightweight champion, Omar Figueroa defends his title, and undefeated record, against fellow Texan Jerry Belmontes.

The hard-hitting 24-year-old will be out to stop another foe as he looks to improve on his impressive 22 wins with 17 knockouts in a stacked Golden Boy Promotions bill that may be over in a blink of the eye.

Earlier that night, ‘The Channel of Champions’ BoxNation will also bring viewers some fantastic domestic action when heavyweight hitman Lucas Browne takes on Eric Martel Bahoeli in a Hatton Promotions show from Sheffield.

Rising prospect Adam Etches, who has been causing a stir of late with his highly impressive displays, is also on the card as he takes on Felipe De la Paz Teniente for the WBC Youth world middleweight title.

Mayweather vs. Maidana is live on BoxNation (Sky 437/490HD & Virgin 546) on Saturday May 3rd. Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

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

FLOYD MAYWEATHER AND MAYWEATHER PROMOTIONS FIGHTERS MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES

FLOYD MAYWEATHER, 10-Time World Champion

“In 18 years I haven’t brought my best out yet. Being around the sport for so long, I have a lot of experience. I’ve boxed my whole life. I’ve never worked a job.

“As I get older I want to settle down and be with my family. I’ve had enough fun.

“It feels good to be in camp. Everyone on the team is ready to go out and do what we do best.

“This is a give and take type of sport. Al Haymon has done a good job. Leonard Ellerbe has done a good job. Now it’s time for me to go out and do what I do.

“Maidana deserves the opportunity. He’s a champion with an 80 percent knockout ratio. He deserves this fight.

“Everything isn’t about speed. Everything in boxing and life is about timing. I’m a fighter that likes to take my time and be smart. Some fighters like to be reckless. You see what happens when fighters are reckless.

“Boxing is like chess. Every move has to be thought about before you make it. I like to study my opponents first.

“I’m not going to do a lot of moving when I get in the ring. I’m coming straight ahead.

“Everyone is supposed to say they want to fight me. Right now Maidana is the guy that I can’t overlook.

“I love all my fans that support me from Argentina. It’s the sport of boxing, so the best have to fight the best.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“Mayweather is always ready for anyone.

“Maidana has tremendous punching power and can knock you out at any moment.

“Maidana should be ready for a toe-to-toe battle.

“THE MOMENT will be a tremendous fight. A must see event.

“Floyd has a unique talent that I’ve never seen before in my life. He’s better now than he was 12 years ago.

“Floyd’s preparation elevates him above the rest.

“J’Leon has matured as a fighter. This is going to be a very tough fight for him.”

“I have every bit of confidence that this is a challenge that J’Leon will prevail in and then be in a great position to challenge for the world title.”

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO GOLDEN BOY PROMOTIONS

“Floyd Mayweather did it again. He picked the most dangerous opponent he could have.

“It’s going to be a thrilling fight. Maidana is ready and he’s going to come to try to knock out Mayweather.

“It is always amazing to be at a Mayweather workout. The turnout is something to see.

“As a boxing fan, I cannot wait for May 3. THE MOMENT is going to be an unforgettable night of boxing.

“The whole card from top to bottom is something that no one is going to want to miss and the pay-per-view portion is one of the best, if not the best we have ever put together.”

J’LEON LOVE, Super Middleweight Contender

“I’m going to bring my A-plus game.

“I’m not scared of a guy Periban’s size.

“This is graduation season. I’m ready to fight for the world title.

“I know I’m going to beat Periban. I feel it in my heart.”

RONALD GAVRIL, Undefeated Middleweight Contender

“My opponent is not a problem for me.

“I’m preparing for a show. He better be ready.

“It’s an honor to train next to Floyd. I learn from the champion in every way.

“Keep your eyes on me. The show is going to begin.”

ASHLEY THEOPHANE, Welterweight Contender

“I don’t worry about my opponent. I fight my fight.

“Experience counts. I’ve been here before. I’m beyond ready.

“I’ve never been knocked out before. It’s going to be an action-packed fight.

“I’m one win away from the world title. I’m focused.

“It’s all about getting the W.

“I’m good for another few years. I’m still young and hungry.”

LANELL BELLOWS, Super Middleweight Prospect

“It’s just another day at the office. We do what we have to do.

“I’m working harder now. What happened yesterday is yesterday.

“I always strive to push myself further.

“He has to be fast enough to hit me. No mater how big or small.

“Expect a hungry man. Nothing but the very best.

“If I touch you there’s a chance you may be going down.

ANDREW TABITI, Undefeated Cruiserweight Prospect

“Never give up. I didn’t think I would make it so that’s all I have to say.

“It doesn’t stop here. I’m trying to get to the next level.”

# # #

LUIS COLLAZO BIRTHDAY ROUNDTABLE QUOTES

NEW YORK CITY (April 22, 2014) – Former WBA Welterweight World Champion and current WBA International Welterweight Champion Luis Collazo spent the afternoon of his birthday speaking with reporters about what he calls the “highest plateau that one can fight on.” Collazo, who turned 33-years-old today, will face former unified world champion Amir “King” Khan in the co-main event of “THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana” on Saturday, May 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

Collazo opened up about his spirituality, work ethic and excitement for this chance of a lifetime taking place in less than two weeks. Below is a selection of Collazo’s thoughts ahead of his fight against Khan.

LUIS COLLAZO, WBA International Welterweight Champion

“This fight [against Khan] is my whole career right in front of me. I believe if I beat Amir Khan I have a bigger future in boxing and if I don’t, I have to start from the bottom again.

“I am not looking beyond Amir Khan. He is my main focus. From here whatever happens happens, but Amir Khan is all I’m thinking about right now.

“[What has changed between when he first held a world title and now] Back then, I was giving glory to myself, but now I give all glory to God. Wherever I go today is because of Him. Before I was on my time, now I’m on God’s time and I believe that God has given me the motivation to perform the way I’m performing. I’m going to keep performing at the elite level.

“A win over Khan does put me in the Mayweather sweepstakes, but my sights are set on Khan.

“[On Khan wanting to fight Mayweather] When Khan looks across the ring, he isn’t going to see Floyd Mayweather. He is going to see Luis Collazo. I am the best.

“On May 3rd, THE MOMENT is going to be my moment.

“Being born and raised in Brooklyn means everything to me. To be able to go out there and perform at an elite level, coming from Brooklyn is everything. To see the transformation of where I’m from to where I am is tremendous.

“I believe this is the most exposure that I have seen in my career.

“When Floyd fights, everybody watches. Now to be able to fight in the fight right before he steps into the ring is tremendous.

“This is the highest plateau that one can fight on. You have to go out there and perform.

“Now that I am living a spiritual life, I am a different person. Yes I’m older, but spiritually I feel like I’m 22.

“We are supposed to go through trials and tribulations. That is what shapes our personality.

“Yeah I have five losses, but a lot of people remember you for your last outing, and my last outing was tremendous. If my last fight was a defeat, people would keep bringing it up.

“[On the Ortiz fight] On that night Ortiz looked like the old man. If you are taking care of yourself and have faith you can overcome any obstacle.

“The water in Brooklyn is just breeding great fighters. We have great guys coming out of Starrett City Boxing Gym. These kinds of gyms are the best kinds of gyms. That is what creates fighters in the ring that are going to give 110 percent every time they go out.

“I hope Khan is ready on May 3 to fight me, not someone else. It’s going to be an explosive night not just for me, but for the boxing fans in general.

“Khan is going to fight the best Collazo on May 3. Whatever he said he said. Talk is cheap.

“At this point in the game 75 percent is mental and the other 25 is physical. Mentally it is easy to breakdown. You have to go into the ring and be smart.

“Fighting for my first title was my hardest fight. I came out of it with a fractured rib. The last three rounds I was exhausted, but I gave it my all and I made sure that I left everything I ever fought for in that ring.

“My prediction for this fight is that I am going to be victorious.”

NIRMAL LORRICK, Collazo’s Trainer

“I think Luis has been one of the luckiest fighters through his ups and downs. He has had the option to fight fighters from all of the different promotional companies. He never sold out. I think to me Luis is one of the top three fighters in the world and he’s been like that for a long time. He has just been overlooked.

“Luis is guiding us, God is guiding him and we are doing the work together. He is enjoying this. I am very proud of him.”

# # #

MARCOS MAIDANA AND ROBERT GARCIA MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL

K. Swanson
Thank you everybody for calling. We are talking about “The Moment” and this, to me, is one of the big moments we’ve been waiting for. We have one of the participants of our main event. That, of course, is Marcos Maidana, the WBA Welterweight World Champion.

Also on the call we have Robert Garcia, who is a former world champion and the Boxing Writers Association of American 2012 Trainer of the Year; and, also, Leonard Ellerbe, Chief Executive Officer of Mayweather Promotions; Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager of Showtime Sports; and last but not least, and to make the introductions for the call, and to start us off, is Oscar De La Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions. Oscar?

O. De La Hoya
Thank you, Kelly. Thank you very much everybody, everyone on the call. Yes, it is “The Moment,” the biggest event that everybody has been waiting for. It is, once again, a privilege to be working with Mayweather Promotions and Leonard Ellerbe and Showtime PPV. It’s going to be one of those events. Once again, when you have the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world facing another dangerous opponent, we know that people are anxiously waiting for May 3rd, as I am. We are truly, truly humbled and honored to be working alongside Mayweather Promotions. It is my pleasure now to introduce to you to make some opening remarks. You all know him. He is the Vice president of Showtime Sports, Stephen Espinoza. Stephen?

