LAS VEGAS (March 25, 2014) – The four-fight SHOWTIME PPV® event, “THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” is now complete with the addition of two stellar 10-round bouts. Opening the pay-per-view event will be a super middleweight matchup between unbeaten J’Leon Love and former title challenger and Mexican Olympian Marco Antonio Periban of Mexico City followed by a junior welterweight bout featuring exciting former three-division world champion Adrien “The Problem” Broner against the hard-hitting Californian Carlos Molina. The scintillating fight card, headlined by Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana and Amir Khan vs. Luis Collazo, will take place on Saturday, May 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas in what many are calling the best top-to-bottom pay-per-view boxing event in many years.

“This is a testament to the strength of a boxing event that involves Floyd Mayweather and Mayweather Promotions, said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. It will definitely be a moment no one will want to miss. Floyd gave his orders to make sure these fights were part of this show and we were able to make it happen. I think boxing fans are going to be extremely pleased with what we have put together for them. Mayweather Promotions’ J’Leon Love is training very hard for this fight. He knows a win over Periban brings him closer to a world championship. On May 3, I expect nothing less than a great night of boxing for everyone.”

“It would be easy for us to simply put a great fight like Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana on top of this card and leave it at that, but that’s not fair to the boxing fans that demand and deserve more,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “So with the rest of this pay-per-view card, we’ve stacked it with an important bout between former world champions Amir Khan and Luis Collazo, the return of one of boxing’s top young superstars as Adrien Broner faces tough Carlos Molina, and an opener between J’Leon Love and Marco Antonio Periban that could produce the next super middleweight world title challenger. It will be an unforgettable night for all boxing fans.”

One of the most talked about fighters in boxing today, Cincinnati’s Adrien “The Problem” Broner (27-1, 22 KOs), is also one of the most talented. A world titleholder in three weight classes with speed, power and heart, Broner owns victories over Paulie Malignaggi, Antonio De Marco, Daniel Ponce de Leon and Gavin Rees. The 24-year-old lost his WBA World Welterweight title in a thrilling 12-round bout against Marcos Maidana last December making May 3 a virtual must-win fight for the highly touted former champion.

“I had minor set back but I am back on May 3rd. Everybody needs to understand that I just took a loss. I haven’t lost it,” said Broner. “I’m still “The Problem” and anyone can get it, whether you are African, Puerto Rican, Dominican, Cuban or Mexican.”

A talented boxer-puncher eager to get back in the title hunt, 28-year-old Carlos Molina (17-1-1, 7 KOs) has the style and talent to hand Broner his second loss. A seven-year professional who has built a substantial fan following in Southern California, the Norwalk product has returned from a 17-month layoff refreshed and determined to win a world championship. That quest starts against Broner.

“I am so excited to be able to fight on a card of this magnitude against Adrien Broner,” said Molina. “Sure he’s tough but we all saw what happened in his last fight when he was under pressure. I have the boxing ability and punching power to beat him and that is exactly what I plan to do on May 3.”

Dearborn Heights, Mich., native J’Leon Love (17-0, 10 KOs) is a gifted fighter who impresses fans with each outing. Unbeaten as a professional, the 26-year-old member of Mayweather Promotions and “The Money Team” is coming off back-to-back knockout wins over Lajuan Simon and Vladine Biosse. He will be looking for an impressive early finish against Periban as he fights in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas.

“It is always an honor to be on the same card as my boss, Floyd Mayweather,” said Love. “I train with him in the gym everyday and see what it takes to compete at the highest level in boxing. I can’t thank Floyd and Mayweather Promotions enough for these opportunities. My opponent is a very tough competitor but I have no doubt that I will be victorious and move one step closer to a world championship. May 3 can’t get here soon enough.”

A top Mexican contender for world title honors, 29-year-old NABF Super Middleweight Champion Marco Antonio Periban (20-1-1, 13 KOs) can box or bang, making him a nightmare matchup for opponents and a favorite of fight fans. The Mexico City native won his current NABF title with a second-round knockout of Samuel Miller in 2013. While he lost a subsequent WBC title fight against Sakio Bika via a controversial decision, he knows a win over Love will put him at the top of the division again.

“This is a great opportunity for me and I will represent my country and Mexican boxing fans all over the world on this Cinco de Mayo weekend,” said Periban. “J’Leon Love might be a member of ‘The Money Team’ but that won’t matter on May 3, when he has to face someone like me. We’ll see who comes out victorious. I will not let my people or my country down.”

“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).

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, @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.

LAS VEGAS (March 25) – Las Vegas will be the center of the boxing universe Cinco de Mayo weekend and kicking it off will be an action-packed night of fights at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino when FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes feature a tripleheader that includes two World Championship bouts just one night before “THE MOMENT: Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana” takes place at MGM Grand. In the 12-round main event, the WBA Super Welterweight title is on the line when Cuban star Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara defends the belt against Las Vegas’ own former World Champion Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith.

Plus, rising lightweight star Mickey “The Spirit” Bey Jr. 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 World Title.

Lara vs. Smith, a 12-round bout for Lara’s WBA Super Welterweight World Title, is presented by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and is sponsored by Corona and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets, priced at $95, $65, $35 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes,go on sale tomorrow, Wednesday, March 26 at noon PT and will be available for purchase by visiting The Joint box office, calling 800.745.3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

“Ishe Smith talks a lot on the internet, let’s see if he fights as well as he talks,” said Lara. “I’m on a different level and he’ll know that as soon as the first bell rings. He’s fighting the best super welterweight in the world and the pressure is mounting on him so he’s trying to build himself up mentally. Come May 2nd I’m going to do Mayweather a favor and retire him.”

“This is a dream come true, not only fighting for a chance at claiming another world title, but to be doing it in front of my hometown fans and family is a blessing, I’m truly honored,” said Smith. “Lara was offered a chance to fight me back in 2012 and he turned it down to fight Freddy Hernandez instead. I will show him he was right in turning the fight down the first time. I’m ready to lay it all on the line to regain one of the super welterweight championships, come May 2nd I will turn his American Dream into an American Nightmare.”

“May 2nd should not be overlooked by any means, it’s one night with two world championships on the line,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “We have put together a card with a roster of top tier talent that will be showcased come fight night. I’m sure no one in the building or watching from home will be disappointed.”

“With the entire boxing world focusing on Las Vegas, we’re giving fans another stacked card the night before ‘THE MOMENT,'” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Two championship fights and a great matchup between top prospects will get the weekend started right on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes.”

A native of Guantanamo, Cuba who now fights out of his adopted home of Houston, Texas, Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (19-1-2, 12 KOs) is one of the most talented boxers in the sport today, with his style giving fits to whoever dares to step into the ring with him. Unbeaten in five straight, with wins over Freddy Hernandez, Alfredo Angulo and Austin Trout, Lara finally got his hands on a world championship belt in 2013 and the 30-year-old is not about to let it go.

A seasoned veteran whose February 2013 win over Cornelius Bundrage for the IBF Super Welterweight World Title was the most inspirational boxing story of the year, Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith (25-6, 11 KOs) made his fans at home and around the globe proud as he became the first Las Vegas native to win a world championship. Although he lost the belt to Carlos Molina last September, the controversial split decision prompted the WBA to put Smith back in a title fight as soon as possible and the 35-year-old vows to regain the title this May.

Cleveland native Mickey Bey Jr. (19-1-1, 10 KOs) was a top amateur before entering the professional game in 2005 and after some ups and downs, he returned to the ring in 2013 and capped off the year with a third round technical knockout win over Carlos Cardenas. Now approaching his fighting prime, he’s eager to begin his 2014 season with a big victory on May 2.

Though just 24 years old, Mazatlan, Mexico’s Alan “Explosivo” Herrera (32-5, 21 KOs) is an experienced veteran with nearly 40 professional fights to his name. A winner of six of his last seven bouts, including three first round knockouts, Herrera has the stopping power to get the respect of Bey or anyone else he faces in the ring.

Fighting out of Buenos Aires, Argentina, southpaw Jesus Cuellar (23-1, 18 KOs) was a decorated amateur with several titles on his resume, but with his style more suited to the pros, he made his debut in 2008 and hasn’t looked back since. Unbeaten in six straight, the 27-year-old won the WBA Interim Featherweight World Title last August with a 12-round unanimous decision victory over Claudio Marrero. Now he looks to make his first defense of the belt against Ramos.

Rico Ramos (23-3, 12 KOs) stunned the boxing world in 2011 when he beat the vastly more experienced Akifumi Shimoda for the WBA World Super Bantamweight World Title. While the Pico Rivera, California native lost the belt to Guillermo Rigondeaux in 2012 and navigated some rough waters after that, the 26-year-old bounced back with consecutive wins over Carlos Ivan Velasquez and Jonathan Arrellano to earn another shot at world title honors.

A full undercard will be announced shortly. For more information, visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.FOXSports.com/FoxSports1, become a follower on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MayweatherPromo, www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing , @ishesugarshay, @laraboxing, @mickeybeytmt and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions.com and www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing. Follow the conversation using #LaraSmith

LONDON (March, 25) – Boxing’s biggest draw Floyd Mayweather will make his ring return live and exclusive on BoxNation in a stacked May 3rd card from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Long recognised as the number one pound-for-pound king in boxing, Mayweather has continuously broken records, with his previous clash against Mexican star Canelo Alvarez, screened on BoxNation, becoming the highest grossing pay-per-view boxing event of all time.

The fight games biggest star, and the best dedicated boxing channel around, join forces once again as Mayweather puts his undefeated record on the line against Adrien Broner conqueror Marcos Maidana.

The relentless and spectacular punching Maidana is coming off an excellent win against Mayweather clone Broner last December and will be looking to prove lightning can strike twice as he aims to penetrate the so far impregnable defence of the five-division world champion.

The world title unification bout, which sees Mayweather’s WBC welterweight title and Maidana’s WBA equivalent up for grabs, pits two of the world’s very best 147 pounders up against one another in what will be a momentous occasion.

“Marcos Maidana’s last performance immediately brought him to my attention,” said Mayweather. “He is an extremely skilled fighter who brings knockout danger to the ring. I think this is a great fight for me and he deserves the opportunity to see if he can do what 45 others have tried to do before him – beat me.”

Argentine Maidana has cemented himself at the top of the welterweight division, earning himself a growing reputation not only as a knockout artist but one of the most entertaining fighters around today.

“I am extremely happy to be facing Floyd Mayweather because it will give me the opportunity to show the world that I am the best welterweight in the division,” said Maidana, who will represent throngs of Hispanic boxing fans on Cinco de Mayo when he faces boxing’s top dog. “I just handed a great defensive fighter his first loss and plan to do the same to Mayweather. I don’t care whether he’s the best and undefeated. I will bring some real Latino power to him.”

The May 3rd event is also set to be stacked from top to bottom, with British superstar Amir Khan making his eagerly anticipated return against Luis Collazo.

The former unified light-welterweight world champion makes the move up to welterweight as he eyes a potential showdown with the very best in the division should he come through the highly skilled Collazo.

“All I am focused on is May 3rd and getting past Luis Collazo,” said Khan. “He’s a tremendous fighter that is coming off a great win against Victor Ortiz. My aim is to establish myself in the division and a fight against a full blown welterweight in Collazo offers me that chance. It’s going to be a great fight and one not to be missed.”

Collazo, who ran Ricky Hatton very close when they met in 2006, has bounced back in recent times by recording a stunning victory over Victor Ortiz earlier this year and will be looking to upset Khan when they meet.

“Defeating Victor Ortiz in January was just the beginning,” said Collazo. “Facing and beating Amir Khan on the biggest stage in the sport is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I will take full advantage of this and put myself in the best position to face the winner of the main event. I hope Khan is ready because Brooklyn is coming to take him down.”

Both Khan and Collazo will be looking to throw their names into the hat as potential Mayweather foes when they fight under the gaze of the headline act.

“Both Amir Khan and Luis Collazo have made it known that they want a shot at the winner of the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana, so what better way for them to prove that they’re next in line than by fighting on “THEMOMENT” card on May 3?” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “These are two exciting former world champions and this fight has the potential to steal the show.”

