LOS ANGELES (June 24, 2016) – Known for his power and dominance in the ring, Canelo Alvarez (47-1-1, 33 KOs) will look to win his third title in the junior middleweight division when he challenges undefeated heavy-hitter Liam “Beefy” Smith (23-0-1, 13 KOs) for the WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship on Saturday, September 17. A battle between two power-punchers, Canelo vs. Smith promises action between two fighters willing to take a punch in order to secure the next Knockout of the Year. The event will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Information regarding venue and tickets will be announced shortly.

“I am very pleased to announce my next fight against Liam Smith, a tremendous fighter with real knockout power, and the WBO junior middleweight world title owner,” said Canelo Alvarez. “I have no doubt that this fight will be give and take, which will fill the expectations of the fans, and I will work with all the enthusiasm as I always do to get the upper hand on 17 September.”

With the bout’s announcement, Canelo has fulfilled his pledge to headline the two biggest fight nights of the year; Cinco De Mayo – when he knocked out Amir Khan in dramatic fasion — and Mexican Independence Day.

Current WBO Junior Middleweight Champion Liam “Beefy” Smith has built a reputation as one of the hardest punchers in the sport as his last eight victories have come by knockout. Defeating Canelo via knockout is now his top priority, as he begins to establish his legacy in becoming the UK’s next boxing super-star.

“I am delighted to get the opportunity to defend my world title against the biggest name in world boxing and to headline in the U.S. which is a dream I have had since I started in the sport of boxing,” said Liam Smith. “This fight allows me to make my name in the U.S. and show just how good I am and this is the big stage that will enable me to do that. I thank my team for getting me this opportunity: Frank Warren, BoxNation, Daniel and of course Golden Boy for providing it. I am confident of winning this fight and returning to the great city of Liverpool with my belt still around my waist.”

“This fight will be a slugfest between two heavy hitters, and I have little doubt that it will end with a 10-count,” said Oscar De La Hoya, CEO and Chairman of Golden Boy Promotions. “Canelo is the biggest star in our sport today, and with a victory on September 17, at the age of just 26 he can add yet another chapter to his already-incredible career.”

“Liam grabbed the opportunity to defend his WBO title against Alvarez,” said Frank Warren. “This is a fantastic chance for Liam to showcase his talent in such a high profile fight. He believes, as do I, that he has the tools to beat Alvarez and stake his own claim to be the world’s best.”

At the age of 25, Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico’s Canelo Alvarez, the current Lineal and Ring Magazine Middleweight World Champion, has conquered the boxing world, captivating fans both at home and around the globe with his action-packed fighting style, charisma and willingness to take on the toughest challenges. Canelo’s road to stardom began in 2011 with a win over Matthew “Magic” Hatton for the vacant WBC Super Welterweight World title, his first title defense against Ryan Rhodes and stoppage victories over Alfonso Gomez and Kermit Cintron. Then in 2012, Canelo defended his belt against future Hall of Famer Sugar Shane Mosley and showed the veteran his first retirement, winning via unanimous decision. Canelo continued on the path to superstardom in 2013 with a fifth round technical knockout of Josesito Lopez, followed by a unanimous decision victory over then world champion, Austin Trout in front of over 40,000 fans at San Antonio’s Alamodome. The victory earned Canelo the WBA Super Welterweight World Championship and proved his dominance at 154-pounds and as a bonafide ticket seller. On September 14, 2013, Canelo faced the man on top of the pound-for-pound list – Floyd “Money” Mayweather – giving a stellar effort before falling short of victory for the first time via 12-round majority decision. The fight ended up being the biggest of 2013, but also the second highest grossing bout of all-time and the second most watched boxing event ever on Mexican television (only behind 2015’s Mayweather-Pacquiao). Since then, Canelo has defeated top stars Alfredo “Perro” Angulo via 10th round technical knockout and Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara via split decision in 2014. On May 9, 2015, Alvarez dazzled with a victory over the fierce James “Mandingo Warrior” Kirkland at Minute Maid Park in Houston in front of more than 31,000 fans that featured what many deemed the Knockout of the Year in 2015. At the end of 2015, Alvarez defeated future Hall-of-Famer Miguel Cotto for the WBC, RING Magazine and Lineal Middleweight Championship in front of a packed arena at the Mandalay Events Center in Las Vegas and more than 900,000 homes across the country. The unanimous decision victory cemented Canelo’s status as boxing’s biggest draw and among the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world. Finally, Canelo delivered another Knockout of the Year contender in May of this year, knocking out Amir “King” Khan in the sixth round of his first middleweight title defense opening up the new state-of-the-art T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