S. Espinoza
Thank you, Oscar. I’ll be brief here. We’re very excited to kickoff this part of the promotion. We’ll be hearing very shortly from Marcos Maidana.

Just a few words about Marcos. I’ve seen the first episode of All Access and I’ve seen what a remarkable story he’s got. Not many have been exposed to this story, although we’ve seen Marcos in the ring many, many times. We will be seeing a new side of Marcos and learning some new things with our All Access series, which does premier this weekend, 9 p.m. Eastern, immediately preceding Hopkins versus Shumenov.

The Marcos Maidana we know is a world class fighter. He’s been in the ring with elite competition. We all know this. Sometimes we forget it because there is so much focus on his game-changing knockout power, but he has been operating at a high-level within boxing for years and has simply elevated his level of performance with the addition, a few fights ago, with Robert Garcia.

When people ask, why this opponent? Why is this an attractive fight for the network? It’s very simple. The combination of the caliber of competition that he’s faced, the team that he has behind him, his knockout power and, above all, his relentlessness. As we all saw in the Adrien Broner fight, there is a ferocity and a relentlessness that Marcos Maidana fights with. I think that’s the biggest asset that he brings to the table for this fight. It is for that reason, and almost that reason alone, that I’m very, very excited to see the fight between Marcos Maidana and Floyd Mayweather. Oscar, I’ll hand it back to you.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you very much, Stephen. As we all know, the undercard has become a special tradition for all fight fans across the globe and this is obviously no exception. We’ve put together a tremendous, tremendous card along with Mayweather Promotions who has been doing a tremendous job in making sure the fight fans are the ones who are ultimately happy, having Amir Khan fighting Luis Collazo, which will be a 12-round for the vacant WBC Silver Title.

Also, a fighter who is always entertaining and explosive and people are wondering, what is going to happen? Is he going to rise to the occasion? Is he going to fight even harder, come back even stronger, especially after fighting in such a terrific, terrific fight against Marcos Maidana? That is Adrien Broner going against Carlos Molina.

The opening bout, a fight actually that I truly, truly am looking forward to because it’s going to be one of those fights that you always think, this one can steal the show because it’s so competitive and so entertaining. That’s J’Leon Love versus Marcos Antonio Periban. That will be a 10-rounder for the Super Middleweight match up.

Obviously, this fight will be at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions. I want to really thank and appreciate the sponsors who really do a tremendous, tremendous job. That is Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T, who have just done a tremendous job in marketing the fight and making sure that the grass root markets and making sure that the message is sent across the globe.

Tickets, as we know, are priced and they’ve obviously gone fast. They’re priced at $1500 all the way down to 750, to 350, I’m sorry. The 550 and 350 are sold out. You can still get tickets, but they are going like hotcakes, that’s for sure. I also just want to mention Fathom Events. Once again, the moment when you have a Mayweather event along with Golden Boy Promotions and Mayweather Promotions, you’re going to be in for a special treat.

Any fight fan that wants to go down to the movie theaters and watch this fight, and have a very unique experience, you can log on to fathomevents.com and you can see which movie theaters, across the nation, will be showing the fight and experience it with other fans and fight fans. It truly is a unique experience, which I would definitely recommend.

At this time I would like to turn over the call to – he is the CEO of Mayweather Promotions, who, like I said before, has done a great job in making sure this event goes smoothly. He put it together and did a tremendous job. That is Leonard Ellerbe. Leonard?

L. Ellerbe
Thank you, Oscar. I would like to thank everyone for coming on the call today. I had a chance to go see Marcos, his media day yesterday. Like I said, I wanted to stick my head in it and see what all the noise was about. I hear he’s been having a tremendous camp and he’s preparing really well. I was quite impressed with the fan support up there and how hard he was working. This is going to be a tough fight for Floyd.

A lot of people have paid attention to the odds, but when it comes down to a fight, we know that Maidana can end this thing with one punch. We saw it happen, almost saw it happen, in the Shane Mosley fight a couple years ago and I had a chance to see Marcos yesterday. I know he’s preparing really well. Like I said, this is going to be a great, great fight.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you very much, Leonard. At this moment, let’s get to the fighter. Marcos Maidana, what can you say about him? You all know he’s an action warrior. He’s a fighter that never gives up. He’s a fighter who is improving and learning and becoming not only a fighter, but a boxer learning the craft. You have to, obviously, owe it all to his trainer.

His trainer is a friend of mine, a fighter that I grew up with, that we have many great memories together. He’s a tremendous, tremendous fighter. In his day, World Champion, and it is unbelievable and very admirable of what he’s done outside the ring, being the Trainer of the Year in 2012. What other fighter, World Champion, can say that [indiscernible] become a Trainer of the Year? He’s only, it’s only just the beginning, which is incredible.

Without any further ado, let me introduce to you the trainer of Marcos Maidana, Robert Garcia. Robert?

R. Garcia
Thank you, Oscar. It’s always great to hear somebody like you, Oscar, to say such great things and It’s great to know that we’ve known each other for such a long time. “The Moment” is going to be an event that people are not going to want to miss. I have Chino Maidana, who in the past three years has been learning so much from me and my team, my whole staff in the gym.

He’s learned so much that this is the time, “The Moment,” for him to get the shot at the best in the world. We all understand and know that Mayweather is the best at what he does. He’s been the best for the past 15 to 16 years and it’s just an honor for us to be part of this event. We want to go out there and do our best in trying to upset the world and give everybody a great fight.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you. Thank you very much, Robert. It is my pleasure now to introduce to you a man they call “Chino.” He has a record of 35 and 3. Only 3 losses and 31 knockouts, which is unbelievable. His knockout ratio is 82%. When this fighter steps into the ring, you know you’re going to get an exciting fight. There’s no doubt about it. Anybody who tells me that Marcos Maidana has been in a dull or boring fight, I don’t know what you’re watching.

This kid comes to fight. He has a heart. He has desire, but what’s most interesting now, for “The Moment,” is that he has a super trainer who has taken him to a whole new level in such a short period of time. It is definitely going to be very interesting to see him up against the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world today, Floyd Mayweather, Jr. He does hail from Margarita Santa Fe, Argentina. Like I said, he has a record of 35 and 3, 31 knockouts. Marcos Maidana.

M. Maidana
I’m very happy to be part of this event. I have prepared myself for the best part of my career.

Q
Hi, guys. Oscar, it’s good to hear you, man. Oscar? Oscar, well, obviously, you’ve been in the ring with Floyd. You had a great fight with him. You tried everything you could. As Floyd has said in the past, there have been guys that you thought had the blueprint to beat him, I guess Shane, Robert Guerrero, Canelo. What couldn’t they do? What couldn’t you do that you think Maidana can do?

O. De La Hoya
I actually have no idea what they have been working on in the gym. That’s a question that you can ask Robert Garcia. Mayweather has said all the fighters have tried and then all of them have failed, but in every challenge, in every fight, it’s always a new opponent. It’s always something different. There’s always something different that every fighter brings to the table. Robert Garcia can answer that question for you.

They’ve been training hard. I’m sure they’ve been studying Mayweather. I’m not sure what they’re thinking, but I’m positive they have a game plan and they have to execute that game plan. There are different reasons why everybody lost to Mayweather and, obviously, because he’s best.

Q
What is, in your words, as a guy that’s been in there with him, and a guy that probably came closer than anybody to beating him, what is difficult? Put us in the ring with Floyd. What is difficult about him?

O. De La Hoya
He’s just, he’s slippery. He’s just slippery, slippery to hit. Obviously, and this is my experience, I’m just talking for myself. This is my experience. Obviously, he is a competitor and has a fighting spirit. Obviously, if I was younger, I would have beat him. That’s just the way I feel. Nobody has beat him before. That’s reality. He’s undefeated.

Q
Robert, you there?

R. Garcia
Yes, I’m here.

Q
What do you say to people who say the guys that have come to Floyd, and this is kind of a fact, the guys that have come after him have lost almost worse – Gatti, Diego Corrales, guys like that. I know Jose Luis Castillo had some success, but what do you say to people who say that and then say that he’s tailor made for Floyd? What is your answer to that?

R. Garcia
Against Floyd, that is true. Those that have tried and come forward, they have failed, but the fact is that Floyd has never faced somebody with the power and the heart, the determination that Chino has. This is a fighter who doesn’t worry about anything. He’s not worrying about, I’m fighting the best pound-for-pound in the world or the best fighter in history. He’s not worried about that. He gets ready to fight and do what he does best and he does it against anybody.

It doesn’t have to be the best in the world. He goes out there just to try to hurt his opponent and that’s what he’s training to do. He throws punches from different angles. He has tremendous power in both hands. Everybody knows that. There is no secret to that. He doesn’t respect whoever is in front of him. That’s one thing that he’s going in and not thinking of, or not having in mind, I’m [indiscernible]. I have no chance against him. No, he doesn’t feel like that. He feels like he could beat him and anybody else in the ring in front of him.

L. Ellerbe
Let me touch on that, too. I think that the difference in this fight is that a lot of fighters in the past have come in – really they say one thing, but this guy is a little different in my eyes. We know that we’re in a tough fight because one, this guy brings it from the opening bell. A lot of people talk about it and they get in there and they look and they make attempts a first couple times and they get frustrated.

