UFC star Cody Garbrandt wants to fight Manny Pacquiao

Mixed martial arts star Cody Garbrandt doesn’t mind seeing MMA and boxing crossover fights.

In fact, Garbrandt wants to figure in such, saying he’s willing to fight Filipino boxing star Manny Pacquiao.

“I would love that fight. Yeah, I would love that,” Garbrandt told TMZ Sports.

The former UFC bantamweight champion won his first 11 fights but has lost his last two bouts both against TJ Dillashaw.

Pacquiao, who turns 40 in December, on the other hand, showed he still has it after scoring a TKO win over Lucas Matthysse of Argentina in July, his first stoppage since 2009.

Garbrandt also thinks a potential crossover fight between UFC lightweight titleholder Khabib Nurmagomedov and former pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be a “great fight” with both fighters staking their undefeated records in the boxing ring.

Last year, Mayweather came out of retirement to stop MMA superstar Conor McGregor in the 10th round.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Resurgent Pacquiao wants second crack at Mayweather

Manny Pacquiao has called on Floyd Mayweather to come out of retirement for a rematch, saying “let’s do a second one” after powering to his first KO win in nine years.

The fighting Philippines senator known as “Pac-Man” took on the dangerous Argentine WBA welterweight champion Lucas Matthysse in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday knowing a defeat could have lowered the curtain on one of the greatest careers in boxing history.

Instead, he opened a glorious new act in a 23-year story that has seen him become the only man to move up through eight weight divisions and win world titles in all of them.


Despite racing towards his 40th birthday, Pacquiao looks like he is back to being the devastatingly quick and ruthless power-puncher who earned the sobriquet of world’s “best pound-for-pound fighter” between 2000 and 2010.

In 2015 Pacquiao, with a win-loss-draw record of 60-7-2, lost a unanimous points decision to the unbeaten Mayweather (50-0) in one of the richest fights in boxing history, but then needed surgery on a damaged shoulder that he claimed had restricted his movement and punching power.

After rolling back the years to pummel Matthysse into seventh-round submission, the Filipino legend is already considering the options for his next fight, which could take place as early as November or December.

“Mayweather? If he decides to go back to boxing then that is the time we are going to call the shots,” an effervescent Pacquiao told reporters at the Axiata Arena in Kuala Lumpur after his stunning win.

“I have the belt, so it’s up to him. If he wants to come back in boxing let’s do a second one,” he grinned.

‘Addicted to boxing’

Pacquiao also highlighted British former light welterweight world champion Amir Khan as a potential opponent.

“My next fight, I want to defend my belt,” Pacquiao said.


He also said he would carry on fighting past his 40th birthday in December, despite the demands of juggling life in the ring with a political career outside it.

“If boxing is not my passion, I would not fight again,” Pacquiao said.

“It’s like I’m addicted to boxing and I really love to fight and bring honor to my country.”

Three-weight world champion Terence Crawford is another possible money-spinning bout, as is a rematch with Jeff Horn, who wrested the WBO belt from Pacquiao in an ugly contest in Brisbane a year ago.

Veteran promoter Bob Arum has also talked up a superfight with his Top Rank stable’s three-belt lightweight champion Vasyl Lomachenko, but that would necessitate Pacquaio dropping back down from 147 to 140 or 135 pounds, weight divisions he has not fought at for 10 years.

But for now, the man who one day may run for president in the Philippines — where he is worshipped — will return to his day job in the Senate’s legislative department where his inbox has been filling up while he was away in training camp.

“There’s going to be a lot of work in the office,” he said with a grin.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Canelo-GGG to MayMac fans: We’ve got a real show for you

LOS ANGELES — Oscar De La Hoya had no desire to watch Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s victory over Conor McGregor last weekend. Neither did middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin, who smirked at the idea of taking the time away from his family.

“I just thought it was a fraud, and I still think it’s a fraud,” De La Hoya said Monday.

But now that Mayweather’s farewell victory over the UFC champion went off without a major embarrassment for boxing, De La Hoya and fellow promoter Tom Loeffler hope their upcoming megafight between Saul Alvarez and Golovkin will be carried to new heights by a surge of interest created by the spectacle of the summer.

If you liked Floyd and Conor, they think you’re going to love Canelo and Triple G.