Part of the Famous Fighting Smith Brothers, where brothers Callum, Paul and Stephen have all competed in the boxing elite level as current title holders and world championship title challengers with Liam “Beefy” Smith is the first to hold a world championship title. A decorated fighter and current WBO Junior Middleweight Champion, Smith has maintained his undefeated status since his 2008 debut, defeating his last eight opponents by knockout. Smith began his knockout prowess in 2013 when he defended his BBB of CBritish Super Welterweight Title by knocking out Marck Thompson in the fourth round. 2014 saw Smith defend his British belt and win the vacant WBA Continental Super Welterweight Title with dramatic stoppages against Jason Welborn and Zoltan Sera proving that Smith belonged in the upper ranks in the division. In 2015, The Scouse warrior went on to stop Robert Talarek by an eighth-round technical knockout in March and then claimed WBO Intercontinental Super Welterweight Title when he finished David Ezequiel “La Herradura” Romero with a seventh-round technical knockout in April. By October of 2015, Smith proved to be an elite fighter as he defeated John “Apollo Kid” Thompson via seventh-round technical knockout to be crowned as the new WBO Junior Middleweight Champion. Since then, Smith has made two successful defenses of his world championship defeating ‘Jimmy’ Kilrain Kelly also in the seventh round in December 2015 and most recently Predrag “Pedja” Radosevic in June 2016 with a devastating second round knockout.

Canelo vs. Smith, a 12-round fight for the WBO Junior Middleweight World Championship, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Frank Warren and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, BORN BOLD. The event will take place on Saturday, September 17 and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com,www.frankwarren.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @LiamBeefySmith, @OscarDeLaHoya, @FrankWarren_tv and @HBOboxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/frankwarrenpromotions, or www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing, join us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @Canelo, @LiamBeefySmith, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, and follow the conversation using #CaneloSmith.

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, the camps of Canelo Alavarez and Gennady Golovkin are angling for a fall 2017 fight.

“I met with Eric (Gomez) on Monday, and we had a good, good conversation, and the plan was they want to shoot for fall of 2017,” said K2 Promotions Tom Loeffler told ESPN.com. “It’s not going to happen in September of this year, so we’ll use the time to build the fight. We wanted the fight in [this past] May.

“It’s Gennady’s priority to make the Canelo fight as soon as possible, but Golden Boy felt next year would make the most sense on the promotional side and with the weight as well.”

“We’ll be happy whenever we can make the fight with Canelo,” Loeffler said. “We can’t force people to get in the ring with Gennady. Canelo wants to work to get up to 160, and we’ll try to make the best out of the situation.”

“I believe that Canelo wants to fight Gennady. I don’t think he is afraid of Gennady, but I think Golden Boy wants to build up the fight, and the time also gives Canelo time to get to 160 pounds,” Loeffler said. “We can jump up and down all we want, but it won’t help us get the deal. We have to focus on continuing to build Gennady. The bigger we can make Gennady, the bigger we can make that fight with Canelo, as long as we have to wait.”

Golovkin, who, like Alvarez, is under contract to HBO, likely will fight in September as well. Loeffler said he has been talking to Matchroom Boxing promoter Eddie Hearn about matching GGG with England’s Chris Eubank Jr., son of the former middleweight and super middleweight titleholder Chris Eubank Sr., one of England’s biggest stars of the 1990s. Eubank Jr. (22-1, 17 KOs) defends the British middleweight title against Tom Doran on Saturday at the O2 Arena in London on the undercard of heavyweight world titleholder Anthony Joshua’s defense against Dominic Breazeale.

“I’ve been talking to Eddie about Eubank Jr., and Eddie said as soon as [Saturday’s] fight is over, we will see if we can move forward with that fight,” Loeffler said, adding that if it is made, Golovkin likely would travel to England for the bout.

