LAS VEGAS (May 2, 2013) – The stars and scribes always come out when Floyd “Money” Mayweather fights, and there will be an abundance of both when the Eight-Time and Five-Division World Champion returns to the ring to face Six-Time and Four-Division Champion Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in the highly anticipated main event of “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” this Saturday, May 4 live on SHOWTIME PPV from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev.
So who is going to triumph? The experts overwhelmingly like Mayweather to be victorious, but none expect it to be simple or easy. Mayweather is the favorite as always, but most expect a competitive, hard-fought scrap, and no one foresees a blow-out.
Here’s how they see the Mayweather-Guerrero fight:
ATHLETES
Terry Bradshaw, NFL Hall of Fame QB who’ll be performing at The Mirage in June (Mayweather): “Mayweather is a proud fighter who wants to remain undefeated. He knows how to win big fights…and he won’t lose a fight in Vegas!”
Marlon Byrd, New York Mets Outfielder (Mayweather): “Floyd’s going to knock him out in the eighth round.”
Ed Davis, Memphis Grizzlies Forward (Mayweather): “Because his record is 1,000-0 and he will NOT lose. Floyd by knockout in the sixth round.” Twitter: @eddavis32
DeMar DeRozan, Toronto Raptors Guard/Forward (Mayweather): “Floyd might have to work a little bit, but at the end of the day Floyd is going to be Floyd and finish him off. He wins by eighth-round knockout.” Twitter: @DeMar_DeRozan
Braylon Edwards, NFL Wide Receiver (Mayweather): “Never bet against Floyd.” Twitter: @officialbraylon
Curtis Granderson, New York Yankees Outfielder (Mayweather): “I have to say Floyd’s going to keep that zero in the loss column.”
DeSean Jackson, Philadelphia Eagles Wide Receiver (Mayweather): “My big bro Floyd is going to win.”
Matt Kemp, Los Angeles Dodgers Outfielder (Mayweather): “Floyd by decision. He’s too fast for Guerrero.”
Kevin Krigger, Jockey of Goldencents in the KentuckyDerby (Mayweather): “I’ve seen some of Guerrero’s fights and he didn’t impress me that much. He didn’t look like a guy who could beat Mayweather. It depends on what Mayweather wants to do with him. He might want to use him to prepare for his next fight. Mayweather will win by knockout in the sixth.”
Andrew McCutchen, Pittburgh Pirates Outfielder (Mayweather): “It will be a good fight and it will go the 12-round distance, but in the end, Mayweather will be victorious by a unanimous decision!”
Shabazz Muhammad, Former UCLA Basketball Guard/Forward (Mayweather): “Floyd knocks him out in the fifth.”
Jermaine O’Neal, Phoenix Suns Center (Mayweather): “Floyd will be a little rusty to start the fight off because of the long layoff, but will pick-up a lot of steam around the third round. Then he will begin to beat Guerrero up and ultimately knock him out by the sixth.” Twitter: @jermaineoneal
Doug O’Neill, Trainer of Goldencents Santa Anita Derby winner and one of the top contenders in the May 4 KentuckyDerby (Mayweather): “Floyd is an experienced, cagey veteran. He will find Guerrero’s weaknesses and win by fifth-round knockout.”
Metta World Peace, Los Angeles Lakers Forward (Mayweather): “Mayweather will rally late in the fight to win a decision, eight rounds to four.”
Ray Rice, Baltimore Ravens Running Back (Mayweather): “By the eighth round, Mayweather will have worn him out and will capitalize with a knockout.”
Michael Vick, Philadelphia Eagles Quarterback (Mayweather): “I think it’ll be a good fight, but Money always makes the right adjustments so I don’t see him losing. Floyd wins a unanimous 12-round decision.” Twitter: @mikevick
Dion Waiters, Cleveland Cavaliers Guard (Mayweather): “Hardwork and dedication are the keys. I spent some time with Floyd in Las Vegas last year and he is the hardest-working athlete I’ve ever seen. I can’t see him losing now or ever. He wins by fifth-round technical knockout.” Twitter: @dionwaiters3
Maalik Wayns, Los Angeles Clippers Guard (Mayweather): “Floyd Money Mayweather is the greatest of all time. Enough said. Fourth-round technical knockout.” Twitter: @maalikwayns2
Thaddeus Young, Philadelphia 76ers Forward (Mayweather): “Mayweather is too fast for Guerrero and will win a 12-round decision.” Twitter: @yungsmoove21
ENTERTAINERS
Jahlil Beats, Super Music Producer (Mayweather): “Mayweather gets the W. He’s the greatest of all time.”