Golovkin meets Alvarez on Sept. 16 in the same Las Vegas arena where Mayweather stopped McGregor in the 10th round last Saturday. The result was no surprise to De La Hoya, who promotes Alvarez, or to Loeffler, who guides Golovkin’s career.

“We were all pretty convinced that Floyd would win,” Loeffler said. “We were just hoping that it wouldn’t be a disaster where people were going to say, ‘We’re never going to buy another pay-per-view.'”

Loeffler and De La Hoya are both grateful that most casual sports fans seemed to enjoy Mayweather’s 10th-round stoppage victory: The unusual fight appeared to be competitive, and it largely entertained people who don’t watch every big fight.

And if those casual fans now want to see the best that boxing has to offer, De La Hoya and Loeffler are selling Mexico’s biggest star against an unbeaten Kazakh knockout artist for four middleweight title belts.

“I’m glad that so many people bought the fight so they can see what boxing is all about, and what boxing is all about is September 16th with Canelo and Triple G,” De La Hoya said.

De La Hoya sent out a furious, profane tweet to his 1.8 million followers one day before the bout, declaring that Mayweather and McGregor were “disrespecting the sport of boxing.” De La Hoya didn’t back down from that opinion during public workouts in downtown Los Angeles for Alvarez and Golovkin, who attracted well over 1,000 fans standing in 90-degree downtown Los Angeles heat for four hours.

“Only Mayweather knows, why it lasted 10 rounds,” said De La Hoya, who lost a close fight to Mayweather in 2007. “Obviously, Mayweather is not the biggest puncher in the game. If there was a Canelo in there, obviously it would last one round.”

Golovkin said he might watch the replay of Mayweather-McGregor this week, but didn’t seem terribly interested. Alvarez, who took his only career defeat against Mayweather in 2013, said he ordered the pay-per-view, but “to see a show, not a fight. I knew what I was getting.”

“We weren’t negative on that event,” Loeffler added. “We just made it clear that this is the real boxing match, and that was a spectacle. It was the most popular MMA fighter against the most popular boxer. … You shouldn’t sell it as a real, competitive fight. But we were happy that it wasn’t a disaster to where people would be down on buying this fight.”

Although Loeffler praises McGregor’s showmanship and MMA skills, he likened the matchup to Muhammad Ali’s infamous 1976 fight with Japanese pro wrestler Antonio Inoki.

“It was really more of an exhibition,” Loeffler said. “It wasn’t really a boxing match.”

But don’t mistake Loeffler for an Oscar-style hater. He thinks the long-term benefits of that short-term curiosity outweigh the drawbacks.

“The more boxing exposure we can get for the sport in general, the more fights that can be made,” Loeffler said. “It brought (boxing) to the mainstream. It got a lot of attention that many other events never have a chance of getting. But I really think (Alvarez-Golovkin) is the highlight of boxing for this year.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

PacMay 2 ahead? Mayweather at ringside in Pacquiao’s return bout

Floyd Mayweather Jr. was among the thousands in attendance when Manny Pacquiao reclaimed the WBO Welterweight title in a dominating performance against Jessie Vargas at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas.

Mayweather arrived during the World Title bout between Oscar Valdez and Hiroshige Osawa, just before the main event featuring his longtime rival.

As Mayweather , who turns 40 in three months, was shown on the screen watching at ringside with his daughter, talks of a potential rematch with Pacquiao resurfaced.

And it didn’t stop there.

Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports! said the two legends even had a little interaction that could go a long way.

“Pacquiao wins, climbs the ring ropes and smiles down at Mayweather. Mayweather congratulated him. Pacquiao grinned and said, ‘Thank you,'” Mannix, who covered the bout in Las Vegas, posted on his Twitter account.

The 37-year-old Pacquiao,reportedly even smiled at the retired Mayweather late in the fight.

“RD 11: @MannyPacquiaoTR sees @FloydMayweather at ringside and smiles at him. #PacVargas #TeamLegend,” Top Rank tweeted.

Mayweather immediately left the venue after Pacquiao scored a unanimous decision win to claim the WBO welterweight crown and didn’t grant any interviews, but some were able to catch up with the undefeated former champion.

“Mayweather asked what he thought of the fight: ‘Not bad,'” Mannix said.