“We are extremely pleased that not only did the jury find that no contract ever existed between Canelo and All-Star Boxing, but issued a judgment against All-Star boxing and ordered them to pay Golden Boy’s substantial legal fees.
Over the last five-plus years, many questioned why we wouldn’t just settle the case before trial. The answer is simple: We would not be extorted. It was clear from the beginning that neither Canelo nor Golden Boy Promotions had acted inappropriately in any way. We are grateful that the jury was able to see that.
However, it is absurd to think that All-Star Boxing provided anywhere near that amount of value that the jury awarded under a separate claim. We will appeal this part of the decision, and are confident we will win, just as we did on the contract dispute.”
Outside of appealing the financial damages, we now look forward to putting this episode behind us and working with Canelo to continue his meteoric rise though the boxing ranks.”

By Norm Frauenheim

It’s hard to know what to make of Canelo Alvarez’ surrender of the WBC’s middleweight title late Wednesday in an announcement that wasn’t exactly a shocker.

A disappointment, yeah. But a surprise? Not these days, not in the wake of a fan base eroding faster than political civility in the year since the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Manny Pacquiao dud.

The best that can be said of Wednesday’s move is that it was an empty gesture.

In boxing speak, Canelo “vacated” the title about a week before a deal was mandated for bout with Gennady Golovkin In a prepared statement, he said he did so because he didn’t want reported negotiations with GGG to be subjected to “artificial deadlines.”

Vacated and artificial are just a couple of ways of saying empty, empty.

Put it this way: Canelo gave up a 160-pound title that he won and defended at 155 pounds. GGG was awarded a title he has long pursued without ever having to throw a punch.

Meanwhile, Canelo is still the division’s lineal champ, meaning he beat the man who beat the man. Think of a flow chart, lines of succession. I’m not sure where any of the lines really lead, other than nowhere in boxing’s current climate.

At best, it was a subtle way of saying that Canelo-GGG won’t happen until next year. But didn’t we suspect that anyway? In so many ways and words during the days before Canelo’s dramatic knockout of Amir Khan on May 7, that was the message.

During trainer’s roundtable a couple of days before opening bell at Las Vegas new T-Mobile Arena, Canelo’s corner man Eddy Reynoso essentially told everybody they’d have to wait until at least next year.

He said that Canelo would not fight a true middleweight in his first bout after Khan, who jumped from welterweight to sacrificial lamb in a bold, yet futile bid to upset the maturing Mexican.

“No, not at all,’’ Reynoso said through an interpreter.

When asked when Canelo would face a fighter with a proven record at 160, Reynoso said: “Maybe in two or three fights. But now, not at all.’’

In giving up the WBC title, Canelo might be getting out from under mounting pressure for him to defend a time-honored title at a catch-weight while forcing the 34-year-old GGG to wait until after still another birthday.

The move also could weaken whatever leverage GGG had in negotiations, which both sides say are still ongoing. He’s no longer the mandatory challenger.

But does any of this matter to fans? Canelo promoter Oscar De La Hoya has said that the GGG-Canelo fight is the antidote for a lingering hangover from Mayweather-Pacquiao. No argument, there.

But De La Hoya is caught in a dilemma. What’s best for boxing might not be best for Canelo and De La Hoy’s business. He’s trying to maximize the money he and his star client can make in a long-awaited confrontation against GGG.

Okay, but the timing is risky. Crashing pay-per-view numbers since the Mayweather-Pacquiao turnoff are evidence that GGG-Canelo has to happen ASAP.

De La Hoya likes to refer to promoter Bob Arum’s old term about how to market a major bout. Marinate, says Arum, who likes to let public demand stoke the fires for a while.

But while Canelo vacates, the public marinates in familiar exasperation and further impatience. An empty gesture this week threatens to create more empty seats everywhere. That’s a lousy recipe in any book.

LOS ANGELES (May 18, 2016) – Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez today issued the following statement:

“After much consideration, today, I instructed my team at Golden Boy Promotions to continue negotiating a fight with Gennady ‘GGG’ Golovkin and to finalize a deal as quickly as possible. I also informed the WBC that I will vacate its title. For the entirety of my career, I have taken the fights that no one wanted because I fear no man. Never has that been more true than today. I will fight ‘GGG,’ and I will beat ‘GGG’ but I will not be forced into the ring by artificial deadlines. I am hopeful that by putting aside this ticking clock, the two teams can now negotiate this fight, and ‘GGG’ and I can get in the ring as soon as possible and give the fans the fight they want to see.”