BoxNation has grown spectacularly since its inception in 2011 with the channel constantly showing the very best domestic and international fights from around the world.

A host of top level bouts including Mayweather’s impending battle with Maidana will be available from April for just £12 a month (plus a one-off registration fee).

To subscribe to BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/490HD & Virgin Ch.546) please visit www.boxnation.com.

-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 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.

LAS VEGAS (March 24, 2014) – An explosive matchup of two world-class fighters is coming to the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas on Saturday, May 3, when British superstar and former Unified Super Lightweight World Champion Amir “King” Khan faces Brooklyn native and WBA International Welterweight Champion Luis Collazo in the 12-round welterweight co-main event of “THE MOMENT: Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana” on SHOWTIME PPV.

A media conference call featuring both fighters is scheduled for Wednesday, March 26 at
3 p.m. ET/12 p.m. PT. Additional details to follow this announcement.

“I’m looking forward to fighting in Las Vegas once again, and my intention on May 3 is to make a statement that I belong on this big stage,” said Khan. “Luis Collazo might be coming off of a big win, but I am in incredible shape and am ready for this challenge. A win on May 3 is what I need to prove that I truly am one of the best welterweights in the sport.”

“Defeating Victor Ortiz in January was just the beginning,” said Collazo. “Facing and beating Amir Khan on the biggest stage in the sport is a once in a lifetime opportunity. I will take full advantage of this and put myself in the best position to face the winner of the main event. I hope Khan is ready because Brooklyn is coming to take him down.”

“Both Amir Khan and Luis Collazo have made it known that they want a shot at the winner of the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Marcos Maidana, so what better way for them to prove that they’re next in line than by fighting on “THE MOMENT” card on May 3?” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “These are two exciting former world champions and this fight has the potential to steal the show.”

“Amir Khan and Luis Collazo are aggressive boxers who deliver excitement and fan-friendly action in every fight,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports®. “With the addition of this main event-caliber co-feature bout, boxing’s biggest night of the year has become even bigger. Mayweather vs. Maidana and Khan vs. Collazo is a spectacular one-two punch for boxing fans.”

A British standout who represented his nation in the 2004 Olympic Games, where he won a silver medal, Bolton’s Amir “King” Khan (28-3, 19 KOs) went from local hero to international star when he won his first world title at 140 pounds in 2009. After five successful defenses that included wins over Marcos Maidana, Paulie Malignaggi and Zab Judah, Khan lost his title by way of a controversial decision to Lamont Peterson in 2011. Winner of two straight over Carlos Molina and Julio Diaz since, the flashy, flamboyant 27-year-old boxer-puncher is now campaigning at welterweight, where he seeks championship gold once again.

Brooklyn’s Luis Collazo (35-5, 18 KOs) has long been one of New York’s finest exports, a slick boxer who isn’t afraid to get into the trenches and slug it out. Collazo is a former WBA Welterweight World Champion and currently holds the WBA International Welterweight Title. No stranger to facing the elite in his weight class, he has squared off against fighters such as Jose Antonio Rivera, Ricky Hatton, Shane Mosley and Andre Berto. Collazo took nearly two years off from the ring, but since returning in 2011, he has won five of six bouts, including four straight. This past January, he made the statement of a lifetime with a blistering second-round knockout victory over favored former world champion Victor Ortiz, and he has similar plans for Khan on May 3.

“THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” a 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles, 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 Collazo’s WBA International Welterweight title. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and is the third fight of Mayweather’s lucrative multi-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000 and $750, not including applicable service charges and taxes are on sale now. 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 for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information go to, visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @chinomaidana, @amirkingkhan, @realluiscollazo, @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 www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

LAS VEGAS (March 8, 2014) – Boxing superstar and 10-Time World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather (45-0, 26 KOs) held court at a jam-packed press conference at MGM Grand today to formally discuss his 147-pound welterweight world title unification bout against the dangerous, hard-hitting Marcos “El Chino” Maidana (34-3, 31 KOs) in the main event of “THE MOMENT” on Saturday, May 3 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

Addressing media members hours before the start of Saturday night’s “TOE TO TOE: Canelo vs. Angulo” event on SHOWTIME PPV, Mayweather touched on a variety of subjects, including Maidana, the upcoming matchup with the Argentine slugger, his future and more. Also speaking were Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions and Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME SPORTS.

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

“Maidana is a young, strong and tough competitor. He’s a guy that I can’t overlook. You can never take any fighter for granted because anything can happen.

“I believe in dedicating myself to my craft. This is my 18th year in the sport. I’ve had a strong run and we’ve got three more fights after this one. I truly believe in taking one fight at a time.

“This was my first week out [in training camp] and we had a tremendous week.

“Hopefully, some day I help some of this up-and-coming talent and promote them. Boxing is growing and is here to stay.

“I’m not scared of any opponent. I fight who I want to fight.

“Tonight is another marvelous show. Canelo is one hell of a fighter and Angulo is too. It’s going to be nonstop action. This is a fight not to miss.

“Canelo’s a different breed. A lot of people think because of the way I made Canelo look, they’re going to be able to do the same thing, but that’s not true. He’s a strong fighter.

“Tonight’s fight is different than my fight with Canelo back in September. They [Canelo and Angulo] have great styles and styles make fights. This fight is tailor made to be a war.

“I fight myself. I don’t fight to break Ali’s record or Sugar Ray Robinson’s record. I fight to please myself. I know in my heart where I’m rated. I didn’t fight in Ali’s era. This is my era.

“I don’t know who my three next opponents will be. A lot of people ask me that. You want to fight me? Earn it.

“I’m a strong critic of myself. I’m really hard on myself. Even with the Canelo fight and the fight before that fight, I wasn’t happy with my performance. I haven’t reached my peak yet. I know I can do better.

“I’ve been in the sport of boxing for a long time, but I haven’t been able to bring my ‘A-game’ totally out. I’ve beaten fighters with my ‘C-Game’ and with my ‘D-Game,’ but I haven’t been able to beat anybody with my ‘A-Game.’

“I’m a firm believer that before you can go anywhere, you have to conquer the level that you are at, just like young kids do it today with video games, they have to finish one level to go to the next one. Conquer one level at the time, and only then you’ll get where you want to go to.

“I always say that I’m a clean athlete and that I should be randomly tested anytime, urine and blood.

“I have only seen Maidana’s last fight against Broner. I’ve only watched the first six or seven rounds. I’ve also seen highlights of other fights, but not many. He’s a good fighter; I’m not taking him for granted. I don’t take anybody for granted.”

ROBERT GARCIA, Maidana’s Trainer
“In 1998, Floyd and I won a title in the same year in the same weight division. Sixteen years later, I’m training my fighters to fight him and he’s still a champion. That is hard to believe.

“Our guy Maidana earned this fight. I want to thank Mayweather for taking this fight.

“There were other names out there, but Mayweather is a boxing person and he made the right choice. I think Maidana earned the right to fight Floyd. He’s going to come out and do his best. Just like he did against Adrien Broner.

“Broner was supposed to be the next great thing. What Maidana did to him was something that no one believed could happen. It takes hard work and dedication.

“It takes a great fighter that listens to what his coaches tell him to do and we’re going to come out and do our best to please everyone with a great fight and come out with a win. Everyone has a time and it could be this time. No one has a blueprint because no one has ever beaten Floyd.”

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO of 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.

“The tickets went on sale this morning at 10 a.m. There are 16,000 seats [in the arena] and 14,000 were sold with over $12 million in the bank already.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions
“Maidana’s a tremendous fighter. He can crack with either hand and Floyd is going to have to be at his best to beat him on May 3.

[On the Mayweather Promotions opponent poll] “Floyd has over 11 million followers across different platforms, all of those were taken under consideration.

“On the first tweet he put out, there were over 50,000 comments on the first two hours. My team and I went through all of the responses, and Maidana was an overwhelming favorite.

“Maidana earned the right to fight Floyd and May 3 is going to be a great night for boxing.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME SPORTS
“SHOWTIME Sports has become the home of the most compelling fights and the biggest events in the sport of boxing. And there are no bigger events than those featuring Floyd Mayweather.

“We are proud to be part of the May 3rd event and look forward to another incredible night at the fights.”

# # #

“THE MOMENT: Mayweather vs. Maidana,” a 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and AT&T. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV (9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT) and is the third fight of a lucrative six-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000, $750, $550 and $350, not including applicable service charges and taxes are on sale now. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of two (2) at the $350 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

LAS VEGAS (March 5, 2014) – MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas, Nev. has won the right to host the Saturday, May 3 mega-fight between 10-time and Five-Division World Champion and current WBC Welterweight World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather against Argentine power-puncher and WBA Welterweight World Champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana.

“We are honored to host another one of Floyd Mayweather’s epic championship fights at MGM Grand,” said Richard Sturm, president of Sports and Entertainment for MGM Resorts International. “The MGM Grand Garden Arena has been Floyd’s home for many years and he always thrills the fans inside the Arena and those watching worldwide.”

“We are so delighted that Floyd will be fighting at the MGM Grand Garden Arena for the 12th time,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “It is truly Floyd’s home away from home and as we always say, when Floyd fights at MGM Grand, it stands for ‘Mayweather gets money’ because of his ability to sell every seat in the house.”

“Floyd Mayweather will be coming home once again on May 3 when he faces Marcos Maidana at MGM Grand in Las Vegas,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “With 11 of his previous fights being held at MGM Grand, Floyd has become the venue’s greatest sports franchise, so it is only fitting that he face one of his toughest challenges here in his adopted hometown of Las Vegas.”

Mayweather has fought and won some of his most memorable battles at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, including wins over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and most recently Canelo Alvarez last September. This will be the ninth consecutive time that Mayweather fights at MGM Grand and 12th appearance overall.

Mayweather is known for breaking records every time he steps into the ring as evidenced by his appearances at MGM Grand as well as the facts outlined below:

Mayweather’s last five fights have been sellouts.
Mayweather’s September 2013 fight against Canelo Alvarez shattered gate records totaling more than $20 million.
MGM Grand displays Mayweather “Home of the Champion” banners on the exterior of the building.
The official weigh-in for the Mayweather vs. Canelo fight in September at the MGM Grand Garden Arena set a record of more than 12,000 fans in attendance, making it one of the biggest weigh-ins in the history of the sport.
It is very rare for events to use souvenir tickets, but it is a Mayweather standard to create tickets with a fight graphic. At his last fight against Canelo, Mayweather had artist Richard Slone develop a one-of-a-kind piece printed on all of the tickets.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000, $750, $550 and $350, not including applicable service charges and taxes, go on sale Saturday, March 8 at 10 a.m. PT. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per person with a limit of two (2) at the $350 price range. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Mayweather vs. Maidana, a 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV and is the third fight of a lucrative six-fight deal with SHOWTIME Networks Inc.

More details about the event, including undercard bouts, will be announced shortly.

The MGM Grand Garden Arena is home to concerts, championship boxing and premier sporting and special events. The Arena offers comfortable seating for as many as 16,800 with excellent sightlines and state-of-the-art acoustics, lighting and sound. Prominent events to date have included world championship fights between Evander Holyfield and Mike Tyson as well as Oscar de la Hoya vs. Floyd Mayweather and Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez; and concerts by The Rolling Stones, Madonna, Elton John, Bruce Springsteen, Paul McCartney, Bette Midler, George Strait, Justin Timberlake, Beyonce, U2, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars, Coldplay, Alicia Keys, Jimmy Buffett and the Barbra Streisand Millennium Concert. The MGM Grand Garden Arena also is home to annual events including Academy of Country Music Awards, Billboard Music Awards, iHeartRadio Music Festival, Pac-12 Men’s Basketball Championship and the Frozen Fury NHL pre-season game hosted by the Los Angeles Kings.

Superstar Floyd “Money” Mayweather will be ringside at tonight’s ShoBox: The New Generation from Turning Stone Casino in Verona, N.Y., and will be interviewed during the live telecast on SHOWTIME (9:30 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast). This will be the first television interview Mayweather will give since announcing his next fight against Marcos “El Chino” Maidana which will take place on Saturday, May 3, live on SHOWTIME PPV®.