Justin Bieber, Pop musician, Actor and Songwriter (Mayweather): “I’ve got Floyd all day.” Twitter: @justinbieber
Sean Cooper, FANTASY at Luxor Comedian (Guerrero): “Mayweather needs to hype up the fight he needs to lose. Money for the Rematch. Guerrero wins!’’
DeRay Davis, Comedian/Actor (Mayweather): “It’ll be a fourth-round knockout for the champ. He’s going to make an example of him.”
The Game, Rapper (Mayweather): “Floyd in 4.”
Brad Garrett, Comedian and Host at Brad Garrett’s Comedy Club at MGM Grand (Mayweather): “Mayweather in 9. ‘Money vs. The Ghost’…sounds like my divorce.”
Marquez Houston, Singer/Actor (Mayweather): “Floyd definitely wins. I’m going with a ninth-round knockout.”
Jinsu, Rapper (Mayweather): “Floyd by sixth-round TKO. Win No. 44 (will be) light work.”
Jackie Long, Actor (Mayweather): “Floyd will win by knockout in the fourth or fifth round.” Twitter: @jackielong
Mario Lopez, TV Personality (Guerrero): “It being Cinco De Mayo weekend and me being Mexican, I have to go with the upset and pick Guerrero by split decision in an entertaining and spirited fight.” #VivaMexico”
Lorena Peril, FANTASY at Luxor Star Powerhouse Vocalist (Mayweather): “Floyd will win a decision. He is a great champion and always brings his best into the ring.”
Da Problem, Rapper (Mayweather): “We all know Floyd going to go to work on his ass!”
Busta Rhymes, Rapper (Mayweather): “Floyd is gonna bust his ass”
Chris Shiflett, Lead Guitarist of Foo Fighters (Guerrero): “I think Mayweather is WAY overrated. Look at his record. Every elite fighter he’s ever been in there with was shot except Victor Ortiz (who was giving him problems until the whole thing melted down). De La Hoya was handling Mayweather with the jab. Mosley almost knocked him out. Cotto was winning that fight but gassed out because he’s shot. Everybody else Mayweather has faced was a bum. Guerrero is young, fresh and motivated. I don’t think he’s going to let Mayweather get in his head or be overwhelmed by the moment. The Ghost by decision.”
MEDIA
Matthew Aguilar, El Paso Times (Mayweather): “Guerrero’s youth may present Floyd with some middle-rounds problems, but ultimately he doesn’t have Floyd’s skills. Mayweather by unanimous decision.’’
David Avila, Riverside Press-Enterprise (Guerrero): “Robert Guerrero’s got the athleticism, ability and attitude to dethrone Mayweather on a decision.”
Ron Borges, Boston Herald (Mayweather): “Mayweather wins a decision. He will be in tough for a while, but he has too much speed, knowledge and defensive skills for Guerrero.”
JT The Brick, Talk-Show Host, Fox Sports Radio (Mayweather): “Speed and experience wins it for Mayweather via eleventh-round technical knockout.”
Damian Calhoun, Orange CountyRegister (Mayweather): “I see this being a close fight. Guerrero’s toughness and determination will cause Mayweather some problems at times, but I expect Mayweather to use his smarts and defensive skills, and then adjust to be able to secure a victory by unanimous decision.”
Steve Carp, Las Vegas Review-Journal (Mayweather): “Mayweather by decision. With only five fights left in his career, I expect Floyd to be ready to fight and not tarnish his legacy. While southpaws have given him some trouble in the past and Guerrero hits harder than people give him credit for, I don’t think he can do enough damage over 12 rounds to beat Floyd.”
Mike Coppinger, USA Today (Mayweather): “It may end up being the toughest fight of Floyd’s career, facing a southpaw who likes to rough up his opponents, but it’s hard to pick against the greatest fighter of this generation. Guerrero will find a lot of success in the early rounds, but as Mayweather always does, he’ll make the necessary adjustments. Mayweather will counter Guerrero and turn his aggression against him. Floyd will begin to land more and more as the fight winds down, leading to a close, unanimous decision.”
Percy Crawford, FightHype.com (Mayweather): “I think it will look a lot like the Ortiz fight minus Guerrero doing something as crazy like not protecting himself at all times. Floyd will use Guerrero’s aggression against him and pick him apart over 12 rounds with Guerrero having one or two moments in the fight.”
Tim Dahlberg, Associated Press (Guerrero): “All fighters get old, and Floyd Mayweather is no exception. Jail and not fighting for a year at a time takes its toll. This is the fight he suddenly ages, and gets his first loss. Guerrero by decision.”
Flattop, Fightnews.com (Mayweather): “Floyd’s speed, power and class will be too much for Guerrero, who’s tough and has skills, but Mayweather has been the total package his entire career. Guerrero will be competitive for a few rounds until Mayweather decides to turn up the heat. Guerrero will be knocked down a few times and he will get back up each time. I could see his corner throwing in the towel once it becomes a ‘May Day’ exhibition; otherwise Mayweather will score a lop-sided decision or late-round knockout.”