This guy, he continues to bring it and bring it and bring it and bring it and he doesn’t stop. We have to be prepared for what he’s going to bring to the table. Floyd hasn’t faced anybody like that before and, on top of that, his knockout percentage. Like I said, it’s a known fact, when he hits guys, they fall. Floyd’s objective is obviously not to get hit with none of that, but like I said, we know what we’re in for. That’s what Floyd is preparing for, a very, very tough fight.

Q.
What is your response, Marcos, when you hear, or if you even pay attention, to people saying others have tried to come right at Floyd and he chops them up, he turns the gameplan against them, that kind of thing?

M. Maidana
I’m going to go out to win it. If others haven’t been able to do it, I’m training to do it. I’m training to be the first one to do it.

Q.
Leonard, what is your reaction to ESPN naming Floyd again, once again, the highest paid athlete?

L. Ellerbe
He’s extremely humbled. It’s a great feeling. We have a wonderful team and he’s very grateful for all the support from the fans to be in this position.

Q.
One of the things you were talking about this past weekend in Vegas was the fact that you guys, it’s all about the dollars, and it’s all about making the big events. Can you comment on that a little bit, too?

L. Ellerbe
Well, yes, at the end of the day, that’s what it comes down to. Doing it at this level, that’s what you’re trying to do, is maximize every opportunity possible with every fight as it relates to the revenue. We have a wonderful team. Like I said, Floyd is truly grateful and blessed and he’s very thankful to the fans.

Q.
Hi. Question for Marcos and for Oscar. Bob Arum made some very strong comments last week that this fight was too one-sided, that the odds were too long, that it wasn’t a good fight and, basically, suggesting that Marcos has no chance to win and that people should not watch it. What is Marcos’ reaction to that? Does it make him angry? Does it make him more determined? What’s his reaction?

M. Maidana
It doesn’t bother me at all. All I’ve got to say for people doubting me is to and order the fight because they’re going to enjoy a good fight. They’re going to be beat Floyd Mayweather.

R. Garcia
If you guys want me to say something about that, I’ve been in this before where we are the underdogs. It surprised me for Bob Arum to say that because he knows that I’ve trained a lot of fighters under his banner, and a lot of times I’ve been the underdog on those fights, from Steven Luevano to Brian Viloria, when he beat Archie Solis. Brandon Rios himself, Bob Arum thought Peterson was going to dominate Brandon pretty easy and we upset it, the whole HBO and the whole people thinking that Peterson was their next star. So, we’ve been in it before.

I think Bob should know better than that. He knows that I’m training Chino Maidana and he knows what I can do with Chino. I think it’s probably just part of the way he reacts, the way he wants to react. Of course, the companies don’t work together, so it’s something that he’s going to try to do to prevent us from having a great night and having a great fight. Of course, Showtime Pay-Per-View is doing good [indiscernible]. That’s all he’s trying to do.

Q.
Oscar, what were your thoughts about Arum’s comment?

O. De La Hoya
Well, my thoughts were that, once again, he was, maybe he’s using reverse psychology. Maybe he does feel in his mind that Floyd is going to have an easy time with Maidana and that people shouldn’t buy the fight, but that’s Bob Arum for you. What he really is telling you is buy the event. What he really is telling you is Marcos is going to beat Mayweather. That’s what he’s really telling you. That’s who Bob Arum is. We’re doing our event. He should do his event and, therefore, the boxing fans and the boxing world wins.

Q.
Just a question for Leonard quickly. Leonard, Bob Arum used the word “thug” or “thuggery” several times when he was referring to your promotions, to Floyd, and your camp in general. It would seem to be a fairly inappropriate choice of words. What were your thoughts on that aspect of it specifically?

L. Ellerbe
I didn’t think about it one bit. I don’t think about a damned thing about what he says and comes out of his mouth. Everything that comes out of his mouth is a lie. We’re doing our thing and they’re doing their thing. We wish him the best. We don’t have anything bad to say about anybody. We’re looking forward to our great event on May the 3rd. We’re going to be in a sold-out arena and we’re going to have a big, big event on pay-per-view.

Q
What has changed since you started training with Robert Garica?

M. Maidana
I better now that he’s been working with Robert Garcia. I feel much better. My punches are connecting even stronger now because the punches are being thrown in a better location and with precision. I feel a lot better. I feel much, much better now that I’ve been working with Robert Garcia.

I’m fighting and beating great fightersMost of them have the same style, very similar style and defensive, but I already beat Broner the way I did and I think I can do the same with Mayweather, but until I’m in the ring, and we’ll look at things that no one has seen.

Q
Robert, what was your reaction to Leonard Ellerbe popping up on you guys on media day?

R. Garcia
It was something that we did not expect, but Leonard, the few times that I’ve met him, showed us to be a very professional person. They know what they’re doing with the promotion. They know what they’re doing with their job. I’ve enjoyed working with them. It was an honor to have somebody like him visit the gym. He loved it there.

My gym is a facility that has everything. We have a complete boxing facility for a lot of great future fighters, too. And just to be part of this event and to get know better these people that we’ve only seen on TV, working with Mayweather now, and now working with them. To have him show up to media day, it was awesome. It’s awesome. We were joking around, having fun, and that’s what it’s all about.

Q
Marcos, what did you think?

M. Maidana
The truth is, I didn’t even know who this guy was, but he came to my gym and I have nothing against him.

Q.
Hi, guys. Thanks for taking the time to do the call. I appreciate it. The first question is for Marcos. Marcos, a lot of people are saying the only way that you can beat Floyd Mayweather is by knockout. I’m wondering if that’s true. Is that the only way to beat Floyd Mayweather, by knockout?

M. Maidana
With Broner, everybody thought I had to knock him out and I beat him with decision. I am preparing myself to go 12 rounds if it’s necessary. I’m preparing to hurt him every time I throw punches and if a knockout comes, then great, but I am preparing myself to win after 12 rounds.

Q.
Alright, great. Oscar, I’d like to welcome you back. You’ve been kind of quiet. I’m wondering, what’s your prediction for this fight?

O. De La Hoya
I have no prediction whatsoever. I’m just going to enjoy the fight, just like everybody else and may the best man win.

Q.
Okay, thank you very much. My other question is for Mr. Maidana. How are you, Champ? I just want to ask you, you and Mr. Mayweather both hold titles. Do you see yourself as a challenger coming into this bout or is Mayweather’s equal?

M. Maidana
I am a champion and I am ready to fight for my title. Most importantly, I am preparing to beat Mayweather. The last thing that I’m worried about is my title. I want to just train and beat Mayweather.

Q.
Okay, thank you very much. One last question for Mr. Garcia. How are you? Mr. Garcia, how will Marcos be able to keep swinging to keep moving forward when Mayweather is known to almost lull his opponents into zombies? That seems to be his biggest asset in the ring, as far as I can see. How will Marcos be able to keep swinging and keep moving forward?

R. Garcia
Mayweather has fought great fighters and great big names and has beaten them all, but he has never fought somebody with a style like Chino has. Maidana has a style that is pretty awkward and confusing to his opponents and frustrates his opponents and has tremendous power. That’s a big thing in this fight and a big factor that the world is going to see.

Q.
My first question is for Robert Garcia. Robert, right now Floyd Mayweather, Jr., he’s 37 years old and I’m curious, from your perspective, do you think he is as good as he’s ever been as a fighter?

R. Garcia
I think he’s in incredible shape right now and even though he’s been World Champion for the past 16 years, I think, right now, what he’s done lately with so many great fighters out there, I think he’s better than ever, so we’re preparing for the best Mayweather ever.

Q.
Okay. My question now is for Marcos Maidana. Marcos, that win that you had over Adrien Broner, it surprised a lot of people. You gained a lot more fans. I’m curious, what has it been like since that win for yourself going forward and the reception you’ve been getting from fans?

M. Maidana
This is the most important part of my career. The fight with Broner gave me a lot of exposure, but this fight itself is the biggest fight of my career and it would be a tremendous upset and that’s what I’m training for, to upset the world and to do it for my country. It would be huge for my country.

Q.
Marcos, you mentioned upsetting the world. Odd makers have you as high, down. They have you as wide as 14 to 1 underdog. I’m curious, do you use that as extra motivation or is just like any other fight, you just go out there and win?

M. Maidana
It doesn’t bother me at all. What motivates me is that if I win, I’m going to beat the best in the world and that’s what motivates me.

Q.
Okay. I have a question directed for Oscar De La Hoya. Oscar, throughout your career, you were known for big pay-per-view events. You had the one with Mayweather. I’m just curious, are you at all surprised the way that Mayweather has carried this sport with these huge pay-per-view events that have kind of exceeded what you did in your career?

O. De La Hoya
No, we’re extremely proud at what Golden Boy can do and, obviously, when you have a fighter like Mayweather who is easily promoted and who can be promoted across the globe. I’m just really proud to be part of it.

Q.
Hello, how is everybody? My first question is actually for Robert. Robert, I wanted to know, Floyd is known to become more offensive when someone challenges him and forces him to fight. As you can see, with the Ricky Hatton, his power became clear. Are you cautious about Mayweather’s power as well?

R. Garcia
No. We’ve got to be very careful, definitely. He’s a tremendous fighter with tremendous skill. When you throw punches accurate and land them good, you don’t have to put out the biggest punch in the world to hurt your opponent. It’s the way the world of boxing is. If a punch lands correctly, anybody could get hurt. We are very aware of that and we’ll prepare for that. We’re trained for that.