Three of Mayweather’s undefeated fighters will be featured on the evening’s Mayweather Promotions tripleheader – J’Leon Love, Badou Jack and Chris Pearson.
ABOUT LOVE vs. BIOSSE:
Love vs. Biosse is a 10-round super middleweight bout promoted by Mayweather Promotions this Friday, Feb. 28 at Turning Stone Resort Casino in Verona, NY. The ShoBox: The New Generation telecast will air live on SHOWTIME® immediately following the episode 1 premiere of ALL ACCESS: Canelo vs. Angulo at 9:30 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) live on SHOWTIME®.

Tickets priced at $60, $35, $25 and $15, plus applicable taxes, fees and service are available at the Turning Stone Box Office, by calling the box office directly at 1-877-833-7469 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s biggest challenge on May 3 won’t come from Marcos Maidana. Not even Maidana’s heavy-handed power has much of a chance at knocking Mayweather off his pound-for-pound perch.

But Mayweather’s promotional skill faces a real test as he reaches what could be the halfway point of a Showtime deal for a possible six fights and a potential $250 million. Maidana-Mayweather looks to be a tough sell, especially at a pay-per-view price for the Showtime telecast that figures to be $60, or $70 for high definition.

Mayweather’s biggest rivals will be in a busy PPV market during the next few months. There’s Canelo Alvarez-Alfredo Angulo on Showtime PPV on March 8. On April 12, Manny Pacquiao and Tim Bradley engage in a PPV rematch offered by Home Box Office. After Mayweather-Maidana, there’s Miguel Cotto-Sergio Martinez on June 7, also an HBO pay-per-view bout.

To watch all four in high-def, it’ll cost $280. That’s not much if you’re in Mayweather’s income bracket. For the average fan, however, that’s a lot of groceries.

Mayweather’s marketing team will invest time and ad money into saying that Maidana is dangerous. He is – he was – in beating Adrien Broner in a December upset that shoved Amir Khan to the back of the line and earned Maidana the big payday that comes with a shot at Mayweather.

But some of the early betting odds indicate that the public will need a lot of convincing. Mayweather could be a 10-1 favorite. Translation: The bookies are saying that the betting public thinks that Maidana has no chance. Compare that to Pacquiao-Bradley in a sequel of Bradley’s hugely controversial decision over the Filipino Congressman in June, 2012. Pacquiao is a slight favorite.

Odds are, Pacquiao-Bradley is the better buy.

There’s a theory, often offered by Showtime, that people will watch Mayweather no matter who he fights. OK, Mayweather possesses singular speed and skill. But this isn’t Olympic figure skating. It’s a fight. If there isn’t much doubt, there isn’t much drama.

Maidana is a tough sell for at least two reasons:

· Khan, whose reputation has taken the biggest beating in the polling and guessing game over who Mayweather would anoint as his next foe, beat Maidana in what was the 2010 Fight of the Year.

· Maidana lost a one-sided decision to Devon Alexander in 2012. On only one of three scorecards did Maidana win a single round. He was shut out on two cards. The 10-round loss to the quick Alexander could serve as a preview to what might happen to Maidana against Mayweather, who has lost some foot speed but still had enough to confound Robert Guerrero and Canelo. Maidana has one thing in common with Guerrero and Canelo. He’s flat-footed, which represents two more reasons to think he has virtually no chance on May 3.

Mayweather, whose career has generated a reported 12.8 million PPV customers for about $800 million in gross revenue, is averaging 1.5 million PPV buys over his last eight bouts, according to reports from the networks and television media.

It’ll be harder to maintain that average than it will to stay unbeaten.

BOLTON (Feb. 25) – Official statement from Amir Khan following the official announcement confirming that Marcos Maidana will fight Floyd Mayweather on Saturday 3rd May.

“Following the announcement by Floyd Mayweather that he will be facing Marcos Maidana on May 3rd I would like to clarify my situation for my fans and members of the media.

“Despite having signed my part of the agreement to fight Floyd in early December, I’ve been preparing myself for some time that the match up with him wasn’t going to happen, as I announced on Twitter a few days ago. Therefore, this announcement did not come as a surprise.

“I am, however, very disappointed with Floyd and his team for not providing any explanation as to why he delayed the announcement for so long and ultimately avoided the fight with me.

“Clarification, if he was not fighting me, would have allowed me to look over my options and pursue another path, rather than the ultimate delay to my career this has caused.

“It has been a very frustrating period as I’d been due to fight in December against Devon Alexander, however, I was strongly advised to not take this fight as I would be facing Floyd this May – and therefore signed my side of the contract on this belief.

“Floyd was keen to engage with the fans and so decided to let them choose who he should fight in his next bout. I clearly won his official poll, by a significant margin, but for unknown reasons he decided to ignore the fans vote and failed to keep his word. Disappointing many fight fans who took the time to vote.

“I genuinely wish Marcos and Floyd all the best for their fight – two great fighters. As a team we have now moved on and are looking at different options.

“I’ve been training very hard since my last fight. I’m a fighter who wants to face the very best out there and have never ducked any opponent.

“I’m focused and ready for my next outing – we currently have a few options on the table at the moment and my team are working alongside Golden Boy Promotions to announce my next fight within the next 10 days.

“I can’t wait to get back in the ring and am determined to put on a great show for my loyal fans who have waited a long time to see me back in action – and I’m very excited about what’s yet to come this year. Thank you for all your continued support.”

LAS VEGAS (Feb. 24, 2014) – After weeks of speculation, including feedback from fans across an array of social media platforms, boxing’s pound-for-pound superstar, pay-per-view king and WBC Welterweight World Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather will face the dangerous, power-punching WBA Welterweight World Champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana on Saturday, May 3, live on SHOWTIME PPV.

Mayweather vs. Maidana, a 12-round world championship unification bout for Mayweather and Maidana’s respective 147-pound titles, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV and is the third fight of a lucrative six-fight deal with Showtime Networks Inc.

Mayweather vs. Maidana will pit the brilliance of Mayweather against the power of the Argentine slugger.

Mayweather (45-0, 26 KOs), undeniably the sport’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter and a 10-time world champion, is coming off of a spectacular 2013 in which he continued to display his ring prowess with dominating victories over Robert Guerrero and Canelo Alvarez. In Maidana, Mayweather is arguably facing the most demanding and troublesome opponent of his heralded, 17-year Hall Of Fame career.

“Marcos Maidana’s last performance immediately brought him to my attention,” said Mayweather, who celebrates his 37th birthday today. “He is an extremely skilled fighter who brings knockout danger to the ring. I think this is a great fight for me and he deserves the opportunity to see if he can do what 45 others have tried to do before him – beat me.”

Maidana (35-3, 31 KOs), of Margarita, Santa Fe, Argentina, captured the attention of boxing and sports fans around the world with his thorough defeat of the highly regarded and undefeated Adrien Broner on Dec. 14, 2013. The 30-year-old impressively dominated Broner from the opening bell and registered two knockdowns against the three-time world champion. Maidana connected with a punishing 231 power punches in the bout en route to a unanimous decision by margins of 117-109, 115-109 and 115-110.

The resounding victory over the heavily favored Broner was the fourth in a row for the crowd-pleasing, offensive-minded Maidana. A former WBA 140-pound world champion, Maidana’s hard-charging, aggressive style has earned him knockouts in 82 percent of his wins. The remarkable ratio of knockouts ties the late Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo for the highest knockout percentage of any Mayweather opponent to date and is one of the highest of any current fighter at the world-class level.

“I am extremely happy to be facing Floyd Mayweather because it will give me the opportunity to show the world that I am the best welterweight in the division,” said Maidana, who will represent throngs of Hispanic boxing fans on Cinco de Mayo when he faces the pound-for-pound king. “I just handed a great defensive fighter his first loss and I plan to do the same to Mayweather. I don’t care whether he’s the best and undefeated. I will bring some real Latino power to him on May 3rd.”

“This is an extremely dangerous fight for Floyd as Marcos Maidana is a technical knock-out artist and continues to show us that he gets better with each fight,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “Maidana showed so much in his last performance, he’s clearly at the top of his game and a great match-up for Floyd.”

Mayweather set in motion a flurry of online polls following a message posted to his Twitter and Instagram accounts (@floydmayweather) on Sunday, Feb. 2 asking fans to voice their opinion on his next opponent. Through the accumulation of more than 100,000 votes on the various online polls, more than 100,000 comments on Mayweather’s Facebook and Instagram pages, as well as nonstop fan Tweets, Mayweather saw an overwhelming majority favor Maidana.

“In Marcos Maidana, Floyd Mayweather may be in for his toughest opponent ever,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “Maidana is the type of fighter who will find out if Floyd still belongs on top of the pound-for-pound list. He’s strong, tough and aggressive. He in giving Adrien Broner his first loss, he showed that he won’t be intimidated by talk, a big fight atmosphere or an unbeaten record. I give Floyd a lot of credit for stepping up to the plate and testing himself once again. He is a true warrior, and the fans will be the winners on May 3rd.”

“The first two events in our partnership with Floyd Mayweather were incredible and SHOWTIME PPV is proud to present the next chapter in Floyd’s remarkable career,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports®. “Marcos Maidana is a boxer whose fearsome power can change the trajectory of a fight with a single punch. Couple that with his ferocity and perseverance and you have the recipe for an incredible fight on the grandest stage of the sport.”

Undefeated Floyd “Money” Mayweather, (45-0, 26 KOs), a 10-time world champion in five weight divisions, reaffirmed his worldwide popularity when he faced then- undefeated boxing phenom Canelo Alvarez last September. The mega-event, which set the record as the highest grossing pay-per-view event in television history with over $150 million in revenue, showed once again that Mayweather’s drawing power is unlike any other. During Mayweather’s extraordinary career, he has amassed wins over numerous world champions, including Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Juan Manuel Marquez, Shane Mosley, Victor Ortiz, Miguel Cotto, Robert Guerrero and most recently Canelo, marking the 45th win. Over the course of his pay-per-view career Mayweather has generated more than 12.8 million buys and over $800 million in revenue. The Grand Rapids, Mich., native, who fights out of Las Vegas, averages more than one million pay-per-view buys per event, which is the highest pay-per-view buy average of any boxer in history, and is the only fighter to participate in two events which generated over 2 million pay-per-view buys each. In 2007, Mayweather co-headlined a pay-per-view event with De La Hoya which generated the largest number of PPV buys in history. Mayweather has also been listed by Sports Illustrated (2012, 2013) and Forbes
(2012) as the world’s highest paid athlete in any sport.

Thirty-year-old Marcos “El Chino” Maidana (35-3, 31 KOs) stunned the boxing world in December when he defeated up-and-coming superstar Adrien Broner with an unforgettable performance. Hailing from Margarita, Santa Fe, Argentina, Maidana first emerged on the world scene in 2009, when he won the interim WBA Junior Welterweight World Championship with a stunning sixth-round technical knockout over Victor Ortiz. After three defenses of his title, Maidana lost a 2010 Fight of the Year candidate to Amir Khan, but he regained the belt with another classic against future Hall of Famer Erik Morales in 2011. In 2012, Maidana joined forces with renowned trainer Robert Garcia (2012 Trainer of the Year) and has since gone undefeated at 4-0 with 3 knockouts.

More details about the event will be announced shortly.

Polls can be as reliable as scorecards. About as scientific, too. That’s why it’s hard to know what to make of Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s question to fans about his next opponent.

Marcos Maidana?

Or Amir Khan?

From this corner, Khan still looks like Mayweather’s likely foe on May 3 no matter what the poll says. The only numbers that seem to matter are summed up by Mayweather’s nickname, Money. Follow it and you can get a pretty good look at what Mayweather is attempting. Against Britain’s Khan, Mayweather has a shot at a share of the UK’s big pay-per-view potential. Against Argentina’s Maidana, he doesn’t.