Mayweather beat Pacquiao by unanimous decision in May last year.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Mayweather’s pop admits he thought fight much closer

LAS VEGAS—Floyd Mayweather Sr. admitted on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) he thought things were much closer in the fight between his son Floyd Jr. and Manny Pacquiao at MGM Grand Garden Arena here.

“I told Floyd he needed to do a lot more because we know some judges are crooks,” the trainer said after the bout.

Dave Moretti scored it 118-110 while Glenn Feldman and Burt Clements saw it 116-112 all for Mayweather on Saturday, allowing the brash Michigan-born star to improve his undefeated card to 48-0 on the way to unifying the World Boxing Council, World Boxing Association and World Boxing Organization crowns.




Floyd Jr. revealed on Saturday after the press conference that his father wanted him to unload more against Pacquiao to put the match beyond doubt. Mayweather Sr., according to his son, was affected by the roaring cheers Pacquiao got every time he launched an attack.

“It had an effect on him mentally and he thought the fight was close,” said Pretty Boy Floyd. “My dad was on my ass the whole time because every time [Pacquiao] threw a punch, even when he missed, the crowd would cheer.”

Mayweather, however, knew better.

“I knew judges wouldn’t buy the crowd screaming,” he said, adding that the judges would see how he was making Pacquiao miss and then how he was landing solid counterpunches.



In fact, before the scorecards were officially announced, Mayweather climbed a ring corner, faced the fans and the media in front row and screamed “I knew I won, I knew I won!”

While there was no doubt Floyd Jr. had dominated the match with his uncanny defensive skills, there were still those who felt the bout should have been closer.

“I think Manny won a lot of those rounds because he was the aggressor,” said trainer Freddie Roach.

Still, Roach felt the same thing the jampacked crowd felt when it crowned Pacquiao the unofficial winner of the fight billed the greatest in two decades.

“I’m very proud [of Manny],” he said. “He hurt his opponent several times and landed good combinations. It was a close fight, and we’d love to do it again.”




Pacquiao came into the fight nursing a right shoulder injury and felt that he could have done more had he been allowed to take shots to numb the pain before the match. The eight-division champion felt the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) “sabotaged” his chances of giving a fair fight by disallowing him to take shots before the match.

The Pacquiao camp also claimed on Sunday that the NSAC and the Mayweather camp conspired to put him at a disadvantage against Mayweather.

“We tried to file for an exemption for a shot for the numbing of my shoulder but the commission did not allow it,” Pacquiao said.

After the fight, though, NSAC officials told journalists that they denied the request of the Pacquiao camp because of its timing. Pacquiao made the request for shots an hour and a half before opening bell.




“Boxing is supposed to be a combat sport and it’s supposed to hurt,” said NSAC chair Francisco Aguilar. “You’re supposed to feel pain. You can’t put a fighter up on the ring who can’t feel pain because that would be dangerous.”

Aguilar brushed off suggestions his commission intentionally denied Pacquiao his shots to favor Mayweather.

“This is not the first time we’ve experienced this,” he said. “We’ve had years dealing with these problems so we know what we’re doing.”

source: inquirer.net

‘Mayweather won with hugs’– boxing fans

For Ferdinand Piñol, municipal administrator of Mlang town in North Cotabato, Floyd Mayweather Jr. won because he “threw 265 hugs and ran 15 miles.”

In the frustration of some of those who watched the fight at the Kidapawan City gym, they threw the monobloc chairs.

North Cotabato Gov. Emmylou Taliño-Mendoza, who watched at fight at MGM Arena, said although Pacaquio lost, “we enjoyed” watching the game.

In Pacquiao’s home province of Sarangani, Jeffrey Abellanosa, who watched the fight at the Alabel gym, said their congressional representative should have won.

“The score did not reflect what I saw during the fight — that Manny won,” Abellanosa said.

For the Zamboangueños, Floyd Mayweather was “maru,” which meant “clever” in Chavacano. They also called the American judges “hecho” or game fixers.

John Amin, one of those who watched the fight inside the Western Mindanao Command headquarters, said Mayweather “hardly delivered a punch, and kept on running around and embracing Pacquiao.”