Golden Boy Promotions Chairman and CEO Oscar De La Hoya today issued the following statement:

“There is no denying that Canelo is the biggest star in the sport of boxing. He is eager to get in the ring with ‘GGG’ to show the world that he is also the best pound for pound fighter in the sport, but we won’t negotiate under a forced deadline. Now that the WBC title is off the table, I am hopeful that ‘GGG’ and his promoter K2 Promotions will come to the table in good faith and get this deal done.”

According to Dan Rafael of espn.com, last weekend’s Canelo Alvarex – Amir Khan fight drew a reported 600,000 Pay Per View Buys.

“It looks like it will be around 600,000 buys,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Oscar De La Hoya. “We’re extremely happy about it. If you think about it, Canelo has had the top two pay-per-views of the last four [major] pay-per-views.”

“It’s the changing of the guard,” De La Hoya said about Alvarez, the 25-year-old Mexican star many view as the face of boxing in the post Mayweather/Pacquiao era.

“The fight did way more than that,” he said. “We know that for a fact. The numbers are still coming in, and it could be over or a little under, but it will be around 600,000.”

“The future is that the sky’s the limit for Canelo,” De La Hoya said. “He is on his way to breaking Floyd’s pay-per-view records. We are extremely proud of the work we have done at Golden Boy Promotions, but when you have a special product like Canelo, the sky is the limit. And Amir did his part. A lot of people were saying it wouldn’t be a good fight, but Amir and Canelo both came to fight, both gave everything they had, and it was a good, exciting fight, and people got their money’s worth.”

“Like I promised at the [post-fight] press conference, I called Loeffler on Sunday, and we’re going to continue talks,” De La Hoya said. “We will continue our conversations and see what we come up with. But Canelo will fight in September. We just opened up the conversations. Loffler respects the fact that Canelo just got home to Guadalajara and will take a few days off. But I know we’re under the gun with the WBC situation.”

But will the fight happen?

“Canelo wants to break records,” De La Hoya said. “He wants to be a legend. He wants to take risks. He wants to dare to be great.”

By Bart Barry-

Saturday at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas lineal middleweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez wrung Amir “King” Khan’s neck with a single and singular righthand in round 6 of their mismatch. No count was needed and fortunately no stretcher either. It was another installment of contemporary boxing’s Theater of the Fully Expected, a distasteful inversion of most that once made our sport widely palatable.

Let us have no more talk of Khan’s exceptional bravery in waging a fight everyone knew he would not win, already, because if we do that we must also credit Canelo’s equal bravery, and how badly does anyone wish to do that? The 19th century military theorist Carl von Clausewitz teaches us courage requires a sort of symmetry that relies necessarily on a doubtful outcome. Rarely is there cowardice in boxing; an absence of bravery in the ring manifests itself as resignation caused by a doubtless outcome, not openwinged flight.

To be courageous in victory a winner must entertain doubt of a contest’s outcome; to be courageous in defeat a loser must also retain doubt about that outcome – when a 300-pound bouncer snatches the consciousness from a drunk 150-pound fratbro no one credits the bouncer’s courage and, quite properly, no thinking person credits the fratbro’s bravery either. Von Clausewitz’s insistence on a doubtful outcome makes courage an intensely personal quality, a thing only its bearer can certainly audit. As it should be.

There are no fans of reductionism here, so let us traffic in probabilities and possibilities. Is it possible Amir Khan, a fighter 29 of 30 experts expected to lose, did not expect at any time during the proposal and promotion and performance of his fight with Alvarez that he might possibly win and went through with the discombobulating ruse only to amass a fortune? Yes, definitely possible; no, definitely not probable. Is it possible when Alvarez felt that first underpronated right cross from Khan in round 1 Canelo thought, “This is madness, I’m in with a beast, my victory is nigh impossible, and my survival unsure!”? Again possible, not probable.

Somewhere between these poles is where most of life and all but an instant of Saturday’s match happens/ed. Whatever postsalesmanship went off during the telecast with the team’s squinting to assure buyers they’d gotten at least nine minutes of competitiveness more than feared and Harold Lederman ably ratifying their pitch, writing as one person who picked Canelo to win by knockout I can offer without equivocation there were not three seconds of the 900 that comprised the opening five rounds during which even a pinhole of doubt flashed my mind. Khan was going to sleep unless Andre Ward’s trainer mounted the apron midround.