That’s a theory anyway. On second thought, however, perhaps it’s too simple. Mayweather is a gambler only at Vegas’ sports books. As a boxer, he’s careful about whom he fights and when he fights. He manages the risk, which helps explain his longevity and maybe his unbeaten record, 45-0 and counting.

The Maidana-or-Khan poll is the result of an argument that emerged after Maidana’s beat-down of Mayweather wannabe Adrien Broner in December. Then, there was already public discontent about whether Khan deserved the opportunity. He has won twice, yet struggled since Danny Garcia upset him. In April, he had to get up from a fourth-round knockdown for a narrow decision over Julio Diaz. Maidana, who lost to Khan in the 2010 Fight of the Year, has done more to stake his claim. Fair enough, but this is boxing. Fair is often an illusion, if not an artful feint.

Few give Khan a chance against Mayweather. Yet despite his vulnerable chin and recent struggles, he still possesses fast hands and agile feet. Mayweather has been at his dominant best against foes he has called flat-footed. Can it be a coincidence that Robert Guerrero and Canelo Alvarez were the first two opponents on his rich Showtime contract? He called them flat-footed and he proved it with dominant victories over both.

No matter what you think of Khan, he’s not flat-footed. Add his fast hands, and Mayweather could have a problem, at least for a while. It’s simple as that old line about styles. They make fights. Few understand that quite as thoroughly as Mayweather.

The risk against Khan might look slim, but it’s bigger than the one Mayweather would face against Maidana. The Argentine has heavy-hands, but they land in a predictable, almost plodding way. Put Maidana in a foot race with Canelo and Guerrero, and you’ve got a dead heat.

Mayweather figures to beat either Maidana or Khan. But if it’s Maidana, he limits the risk. Doesn’t he always?

The poll gives him a chance to pass off the responsibility. Madiana was the poll’s early leader. Let’s assume it finishes with Maidana as the pick. If somebody accuses Mayweather of taking an easier fight in Maidana, he can simply say that he’s only giving fans what they want.

For the moment, let’s assume that Khan is Mayweather’s opponent, regardless of the poll. Then, it could become another example of Mayweather’s gamesmanship. Khan, who said weeks ago that he already has signed to fight Mayweather, appears as nervous as a politician fearful of losing an election.

Within hours of learning that Maidana was leading the poll, Khan was on Twitter, saying:

“Mayweather says he needs a easy fight and fans want to see a knock out so maybe thats the reason he doesn’t want fight me n wants Maidana ??”

“for those that hate me & think FM can KO me, then let’s see him try. Fight me! #SkillvSkill SpeedvSpeed.”

No matter what happens in this poll, the only winner is the guy conducting it.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, Adrien Broner will exercise his rematch clause and get right back in with the man who took his WBA Welterweight title in Marcos Maidana.

“My mind is set on war,” Broner told ESPN.com on Friday. “I had a bad night. He was the better man that night, but he didn’t beat me. He outhustled me. I respect everything. I respect him. But I’m ready to go back to war and get my belt back.

“I’m taking boxing back to what it used to be. They created a monster. (The loss) woke up a monster.”

Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said he thinks the fight will be either April 19 or April 26, and will take place at the StubHub Center in Carson, Calif., or San Antonio’s Alamodome, site of the December fight.

“I think the first fight was a helluva fight and a fight of the year candidate,” said Schaefer, who originally said at ringside after the fight that there was no rematch clause but corrected his mistake Friday. “Adrien is still very young, and he wants to set the record straight. And for Maidana, I am sure he is licking his chops to get his hands on Broner again.

“I don’t think there was much love between those two before the fight, during the fight or after the fight. I know we can expect fireworks again in the lead up to the fight, at the press conferences and during the fight. As a fight fan, I am excited. I can’t wait.”

“I wanted to go right back to camp after the fight, but I knew my body wasn’t able to go to camp physically,” Broner said. “But mentally I wanted to box. I know what I gotta do in the rematch and I will do it. It will be a different outcome. I am starting to get myself ready. It’ll be another good fight. I gotta go get mine back.”

“I got real people in my corner,” Broner said. “And I’m not going to change no trainers. It has nothing to do with the trainer. My trainer (Mike Stafford) can’t fight for me. I have a helluva coach. He’s one of the best in the world. So I took a loss. But my check was amazing.”

“We are open to hear offers as always, and Broner may be of them, I guess,” Contursi told ESPN.com. “All we know is Maidana has earned the right to fight for big money after his impressive win over Broner and after being one of the most attractive fighters out there in the last few years. … But if Golden Boy and Al Haymon (adviser to Maidana, Broner and Mayweather) think a rematch with Broner is the best option, we will wait for their offer.”

Said Broner: “The rematch will have a different outcome guaranteed. I’m happy for (Maidana). I want him to have his 15 minutes of fame. At the end of the day, nobody is talking about his victory. They are talking about Adrien Broner’s loss. Some people don’t even know who I lost to. They just know I lost.”

NEW YORK (Dec. 17, 2013)—SHOWTIME Sports® continued with significant gains in viewership on its flagship series SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® on Saturday, Dec. 14, drawing 1.3 million viewers to an action-packed main event featuring the welterweight world championship, Adrien Broner vs. Marcos Maidana. The dramatic bout, the final match on the 2013 boxing calendar, is a late contender for boxing’s coveted Fight of the Year honor.

The audience performance during the main event ranks as the third-highest audience on record for live boxing on SHOWTIME since the network began tracking individual bouts in 2009.

The average viewership across the entire event, a four-fight, four-hour telecast, brings the series’ 2013 average up 24 percent and a remarkable 64 percent over 2011.

Further, the average audience for the entire telecast ranks as the fourth-largest live boxing telecast on SHOWTIME since 2004 (when the Nielsen began separately measuring premium television multiplex channels) with all four coming within the last 12 months ranking behind the events headlined by Miguel Cotto vs. Austin Trout (Dec. 1, 2012); Paul Malignaggi vs. Adrien Broner (June 22, 2013); and Bernard Hopkins vs. Karo Murat (Oct. 26, 2013).

“SHOWTIME Sports has achieved incredible growth in viewership of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING in 2013, and we’ll take this momentum into 2014,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President & General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “With marquee events featuring boxing’s No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter and global star Floyd Mayweather, the return of Canelo Alvarez, and a myriad of incredible matchups on the horizon in the welterweight, junior welterweight and super welterweight divisions—the very deepest, most talent-rich divisions in boxing–our subscribers can continue to expect SHOWTIME Sports to deliver the biggest and most significant bouts in boxing.”

Replays of the full four-fight telecast air tonight, Dec. 17 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME® and again on Tuesday, Dec. 24 at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHOWTIME EXTREME®. The telecast is available at SHOWTIME ON DEMAND® and via mobile devices on SHOWTIME ANYTIME®.

The event was promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Leija*Battah Promotions and emanated from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

A rousing quadrupleheader from start to finish was capped by Maidana’s scintillating performance. The fearless Argentine scored two knockdowns en route to a unanimous decision over the heavily favored, previously unbeaten Broner. The startling result becomes an instant candidate for not only Fight of the Year, but Upset of the Year as well.

In the co-feature, undefeated Keith Thurman retained his WBA Interim Welterweight title with a sensational ninth-round stoppage over tough-as-nails Jesus Soto Karass in a Knockout of the Year candidate. The always-exciting Leo Santa Cruz kept his WBC Super Bantamweight belt with a unanimous decision over determined Cesar Seda in a 12-round slugfest. And WBA Light Heavyweight Champion Beibut Shumenov made an emphatic statement with an impressive third-round TKO over Slovakia’s Tomas Kovacs.

# # #

“DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana,” for Broner’s WBA Welterweight World Championship took place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, was promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T, Grudge Match and Casamigos Tequila. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, Keith Thurman put his interim WBA Welterweight World Championship on the line against Jesus Soto Karass. Leo Santa Cruz put his WBC Super Bantamweight World title on the line against Cesar Seda and Beibut Shumenov faced Tamas Kovacs in a 12-round clash for Shumenov’s WBA Super & IBA Light Heavyweight World titles. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast aired live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and was available in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts aired live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

SAN ANTONIO – Adrien Broner calls himself The Problem because he thought he’d never have one. Marcos Maidana proved just how wrong he was.

Maidana was his problem, again and again, throughout 12 surprising rounds Saturday night at the Alamodome. In the end, Broner was left with multiple problems. But let’s start with the biggie. Broner, a big betting favorite, lost for the first time.

But, it turns out, Broner had an edge in only flamboyance. All of the other advantages belonged to Maidana. The Argentine’s power, resilience and nasty grit were just too much for Broner, who entered the ring with About Billions spelled out in gold sequins on the back of his robe and trunks. He left looking like a broken man. There were no billions in his loss to Maidana. There wasn’t even a single scorecard in his favor.

The judges were unanimous for Maidana. Laurence Cole scored it 117-109, Nelson Vazquez had it 116-109 and Stanley Christodoulou 116-110, all for the heavy-handed Argentine.

Maidana re-defined those AB initials on the front of Broner’s robe. They could have meant Approaching Bankruptcy in this stunning bout, Broner’s second and perhaps last attempt at welterweight.

“I showed I had a lot of heart,’’ Maidana said.

Actually, Maidana showed a lot more than that. He fought with urgency, almost as if he knew this was his career’s last chance in an arena named for a one history’s famous last stands. Maidana (35-3, 31 KOs) made an immediate statement, stunning Broner (27-1, 22 KOs) with a left hook against the ropes.

That left hand punctuated the fight early, midway and in the end. It knocked down Broner in the second and again in the eighth. It was always there, slowing down Broner just as though it looked as if he were about to dictate the pace and perhaps the result. Broner raced to his dressing room without facing the media. His only quote came through a spokesperson. He asked for another chance.

“I’ll tell you one thing, I want a rematch,’’ Broner said through the spokesperson. “I don’t want a warm-up fight. I want a rematch.’’

Maidana had no problem with that request.

“Sure, I’ll do a rematch,’’ said Maidana, who never seemed bothered by the power shots thrown by Broner, a former lightweight and maybe a future one.

Maidana spoke with confidence that he could repeat a victory that included some rough moments. In the eighth, Maidana was penalized one point after dropping Broner to his knees. The penalty was for an infraction that looked to be an elbow and/or head butt to Broner’s chin. It left Broner rolling around in the canvas in apparent pain. There was also a look of anguish, if not self-doubt. It almost appeared that Broner wondered what he had gotten himself in to.

“It was a dirty fight,’’ Maidana said. “I had to get dirty.’’

He had to be The Real Problem.

The Best of the Undercard

· Florida welterweight Keith Thurman calls himself One Time. It’s etched across the belt of his trunks. It’s supposed to be a promise. It’s what he intends to do to the other guy. One time early in the first round, however, it almost happened to Thurman (22-0, 19 KOs). Jesus Soto Karass (28-9-3, 18 KOs), Antonio Margarito’s old sparring partner, hurt him with a winging right. Thurman was quick to recover, landed a left for a knockdown in the sixth and went on to win by a wicked stoppage at 2:21 of the ninth. Soto Karass dropped his hands after he was rocked by a left from Thurman, who followed with three successive punches – two lefts and a right.

· If there’s a sure sign of Leo Santa Cruz’ imminent stardom, it’s in the margins. It’s not if he wins. It’s how. Santa Cruz (26-0-1, 15 KOs) wasn’t happy with his unanimous decision over Puerto Rican Cesar Seda (25-2, 17 KOs). “I wanted to give the fans of San Antonio a better fight,’’ said the Los Angeles super-bantamweight, who retained his acronym-sanctioned version of the title. In the fifth, Santa Cruz knocked down Seda, who argued that he was robbed. But even the knockdown wasn’t enough for Santa Cruz, his own worst critic and a good bet to improve.

· Beibut Shumenov looks awkward. Looks slow. But don’t let looks fool you. His power is real. Shumenov 14-1, 9 KOs), another Kazakhstani with a big punch, knocked down Tamas Kovacs (23-1, 14 KOs) once in the first round, again in the second and finished the Slovakian by TKO at 2:55 of the third. In his first fight in a year-and-a-half, Shumenov kept his acronym-sanctioned light-heavyweight belt and maybe moved to the front of the line as a possible challenger to Bernard Hopkins, who watched from a ringside seat.