For Mayor Joel Lopez of Sta. Cruz town in Davao del Sur, Pacquiao and the boxing fans “deserve a rematch.”

In Tagum City seconds into the eighth round, the huge LED screen set  up near the Davao del Norte Sports and Tourism Complex in Mankilam  village here went dark.

It was an ominous for the thousands of fans as they  failed to catch two rounds of the fight that saw Pacquiao losing to Mayweather by unanimous decision.

“It was disappointing,” said Jerwin Libre, a 37-year old habal-habal (motorcycle-for-hire) driver who was among the thousands who squeezed into the packed roofed venues near the Pasalubong Center in Tagum City.

A sports official from Western Visayas participating in the Palarong Pambansa that would officially open on Monday said he was a bit disappointed, not by Pacquiao’s loss, but by the live telecast’s brief interruption.

“Floyd was piling up points in the early rounds,” said the sports official.

Sofonias Gabonada, provincial information officer, said it was vthe cable provider, whom he did not identify, who was in-charge of the  telecast.

But for many who watched the fight, Pacquiao did everything to win it.

“Mayweather kept on running away and avoiding Pacquiao,” said Ruel Dagsangan, an announcer of a Tagum-based radio station.

(With reports from Julie S. Alipala, Williamor Magbanua, Frinston Lim, Alan Nawal, Orlando Dinoy, Eldie Aguirre and Charlie Señase, Inquirer Mindanao)

source: sports.inquirer.net

Roach vs Floyd Sr.: Trainers’ trash talk heats up

LAS VEGAS — Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. may have toned down the trash talk during the events leading up to Saturday’s super fight but the verbal exchange between trainers Freddie Roach and Floyd Mayweather Sr. is heating up.

Roach offered a few words for Mayweather Sr., who had been constantly referring to the Hall of Fame trainer as a “joke.”

“He’s never beat me ever. I mean, he never will. So I’m not really worried about him,” Roach told Filipino reporters of Mayweather.

Roach fired back after Mayweather Sr. had called him “a joke with no hope” during a media scrum Thursday afternoon.

“He’s never come close [to winning Trainer of the Year]. He’s a joke. I mean, let’s face it,” added Roach, who is a seven-time Trainer of the Year. “He calls me the joke but Roger’s a better trainer than him. He knows it and he shouldn’t be in the corner.”


Roger Mayweather, the uncle of the pound-for-pound king, normally serves as the chief trainer but health issues prevented him from assuming the position this time, pushing Floyd Sr. in charge of his son’s corner.

“He can’t even get his message across because he gets so nervous in the corner he stutters the whole time. You can’t even understand him. Floyd’s training himself. That guy has nothing to do with nothing,” Roach said.

The trash talk between the two coaches had been going on for months now with Floyd Sr. even hitting below the belt when he referred to Roach’s battle with Parkinson’s Disease in an interview last month.

So while the two welterweight champions set for a Saturday showdown have remained subdued over the course of the buildup to their megafight, the verbal war between Roach and Floyd Sr. doesn’t seem to be headed for a ceasefire anytime soon.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Mayweather uses high-tech toy for recovery

Floyd Mayweather Jr. uses a new high-tech pod to recover after an intense training.

It’s called a cryosauna and it looks like something out of an animated series with yellow-haired characters.

Mayweather posted a video on his Facebook page which showed him using the cryosauna, an extremely low-temperature pod, at SuvZero Recovery on Las Vegas, making him the first person to use the high-tech gizmo.

SubZero Recovery CEO Dave Levi said in the video that the method used in the cryosauna is meant to replace an ice bath.

This will give you that initial shock where you instantly freeze, it will oxygenate your blood, pickup enzymes,” Levi explains in the video. “It actually gets much colder than an ice bath.”

Levi added that ice baths normally go to as low as 40 degrees Fahrenheit but the cryosauna can go as low as negative 240 degrees and it’s because of liquid nitrogen.

“When you step out of the machine … those enzymes, the proteins in your blood, the oxygenated blood, will flow back out, and it’ll heal whatever it is,” Levi said in the video. “If you have joint pain, if you have soreness in your muscles from working out, that’s kind of what we’re hoping to do for Floyd because we know he works out so hard every day.”