Frankly one didn’t even need to watch Khan’s customarily jittery approach to know it; Canelo’s mien told the entire tale. Certain as I am I did not doubt Canelo would take Khan’s consciousness is how uncertain I am I watched Khan as more than a prop in the opening five rounds – like a fidgety double-end bag. It was not until the fifth round brought palpable contempt in Canelo’s bearing, though, the outcome became doubtless. Canelo got Khan with the same move with which Canelo cut James Kirkland’s lights a year ago in Houston. He even got Khan’s hopeless, unwinding left to play corkscrew and win Canelo his second consecutive knockout of the year, and congrats on that.

Canelo dishragged Khan and it was magical.

The entertainment runnerup Saturday was the contortionist’s trick of HBO broadcasters mentioning repeatedly Mexico City’s WBC and its suddenly binding resolution to make the HBO middleweight champion of the world the WBC middleweight champion, without mentioning the WBC by name. It felt born of what fantastic consequence the nearly inconsequential media assigns itself; with a new man at the helm of the WBC here’s a chance for him to get his agency’s acronym back in our throats (even if half our infomercial series and all of our introductions and postfight festivities are a voluminous WBC endorsement in highdef) but if the new guy chooses not to strip with urgency his country’s most popular fighter, why, he can say adios to a future “Real Sports” feature and an edgy “On Mauricio Sulaiman” film and even a perky journalist saying amazing things about him on “The Fight Game.”

Canelo is selfaware and arrogant enough to know HBO and the WBC need him much more than he needs them, and good luck dictating terms to him about ratifying Gennady Golovkin as the greatest middleweight champion in recent memory (an authoritative prepositional phrase we use when we’re too young to know very much or too lazy to do research more than google). Golovkin will fight Canelo on Canelo’s calendar and by Canelo’s rules or Golovkin will cost HBO increasingly more money in promotional subsidies subsidized by revenues from Canelo’s pay-per-view matches. That seemed to be the message in Canelo’s postfight use of the Spanish term “mamadas” (better even than the colorful translation it got): Your network can take the funds I raise and use them to erect and decorate another fighter at my expense but before you say any of this to my face, Max, remember who works for whom, who pays your salary and Gennady’s promotional fees.

If David Lemieux starts dieting right now there’s a good chance he can make 155 for Sept. 16.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

 

Follow all the action as Canelo Alvarez defends the Middleweight title against Amir Khan.  The action begins at 9 PM ET / 6 PM PT with a 3 fight undercard with David Lemieux battling Glen Tapia; Mauricio Herrera taking on Frankie Gomez and Patrick Teixeria fighting Curtis Stevens

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Round 1 Hard right from Khan…Combination…right to body from Canelo…Hard left hook..left

Round 2 Alvarez reaches for a right to the body..1-2 from Khan..Left hook from Alvarez..

Round 3 Canelo lands a left hooks..Khan lands a 1-2

Round 4 Good right from Khan…Right to body from Canelo…Left to the body..Counter left from Khan…

Round 5 Canelo lands a right..Good right to the body

Round 6 Hard body shot and left to head from Canelo…Good right from Khan…Jab from Canelo…HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN GOES KHAN AND KHAN IS NOT MOVING FLAT ON HIS BACK

Round 1 3 punch combo from Lemieux..left hook..uppercut…

Round 2 Body shot and right from Tapia…2 rights…Left hook fro, Lemieux…right..Huge body shot hurts Tapia..2 good body shots from Tapia…

Round 3 Uppercut from Lemieux…Good jab from Tapia…

Round 4 HARD LEFT HOOK AND DOWN GOES TAPIA…TAPIA’S CORNER STOPS THE FIGHT

Round 1 Gomez gets in a left

Round 2 Combination from Gomez…Herrera is cut under the left eye…Good  uppercut

Round 3 Right from Gomez…Herrera lands a good body shot…Gomez lands a good right…

Round 4 Hard right from Gomez..

Round 5 Good combination from Gomez..2 good body shot…

Round 6 Gomez flurries on the ropes..Body shot…

Round 7 Gomez moving…boxing well

Round 8 Herrera flurries

Round 9 Gomez lands a right…jab…Hard right to the body

Round 10 Uppercut and combination..Counter right from Gomez

100-90 on all cards for Frankie Gomez

Round 1 Stevens coming out aggresive..Hard left hurts Texeira

Round  2:  Texeira lands 2 lefts…COUNTER LEFT AND DOWN GOES TEXEIRA…TEXEIRA WOBBLES ON THE WAY UP AND THE FIGHT IS OVER

LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez had none of the speed. None of the footwork. But he had one punch. It was enough and now he has it all.