Q.
Marcos, are you curious about Mayweather’s power?

M. Maidana
I’m not worried. I bout with spot guys that hit hard and it’s nothing new to me, so I’m not worried about his power.

Q.
Okay, thank you. My second question is for Leonard Ellerbe. I wanted to know, Leonard, we seen a video on Instagram. Floyd is sparring fighters that weigh 168 pounds. Is this something that he does as a normal routine for Floyd?

L. Ellerbe
It’s a normal routine for Floyd. Floyd is always working out with much bigger guys because the smaller guys – it’s hard to work with smaller guys.

Q.
Does that mean that Floyd runs through smaller guys? They can’t take it?

L. Ellerbe
No, it’s just that he always looks to push and challenge himself by working out with bigger guys. They’re more physical. They’re stronger. He’s always looking to push himself.

Q.
With training camp with Roger and Floyd, Sr., is everything going good over there? Is everything good between the family?

L. Ellerbe
Everything is great. Both guys are working great together and we’re looking forward to May the 3rd.

K. Swanson
Okay that was our last question. Oscar, if you want to make closing comments, and Leonard, and then we’ll wrap it up.

O. De La Hoya
Thank you so very much to all the media. Love you guys. We are looking forward to this magnificent event May 3rd. Once again, Floyd Mayweather is back with a tough challenge again. Marcos is a fighter, a challenger who never backs down. He’s coming prepared. Marcos is as fast as ever, as smart as ever, so we’re really looking forward to it. Thank you very much to all the sponsors and everybody involved. We will see you soon.

L. Ellerbe
Just wanted to thank everyone for coming on the call. We all look forward to May the 3rd. It’s going to be a great event.

# # #

“THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” is a 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles. This is the third fight of Mayweather’s lucrative multi-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc. THE MOMENT is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. In the co-main event, Amir Khan faces Luis Collazo in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC silver welterweight world title. The pay-per-view undercard also features a 10-round junior welterweight fight between Adrien Broner and Carlos Molina as well as a 10-round super middleweight bout featuring J’Leon Love vs. Marco Antonio Periban. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

“THE MOMENT” will be broadcast live on nearly 520 select movie theaters across
the country through Fathom Digital. In addition, six MGM Resorts Properties will host live closed circuit telecast of THE MOMENT: Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage and Monte Carlo.

Tickets for the live event priced at $1,500, $1,000 and $750 are still available, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets priced at $550 and $350 are sold out. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

General admission tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $75, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711 or at www.mgmgrand.com. Select properties also will sell tickets through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or by purchasing online atwww.ticketmaster.com.

Tickets for live movie theatre broadcast are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.

Video: All Access: Mayweather vs. Maidana – Episode 1 Clip

Marcos Maidana Media Workout & Quotes from Oxnard, California

OXNARD, Calif. (April 15, 2014) – Approximately 200 fans and media that included several television camera crews, newspaper and online reporters, photographers and video bloggers turned out to watch WBA Welterweight World Champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana during his media day on Tuesday, April 15 at The Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard.

The Argentine Maidana (35-3, 31 KOs) is winding down final preparations as he gets set for the biggest fight of his career when he faces undefeated boxing superstar, 10-time world champion and current WBC Welterweight World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather in the main event of “THE MOMENT” on Saturday, May 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

In fights before the Mayweather vs. Maidana 147-pound unification match on the pay-per-view telecast, British superstar and former unified super lightweight world champion Amir “King” Khan (28-3, 19 KOs) faces WBA International Welterweight Champion Luis Collazo (35-5, 18 KOs), of Brooklyn, NY in a 12-round bout for the WBC Silver Welterweight Title. Also, former three-time world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner (27-1, 22 KOs), of Cincinnati, OH takes on Carlos Molina (17-1-1, 7 KOs), of Norwalk, Calif., in a 10-round junior welterweight bout and undefeated J’Leon Love (17-0, 10 KOs), of Dearborn Heights, Mich., meets battle-tested NABF 154-Pound Champion Marco Antonio Periban (20-1-1, 13 KOs) in a 10-round super middleweight match.

With Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions looking on, a fit and confident Maidana worked out for about 25 minutes Tuesday. After loosening up, he hit the mitts and the speed bag and smacked the heavy bag. Before and after the brief workout, he did many interviews, posed for pictures and signed autographs.

Below is what Maidana and his trainer, former world champion and 2012 Trainer of the Year, Robert Garcia, said:

MARCOS MAIDANA, WBA Welterweight World Champion

“I know I am fighting the best in the world and that this is the biggest opportunity there is, so I am very thankful to Mayweather for giving me the chance.

“I never let what anybody outside the ring says bother me. I’ve heard a little about what they’re saying, but it doesn’t matter. I’ve heard it before.

“I’ve been an underdog my whole life. I was the underdog against Adrien Broner and Victor Ortiz and you saw what happened. I won. I am the underdog again in this fight, but I earned the right to the fight.

“I will give Mayweather a much better fight than any of the other contenders will. I have trained very well, and I’m in great shape. The only pressure is to perform well. I am a fighter and I come to fight. I don’t respect any opponent when I’m in the ring. I’m in this fight to win.

“This is going to be a great fight that fans will not want to miss. They know my style is to come forward. They know I like to be the aggressor. They know I throw heavy punches that can seriously hurt my opponent. .

“My fans know I am going to give it my all, my absolute best. I am excited and very confident. I am ready for May 3 and I’m ready for Floyd Mayweather.”

ROBERT GARCIA, Maidana’s Trainer

“This is my fifth fight with Marcos and, since day one, he has come to learn and listened to everything I say. I tell him something and he does it. He’s great to work with, so willing. For a trainer, that is quite a blessing.

“It’s been a great camp. Maidana knows the odds, but odds don’t mean a thing to him. He’s coming to fight and win. He won’t be intimidated. He won’t be scared. He knows what he is capable of doing.

“Mayweather is the best and has been on top for many years. He may be the best pound-for-pound boxer in history. He has done so many great things. But just because you’re the best doesn’t mean you can’t lose. Ali lost. Sugar Ray Leonard lost.

“Styles make fights. One punch can change everything. I don’t think Mayweather has been hit as hard as Maidana will hit him. But we aren’t looking for a knockout. We don’t want to just rely on maybe a lucky punch. Maidana is preparing to win all 12 rounds, and dominate.”

# # #

“THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” is a 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles. This is the third fight of Mayweather’s lucrative multi-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc. THE MOMENT is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. In the co-main event, Amir Khan faces Luis Collazo in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC silver welterweight world title. The pay-per-view undercard also features a 10-round junior welterweight fight between Adrien Broner and Carlos Molina as well as a 10-round super middleweight bout featuring J’Leon Love vs. Marco Antonio Periban. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

For more information visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @chinomaidana, @amirkingkhan, @realluiscollazo,@AdrienBroner, @CarlosMolina562, @anthonyogogo, @mayweatherpromo, @goldenboyboxing, @ShoSports and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #TheMoment and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and http://www.facebook.com/SHOboxing.

MIDDLEWEIGHT CONTENDER DANIEL JACOBS TO SERVE AS SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® GUEST ANALYST FOR THIS SATURDAY’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP TRIPLEHEADER

WASHINGTON, D.C. (April 16, 2014) – Middleweight contender Daniel Jacobs is trading in his gloves for a microphone, at least for one night.

The inspirational cancer survivor will serve as guest analyst for this Saturday’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast live on SHOWTIME (9 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) from the DC Armory in Washington, D.C.

Jacobs will step in for critically acclaimed analyst Paulie Malignaggi, who will challenge IBF Welterweight World Champion Shawn Porter in the co-feature of the world championship tripleheader.

“It’s an honor to have this opportunity on such a historic boxing event,” Jacobs said. “I’m excited to be the guy on the outside that will provide the viewers with the type of insight only a fighter can provide. I also look forward to the opportunity to see the sport in a different perspective and gain more of an appreciation for the craft.

“I know I’ll be in good hands alongside Al Bernstein, Mauro Ranallo and the rest of the SHOWTIME crew giving the viewers and fans a great night of boxing.”

In the main event, IBF Light Heavyweight World Champion Bernard Hopkins will face WBA World Champ Beibut Shumenov in a highly anticipated world championship unification while WBO Middleweight World Champ Peter Quillin will risk his title against Lukas Konecny in the opening bout of the telecast.

Saturday’s telecast will air live immediately following the premiere of Episode 1 of ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Maidana, the most recent installment of the Emmy® Award-nominated SHOWTIME Sports® series that chronicles the dramatic and often unpredictable lives of the world’s best prizefighters.

The 27-year-old Jacobs (27-1, 24 KOs), of Brooklyn, N.Y., is coming off a first-round TKO of Milton Nunez on March 15 on the SHOWTIME EXTREME® undercard of the Danny Garcia-Mauricio Herrera event in Puerto Rico. The victory was Jacob’s fifth straight win in as many fights since returning to the ring after a courageous 19-month battle against cancer and partial paralysis.

The 6-foot-1 Jacobs, who is the fifth ranked middleweight contender by the IBF and sixth by the WBC, WBA and WBO, has won seven in a row by knockout.