It looks like Mayweather is pulling out all the stops for his May 2 welterweight unification bout against Manny Pacquiao at MGM Grand Garden Arena, even using something Son Goku would use. IDL

source: sports.inquirer.net

Showtime makes a trailer for Mayweather-Pacquiao

Floyd Mayweather Jr. versus Manny Pacquiao is so big it needed an Oscar-worthy red carpet just for the pre-fight press conference.

So big in fact that Showtime decided to make a trailer out of it.

Showtime posted the two-minute video on its Facebook page late Friday evening and basically showed video clips of Mayweather training for the May 2welterweight unification fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

As Mayweather’s stable, Showtime’s “trailer” has Mayweather all over it with a few seconds of Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach.

Kinda biased isn’t it?

source: sports.inquirer.net

It’s on: Mayweather says he and Pacquiao to fight May 2

LAS VEGAS — The Fight is finally on.

Floyd Mayweather Jr. will meet Manny Pacquiao on May 2 in a welterweight showdown that will be boxing’s richest fight ever. Mayweather himself announced the bout Friday after months of negotiations, posting a picture of the signed contract online.

The long anticipated bout at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas will almost surely break every financial record ever, and make both boxers richer than ever. Mayweather could earn $120 million or more, while Pacquiao’s split of the purse will likely be around $80 million.

The fight, which matches boxing’s two biggest attractions in recent years, has been in the making for five years. It finally came together in recent months with both fighters putting aside past differences over various issues — including drug testing and television rights — to reach agreement.

“I promised the fans we would get this done and we did,” Mayweather said.

While the fight rivals the 2002 heavyweight title bout between Lennox Lewis and Mike Tyson for interest, it comes more than five years after the first real effort to put the fighters together in their prime. Most boxing observers believe both have lost some of their skills, though Mayweather remains a master defensive fighter and Pacquiao showed in his last fight against Chris Algieri that he still has tremendous quickness in his hands.

Still, Pacquiao is 36 and has been through many wars in the ring. And while Mayweather has been largely untouched in his career, he turns 38 on Tuesday.

Pacquiao was sleeping in the Philippines when the fight was announced, but his camp issued a statement saying the fans deserve the long awaited fight.

“It is an honor to be part of this historic event,” Pacquiao said. “I dedicate this fight to all the fans who willed this fight to happen and, as always, to bring glory to the Philippines and my fellow Filipinos around the world.”

As part of the agreement, Mayweather insisted on having the right to announce the bout. He also won concessions from the Pacquiao camp on who enters the ring first, what type of gloves are used, and a number of other issues, including a reported 60-40 split of the purse.

But it didn’t take long for Pacquiao’s camp to start talking, either. Promoter Bob Arum expressed his elation in making the fight, while trainer Freddie Roach predicted a big win for his fighter.

“Floyd should enjoy being the A-Side while he can because on May 2 Manny is going to put him on his backside,” Roach said.

Arum, who has promoted some of the biggest fights in history, said this one would be bigger than them all.

“This boxing match will have the interest in the U.S. of a Super Bowl,” Arum told The Associated Press. “I think it will set all kinds of pay-per-view records and gate records. It will be the biggest boxing event of all time.”

Both fighters will bring 147-pound titles into the ring, but the fight is about far more than belts. Mayweather, who is unbeaten in 47 fights, wants to stake his claim as one of the greatest fighters ever, and remove any doubts about his legacy by fighting the boxer who is thought to be the greatest challenge of his career.

Pacquiao, meanwhile, will try to show that a knockout loss to Juan Manuel Marquez in 2012 and a disputed decision loss to Timothy Bradley should not define a remarkable career that began 20 years ago in the Philippines

Don’t tune in looking for a big knockout, either. The last time Pacquiao stopped anyone was in 2009 when he finished off Miguel Cotto in the 12th round, while Mayweather has only stopped one fighter (Victor Ortiz) in the last eight years.

Oddsmakers have already posted their opinion on the bout, making Mayweather a 2 1/2-1 favorite in betting parlors in this gambling town. The fight is expected to draw record betting, with tens of millions wagered in Nevada’s legal sports books.