The Controversial

Former super-middleweight champion Jermain Taylor was off TV. Some thought he should been off the card, too. But he wasn’t. Taylor was licensed to fight in his second comeback since suffering a reported brain bleed in a loss to Arthur Abraham in 2009. Taylor (32-4-1, 20 KOs) was never in danger in this one, scoring a fifth-round knockdown en route to a seventh-round TKO of faded J.C. Candelo (32-13-4, 21 KOs) of Houston.
The Rest

· Junior-welterweight Ricardo Alvarez (28-4, 20 KOs) has none of his brother’s red hair, but some of his luck. Alvarez, Canelo’s brother, got a 10-round majority decision – a controversial one, too – over Rod Salka (18-3, 3 KOs) of Bunola, PA.

· In a television opener, Toledo lightweight Robert Easter Jr. (8-0, 8 KOs) scored a first-round knockout by dropping Chilean Hardy Paredes (16-13, 10 KOs) with a paralyzing body shot 2:30 after the opening bell.

· Three-time Olympian Rau’Shee Warren stayed unbeaten as a pro bantamweight with an 8-round, unanimous decision over Mexican Jose Silveria (15-10, 6 KOs). But there’s some discrepancy about Warren’s record. The official program and FightFax listed him at 16-0 with three KOs before opening bell. According to BoxRec, he’s now 9-0, his record since his final amateur bout at the 2012 London Games.

· In a swing bout, lightweight Jamel Herring (6-0, 3 KOs) of Coram, N.Y., probably left Showtime producers scrambling to fill some air time. Herring made making quick work out of Lance Williams (6-3, 6 KOs) of Muscatine, Iowa, scoring a second round TKO in the final second of the second round.

SAN ANTONIO – Friday afternoon in the western part of this city’s downtown area, Cincinnati welterweight Adrien “The Problem” Broner (27-0, 22 KOs) and Argentine Marcos “El Chino” Maidana (34-3, 31 KOs) each came in under the weight limit for their Saturday title match at Alamodome, with Broner marking 144.4 pounds and Maidana weighing 146.2.

Lingering rumors about Broner’s weight, of his being too heavy, were wrong. Rumors of his being a box-office heavy might prove to be as well.

Popular as he is on television and for as much presence as he shows in planned media events, Adrien Broner does not seem to be drawing much of a crowd in South Texas – certainly no crowds like those Saul “Canelo” Alvarez drew in April. While there were some who braved the raw temperatures to gather at Market Square and watch Broner make weight, Friday, there was more of a media presence than a presence of fans.

After being partially pushed out the way by a characteristically quiet and surly Maidana, Broner made his weight, jumped off the scale and gave interviewer Steve Farhood a prognostication.

“Easy money,” Broner said. “If he comes in with any dumb shit, I’m a flat-line him.”

While the “Danger Zone” card is stacked as its promoters say it is, a toys-for-tickets drive and $10 entrance fees to Alamodome on Saturday have insiders wondering how much of a draw an African American from Cincinnati and an Argentine are proving to be, especially this close to Christmas.

If the main event needs support, though, it is getting plenty of it, with a co-main between Florida welterweight Keith “One Time” Thurman (21-0, 19 KOs) and Mexican Jesus Soto-Karass (28-8-3, 18 KOs). Friday each fighter came in below the welterweight limit – Thurman at 145.8 pounds and Soto-Karass at 146.2 – and Thurman, probably the card’s most likable personality, shared what he told Soto-Karass during their staredown and then added an insight.

“He’s tough,” Thurman said of his Mexican opponent. “My grandma’s tough too.”

The Saturday fighter most likely to entice South Texas’ partisan-Mexican fanbase, California super bantamweight Leo Santa Cruz (25-0-1, 15 KOs), took the scale as well in preparation for his title match with Puerto Rican Cesar Seda (25-1, 17 KOs), in a match aficionados expect Santa Cruz, who weighed 121.4 pounds, to win by brutal stoppage over Seda, who weighed 121.6.

“It’s my personality,” Santa Cruz said, when asked why he is always grinning. “I’m always happy.”

Alamodome doors open early on Saturday at 3:00 PM local time. Opening bell for “Danger Zone” will ring at 3:30. 15rounds.com will have full ringside coverage.

LONDON (Dec.13) – Loved and loathed in equal measure, WBA World Welterweight king Adrien Broner certainly brings fight fans into a lather.

He is undeniably talented and appears to possess all the technical tools to become the dominant superstar of this decade.

Tomorrow evening, at the fabulous Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, we should have a clearer indication as to whether ‘The Problem’ has the mental fibre to match his physical gifts when he fronts up to stone-fisted Argentine Marcos Maidana.

Make up your own mind by watching the show live and exclusive in the UK on BoxNation, the Channel of Champions, from 12.30 am on Sunday morning. Join at www.boxnation.com

If Broner is the most blessed rising star in the division, then Florida’s Keith Thurman is the most explosive.

The 25 year old they call ‘One Time’ has iced 19 of his 21 victims inside the distance and he’ll be anxious to club his way into an All US shootout with Broner by impressively eliminating Mexican veteran Jesus Soto Karass in the chief support.

To analyse the action, boxing writer Glynn Evans touched base with reigning British and Commonwealth champion Frankie Gavin who intends to gatecrash the world 147lb scene himself in 2014.

“Broner versus Maidana is a really fascinating fight. It’s possible the Broner could make Maidana look a bit of a plodder, slow and stupid. But I think the Argentinian has got every chance. Broner looked crap against Malinaggi and Maidana will have tightened up since moving to the Garcias in Oxnard.

I’ve followed Broner pretty closely since he blitzed Jason Litzau inside a round on ESPN a couple of years ago. I’ve seen pretty much all his fights since then.

There’s no denying that he’s a great fighter. The question is, is he a great welter? He took a huge step up from 135 (lbs) to 147 and didn’t look overly strong and powerful against Malignaggi. I think 140 could be his optimal weight right now.

Away from the ring, he’s like an immature version of Floyd Mayweather. I go on him and off him as a person. Some of his showmanship is really funny but he can take things too far sometimes. I don’t like him taking the mick and being disrespectful to fellow fighters whose ability level is far beneath his. But I thought he came across well on Showtime’s All Access program, joking around.

There’s plenty to admire about him as a fighter. He’s so accurate with his shots and seldom wastes anything. Everything he throws is intended to land and hurt. I particularly like how he leans back then delivers that lead counter right hand.

Mind, from what I’ve seen so far I’m not sure his footwork is that great. He tends to walk forward and bully his opponent physically but I doubt very much whether he’ll be able to do that against Maidana. I think Maidana will be physically stronger and the one on the front foot. I know Maidana’s been on the floor a few times against Amir Khan and Victor Ortiz but I can’t see him getting stopped by Broner.

I’ve seen a lot of Maidana too. He can definitely ‘have it’! He’s a rugged, bullying type but he’s not a bad boxer either. I expect Maidana to be the bigger puncher in this fight – Broner’s not a one punch finisher – and Maidana can do his damage with both hands; swinging left uppercuts and big right hands over the top. I think Broner will also find him very strong in the clinches.

On the downside, Maidana’s not the quickest and isn’t great defensively. Sometimes he switches over his feet and can be caught square on. We all saw how easily Deven Alexander managed to outbox him.

To give himself the best possible chance, he’s going to need to get right on Broner and drag him into a war. And I wouldn’t be massively surprised if that happens. Broner is a lazy fighter who likes to take his breaks, whereas Maidana can sustain a pretty high workrate.

It’s possible Maidana could ruffle Broner out of his comfort zone and take over in the later rounds. Broner will enter favourite but I think Maidana has every chance.

Broner would be foolish to stand and trade with Maidana. To win, he’ll need to box Maidana from the outside and hit him as he charges in. He needs to keep adjusting so that Maidana struggles to set himself. You can’t hit a moving target as hard as you can hit a static one. If Broner can execute that, Maidana will get wilder and wilder. Then Broner can really capitalise and make Maidana look cumbersome, like Pacquiao did to Brandon Rios.

As yet, we’ve not really seen how Broner will respond once he gets pushed back.This fight should show us.

I’ll go with Broner to come through a few sticky patches and win quite widely on points, something like 117-110. It’s a fight I’m really looking forward to.

On the undercard we’ll get a good look at Keith Thurman who the Yanks are raving about.
I saw his stoppage win over (Carlos) Quintana and his 12 round points win over Jan Zaveck who used to be the IBF champion.

Clearly, with 19 knockouts from 21 wins, he’s a big puncher – dangerous with both hands – but other than that I don’t really rate him from what I’ve seen. He’s a good body puncher but his big hooks are pretty wild and he needs to learn to keep his hands up.

He hasn’t got great ability. Defensively he’s not all that and I don’t think he can fight off the back foot. I’d definitely take a fight with him if it was offered to me.

Soto Karass has plenty of recognisable names on his record like Carson Jones, Mike Jones, Gabriel Rosado, Maidana, Selcuk Aydin and he had that great win against Andre Berto last time out.

I saw the fight with Selcuk and basically Aydin gave it away rather than Soto winning it. Aydin was very lazy and got outworked.

From what I’ve seen, that’s Soto’s strength. He’s very tough, very busy and makes the opponent work hard. He’s not the most gifted technically – he’s very easy to hit, lacks speed and is quite old (31) – but he could outhustle Thurman.

Thurman is one of the biggest hitting welters but, for me, he’s not in the top five ability wise. The real slick operators would outbox him all day long. I certainly think Kell Brook would beat him, provided Kell did the weight properly.

But Thurman – Soto should definitely be a good fight for the fans because neither shy away. Soto will need to get close and be busy, make Thurman miss, then make him pay. But I’ll back the Yank to draw him on to his big bombs and stop him somewhere around the eighth or ninth.”

Broner vs. Maidana is live on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546) from 12.30am this Sunday. 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 £10* 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 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 £10 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

Adrien Broner 144.4 – Marcos Maidana 146.2
Keith Thurman 145.8 – Jesus Soto Karass 146.2
Leo Santa Cruz 121.4 – Cesar Seda 121.6
Beibut Shumenov 175 – Tamas Kovacs 174.4

SHOWTIME EXTREME – Live at 6 p.m. ET/3 p.m. PT

JUNIOR WELTERWEIGHTS
Ricardo Alvarez – 140.4 Pounds
Rod Salka – 138.8 Pounds

LIGHTWEIGHTS
Robert Easter, Jr. – 133.6 Pounds
Hardy Paredes – 135.4 Pounds

Video streaming by Ustream

LONDON (Dec. 13) – Boxing bigmouth Adrien Broner has declared himself as the heir to Floyd Mayweather’s coveted pound-for-pound throne.

The three-weight world champion, who defends his WBA welterweight title against Argentine bulldozer Marcos Maidana this weekend, believes that his contemporaries are casting envious glances in his direction as he jostles to take over Mayweather’s hotseat.

One of boxing’s most outgoing and flashy characters, Broner has struck up a great rapport with the sweet science’s number one fighter, Mayweather, drawing comparisons in some quarters with the Las Vegas native, not only in his personality, but inside the ring as well.

The brash talking Broner, who polarises opinion amongst fight fans, is in little doubt, however, that he is boxing’s saving grace once Mayweather decides to hang up the gloves.

“I have a lot on my plate. Every boxer wants to be where I am right now,” Broner boasted. “I am the person who is going to take over boxing after Floyd Mayweather. Everybody wants this position. So I don’t get mad when I hear that Keith Thurman [fighting on the undercard] wants to fight me – he’s supposed to. Who doesn’t want to be where I am,” he said.

“Maidana is a good fighter, a hell of a fighter, but he’s not on my level. My career is going to the rooftop. It’s going to skyrocket. But this is just the beginning. It starts here,” Broner said.

Broner makes the first defence of his WBA crown after capturing it against Paulie Malignaggi in a split decision win last June.