# # #

Hopkins vs. Shumenov, a 12-round fight for the IBF, WBA and IBA Light Heavyweight World Championship, will take place Saturday, April 19 at the DC Armory in Washington, D.C. The event is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and Casamigos Tequila. In the 12-round co-features, Shawn Porter defends his IBF Welterweight World Title against Paulie Malignaggi and Peter Quillin puts his WBO Middleweight World Title on the line against Lukas Konecny. The live SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will begin at 9 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) immediately following ALL ACCESS: Mayweather vs. Maidana. The telecast will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 7 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

DON’T BLINK! BOXNATION TO SHOW BOXING’S BIGGEST BANGERS AS KEITH THURMAN, LUCAS MATTHYSSE AND OMAR FIGUEROA LINE UP ON MEGA APRIL 26 BILL

LONDON (April 15) – BoxNation are delighted to announce another mega bill to its fantastic schedule with the addition of the stacked April 26th Golden Boy Promotions show featuring boxing’s biggest punchers in Keith Thurman, Lucas Matthysse and Omar Figueroa.

The card taking place at the StubHub Center in Carson, California is guaranteed to have fight fans on the edge of their seats with the three hitmen amassing a stunning 69 knockouts from 78 wins between them.

Headlined by rising welterweight star Thurman, who defends his interim WBA championship against the hardened Julio Diaz, who ran British ace Amir Khan very close last year, it offers the 25-year-old the chance to continue his march towards a shot at the world title. “

To headline a show like this against a former world champion is something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and that day is here,” said Thurman. “I respect Julio Diaz and I will not underestimate him. He knows that this may be his last shot, and I expect the best from him, but I’ll be the one leaving with the victory.”

“This is a big opportunity for me to face a fighter that is feared by many, but not by me,” said Diaz. “I have been in the ring with far more dangerous and experienced fighters in the past, and everyone knows that I come to fight. My previous opponents Amir Khan and Shawn Porter will tell you that.”

Argentine assassin Matthysse will make his first appearance since his closely contested fight against light-welterweight kingpin Danny Garcia.

Having blasted his way past a host of top names including Lamont Peterson, Mike Dallas Jr and Humberto Soto, the feared puncher will go in against another hard-hitter in 31-year-old John Molina.

“Molina is the kind of fighter I respect and always want to compete against,” said Matthysse. “He shows up to fight and we’re going to give the fans the kind of show they want to see. I don’t think it will last long, but it will be something to see while it does.”

“I’m excited to showcase myself against someone that I consider to be one of the best fighters in the world at 140 pounds,” said Molina. “I am very well prepared to come in on fight night and do what I do best, and that is to be victorious.”

World title action is also set to take place on the card, with WBC lightweight champion Figueroa looking to continue his unbeaten run when he goes up against fellow Texan Jerry Belmontes.

“I am especially excited about this fight because I have wanted to get payback against Belmontes for longer than a decade,” said Figueroa. “I fought him in the amateurs and he always beat me because I was always shorter than him. Now I am taller, stronger and bigger than him and I am looking to beat him the way he beat me in the amateurs.”

“I beat Omar 5 times in the amateurs but it was just that, the amateurs, we were young,” said Belmontes. “We have taken different paths as professionals and finally they cross and we meet again…on April 26, he’ll be beaten…for the 6th time”.

Earlier that evening BoxNation will bring subscribers some top domestic action from Ponds Forge Arena in Sheffield when undefeated heavyweight bruiser Lucas Browne looks to win the vacant Commonwealth title against Canadian Eric Martel Bahoeli.

With 23-year-old Hatton Promotions protégé Adam Etches also taking on Felipe De la Paz Teniente in a 10-round middleweight contest for the WBC Youth world title.

The two big bills join a mammoth lineup of fights on the channel which has exclusive UK rights to Floyd Mayweather’s crunch unification world title clash with Marcos Maidana, plus Bernard Hopkins April 19th fight with Beibut Shumenov and a host of other top world title bouts.

Further good news for BoxNation viewers is that ‘The Channel of Champions’ will also be the only place to see All Access: Mayweather vs. Maidana.

The hit behind-the-scenes show gives a unique insight into both camps as they prepare for the May 3rd bill at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

The premiere of All Access: Mayweather vs. Maidana airs this Saturday April 19th at 7pm, with episode two on Sunday 27th April at 7pm and the finale on Saturday May 3rd at 7pm, all free-to-air to Sky TV customers.

BoxNation is available for only £12 a month (plus a one-off registration fee). Visit www.boxnation.com to subscribe.

-Ends-

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

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

Arum rips MGM Grand for Mayweather-Maidana posters during Pacquiao-Bradley week

By Norm Frauenheim–

LAS VEGAS – A rematch Saturday marked mostly by polite exchanges between Manny Pacquiao and Timothy Bradley suddenly got a shot of some old-school trash talk from promoter Bob Arum, who is angry at the MGM Grand for selling Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Marcos Maidana on May 3 with advertising throughout the casino.

A Mayweather mural, estimated to be 20 stories tall, soars up the side of the MGM Grand and overlooks the busy intersection at Tropicana and Las Vegas Boulevard, The Strip. For nearly every Pacquiao-Bradley poster on the sides of slot machines, there’s one of Mayweather-Maidana staring back at it. Outside the door to the media’s workroom, a Mayweather-Maidana ad hangs from the ceiling, above a Pacquiao-Bradley poster.

By the time the 82-year-old Arum arrived at the formal news conference Wednesday, he had seen enough, especially of Mayweather looking down at him.

Arum began the news conference by introducing Richard Sturm, MGM President of Entertainment & Sports as “the president of hanging posters for the wrong fight.’’

The media asked for a response from Sturm following the news conference. Several hours later, none was forthcoming.

Meanwhile, Arum was just getting warmed up during a one-man stand-up that included a vague reference to Frankie Carbo, a 1950’s gangster who owned a piece of Sonny Liston.

“I know that at the Venetian, they wouldn’t make a mistake like this,’’ said Arum, who is friends with Sheldon Adelson, who owns the Venetian in Vegas and Macao, China’s gambling mecca and fledgling boxing market. “They would know what fight they have scheduled over the next three or four days.

“They wouldn’t have a 12-to-1 fight being advertised all over the building that’s going to take place three weeks from next Saturday. But that’s why one company makes a billion dollars a quarter and the other hustles to pay its debt. So there it is.”

Arum’s bitter feud with Mayweather is hardly a secret. It too was evident in a discussion that Arum had with Bradley while still on stage and not far from the microphone.

“Why don’t you ask the guy whose picture is all over the building? When is he going to fight somebody real?’’ Arum said in a booming voice that really didn’t need any electronic amplification.

Bradley replied: “I’ll let you ask him that.’’

As it turned out, Bradley might have been the only one who had anything nice to say about the MGM.

“I’ve never been in a hotel room with stairs,’’ Bradley said of his suite. “You need an elevator in there.’’

An elevator decorated with a Mayweather-Maidana poster, of course.

RISING BRITISH STAR AND 2012 OLYMPIC MEDALIST ANTHONY OGOGO MAKES LAS VEGAS DEBUT ON MAY 3 ON THE UNDERCARD FOR “THE MOMENT: MAYWEATHER VS. MAIDANA” AT THE MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA

LAS VEGAS (April 8) – Great Britain’s unbeaten middleweight star and 2012 Olympic medalist, Anthony Ogogo, will make his debut in the fight capital of the world, Las Vegas, on Saturday, May 3 when he faces an opponent to be named on the non-televised undercard of the SHOWTIME PPV® mega-event “THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana” at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

“It’s an honor for me to be on the show and I can’t wait for May 3rd,” said Ogogo, “I’ve had a great training camp and hope to be in the best shape of my career for this fight. Some British fighters never get the chance to fight in Las Vegas and to do so in my sixth fight is a real achievement and will be a fantastic moment for me.”

“British fans already know the great potential Anthony has and the charisma he possesses in and out of the ring,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Now on one of the biggest nights of the year in boxing, fans and media in Las Vegas will get to see what all of the excitement is about. We’re looking forward to having Anthony on ‘THE MOMENT’ fight card.”

Rising British middleweight star Anthony Ogogo (5-0, 2 KOs) has captivated the United Kingdom since his run at the 2012 London Olympics, and now he has his sights set on world domination. A talented boxer-puncher who shows maturity far beyond his years in the ring, Ogogo is coming off a shutout six-round win over Greg O’Neill in March, lifting the record of the 25-year-old from Lowestoft to 5-0.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000 and $750 are still available, not including applicable service charges and taxes. Tickets priced at $550 and $350 are sold out. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @chinomaidana, @amirkingkhan, @realluiscollazo, @AdrienBroner, @CarlosMolina562, @anthonyogogo, @mayweatherpromo, @goldenboyboxing, @ShoSports and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #TheMoment and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and http://www.facebook.com/SHOboxing.

ADRIEN “THE PROBLEM” BRONER, CARLOS MOLINA, J’LEON LOVE AND MARCO ANTONIO PERIBAN MEDIA CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

Kelly Swanson
Thanks, everybody, for joining us we appreciate you being here with us today. Unfortunately, we are going to have to reschedule this call because the fighters have not shown up. April Fools!
We’re joined by a great group of fighters today. They are part of the SHOWTIME PPV undercard for “THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” Adrien Broner vs Carlos Molina and also J’Leon Love vs. Marco Antonio Periban.

Today’s host of the call is none other than Leonard Ellerbe, Chief Executive Office of Mayweather Promotions. Leonard, I’m going to turn it over to you and just so everybody knows, the translator for Mr. Periban today will be Rolando Arellano.

Leonard, take it away from here and we look forward to hearing from the fighters. We are going to start with J’Leon and Marco Antonio Periban and when they’re finished we will connect Adrien Broner and Carlos Molina. So, go ahead, Leonard.