Another record which will almost surely be set will be the pay-per-view price to watch the fight at home. The fight will be televised as a joint venture between competing networks Showtime and HBO, which will share announcers with Jim Lampley and Al Bernstein reportedly handling the task at ringside.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Pacquiao, Mayweather had hour-long private meeting— report

MANILA, Philippines — After boxing supernovas Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. chatted at the halftime of an NBA game, the two held a private meeting to discuss the potential megafight on May 2, a report said.

According to ESPN’s Dan Rafael, Pacquiao and Mayweather met for an hour-long private meeting inside the Filipino’s private suite in Florida.

Pacquiao’s adviser Michael Koncz told Rafael that the meeting between the two fighters “was very pleasant and very encouraging” and that the Filipino’s camp “give Floyd credit for coming over.”

“That’s the first time they ever sat eye to eye. I’ve met Floyd many times, but he and Manny had never had a chance to meet,” Koncz said.

Pacquiao and Mayweather had a brief chat during Wednesday’s (Manila time) NBA game between the Miami Heat and the visiting Milwaukee Bucks where the two shared phone numbers.

“They talked at halftime, but this was a longer, more serious meeting. You could tell by their body language that this was very positive. It was for a good hour or more,” Koncz said.

He added that the private meeting was a “business meeting” but wasn’t of a tense nature.

“I think that’s because they both have mutual respect for each other.”

Both fighters dabbled on broadcasting issues, which have dampened the talks, as Pacquiao is under contract with Time Warner/HBO while Mayweather is under CBS/Showtime.

The two networks have to reach an agreement on a joint pay-per-view telecast which they only did once in 2002 when then heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis fought against former champ Mike Tyson.

Koncz said that Mayweather told Pacquiao two broadcasting issues.

“I told Floyd I would call [Pacquiao promoter] Bob [Arum of Top Rank] in the morning, and I did that and discussed them with Bob, and he assured us they have been worked out. I took care of it,” Koncz said. “I said to Floyd, and Manny agreed, that if those are the only two broadcasting issues, we would take care of them.”

Rafael said that Koncz declined to divulge into the details of the broadcasting requests.

Koncz added that Mayweather clearly said that he wants the fight to happen and there’s no stopping the two fighters’ desire to duke it out on May 2.

“Floyd said, ‘I want the fight to happen,’ and Manny said he does, too. If the fighters both want the fight to happen, who can stop it? They both said they want it to happen, and we’re still looking to make it happen on May 2,” Koncz said.

He added that a cross-country tour to promote the potential fight is not needed as the brief chat between the two welterweight champions in the sidelines of the American Airlines Arena generated enough buzz that a promotional tour would give.

Rafael also said in his report that the two agreed on a drug testing protocol.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Mayweather called before Nevada boxing commission

LAS VEGAS—Once again, Floyd Mayweather Jr. has some explaining to do.

Nevada boxing regulators have ordered Mayweather to appear before them next week to answer questions about scenes aired on the Showtime network prior to his fight Saturday night against Marcos Maidana. Specifically, they want to ask Mayweather about two lengthy fights in his gym where neither fighter got a rest break, and another scene showing marijuana being used at his Las Vegas mansion.

“We all know TV is drama but our main responsibility is the health and safety of fighters,” said Francisco Aguilar, head of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. “Before we draw a conclusion about what we saw on TV we want to make sure we have all the information.”

Mayweather is shown on the “All Access” show promoting his fight cheering on two fighters at his gym who fought 31 minutes straight without taking a break. Mayweather explained on camera that the fighters would go until one of them quit, much like fights used to be in the early days of boxing a century ago.

“The dog house — the rules are you fight till whoever quits,” Mayweather said.

Aguilar said he is concerned that fighters could be hurt by not having rest breaks and proper attention in the ring. He said it is the commission’s duty to protect fighters, whether it is in sparring or in the ring during a real fight.

“I want to ensure that what they’re doing is in the best interest of fighters,” Aguilar said.

Mayweather will appear Tuesday before the commission both in his role as a fighter and a promoter. His Mayweather Promotions was licensed earlier this year to promote fights, and he has a stable of fighters who train at his Las Vegas gym.

Mayweather will also be questioned about a scene in the show where he watched as several women rolled marijuana joints in his home, though Aguilar said it was not his major concern. Mayweather did not smoke, but at one point told an assistant to go buy more rolling papers for the women.