He now faces a reputable puncher in Maidana, live on BoxNation, who has floored 31 opponents in his 34 victories. Yet, Broner is unconcerned believing he will knockout his 30-year-old foe if he makes even the slightest of errors.

“If he makes a mistake and I have a chance to get him out of there I’m going to get him out of there. If I just beat him to death, then I beat him to death,” said Broner.

“It’s going to be a hell of a fight. I don’t go for knockouts but I really feel I’m going to knock this guy out; I’m going to be his first stoppage. I’m going to stop this guy and we’re going to move on to the next one,” Broner promised.

“He’s a very respectful guy so I have to respect him, but on December 14th I’m going to beat his ass. I’m going to beat his ass for sure. We can be friends after that,” he said.

The Cincinnati fighter added he has not yet shown the world his full repertoire, stating he has many gears still to go through, with Maidana being a big enough threat to potentially take him to the next level.

“I don’t even think I’ve showed all of my abilities yet. Maidana is a different type of fighter and he might bring something else out of Adrien Broner that the world hasn’t seen yet. Or he might be a regular fighter after I make him look the way I make him look,” said Broner.

“You never know. Maybe I have to sit in there and brawl it out with this guy for 12 rounds. Maybe I mess him up in two. Maybe one,” he said.

“But who doesn’t want to see a young star on the rise like Adrien Broner fight a guy like Marcos Maidana, a hard puncher, a knockout artist with 31 knockouts? Who doesn’t want to see that? There’s always that ‘what if?’,” Broner stated.

Maidana scoffed at Broner’s claims that he would knock him out and his self perceived superstar status, declaring that he is sure it is his hand which will be raised come the end of the fight.

“I’m ready for this fight; I’ve trained hard and I’m certain I have what it takes to come out victorious on Saturday,” Maidana said.

“They might say Broner is one of the best, but I don’t think he is. He’s definitely different to any other opponents I’ve fought, but I’m prepared. I’m ready for him,” he said.

“I’m going to hit him hard, very hard, with all I have and I’ll get busy with him. I hope he’s ready, because I am,” he said.

“This is the hardest fight of my life. I respect Broner, but I don’t underestimate him. On Saturday, I’ll do my part; I’ll do what I came here for – to fight with my heart and do my best,” Maidana vowed.

The fight heads a great card which also sees the highly touted Keith Thurman go up against the unrelenting Jesus Soto Karass for the interim WBA world welterweight title.

There is British interest when Mexican superstar Leo Santa Cruz, a potential opponent for Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg down the line, faces Puerto Rican hotshot Cesar Seda for the WBC super-bantamweight crown.

And Beibut Shumenov faces Tamas Kovacs for Shumenov’s WBA Super & IBA light-heavyweight world titles.

Earlier from Germany BoxNation will also bring Juergen Braehmer’s clash with the undefeated Marcus Oliveira for the vacant WBA light-heavyweight title, live and exclusive.

Broner vs. Maidana is live on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546) from 12.30am this Sunday. 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 £10* 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 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 £10 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

SAN ANTONIO – Adrien Broner just wants a little love. Mostly, he loves a stage and that’s where he asked for some Thursday during his turn at the microphone at the final news conference for his second test run at welterweight Saturday night against dangerous Marcos Maidana at the Alamodome.

“With all due respect, I really think everybody should be thanking me,’’ Broner said after introducing his monologue with thanks to all of the usual suspects gathered in a downtown ballroom. “I’m the one putting my life on the line every time I get into that ring.

“I’m the one taking off from sex, although sometimes I probably sneak and cheat.’’

The crowd chuckled, but not because anybody was surprised that Broner doesn’t honor boxing’s old-school ban on sex during training camp. After all, Broner’s flamboyant reputation precedes him. It’s fair to assume he abstains about as often as he is shy.

The laughs were there, simply because Broner is willing to say – and do – almost anything. On the scale of mundane to over-the-line, the laugh-meter often soars into the red zone of outrage. But that’s Broner. It’s why some like him. Why some hate him. By the way, he also thanked the haters Thursday.

It’s hard to know whether all the talk is just shtick or genuine. Maybe, it’s a mix of both. Maybe, it comes from a streak of insecurity. To wit: He talks, talks and talks so he doesn’t have to listen the critics. Or, maybe, it’s a well-rehearsed act designed to attract attention that separates him from the faceless fighters who casual fans will never know. Whatever the motivation, Broner is getting known, gaining notoriety, for his X-rated style of showmanship. But it’s dangerous role. Comedians get booed off the stage all the time. But they don’t get knocked out.

Broner might. At least, some think he might get stopped by Maidana, whose paralyzing brand of power is defined by 31 stoppages in 37 bouts. Nothing about Broner’s noisy reputation will deflect the Maidana punches bound to come his way Saturday night in a Showtime-televised bout. If the taciturn Maidana (34-3, 31 KOs) lands a punch, it could prove to be a very different kind of punch line. It could turn Broner into a joke. But Broner is willing to take that chance. Call him fearless. Call him foolhardy. He’s been called both and a lot more. He just calls himself the next, the heir apparent.

“I’m going to take over boxing when Floyd Mayweather is finished,’’ said Broner (27-0, 22 KOs), a lightweight champion who is making his second appearance at 147 pounds after he escaped on June 22 from his welterweight debut with a split-decision over Paulie Malignaggi.

Those are bold words. Then again, what isn’t from Broner? He is compelled to put on a show, which is exactly what he did at a news conference that included emerging super-bantamweight star Leo Santa Cruz, dangerous welterweight Keith Thurman and former super-middleweight champion Jermain Taylor, who is embarking on another controversial comeback Saturday.

Broner, who said he’ll be the first to stop Maidana, turned everybody into a bit player. He wore a cap emblazoned with his trademark logo, Band Camp, a stable that also includes three-time Olympian Rau’shee Warren, now 16-0 as a bantamweight. His head bobbed up and down, one way and then another. He threw short punches, one after another. He mocked Maidana’s turn at the podium by clapping his hands in a slow, exaggerated manner that needed no interpretation. Come on, man, is that all you’ve got.

When it was his turn, he shuffled and danced across the stage as though he was about to embrace the waiting microphone. He was that restless grade-school kid squirming in his seat at the back of the class.

He couldn’t wait. Couldn’t sit still.

Couldn’t keep quiet either.

SAN ANTONIO (Dec. 12, 2013) –San Antonio solidified itself as a boxing powerhouse in 2013, so it’s only fitting that the home of the Alamo will host the final blockbuster boxing event of the year when Adrien “The Problem” Broner faces Marcos “El Chino” Maidana this Saturday, Dec. 14, live on SHOWTIME® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) from the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

“I put San Antonio with New York City, Las Vegas and Los Angeles as one of the top boxing cities in the country,” Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer said during Thursday’s final press conference for “DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana.”

And the third SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event to emanate from San Antonio this year might be the best yet. Saturday’s telecast features four can’t-miss world championship fights with each fighter facing potentially the toughest test of their respective careers.

Here’s what the fighters, trainers and promoters had to say during Thursday’s final press conference:

ADRIEN BRONER, WBA Welterweight World Champion
“If he makes a mistake and I have a chance to get him out of there I’m going to get him out of there. If I just beat him to death, then I beat him to death.

“Who doesn’t want to see a young star on the rise like Adrien Broner fight a guy like Marcos Maidana, a hard puncher, a knockout artist with 31 knockouts? Who doesn’t want to see that? There’s always that ‘what if?’

“It’s going to be a hell of a fight. I don’t go for knockouts but I really feel I’m going to knock this guy out; I’m going to be his first stoppage. I’m going to stop this guy and we’re going to move on to the next one.

“Maidana is a good fighter, a hell of a fighter, but he’s not on my level. My career is going to the rooftop. It’s going to skyrocket. But this is just the beginning. It starts here.

“I don’t even think I’ve showed all of my abilities yet. Maidana is a different type of fighter and he might bring something else out of Adrien Broner that the world hasn’t seen yet. Or he might be a regular fighter after I make him look the way I make him look.

“Every boxer wants to be where I am right now. I am the person who is going to take over boxing after Floyd Mayweather. Everybody wants this position. So I don’t get mad when I hear that Keith Thurman wants to fight me – he’s supposed to. Who doesn’t want to be where I am.

“On Dec. 14 we’re worried about Maidana. I respect his coach; I respect him as a fighter. People say I’m being bashful, I’m being respectful. I can’t talk trash to someone who doesn’t speak English. He’s looking at me crazy right now and I don’t know if he’s faking or not. He’s a very respectful guy so I have to respect him, but on Dec. 14 I’m going to beat his ass. I’m going to beat his ass for sure. We can be friends after that.

“I’m not coming to play. It’s going to be the AB show and I’m going to be victorious. We don’t think about losing.

“I don’t watch tape but I’ve seen him a couple of times. Everybody knows Maidana makes a lot of mistakes and you can’t make mistakes with Broner.

“You never know. Maybe I have to sit in there and brawl it out with this guy for 12 rounds. Maybe I mess him up in two. Maybe one.”

MARCOS MAIDANA, Former WBA Super Lightweight World Champion
“I want to thank my team for working hand-in-hand with me, for all their help and support and for working so close with me. Thank you to Sebastian Contursi, Robert Garcia, Cecilio Flores and my right hand, my cousin “Pileta,” that’s been with me all the way.

“I’m ready for this fight; I’ve trained hard and I’m certain I have what it takes to come out victorious on Saturday.

“They might say Broner is one of the best, but I don’ think he is. He’s definitely different to any other opponents I’ve fought, but I’m prepared. I’m ready for him.

“I’m going to hit him hard, very hard, with all I have and I’ll get busy with him. I hope he’s ready, because I am.

“This is the hardest fight of my life. I respect Broner, but I don’t underestimate him. On Saturday, I’ll do my part; I’ll do what I came here for – to fight with my heart and do my best.

“I’m not a trash talker. I’m not that kind of guy and I’m not going to get into that. It’s just not my thing.”

KEITH THURMAN, WBA Interim Welterweight World Champion
“I’m just trying to bring the excitement. This card is called the “Danger Zone” and it’s a guaranteed fact that every time you come into the ring with Keith “One Time” Thurman you’re automatically stepping into the Danger Zone.

“This is the last fight of the year and the last fight of the year is my favorite fight of the year. I like to call it the icing on the cake. I’ve been training really hard for this fight. Soto is a real tough opponent. He gave (Andre) Berto his all. He claims he has a new passion for the sport. I believe the man. I saw it when he fought. I saw his passion and I’m truly looking forward to this fight.

“Christmas came early and I have two presents for Soto right here–my right and my left–two real nice packages. Like I said, this is going to be the icing on the cake.

“Last year I ended with a tremendous victory and I don’t think this fight is going to go the distance. I’m looking forward to putting him down on that blue canvas and make sure he gets to sleep real nice. “One Time,” every time.

“My promoters have been testing me and I’ve been passing every test with flying colors. So I’m ready for the world of boxing. I’m not afraid to lose, I’m not afraid to get beat. I want go out old school and fight the best of the best.

“My KO ratio is phenomenal, but, as a matter of fact, I’m disappointed that I didn’t knock out everybody. I’m the kind of guy that wants to knockout everybody. I’m “One Time,” every time. And that’s what I’m bringing Saturday night.

“I’m on the up and up. I’m on my way to the top. So this fight is important to get not just a victory but a KO victory so I can keep representing “One Time” Thurman.”

“I’m not afraid to put it all on the line. I’ve got “O” and I’m not afraid to let it go.

JESUS SOTO KARASS, Welterweight Contender
“It’s a very important fight for me, especially with the holidays coming up. I’d like to go enjoy the time off with a win.

“My promoters and manager put me against the best. I fight the best and the best comes out of me.

A lot of people don’t believe in me and they don’t think I have what it takes to beat Keith Thurman. But I’ve proven them wrong before and the people will respect me after the fight.

“I’ve been on big cards before. But my job is to go out and win and give the fans what they want. I’m coming to knock him out. If he wants to box I’m going to take him to school. My heart is in this fight.