Lyle Fitzsimmons, The Fight Network (Mayweather): “Admittedly, Guerrero is young, tough and powerful, but unless Mayweather gets old overnight, Guerrero is also still vulnerable to precisely the sort of precise punishment ‘Money’ has dished out to the myriad of foes who have entered with the same ‘I’ll rough him up’ promises. A la Arturo Gatti, the ‘Ghost’ gets beaten up in a lot of his wins and, like Gatti, he’s in over his head with Mayweather, who wins by tenth round tecknical knockout.”
Norm Frauenheim, 15rounds.com/The Ring (Mayweather): “Guerrero will make things interesting for a while with pressure and toughness. The toughness might surprise Mayweather, but the pressure won’t. He’ll counter it with patience and then precision. Mayweather’s right will land, occasionally early and with damaging frequency later. It might not score a knockdown, but in the end, however, Mayweather’s accuracy will bruise, cut, exhaust and force a tenth-round technical knockout stoppage.”
Karl Freitag, FightNews.com (Mayweather): “Mayweather by unanimous decision. Guerrero hasn’t stopped anyone north of lightweight and Mayweather is more than happy to go the rounds, so in a fight that seems certain to be going the distance, it’s hard to pick against Floyd, who is a big favorite for a reason.”
Leighton Ginn, The Desert Sun (Palm Springs, Calif.), (Mayweather): – Mayweather will win by ninth round technical knockout. He was a heavy favorite, but now even more so with Guerrero facing legal problems in New York.”
Kevin Iole, Yahoo (Mayweather): “I think it’s going to be a closer fight than a lot of people believe and I would have given Guerrero a better shot were it not for the arrest in New York that took a few days out of his training and has to have had some kind of impact upon his focus. Mayweather’s legs aren’t the same, but nobody sees punches coming more clearly than he does. He’ll have to fight hard to keep Guerrero from mauling him, but Floyd is slick at using his elbows to create space, as he did in the Ricky Hatton fight. In a fiercely contested fight, I expect Mayweather to win by decision.”
Steve Kim, MaxBoxing.com (Mayweather): “Mayweather will win by decision. Bottom line, I think unless Floyd has gone backwards physically, he’s simply too sharp and accurate for the hard-charging Guerrero.”
Bill Knight, El Paso Times (Mayweather): “Floyd may have a little rust, but he is still too quick, too good and will wear Guerrero down and win by ninth-round technical knockout.”
Ryan Maquiñana, Comcast SportsNet Bay Area (Guerrero): “Up until this year, I’d have to go with the untouchable Mayweather if I was forced to pick, but given Guerrero’s southpaw tools, busy hands, ring IQ and fearlessness, it feels like the perfect storm for an upset. If he can take advantage of the 36-year-old Mayweather’s inactivity and aging legs, the ultimate question is whether Floyd will still fight with the fire of a king who doesn’t care there’s a $30 million check waiting for him, win or lose. Guerrero takes a 12-round decision.”
Gabriel Montoya, MaxBoxing.com (Mayweather): “Mayweather is not looking to get beat in the first of a massive six-fight, $300 million deal. Supremely skilled, but with all 36 years showing in his increasingly less mobile legs, Mayweather faces in Guerrero, a determined, skilled and experienced boxer. At 147, Guerrero is not a power puncher nor particularly fast, but he’s a strong southpaw who understands that style can be troublesome for the shoulder roll defense Floyd employs at times. The first few rounds will be clinch-filled as the fighters search for their rhythms. Floyd’s age combined with a year-long layoff might make for some exciting moments for Guerrero fans, but ultimately, Guerrero will find the speed and accuracy of Floyd unmanageable as “Money” finds his range and pot shots his way to a unanimous decision. One down, five to go.”
Gordon Marino, Wall Street Journal (Mayweather): “I think Robert is too vulnerable to the right hand and Mayweather’s is whipsaw fast. Also, unlike Andre Berto, when Guerrero pins Mayweather to the ropes, Mayweather is not going to square up. Eighth round technical knockout for Mayweather.”
David Mayo, MLive.com/The Grand Rapids Press (Mayweather): “In losing a step and fighting in front of opponents, Mayweather has made himself more dangerous and put himself in more danger. No one solved the early version and no one has solved the latter version either. Guerrero’s a solid pro’s pro, but he isn’t the best to have tried and Mayweather has to get old before our eyes to lose. That will happen if Mayweather fights long enough, but I’m guessing this isn’t the night and he breaks down Guerrero with typical technique and precision until he gets a chance to finish later in the fight. Mayweather wins in nine.”