Leonard Ellerbe
First of all I’d like to thank all you guys for joining us on the call today. We have assembled one of the best undercards and best overall cards from top to bottom that I’ve personally seen in many, many years.

In the main event we have Floyd and Maidana, which we all know is going to be a terrific fight. On last week’s call there was Amir Khan and Luis Collazo and most of you guys heard from them. In my opinion, that’s a 50-50 fight. We have two terrific fighters and both of them have a lot of experience and that is going to be a great fight.

But today’s call we have to round out the terrific undercard. We have three-time World Champion Adrien Broner. He’ll be fighting Carlos Molina in a 10-round junior welterweight showdown. To open the Pay-Per-View we have Mayweather Promotions’ own J’Leon Love. He’ll be fighting Marco Antonio Periban in a 10-round super middleweight bout, which will be another great fight.

“THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana” is sponsored by Corona, Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. When we first announced the main event, obviously, the tickets went like hotcakes. So, there are only a few tickets left.

I’d like to acknowledge none other than Showtime Sports Executive Vice President and General Manager, Stephen Espinoza.

Stephen Espinoza
As you correctly pointed out this is, in our opinion and I believe objectively, the biggest event on the boxing calendar. Floyd Mayweather, Mayweather Promotions and SHOWTIME have committed to putting on the best events and the biggest events in boxing on a regular basis.

This event is no exception. A stacked undercard, meaningful fights, great value for the money for fans and I think when we look at a very busy Pay-Per-View calendar this spring and early summer I don’t think anyone can say that our event does not stand out among all of those events as having both the highest profile main event and the highest profile most meaningful undercard lineup that there is.

With that, I will give it back to you, Leonard, so we can move on to the fighters.

L. Ellerbe
I would like to introduce Marco Antonio Periban, who is 20-1 with one draw with 13 KOs out of Mexico City, Mexico. He’s a terrific fighter. He’s one of the top Mexican contenders. He just recently lost a tough fight against the WBC Champion Sakio Bika and it was a great fight.
Marco, he knows he’s in a very tough fight with J’Leon and a win over him puts him right back in the picture to fight for a world title.

Marco Antonio Periban
I want to thank Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and SHOWTIME for giving me this grand opportunity on this world stage. I clearly understand that this is a very difficult fight but I’m going to train as hard as I possibly can, enter the ring well prepared, so that the victory will be in my hands.

I understand that Mr. Love is in the way of me capturing my dream of fighting for the world championship. It’s very important for me to become World Champion because by doing so I will be the first Mexican in the history at 168 pounds to ever hold the championship for the WBC.

It’s a fight that I must take the opportunity and be successful in and I can’t let Mr. Love beat me because basically it derails my opportunity to become world champion and to make history for Mexico.

I’m very focused. I want that title. I want that title for Mexico, so you can expect a very focused and determined fighter on March the 3.

L. Ellerbe
Next up we have a terrific young fighter. He’s part of the Mayweather Promotions’ stable. He’s fighting out of Dearborn Heights, Mich.. He’s 17-0 with 10 KOs. He’s coming off of back-to-back impressive performances. In the first fight he fought Lajuan Simon and just recently, Feb. 28, a terrific performance fighting Vladine Biosse and a great fight on ShoBox.

J’Leon will be looking to be very impressive in this fight because he knows that Marco Antonio stands in front of him and his goal of being a world champion. He has a tremendous amount of confidence in his ability, he looks to go out there and put on an impressive performance and a great fight.

J’Leon Love
I want to thank everybody for joining. You know, here it is, another stage. I am on another type of stage like the one we had with Gabriel Rosado and now here we are again with Marco Periban. He’s a tough fighter. I know he’s going to come with his A game. I’m definitely going to come with my A game, and that’s what’s makes fights right there.

I’ve been training extremely hard. I’m definitely focused. It really comes down to May 3. I’m going to put my heart and all my determination into this fight. I know that Marco Antonio Periban is a very tough fighter, very skilled and he has a lot to prove and he has the experience of fighting for a world title.

I have so much respect to him. His talent is respected, but we’re definitely going to come in there and give it our all and make sure we come out victorious. I know that he’s trying to make history for his country. I’m trying to make history for my family and me and do what I have to do to win this fight.

Q
Leonard, how would you say J’Leon has matured and improved and how would you characterize that moment against Gabriel Rosado and how it has made him the fighter he is now?

L. Ellerbe
Fighters go through adversity in their career. Floyd himself went through a tremendous amount of adversity and all fighters go through adversity. I think that experience with the Rosado fight taught him a great deal.

Floyd and I sat him down and we had a very hard conversation with him. I think at that point he made up his mind, he wanted to really commit himself and dedicate himself and not take the opportunity for granted. I think from that point on he completely changed.

I noticed personally the dedication and the hard work that he’s put in and it’s showing up in his last two fights. I think in this fight he’s obviously in a tough fight against Periban, but he’ll be looking to be impressive and I know he will go out and do that.

Q
J’Leon, how have you changed and how has that manifested itself in all aspects of your training, your maturity in the ring, everything?

J. Love
Eventually, everybody needs to grow up. I’ve had my humbling moment and my grow up moment, so sitting there and getting torched by Floyd and Leonard, the conversation was not easy to listen to, but I needed that. I needed that.

I am young. I’m still learning. I’m definitely there mentally and physically. We made the right decisions for our career and I have the best team behind me. It just opened up my eyes and I don’t ever want to take another opportunity for granted again because you may never get them again or you may never know when you’ll get them.

So, it definitely made me train harder. The Rosado fight was an eye-opener, again. That’s something that goes on with your career, a controversial win over Rosado or something like that.

So, who wants that? People say that Rosado won or I won; I don’t want to hear that. That’s something that I have carried on with me for taking something for granted.

I’ve learned a lot and I’ve stepped my game up 1,000 percent and you will see that May 3.

Q
When you say torched, you used the characterization of torched, what impression did that make upon you and how does that manifest itself with the way that you represent yourself in the ring?

J. Love
Well, when I say torched I mean you’re not the greatest fighter here. You know how many fighters would love to be in your position I’m in, to be under the Mayweather Promotions stable and be guided by these very people that I have that I’m guided by.

So, that right there. I see fighters come down to the gym and pray for a moment to sit down and talk to Leonard and Floyd and get that opportunity. And here I am, I’m fumbling with the opportunity and there’s so many guys out there striving and working hard for the opportunity. It was a wake up call. I just have to remain focused, all the outside distractions, just leave it there.

It’ll be there after or whatever. But I have a job to do and my job is to be in the best shape possible, be mentally focused and physically focused for these fights and this is a big opportunity. I’m making a name for myself, from a small time Eastern Michigan, I’m putting all that on the map and this is what I’ve dreamed of since a kid, so this is something that I’ve been waiting on my whole life.

Q
I understand you have taken on some responsibilities within your own family group, can you talk about that?

J. Love
You know, I have nine nieces and nephews and they’re my life. This is the reason why I’m grinding so hard for them and my family, my mom and my sisters and just to show, just put some hard work in, put some dedication in, keep God first, anything can happen.

I never knew these are the cards I’d be dealt with, but here it is. I’m being blessed every day. I took the road; my brother was killed last year in April and I have to take the responsibility. I am the one making money in my family as far as to support them, so I would never hesitate to do that and that’s what I do.

So, my nieces and nephews are my life. I feel like they’re my kids, even though I don’t have any kids of my own. I just take a responsibility of taking care of them.

Q
How is Marco planning on dealing with the J’Leon Love’s skills and what did he learn from his fights against Sakio Bika and Badou Jack?

M. Periban
Love is a very dangerous fighter and he has a lot of technical skills to him, so basically my training is no longer focused on my strength, but basically on the tactics that I’m going to use to fight Love.

From fighting Bika, I learned a lot of things about fighting with a strong fighter thats always moving forward and looking for the knockout. I learned a lot of things, how to neutralize an attack system like he has, how to prepare for a fight like that. The other fight, which was a draw, I learned a lot of things also, that you can’t really leave it to the judges and that you have to use certain techniques at certain times during the fight so that you can take advantage of it. One of the problems that I have is getting sparring in Mexico, because of my size and my strength and I wasn’t that prepared for the Jack fight and basically it showed in the ring.

Q
I want to know if Gabriel Rosado is his toughest fight and if he thinks Marco Antonio Periban can do some things like Rosado?

J. Love
Gabriel Rosado was definitely my toughest fight because I had to face adversity. I’ve been down for the first time in my career and it made me think a lot. I’ve never been in that position before and I haven’t been in that situation since then, so that was definitely one of my toughest fights.
With Periban he has a great skill set. He’s tough, strong, he’s tall, and he’s a rangy fighter. He has a lot of skill and he has a good jab. Anything can happen in this fight and you can’t look past anybody and a guy like him. He can upset a lot of people. He had a great fight with Badou Jack and he had another great fight with Sakio Bika.
He’s young and he’s hungry. He has a lot to prove, like I said earlier and anything can happen in this sport. So, you can’t look past anybody.

Q
How does it feel being willing to be a good guy in a sport where being the bad boy is sometimes more marketable? Why is it important to you to give a good image?

J. Love
I’m just being myself. I don’t want to be like Adrien Broner or Floyd Mayweather. I want to be like J’Leon Love. I’m just a cool guy. I’m laid back. I’m silly at times. That’s just me. I’m not angry. I’m blessed. I’m just happy to be alive. I’m healthy and these opportunities are coming and I’m happy for it. So, there’s nothing to be the bad boy type about. I’m just being myself and do what I’ve got to do.