“I’ve worked really, really hard for this fight. I’ve trained at the Ponce De Leon Gym in Monterrey, Calif., and this Saturday I’m going to show it in the ring.

“There’s not much to say, other than to those that don’t believe I’m worthy to be here, just wait to see me on the ring on December 14.

“For all the people that don’t believe in me, for all those that think I shouldn’t be in this position, I’m going to show everybody on Saturday night what I’m made off and I’m going to do it well.

“I want to thank Keith Thurman and his team for giving me the opportunity to fight for a world title again.”

LEO SANTA CRUZ, WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion
“I’m just excited to be on a great undercard with Maidana and Broner. I’ve trained really hard to be on these guys’ level and I want to defend my title. I know Cesar is a great fighter and that he has everything it takes to become a champion. And I’ve trained hard to give him a great war. We’re going to leave it all in the ring. May the best man win.

“I closed out 2012 with a great win on CBS and I’m excited to do the same this year on SHOWTIME.”

CESAR SEDA, Super Bantamweight Title Challenger
“I want to let you know that you are going to witness a great show on Dec. 14

“From my part, I’ve prepared very well and I assure you, you are going to see a great fight on Saturday night. I hope to see you all there.”

BEIBUT SHUMENOV, WBA Super Light Heavyweight World Champion
“It’s great to be involved in an event like this, one of boxing’s best of the year. I had a great training camp and can’t wait to show the American boxing fans what I am all about.

“I know Tamas is undefeated, he’s very ambitious and he came here to take what’s mine. But I’m not going to let him take my title. I’m going to fight hard for what’s mine. And I’m going to show the world that I’m the best light heavyweight champion of the world.”

TAMAS KOVACS, Light Heavyweight Contender
“This is a very big opportunity for me. This is the fight of my life.

“I’ve been training and preparing for this fight since September. On Saturday, I’m coming out with all I have.

“It took me forty hours to get to San Antonio. It was a difficult trip, but it was worth it. This is the fight of
my life. This is my chance and I’m going to take it.

“I know Shumenov is a good boxer, but I’m good and also clever. So, he better watch out.”

ROBERT GARCIA, Maidana’s Trainer
“Maidana is very happy to be here. We know we are facing a great champion, but Chino [Maidana] knows what he has to do, and he’s ready to do it. Come Saturday night, we are going to give the fans a great fight.

MIKE STAFFORD, Broner’s Trainer
“For this fight Adrien is going to show you something special. He’s going to give you a Christmas present. He had a great camp and this kid is something special. I want to thank Team Maidana for signing the contract. I know it is not easy to commit to fighting a guy like this [looking at Adrien Broner], he’s truly the best.”

RICARDO “DINAMITA” ALVAREZ
“I’m thankful for this fight, this is my first time fighting here. I’m thankful for my promoters, my camp, my friends and my family for all their support.

“December 14 at the Alamodome is going to be a good night for me, it’s my debut in United States and I’m really excited. “

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions
“It’s been a great year in boxing and a great year for boxing in San Antonio with spectacular events here in San Antonio. Thanks to the fans for embracing these fights. We promise to keep bringing the big fights and price the big fights appropriately starting at $10. This is our Christmas gift to the great fans in San Antonio.

“We would not be here without Mike Battah and James Leija, a very enthusiastic team to work with.

“Big thank you to Matt Black and Les Moonves along with Stephen Espinoza and their entire team for all their hard work in this incredible year for Golden Boy Promotions. “

MIKE BATTAH, President of Leija-Battah Promotions
“Welcome everyone to San Antonio from all over the world, very much appreciate your help in building up our business. I made a commitment to San Antonio to build boxing here. Our commitment will continue, it’s great to work with Richard and Golden Boy. Our commitment will stay and continue to grow.

“We have the will to build boxing; we have the skills the structure and the organization.

“One of the biggest cards in Texas in many years, fans will see a terrific night of boxing.

“JESSE” JAMES LEIJA, Texas Boxing Legend, Leija-Battah Promotions
“Want to thanks GBP for giving us this opportunity to prove ourselves. Mike Battah is an incredible businessman and a great partner. Also want to thank the fans of San Antonio, best fans in the world. This is truly an early Christmas gift for the fans to come out and enjoy the fights. We have the top fighters from Golden Boy Promotions on this card.

“Leo Santa Cruz, one of my favorite fighters is in a very tough fight against Cesar Seda.

“Continue to support these events and we will continue to bring the biggest events here to one of the greatest cities in the world.

NICHOLS LANGELLA, General Manager of the Alamodome
“We’re very proud to host this event. It takes a terrific passion and enthusiasm to put on this show. Thanks to James Leija, Mike Battah and Golden Boy for putting this tremendous event together.”

“DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana,” a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBA Welterweight World Championship taking place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T, Grudge Match and Casamigos Tequila. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, Keith Thurman will defend his interim WBA Welterweight World Championship against Jesus Soto Karass. Leo Santa Cruz will put his WBC Super Bantamweight World title on the line against Cesar Seda in a 12-round bout and Beibut Shumenov faces Tamas Kovacs in a 12-round clash for Shumenov’s WBA Super & IBA Light Heavyweight World titles. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West

Video streaming by Ustream

LONDON (Dec. 12) – Rising pound-for-pound superstar Adrien Broner feels his ‘special’ performance this weekend against the ‘bone cracking’ Marcos Maidana won’t get the credit it deserves.

The highly touted WBA welterweight champion faces one of boxing’s most revered punchers in Maidana, at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas this Saturday live on BoxNation.

Having knocked out 31 opponents in his 34 victories, Maidana’s reputation as a ferocious puncher comes with merit. However, the brash talking and extravagant Broner, believes that even with victory, he still won’t get the credit he feels he deserves by beating the Argentine.

“I’m a self motivator, so I’m always motivated, but it comes with the territory of being an African-American that’s on top, and like I always say, they’re never going to give me my full respect,” Broner said.

“They’re never going to do it no matter if I go in there and knock Maidana out in the first round; they’re going to find some way to criticise me. I just do me,” he said

“I just get my victories and keep moving on with my career, because at the end of the day, some of you reporters never threw a punch and none of these writers never threw a punch, so I really can’t read, or think, or take, what some of you guys say to heart because it means nothing to me sometimes,” Broner declared.

The three-weight world champion, who still holds the WBC lightweight title, is under no illusions that he’ll be in for a hard night’s work when he goes up against the unrelenting Maidana, a fighter he refuses to overlook.

“This is boxing. You can’t look past or beyond or before nobody, so I got to take it one fight at a time, and right now, my main focus is Marcos Maidana. The hard-hitting, the body-bruising, the bone-cracking, puncher; he’s a hell of a fighter,” said Broner.

“I don’t care who you fight. I don’t care who he fights. If they win or lose, they know they been in there with a tough guy, so I know this is going to be a tough fight for me, no matter if I make it look easy or if I make it look like a tough fight. I’m just ready. I’m prepared. I’m winding down in training camp and I’m just ready to go,” he exclaimed.

The 24-year-old Broner has drawn comparisons with his idol, boxing’s premier fighter Floyd Mayweather.

Not only are the two men the sport’s biggest talkers, but Broner is looking to follow Mayweather’s example in the ring by being a multi-dimensional craftsman able to adjust to any style.

“Like I always say, I always say this, I don’t fight anybody the same,” Broner said. “Maidana has to show me – he has to make me respect his power and his boxing skills. You never know. When I make my adjustments inside the ring December 14th, then I’ll do what I have to do to get my victory, but until then, we just staying sharp,” he said.

“I mean, you’ve seen the fight [against Paulie Malignaggi]. Paulie’s a hell of a fighter, threw a lot of shots, but he couldn’t hit me. He couldn’t hit me with nothing flush, so with Maidana, he’s definitely a proven hard-hitting puncher, but he’s got to hit me. It’s not like I’m going to let him hit me,” said Broner.

“All I’m going to say to the fans and reporters is just watch the fight. I don’t care if you like me or dislike me. Just please watch the fight – you’ll see something special,” Broner vowed.

Broner vs. Maidana is live on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546) from 12.30am this Sunday. 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 £10* 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 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 £10 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.

Adrien Broner, Undefeated WBA Welterweight and Three-Division World Champion:
[On how he prepares for a fighter that is so aggressive] ” He [Maidana] has never fought me. He’s never seen anybody in the ring like me, so he doesn’t know what he’s going to encounter.”

[On doing anything different in training to maintain his punching power at 147 pounds] “I’m okay. I’ve been eating a lot of ice cream.”

[On Marcos Maidana being a knockout victim] “I don’t have to explain what is already understood. He makes a lot of mistakes.

[On flying 65 family members to Colorado for Thanksgiving] “I just wanted to have a good time for Thanksgiving and see my family, but it was right back to work after that.

“I have to stay focused. I am not going to allow distraction. I’m not going to lie. This is the biggest fight of my career to date. He is going to try to hurt me, so I am ready and focused.”

Marcos Maidana, Former WBA Junior Welterweight Champion:
“The plan is that when I fight Broner, I am going to hit him everywhere and be busier. I’m prepared to throw many punches in the fight and pressure him. I’ve also trained to cut off the ring.

“It’s very important to attack the body, the arms and later the head.

“I am not sure that he [Broner] is the best I’ve faced, but he is definitely different.”

Keith Thurman, WBA Interim Welterweight World Champion:
“I am truly blessed to be where I am in the world of boxing. This is a dream come true. I have been boxing since the age of seven and in the amateur ranks all I ever wanted to be was a world champion.

“I am happy to be here. I am happy to receive the fan base and the recognition that I deserve and being on the networks. I fight hard. I am hungry all of the time and even though I have a belt, I’m still hungry. There are plenty other belts out there and you better believe that my fight against Soto Karass is going to be one heck of a fight. I am also looking forward to 2014.”

[On calling out Paulie Malignaggi in the past] “Paulie was on my mind due to that title, but when Adrien Broner took it, then that makes me look forward to stepping into that ring with ‘AB’ in 2014. A lot of fans want that fight and I want what the fans want.”

[On Soto Karass] “I think he is a highly estimated fighter. He is 120 percent hard work and dedication. He says he has a new passion for the sport and I believe him. He has been training hard in camp and I am not underestimating him. I am looking forward to a tremendous fight on Saturday night.

“All you have to do is watch Soto Karass’ fights. He gets hit. He tends to have a little bit of boxing skills and we will see if his team was working a little bit more on that with this fight. No matter what I plan on being the sharper fighter, the stronger fighter and the smarter fighter.”
Jesus Soto Karass, Welterweight Contender:
“Keith Thurman doesn’t have a weakness. He’s a young fighter and he’s strong. He is going to give it his best, but he is going to see that I am hands on. I have put more effort and concentration into my career than he has. I admit that I am the more daring fighter and Thurman has never fought someone with my mentality.

“God willing I will fight the winner of Broner vs. Maidana.

“I have prepared well and I have no fear of Thurman because I have fought tougher fights. We’re going to give it our all in the ring.”

Leo Santa Cruz, WBC Super Bantamweight World Champion:
“I’m going to do what I have to do in the ring. Since I was younger I had a dream of becoming a champion and make a better life for my family. I have been able to accomplish that dream, but I know that if I lose then everything would be taken away.

“Sometimes I can’t believe that I am at this level of fighting and everything I have accomplished. I am excited and very happy because this is what I have worked so hard for, and I don’t want anyone take that title away.

[On how much longer he will be at this weight] “Right now everything is good. I would like to fight one or two more defenses then move up in weight.”

Cesar Seda, Super Bantamweight Title Challenger:
“I have trained really hard for this fight against Santa Cruz. I’m focused and ready for Saturday night.”

Beibut Shumenov, WBA Super & IBA Light Heavyweight Champion:
“I’m very happy to be here and I just want to show everybody that I am the best Light Heavyweight Champion in the world.”

Tamas Kovacs, Former WBO European & WBF Light Heavyweight Champion:
“My training camp has been going well. Shumenov is a good boxer, but I am a more intelligent fighter.”