Canelo’s power was summed up Saturday night in one mighty strike that sent Amir Khan bouncing off the canvas like a flat board off a concrete floor midway through a bout that re-asserted the Mexican’s ability to dictate what’s next. Who’s next.

As a statement, it was as definitive as it was dramatic. It showed just how quickly Canelo (47-1-1, 33 KOs) can turn things, everything and anything, in his favor. For weeks, there was a debate about a 155-pound catch weight for a bout that was his first defense of the WBC’s 160-pound title.

Five pounds here, five pounds there. The power is heavy on any scale. It landed, lightning bolt-like, just when it looked as if a major upset was brewing. Khan’s hand speed and agile feet were giving Canelo fits throughout the first five rounds. In the second round, a knot appeared on Canelo’s right cheek bone. But it was there long enough to become a critical target for Khan’s long and accurate jab.

“I was getting in the ring with a big guy,’’ said Khan, who was taken to a nearby emergency room for observation after the bout. “Unfortunately, I didn’t make it to the end.’’

In one momentary lapse, Khan (31-4, 19 KOs) ducked and Canelo threw a right hand counter that landed like a bomb on a chin that has long been a target. At 2:37 of the sixth round, it was over in knockout in an HBO pay-per-view bout, the first at the new T-Mobile Arena.

The crowd went wild. For a few scary moments, Khan never heard the roar. He was out. The back of his head had bounced off the canvas at least once. A crowd of Nevada officials and corner men surrounded him like paramedics. They waved a white towel in what looked to be desperate attempt at getting him to regain consciousness. It looked like an accident scene.

All the while, Canelo paraded from one side of the ring to the other, celebrating his victory. He waved at Gennady Golovkin, who was in a ringside seat.

“i invited him into the ring,’’ Canelo said. “Like we say in Mexico: ‘We don’t f— around.’

“I don’t fear anyone. We don’t come to play in this sport. I fear no one in this sport.’’

When asked if he would fight GGG this year in a title defense mandated by the WBC, Canelo said he was ready.

“Right now,’’ he said. “Right now, I’ll put on the gloves.’’

That didn’t happen, of course. And there’s still doubt about whether it will happen later this year. Canelo has all the leverage, which means he could continue to demand a 155-pound catch-weight, even at the risk of having the WBC title stripped from his thick waist.

“Gennady, Gennady where are you?’’ Canelo promoter Oscar De La Hoya said from the ring after the bout. “We want to talk to you, talk to and your representatives tomorrow.’’

According to the WBC, Canelo has 15 days to negotiate a deal with GGG.

“I am old school,’’ Golovkin said before opening bell. “Middleweight is 160. I respect the sport of boxing.”

But Canelo holds the upper hand at the negotiating table, especially if the pay-per-view audience is anywhere near the one million mark.

For now, all of boxing’s respect and its perks are on Canelo’s side of the table. That’s power, too.
Attachments area

David Lemieux says it’s a beginning.

 

Frankie Gomez finally passed a test that will allow him to graduate from prospect to contender.

 

Curtis Stevens changed his nickname.

 

Diego De La Hoya has more than a legend’s last name. He has some speed and sting in his hands too.

 

Jason Quigley waved an Irish flag. Danced to Irish music.

Rashidi Ellis walked out of T-Mobile Arena the way he walked in.

 

It was a double debut.

HBO Sports presents WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING®: CANELO ALVAREZ VS. AMIR KHAN., the exclusive replay of their highly anticipated world middleweight title showdown, SATURDAY, MAY 14 at 10:00 p.m. (ET/PT). The HBO Sports team, which was ringside at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on May 7, called the action, which will be available in HDTV, closed-captioned for the hearing-impaired and presented in Spanish on HBO Latino.

Other HBO playdates: May 15 (9:00 a.m.) and 16 (11:40 p.m.)

HBO2 playdate: May 15 (4:00 p.m.) and 17 (11:30 p.m.)

The fight will also be available on HBO NOW, HBO GO and HBO On Demand.

25-year-old Canelo Alvarez has been on boxing’s fast-track rack since turning pro as a teenager and in an intriguing showdown that was originally televised on HBO Pay-Per-View he placed the lineal world middleweight championship belt on the line against Amir Khan of England.