Q
You mentioned that you had hard time training in Mexico. Was it because you had a hard time getting sparring partners that were your size?

M. Periban
You’re correct. That’s the problem. There are not too many fighters in that division in Mexico and there are not many fighters that are my size, so it’s a little difficult getting sparring partners.

K. Swanson
OK, so that finishes this portion of the call. We want to thank both J’Leon and Marco Antonio Periban for being on the call with us at this time. We wish them a lot of luck and have a great training camp until we see you May 3.

We’ll also be having a media day in Las Vegas for those who want the opportunity to see J’Leon train and get some other comments from him. So, thank you very much, J’Leon and Marco.

You guys can hang up and now we’re going to transition over to the next portion of the call.
Now we have the other fighters on the line. We are joined by Adrien Broner, Carlos Molina and Adrien’s coach, Mike Stafford is also listening in on the call. I’m going to turn it back over to Leonard to make the introductions for this portion of the call.

L. Ellerbe
Next up is a talented young fighter who is coming off of a 17-month layoff and he’ll be looking to hand Adrien his second loss. He has a big following in Southern California. He has a record of 17 wins, with one loss and one draw with 7 KOs. Coming to you out of Norwalk, Calif., none other than Carlos Molina.

Carlos Molina
We’re working hard for this fight. We’re very humbled to get this opportunity to fight on the big fight, on a Mayweather undercard, against Adrien Broner. We’re excited and we’ll be ready come May 3.

L. Ellerbe
Next up is one of the most talented and most talked about fighters in boxing today, a very gifted fighter. He’s a three-time World Champion. He won his first title in November 2011 at 130 pounds. His next came with a tremendous knockout in 2012 against Antonio DeMarco.
In 2013 he did something that was very, very impressive. He moved from 135 to 147 pounds and he fought in a tremendous fight against Paulie Malignaggi, winning his third World Championship only to join Roberto Duran, Roy Jones and Robert Guerrero as the only fighters to win the championship in their first fight after jumping up a weight class.
Just last December he had a minor setback, only to make a major comeback, in his loss to Marcos Maidana and he’ll be looking to come out on May 3 and be very impressive and to show the world why he’s one of the best fighters in the world today. Next up, Adrien “The Problem,” Broner.

Adrien Broner
I’m happy Carlos Molina took this fight, but he might be looking to give me another loss. I hope he doesn’t come to lose, but he’s going to lose.

At the end of the day, everybody is looking for Adrien Broner to be this new humble guy. Well, if you’re looking for Adrien Broner to be this new humble guy, you won’t get it. I’m still the same fresh, flashy, young, rich and famous guy. I’m a young man, and I respect every fighter, but I’m ready to fight.

Q
How familiar are you with Molina? He’s been a very good fighter in his career. He was a good amateur. He did have the loss to Amir Khan. What’s your take on your opponent?

A. Broner
He’s a hell of a fighter. Like I said, I don’t disrespect no boxer. It takes a lot to get inside that square circle and I don’t take any boxer lightly. I just want him to be on his A game May 3.

Q
What do you, as a trainer, have to impart on Adrien going forward in your training camps to make sure what happened in December does not happen in the future?

Mike Stafford
Well, as you know, it’s in Washington, D.C., where Adrien first started training as a pro. So psychologically we kind of went back up here to get down to our roots and see why we’re here. Whatever made sense from where we started to come from is what we want to start back again.
We want to take the same steps. He’s still, to my eye, the three-time World Champion and the champion of the world, so that’s where we want to be. So, that’s why we’re coming back here and doing the things that we used to do and that we will do. Nothing has changed. We’re just hungrier now.

Q
They believe that you’re there to be beaten by Adrien Broner. How does that make you feel and are you motivated by the fact that you are such a huge underdog in this fight coming off of your loss and also the long layoff?

C. Molina
I know the whole world is seeing me as an underdog, but that just motivates me even more. I think I’ve got a lot to prove in this fight. I’m coming off a loss with Amir Khan, so I’m going to go in there and I’ve been extremely hard for this fight so I’m going to give it my all come May 3.

Q
What can we expect different this outing that you learned from your last outing and are you going to be fighting at 140 or are you just trying to test the waters that you can fight three different weight classes?

A. Broner
We’re going to do what’s best for Adrien Broner’s career at that time. This is my first fight televised at 140 pounds, so we’re at 140 right now and we’re going to see where we go from here.

Q
Can you talk about what you learned from your last outing that will help you going forward with this outing? Is there a particular reason that you’re fighting 10 rounds instead of 12?

A. Broner
Like I said, I’m going to fight and I don’t make the rules in my fights. I’m just a fighter. So, with that being said, all I’m doing is training hard and I’m getting ready for May 3.

Q
Are you doing anything different and are you trying to remind everybody that you’re still here?

A. Broner
Anybody taking a loss that I did, it would probably break them. But coming from where I come from, I’m strong mentally and physically so I’m OK. I’m personally proud of myself and I don’t care that a lot of people are looking for me to just go in here and walk over this guy, but at the end of the day they’re forgetting that he’s not just somebody to walk over, he’s a top class fighter.
I can go in there and make the best fighter look like the worst fighter when I’m on my A game. So, you know, after May 3 I just hope I don’t get a lot of criticism for who I’m fighting and the way I make it look.

Q
What do you want this fight to springboard you to in the future? What’s your goal?

A. Broner
After this fight they will see that I’m still ‘The Problem.’ Anybody can get it in the ring. I’m still the same guy.

Q
Is it important to you to be a four-time champion by going to this weight class? Is that something that you aspire to?

A. Broner
Of course. But right now we’re worrying about this strong fighter, who is going to try to come in and take my head off and that’s Carlos Molina. We’re going to take care of business May 3 and then we’ll begin worrying about getting a world title after that. We know it’s on the way, but we’ve got to take it a step at a time.

Q
Can you talk about the mental and physical adjustment of dropping back down in weight?

A. Broner
It’s really not a big change. For me, I’m naturally a lightweight. I can fight in the upper weight class. I’ve got the skills to do it. The weight at 140 was not a problem and being mentally sound is not a problem. I’m focused in the gym, I’ve got a great support system.

Q
What is the comparative relationship between you at 140 and you at 147? Is it better at 140? Is it the same?

A. Broner
I can hit regardless. It doesn’t matter what weight I fight. I can still hit. So, I will showcase my talent and my speed and my power May 3 and I’ll you guys decide.

Q
Mike, what do you see in the comparative relationship between his energy at 140 and 147?

M. Stafford
Well, you know, naturally people say it’s a big jump, which it is, but he’s a talented kid so he did it with talent. He beat Paulie and I’m pretty sure Paulie felt some of his power and I’m pretty sure Maidana did. It was a grueling fight. Maidana didn’t go home glad, he was happy, but inside he felt some of Adrien’s power, too. It was just a couple of punches away, Adrien could have took him out, too.

But, you know, that’s another story. Like Adrien said he’s a natural lightweight and he could make 135, 140 or 147, but we elected to do some things at 140 that nobody had done. We think we can get a title at 140 and maybe at 135, and come back up to 147. It varies.

All the other fighters did it and it’s not, it seems like it’s a big deal when Adrien does anything. But he’s doing everything that everybody else did, Floyd, Jones, Hopkins, all those guys went up and down and they got titles, even Tommy Hearns, all of them.

So, it seems to be, I guess, he’s an outspoken kid so whatever he does everyone knows it, but he’s just doing what every fighter in the past has done. We just want to showcase, we want to give a good fight, give the world a good fight and we just happened to get Floyd to ask us to be on his card. Out of respect to Floyd we appreciate it.

Adrien, we could have taken this fight to Cincinnati. We could have taken this fight to Atlanta, but Adrien’s team and the management team decided, I’m saying we all decided, we will fight. It’s like another treat to the world, you know, and why not fight with Floyd? So, we’re all doing each other favors.

Q
Jumping forward a little bit, pretending he’s not on the phone listening to you, what do you see, what level of greatness, how many titles, how many weight classes do you see him doing well in?

M. Stafford
Adrien is going to do well in any weight class that he tries. The only one that can beat Adrien Broner is Adrien Broner. He said that plenty enough times and right now, he’s focused and he’s ready to show the world that he is one of the top fighters in America today.

Q
Floyd Mayweather said he’d like to see you focus more on boxing and less on things like social media and Hip Hop. Are you focusing more exclusively on your fighting career right now?

A. Broner
At the end of the day, I’m going to do whatever makes Adrien Broner happy. Of course, I listen to my big brother a lot. We talk every day and he tells me things that aren’t on the Internet or not on the social website. So, he and I have a great understanding and I’m doing great.

Q
Carlos, real quick, do you feel you’re not getting the attention you deserve right now?

C. Molina
You know what, it doesn’t bother me at all. He’s a three-time world champion. He’s the one that’s supposed to put on a show, so I’m right here, just working hard and getting ready for May 3.

K. Swanson
Okay, great. Leonard, do you want to take us out with a final farewell and also any comments from the fighters before we wrap this up. Why don’t we start with Adrien. Do you have anything to just finish the call up with, any last thoughts on your fight May 3?