Mayweather is listed as the executive producer of “All Access,” a promotional series which aired in the weeks before the fight. He has talked often about Showtime allowing him to be in charge of content for the show, which shows him and his opponent preparing for their fight.

Mayweather was also the center of controversy a few days before the fight when he suggested that Ray Rice’s original 2-game suspension should have been his only punishment, and that worse things than Rice punching his then-fiancée in an elevator happen behind closed doors in other people’s homes. Mayweather later apologized for the comments, saying he shouldn’t have been asked about Rice in the first place.

Mayweather won a unanimous 12-round decision over Maidana in their rematch to improve his record to 47-0.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Mayweather dominates Alvarez for easy decision win

LAS VEGAS — Canelo Alvarez proved nothing more than easy money for Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Mayweather turned one of the richest fights ever into just another $41.5 million payday Saturday night, dominating Alvarez from the opening bell and winning a majority decision in a masterful performance that left no doubt who the best fighter of his era is.

Fighting off his shortest layoff in years, Mayweather was sharp, efficient and sometimes brutal in dismantling an unbeaten fighter who was bigger and was supposed to punch harder. He frustrated Alvarez early, pounded him with big right hands in the middle rounds, and made him look just like he said he would — like any other opponent.

Mayweather was favored 117-111 and 116-112 on two ringside scorecards while a third had the fight 114-114. The Associated Press scored it 119-109 for Mayweather.

“I just listened to my corner, listened to my dad,” Mayweather said. “My dad had a brilliant game plan, and I went out there and got the job done.”

Mayweather remained unbeaten in 45 fights and added another piece of the junior middleweight title to his collection in a fight that was fought at a 152-pound limit. Alvarez weighed in at that weight, but was an unofficial 165 pounds when he got into the ring while Mayweather, who weighed in at 150 1/2 pounds, was an even 150.

Mayweather’s speed was the difference all night as he was able to land straight rights and left jabs, then get out of the way before Alvarez was able to respond. But while Mayweather used great defense, he wasn’t afraid to attack often and at different angles, finding Alvarez with punches he couldn’t anticipate.

“He’s very talented, very elusive,” Alvarez said.

When it was over, Mayweather didn’t even celebrate, walking over to a corner to look at the crowd. Just another payday, just another win for Money May. The only suspense came when it was announced the decision wasn’t unanimous.

“I can’t control what the judges do,” Mayweather said.

Alvarez was supposed to be Mayweather’s greatest challenge and he did his best to force the action. Like others, though, he couldn’t solve the puzzle that is Mayweather and spent much of his night punching at an opponent who had already moved away from him.

“I didn’t know how to get him, it’s extremely simple,” Alvarez said. “He’s a great fighter, very intelligent. The frustration was getting in there, but he’s a great fighter. We tried to catch him.”

The sellout crowd at the MGM Grand tried its best to urge Alvarez on, but the cheers of “Canelo! Canelo!” were faint and wistful by the late rounds. Mayweather was so much in charge that the only question was whether the ringside judges would allow him to pitch a shutout.

Mayweather came out aggressive and used his speed to hit Alvarez with one or two shots in the early rounds and then get safely out of the way. Alvarez tried to stalk Mayweather and throw right hands, but Mayweather was usually safely out of the way by the time the punches arrived.

“He’s a tough competitor,” Mayweather said. “A tough competitor.”

Alvarez kept trying to force the fight, but every time he went after Mayweather he paid for it with a counter right or a combination to the head. By the fourth round he was beginning to get frustrated, landing a low blow that angered Mayweather, who was further angered when Alvarez refused to touch gloves with him to resume the fight.

The fight was one of the richest ever — if not the richest ever — with a live gate of $20 million and at least another $100 million from pay-per-view. Tickets were so hot that celebrities were actually offering to buy them and some tickets were being offered online for as much as $29,000.

Mayweather was the big beneficiary of that, making a guaranteed $41.5 million to $5 million for Alvarez. Add in his purse from his win over Robert Guererro in May and Mayweather made $73 million in two fights — easily making him the highest-paid athlete in the country.

Alvarez had some star power himself, with his red hair, good lucks and big punching power winning over most of his native Mexico. The fight was on free TV in Mexico, and some estimates were that 70 million people would watch.

source: sports.inquirer.net