Robert Morales, Los Angeles News Group (Mayweather): “Even though I believe Mayweather has slowed down just a bit, I don’t think it will be enough for Guerrero to land enough clean punches to win the fight. Mayweather wins a decision.”
Kieran Mulvaney, ESPN.com (Mayweather): “Guerrero will make Mayweather fight. He will swarm him, hit him on the arms, shoulders, hips, wherever he can. He’ll slow him down and keep Mayweather in front of him and that’ll be his downfall. Floyd may not have the legs he once had, but his hand speed is still tremendous and his accurate punches carry weight. Guerrero will be in close, head down, and constantly vulnerable to flashing Mayweather uppercuts inside. They’ll gradually wear him down and one will finally drop him, leading to a Mayweather barrage and a tenth round technical knockout, but Floyd will be hurting for days afterward.”
Rick Reeno, BoxingScene.com (Guerrero): “This is the first time I’m picking against Mayweather, but I believe the stage is set for Guerrero to pull off the ‘Upset of the Year’ (and possibly the decade). Unlike some of Mayweather’s past opponents, Guerrero has chased this fight for several years. He is fresher, hungrier, throws a lot more punches, has a good chin, is very physical and does have the ability to adjust. He’s certainly Mayweather’s most difficult opponent in several years. As long as Guerrero controls the pace and prevents Mayweather from making it a technical boxing match, the fight is his to win by close 12-round decision.”
Martin Rogers, Yahoo Sports (Mayweather): “Mayweather is too strong, too skilled and too clever and he will win by decision.”
Mike Rosenthal, The Ring Magazine (Mayweather): “I think Guerrero is a very good all-around fighter and tough as nails, but Mayweather is a great fighter even if he has slipped a tad. Mayweather by unanimous decision.”
Jon Saraceno, USA Today (Mayweather): “Floyd shakes off the rust and wins a decision.”
Lem Satterfield, The Ring Magazine Online (Mayweather): “There will be some treacherous moments for Mayweather simply due to his relative inactivity compared to Guerrero’s. Mayweather will have been out for nearly a year since his last fight against Miguel Cotto on May 5 last year, but I believe that he will have enough determination and savvy to elude significant damage on the way to a victory on points over 12 rounds.”
Tim Smith, New York Daily News (Mayweather): “Guerrero is no slouch as he proved against Andre Berto, but Mayweather is no Berto. Mayweather is one of the best boxers and most skilled defensive boxers of this generation. He won’t be standing in one spot for Guerrero to tee off on him. Everyone thinks they have a plan against Mayweather, but he is so adaptive in the ring that plans unravel and boxers are left grasping at straws just to stay in the ring with him. I don’t think Guerrero is the tactical match for Mayweather, but I think he has a good enough chin to withstand what Mayweather can throw at him. Mayweather by decision.”
Bob Velin, USA Today (Mayweather): “Guerrero is one of the toughest fighters in the business, and has a will to win that is second to none in the sport. But he has never faced anyone like Mayweather. Mayweather is the best there is at defending himself, as in, avoiding punches. Guerrero will likely try to make Mayweather fight his fight, which is a ‘toe-to-toe, I-can-wear-you-down-before-you-can-wear-me-down’ style. Guerrero may get to Mayweather’s left shoulder, but it’s unlikely he will do much damage to Mayweather’s head or body. Mayweather’s patience will frustrate Guerrero and take him out of his game. Meanwhile, Mayweather will counter Guerrero at every opportunity and end up winning on points.’’
Mark Whicker, Orange County Register (Mayweather): “Mayweather by ninth round technical knockout. He has adjusted to age and become a far better offensive fighter.”
Michael Woods, ESPN NewYork.com (Mayweather): “Floyd gets the W, same as last time, and the time before, and the time before that. Guerrero is willing and skilled, but limited. Floyd gets the unanimous decision, but his face will tell you after that he’s been in a fight.”
ABOUT “MAYDAY: MAYWEATHER VS. GUERRERO”:
“MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship and the vacant Ring Magazine Welterweight World Championship, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Star Trek Into Darkness and Valvoline. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP). Also featured will be WBC Featherweight World Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon taking on Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares in a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship, former IBF Bantamweight World Champion Leo Santa Cruz facing veteran Alexander Munoz in a 10-round fight for the vacant USBA Junior Featherweight Championship and rising star J’Leon Love squaring off against recent world title challenger Gabriel Rosado in a 10-round middleweight battle for the vacant NABF Middleweight Championship.
Remaining tickets for “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” are still available for purchase with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
General admission tickets for the “MAY DAY: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” closed circuit telecasts are priced at $50, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and will also be available for purchase by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.