A. Broner
I’m really not here to talk trash because he doesn’t talk trash, so I can’t talk trash to somebody that don’t talk trash to me. Like I said before, I just want him to be on his A game because this is not only just a fight for me. This is one of the biggest fights in the world because literally they’re looking at me to take over the game after my big brother is done with boxing. Coming off a loss they want to see what I come back and do and they can’t wait to see me on TV again. I know there’s a lot of people that dislike the things that I do, but there’s a lot of people that love the things that I do and they want to see Adrien Broner back on top and I will not disappoint them and anybody who wants to see me.

K. Swanson
Carlos, do you have any last comments?

C. Molina
Yes, I’m just going to continue to work hard and give you guys a great show come May 3. I know what’s on the line. I’m fighting a world-class fighter, so I’m going to give it my all.

K. Swanson
Leonard, do you have any final comments?

L. Ellerbe
Yes, after having the pleasure of listening to Adrien Broner, Carlos Molina, J’Leon Love and Marco Antonio Periban, I can assure you that THE MOMENT undercard is going to be a “Must See.”
# # #

“THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” isa 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles. This is the third fight of Mayweather’s lucrative multi-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc. THE MOMENT is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. In the co-main event, Amir Khan faces Luis Collazo in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC silver welterweight world title. The pay-per-view undercard also features a 10-round junior welterweight fight between Adrien Broner and Carlos Molina as well as a 10-round super middleweight bout featuring J’Leon Love vs. Marco Antonio Periban. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

For more information visitwww.mayweatherpromotions.com,www.goldenboypromotions.com,www.sports.sho.com andwww.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather,@chinomaidana,@amirkingkhan,@realluiscollazo,@AdrienBroner,@CarlosMolina562, @JLeonLove@mayweatherpromo,@goldenboyboxing,@ShoSports and@Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #TheMoment and become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/FloydMayweather,www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions,www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing andhttp://www.facebook.com/SHOboxing.

CLOSED CIRCUIT TICKETS FOR “THE MOMENT: MAYWEATHER VS. MAIDANA” GO ON SALE TODAY AT SELECT MGM RESORTS PROPERTIES

LAS VEGAS (March 28, 2014) – The hottest ticket in Las Vegas, not surprisingly, is for the May 3 mega-event headlined by boxing pound-for-pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Marcos “El Chino” Maidana. However, for those who can’t make it to the MGM Grand Garden Arena and still want to experience this event live, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions are pleased to announce that several Las Vegas locations will be offering closed-circuit telecasts of “THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana.”

Tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $75, not including handling fees. All seats are general admission and select venues go on sale today, Friday, March 28 at Noon PT at the individual property’s box office outlets, by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711 or at www.mgmgrand.com. Select properties also will sell tickets through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or by purchasing online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Properties hosting these telecasts are Bellagio, ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage and Monte Carlo.

“THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” is a 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles. This is the third fight of Mayweather’s lucrative multi-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc. THE MOMENT is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. In the co-main event, Amir Khan faces Luis Collazo in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC silver welterweight world title. The pay-per-view undercard also features a 10-round junior welterweight fight between Adrien Broner and Carlos Molina as well as a 10-round super middleweight bout featuring J’Leon Love vs. Marco Antonio Periban. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

For more information visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @chinomaidana, @amirkingkhan, @realluiscollazo, @AdrienBroner, @CarlosMolina562, @mayweatherpromo, @goldenboyboxing, @ShoSports and @Swanson_Comm, follow the conversation using #TheMoment and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and http://www.facebook.com/SHOboxing.

LUIS COLLAZO MARCHES INTO TRAINING CAMP

FORT JACKSON, S.C. (March 27, 2014) – WBA International Welterweight Champion Luis Collazo arrived this week at Fort Jackson Military Base in South Carolina to prepare for his upcoming WBC Silver Welterweight World Championship bout against former unified world champion Amir “King” Khan. The bout was officially announced earlier this week as the co-main event of “THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana” which will take place on May 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev., live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

“I love coming down here, it’s a great place to focus before a big fight,” said Collazo. “The atmosphere in Fort Jackson is great. It’s simply an amazing place to train. The troops inspire me. They are disciplined and loyal, and they push themselves to the limit.
I admire them. I always gain inspiration from being around them.”

Collazo has trained at Fort Jackson for the majority of his fights since 2008, most recently, prior to his Sept. 2013 unanimous decision victory against Alan Sanchez, when he earned the vacant WBA International Welterweight Title. He decided to train locally in Brooklyn for his Jan. 30 fight against Victor Ortiz, but for his upcoming fight against Khan, he’s back to his favorite training spot with two of his trainers – Andrew Stokes and Willy Vargas.

“It’s nice to get away from some of the distractions at home and to just be here staying focused with my team,” said Collazo.

“The first thing about Fort Jackson is the weather is very accommodating,” said Stokes. “The atmosphere is very conducive to the atmosphere that Luis likes to train in. But I think that one of the most important things about setting up camp here is that Luis really enjoys training with the soldiers, and this is the largest army training facility in the U.S.”

“Khan is a good fighter, he’s fought some good guys, but he better be ready for me,” said Collazo. “I’m going to bring something he hasn’t seen before.”

Collazo will return to New York City to complete the last stage of his training with his longtime Head Trainer Nirmal Lorrick. Collazo and Lorrick have been working together since the early 1990’s, for more than 20 years.

# # #

THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” is a 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles. This is the third fight of Mayweather’s lucrative multi-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc. THE MOMENT is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. In the co-main event, Amir Khan faces Luis Collazo in a 12-round bout for the vacant WBC Silver Welterweight World Championship. The pay-per-view undercard also features a 1
10-round junior welterweight fight between Adrien Broner and Carlos Molina as well as a 10-round super middleweight bout featuring J’Leon Love vs. Marco Antonio Periban. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) will be available in Spanish via secondary audio programming (SAP).

WORLD TITLE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN POUND-FOR-POUND ACES MANNY PACQUIAO AND TIM BRADLEY LANDS ON BOXNATION

LONDON (March, 26) – Pound-for-pound ace Manny Pacquiao will be back on British screens next month when he battles WBO welterweight world champion Tim Bradley live and exclusive on BoxNation.

The world’s biggest and best dedicated boxing channel will air the eagerly anticipated rematch taking place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on April 12th, adding yet another mega showdown to its jam-packed roster.

The news comes hot on the heels following the announcement that the ‘Channel of Champions’ will also screen Floyd Mayweather’s May showdown with Marcos Maidana, which also features Amir Khan’s ring return against the highly respected Luis Collazo.

The initial clash in 2012 between ‘Fighter of the Decade’ Pacquiao and Californian Bradley, ended in much controversy with the American winning a highly contentious split decision.

Both fighters went their separate routes following the bout, with Filipino Pacquiao sensationally knocked out against Juan Manuel Marquez in their fourth meeting before bouncing back in style against the unrelenting Brandon Rios late last year.

Bradley on the other hand has grown since the pair’s first encounter, recording a win over the electrifying Ruslan Provodnikov, in the 2013 Fight of the Year, followed by a split decision victory over the Mexican legend Marquez.

Their April showdown will go a long way to answering the many questions that have arisen since they locked horns two years earlier, with the eyes of the boxing world set to be fixated on two of the very best pound-for-pound fighters when they do battle once again.

“I want my title back and I am prepared to endure my hardest training camp ever to win this fight against Tim Bradley,” said Pacquiao. “It is very exciting to be returning to Las Vegas. And as always, I dedicate this fight to my countrymen throughout the world and to bring glory to the Philippines.”

“This fight is to get the credit I did not get the first time,” said Bradley. “I must beat Pacquiao as convincingly as I beat Juan Manuel Marquez.”

“Tim Bradley is one of the toughest guys in the world and I saw that up close when he fought Ruslan Provodnikov last year,” said Hall of Fame trainer Freddie Roach, who worked Provodnikov’s corner. “Tim looked even better in beating Marquez in his last fight. Tim is the champion and Manny and I know we have our work cut out for us to successfully challenge him on April 12.”

“This is a fight which will give us peace of mind after the controversy of our first fight,” said Bradley’s trainer Joel Diaz. “We have to win and make it clear. It’s not going to be easy for Pacquiao if he thinks he can beat Bradley. I will guarantee that.”

“At long last a competitive superfight,” said Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum. “I am sure the sports books in Las Vegas are gearing up for huge two-way action.”

Pacquiao-Bradley 2 joins BoxNation’s April schedule which also features the man known as ‘The Alien’ – Bernard Hopkins – who, at 49, puts his IBF light-heavyweight world title on the line in a unification matchup with WBA Super champion Beibut Shumenov.

Plus, the exhilarating Carl Frampton returns to the ring as he takes on Hugo Cazares in a WBC super-bantamweight world title eliminator with the victor facing off against Mexican kingpin Leo Santa Cruz.

Juergen Braehmer and Enzo Maccarinelli also go head-to-head in April for the WBA light-heavyweight world title, before BoxNation brings you the stacked Mayweather-Maidana bill which, in addition to the main event and Khan-Collazo, will see Adrien Broner take on Carlos Molina and rising star J’Leon Love against Marco Antonio Periban.

Even more top action features on BoxNation with heavyweight sensation Tyson Fury taking on the sturdy Dereck Chisora in a WBO world title eliminator on July 26th.

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky Ch.437/490HD & Virgin Ch.546) for only £12 a month (plus a one-off registration fee) visit www.boxnation.com.

-Ends-

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Diaz and Mayweather vs Alvarez.

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

For more information visit www.boxnation.com

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