Jamell Herring, Former 2012 Olympian Prospect and Lightweight:
[On Lance Williams saying he was going to knock him out] “If you look at his record and the opponents he has fought, they weren’t tough. I was in the Marine Corps and I have been through worse. I have had more experience in both my amateur and professional careers. I am definitely not threatened by him.”

Lance Williams, Lightweight Prospect:
[On his opponent Jamel Herring] “He is a high volume puncher but I am going to go out there and be the aggressor. I am going to come straight forward and cut the ring off.”

Ricardo Alvarez, Junior Welterweight Prospect:
“I am really happy to be here in San Antonio. I’m really happy that I am going to be able to box in front of the Mexican fans.

“I have been here with my brother in the past, so I know the type of fight fans to expect. I’m going to put on a good show. I’m confident that I am going to win this fight and would like to fight Omar Figueroa next.”

Robert Easter, Jr., Top Lightweight Rising Star:
“I trained hard and hopefully I will get my opponent out of there early. It’s about the knockout. I’ve only been to the third round in my career so far. At this point I’m not getting paid enough to do a display of boxing for all of those rounds. I make it a point to get my opponent out of there earlier. I’m going to go out there and give it my all. I give him two or three rounds. I’m feeling strong right now, stronger than I have ever felt.”

Jermain Taylor, Former Undisputed Middleweight Champion:
“Training has been great and I have been really focused in camp. I am 35-years-old so I have a small window of opportunity. I have been boxing since I was 12 and I am an Olympian. People would say that I would never make it to the Olympics and I did that and they also said that I would never be a champion and I did that too.”

[On whether his legacy of fighting top-notch champions is recognized] “I have fought many talented champion in my career and I don’t care about the legacy. I’m happy. My family is being fed. Damn the legacy.”

Rau’shee Warren, Three-Time U.S. Olympian (2004, 2008 & 2012):
“I don’t know anything about my opponent, but that doesn’t matter. It will take me about a minute to figure him out. Because I have been around the world and I’m a three-time Olympian. I have fought in different countries. I have had to fight different styled fighters and have had to learn to adapt.

” I’m ready for a win on Saturday. I’ve been training in Colorado with my team and I am motivated. My team always motivates me to be in the best shape I can be.”

# # #

“DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana,” a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBA Welterweight World Championship taking place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T, Grudge Match and Casamigos Tequila. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, Keith Thurman will defend his interim WBA Welterweight World Championship against Jesus Soto Karass. Leo Santa Cruz will put his WBC Super Bantamweight World title on the line against Cesar Seda in a 12-round bout and Beibut Shumenov faces Tamas Kovacs in a 12-round clash for Shumenov’s WBA Super & IBA Light Heavyweight World titles. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100, $75, $50, $25, $20 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are available at the Alamodome box office, or through Leija*Battah Promotions by calling (210) 979-3302 or emailing m@leijabattahpromo.com or online at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 745-3000

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Dec. 11) – Before boxing’s finest enter the DANGER ZONE at San Antonio’s Alamodome live on SHOWTIME® this Saturday, Dec. 14, they will be giving back to the community during two special pre-fight charity events.

Today, Wednesday, Dec. 11, Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions will partner with St. PJ’s Children’s Home for a holiday toy drive at Market Square on 514 W. Commerce Street in San Antonio. During this open to the public event, which coincides with the open workouts of the fighters competing on Saturday’s card, any fan who donates a toy valued $15 or more will receive one free ticket to one of the most anticipated fights of the year, “DANGER ZONE: Adrien Broner vs. Marcos Maidana.”

In addition to the holiday toy drive, fighters on the card will visit the Eastside Boys & Girls Club following the final press conference on Thursday, Dec. 12 to meet and greet with the Club’s members to bring them some holiday cheer. The time of this event is 7:30 p.m. CT and the final lineup of fighters in attendance will include Keith “One Time” Thurman and Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz along with others.

St. PJ’s Children’s Home is located on 919 Mission Rd in San Antonio. For more information on the home, please call 210-533-1203 or visit www.stpjhome.org

“DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana,” a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBA Welterweight World Championship taking place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T, Grudge Match and Casamigos Tequila. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, Keith Thurman will defend his interim WBA Welterweight World Championship against Jesus Soto Karass. Leo Santa Cruz will put his WBC Super Bantamweight World title on the line against Cesar Seda in a 12-round bout and Beibut Shumenov faces Tamas Kovacs in a 12-round clash for Shumenov’s WBA Super & IBA Light Heavyweight World titles. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at6:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100, $75, $50, $25, $20 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are available at the Alamodome box office, or through Leija*Battah Promotions by calling (210) 979-3302 or emailingm@leijabattahpromo.com or online at http://www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 745-3000.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.sports.sho.com and leijabattahpromo.com, follow on Twitter at @AdrienBroner, @ChinoMaidana, @KeithThurmanJr, @LeoSantaCruz2, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @LeijaBattahPR, and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #BronerMaidana and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/LeijaBattah and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Dec. 11, 2013) – SHOWTIME EXTREME® viewers will be treated to high-energy boxing action at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast) this Saturday, Dec. 14, as bouts featuring Ricardo “Dinamita” Alvarez and Robert Easter Jr. will set the stage for SHOWTIME’s quadruple header headlined by the championship bout between Adrien “The Problem” Broner and Marcos “Chino” Maidana. Additionally, fans in the arena will see the return of former World Champion Jermain Taylor. U.S. Olympians Jamel Herring and Rau’shee Warren will also be featured at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

In the SHOWTIME EXTREME featured bouts, Alvarez takes on “Lightning” Rod Salka. Plus, Easter Jr. battles Hardy M. “El Huracan” Paredes and Herring faces off with Lance “Lay ’em Down” Williams.

Brother of former world champions Canelo and Rigoberto “El Espanol” Alvarez, 32-year-old Ricardo “Dinamita” Alvarez (27-4, 20 KO’s) of Guadalajara Jalisco, Mexico may have gotten a late start in the game, turning professional in 2008, but he is making up for lost time with impressive performances in the ring. Winner of four straight bouts, the Guadalajara standout will meet Bunola, PA’s “Lightning” Rod Salka (18-2, 3 KO’s) in a 10-round junior welterweight bout. The 30-year-old Salka brings a three fight winning streak into Saturday’s bout, including a fifth round technical knockout win over Emmanuel Lucero in February.

Opening the SHOWTIME EXTREME telecast will be an eight-round lightweight bout between Toledo’s Robert Easter Jr. (7-0, 7 KO’s) and Osorno, Chile’s Hardy M. “El Huracan” Paredes (16-12, 10 KO’s). The latest boxing standout to emerge from Ohio, the 22-year-old Easter Jr. has ended each of his seven professional bouts in three rounds or less. But the hard-hitting Paredes, a former WBO Latino and Chilean champion, has no intention of leaving the ring at the Alamodome with anything less than a victory.

Coram, NY’s Jamel Herring (5-0, 3 KO’s) represented the United States in the 2012 Olympics and he’s since won all five of his professional bouts, looking more impressive with each outing. On Saturday, the 28-year-old will meet Muscatine, Iowa’s Lance “Lay ’em Down” Williams (6-2, 6 KO’s) in a four- or six-round lightweight matchup, which will also be featured on SHOWTIME EXTREME if time permits. A knockout puncher with four first-round finishes, the 28-year-old hopes to start a new knockout streak at Herring’s expense.

Former Middleweight World Champion Jermain “Bad Intentions” Taylor (31-4-1, 19 KO’s) continues his comeback in a 10-round super middleweight bout against longtime contender J.C. Candelo (32-12-4, 21 KO’s). The 35-year-old Taylor, fighting out of Little Rock, Ar. has won three consecutive bouts, most recently a second-round knockout of Raul Munoz in October of 2012. Colombia’s Candelo, now making his home in Houston, hopes the fans in his adopted home state will push him on to victory against Taylor, and with wins in five of his last seven bouts, the 39-year-old veteran expects big things at the Alamodome.

In the eight-round bantamweight opener, three-time U.S. Olympian Rau’shee Warren (16-0, 3 KO’s) of Cincinnati puts his perfect record on the line against Kanasin, Yucatan Mexico’s Jose “Cacho” Silveira (15-9, 6 KO’s). The busy Warren is coming off his sixth win of 2013, a shutout victory over Jhon Alberto Molina in October. The 34-year-old Silveira is coming off a split decision win over Carlos Koh this past September.

“DANGER ZONE: Broner vs. Maidana,” a 12-round fight for Broner’s WBA Welterweight World Championship taking place on Saturday, Dec. 14 at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Leija*Battah Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T, Grudge Match and Casamigos Tequila. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, Keith Thurman will defend his interim WBA Welterweight World Championship against Jesus Soto Karass. Leo Santa Cruz will put his WBC Super Bantamweight World title on the line against Cesar Seda in a 12-round bout and Beibut Shumenov faces Tamas Kovacs in a 12-round clash for Shumenov’s WBA Super & IBA Light Heavyweight World titles. The SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® telecast will air live at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT and can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Preliminary bouts will air live on SHOWTIME EXTREME® at 6:00 p.m. ET/PT (delayed on the West Coast).

Tickets priced at $250, $200, $150, $100, $75, $50, $25, $20 and $10, plus applicable taxes, fees and services charges are available at the Alamodome box office, or through Leija*Battah Promotions by calling (210)979-3202 or emailing m@leijabattahpromo.com online at www.ticketmaster.com and all Ticketmaster locations, by calling (800) 745-3000.

LONDON (Dec. 11) – Big-hitting Marcos Maidana is determined to knockout the brash talking Adrien Broner when the pair meet in the ring this weekend live on BoxNation.

The Argentine assassin, who is famed for his ferocious knockout power having put 31 of his 37 opponents to sleep, is extremely confident he can add the name of Broner to that list on Saturday night.

Despite being regarded as the heir apparent to Floyd Mayweather’s throne, Maidana is in no doubt that Broner is a false pretender to that title and has been keen to show him why, ever since both men locked horns during the Shawn Porter and Julio Diaz card in September.

“I really wanted to beat and knock him out, even at that stage. The fight was not yet agreed when the incident happened in Las Vegas,” said Maidana speaking on the altercation.

“But after the incident, I’ll tell you the truth, it really lightened me up and it was a motivation for me, because I’m not used to fights, or getting into arguments, or coming to blows with fellow fighters, but this guy has something special,” he said.

“He’s a provocative character, so it really gave me motivation to focus more on my training – training harder – and I just want for December 14th to be now,” Maidana added.

The 30-year-old bruiser who now trains out of Robert Garcia’s gym in Oxnard, California is adamant that he will give Broner his toughest test at welterweight after he moved up to face Paulie Malignaggi earlier this year, winning the WBA belt on a split decision.

“Adrien is now an established welterweight – no doubt about it. But the only problem is he’s not been tested by a natural welter like me; that’s why this is the hardest fight of his life,” said Maidana.

‘El Chino’ has seen flaws in Broner which he believes he can exploit.

“I’ve been watching tapes of him of course like I always do through my preparation, and it’s a tough fight. It’s a tough fight for both of us,” he said.

“Of course, he is a great fighter, but makes mistakes. I won’t tell you what mistakes I’m talking about, but you will see it on December the 14th. I’m very confident. I had a great preparation for this fight, and you’ll see me on December 14th,” vowed Maidana.

The fight heads a great line up of bouts, that also sees the highly touted Keith Thurman go up against the unrelenting Jesus Soto Karass, for the interim WBA world welterweight title.

There is also British interest when Mexican superstar Leo Santa Cruz, a potential opponent for Carl Frampton and Scott Quigg down the line, faces Puerto Rican hotshot Cesar Seda for the WBC super-bantamweight crown.
Earlier from Germany BoxNation will also bring Juergen Braehmer’s clash with undefeated Marcus Oliveira for the vacant WBA light-heavyweight title, live and exclusive.

Broner vs. Maidana is live on BoxNation (Sky Ch. 437/Virgin Ch. 546) from 12.30am this Sunday. 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 £10* 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 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 £10 one off registration fee for Sky TV and new Livesport.tv customers.