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

LAS VEGAS (May 6, 2016) – On the eve of the Canelo vs. Khan showdown, Golden Boy Promotions gave back by to boxing fans by offering a day full of excitement free and open to the public. First, fans onsite were able to witness the final face-off between Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan at the new Toshiba Plaza in from of the T-Mobile Arena, in Las Vegas. Immediately after, a free three-title fight night was staged featuring Marvin Quintero vs. Petr Petrov for the NABA and NABF Lightweight Titles. Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions’Oscar De La Hoya and future hall of famer and Golden Boy Promotions business partner Bernard Hopkins were in attendance enjoying the action packed fights, along with WBC Lightweight World Champion Jorge “El Nino de Oro” Linares, and Golden Boy Promotions stablemates WBC Silver Featherweight Champion Ronny Rios, NABF Featherweight Champion Joseph “Jojo” Diaz, and Eddie “E-Boy” Gomez.

Headlining the televised main event in a fight for Marvin “Cachorro” Quintero’s (28-7, 6 KOs) NABF Lightweight title, Petr “Zar” Petrov (37-4-2, 17 KOs) put his NABA Lightweight Tile on the line and gave every ounce of his strength and power to defeat his opponent. Quintero battled against Petrov’s jabs and hooks suffering from a dangerously swollen left eye starting in the fourth round. By the end of the sixth round and before the beginning of the seventh round, the doctor stopped the fight from moving forward due to the left eye swelling impairing Quintero’s vision, ultimately awarding Petrov the victory by technical knockout in the sixth round.

“This was a great fight for me, my opponent was a strong fighter and I give my respect to him and his team. I have been off for over a year and half and I did feel sluggish and slow at times, but the win is all that matters,” said Petrov of his NABF/NABA victory. “I feel honored to have fought in Las Vegas on Cinco de Mayo weekend as the first boxing event at the new Toshiba Plaza and I hope this is the first of many more fights in Las Vegas.”

“I am very disappointed with the doctor’s decision, I had been fighting like this for two rounds and physically felt strong to continue, but they made the decision and that is something that I cannot control,” said Marvin Quintero of his technical knockout. “It’s the Mexican blood in me that wills me to continue fighting and never give up. I will not stop fighting for my dream to one day become a world champion.”

In the co-main event, the vacant WBC Continental Americas Welterweight title was on the line as, Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano (29-5-1, 21 KOs) of Tlanepantla, Mexico went head to head against Fairfield, CA’s Alan Sanchez (18-3-1, 9 KOs) in scheduled 10-round welterweight fight. Going the distance, the exciting match incited cheers from boxing fans in the crowd which heavily favored Cano. The judges awarded the belt to Sanchez, via split decision who proudly displayed his new title in the ring to show off for his newfound fans.

“I’m going home with my belt! This is just the beginning, and I am excited for the doors that will be opened because of this,” said Alan Sanchez of his big victory. “I want the big title and I want to be a world champion one day–this is the first step to achieving that goal.”

“I don’t feel the decision was a good one, because I felt I was ahead in the rounds, landing more of my punches harder and more effectively,” said Pablo Cesar Cano. “I felt that my opponent was running most of the time, and I didn’t get a chance to hurt him the way I wanted to.”

In the televised swing bout of the night, rising southpaw standout star Alexis Rocha (2-0, 2 KOs) of Santa Ana, CA knocked out San Juan, Puerto Rico’s Abdel Vera (0-3) in the first round showing Rocha’s sheer strength and power punches.

“When the referee made the call, I felt so excited because I knew all of my hard work paid off. I knew I was coming in to the ring with more experience so I was able to dominate the round. I wanted to start the fight with ferocity on my terms to control the fight. Looking forward, I’m very excited for more fights.”

Opening the televised fight night was Guadalajara, Mexico’s Horacio “Violento” Garcia (30-1-1, 21 KOs) facing Erik “El Trompo” Ruiz (15-5-1, 6 KOs) of Oxnard, CA battling it out over the vacant NABF Super Bantamweight title. The crowd couldn’t get enough of the quick exchanges between both fighters eager to take a home a belt during their 10-round scrap. For every punch thrown by “Violento,” “El Trompo” effectively counterpunched. In a shocking split decision draw, the judges gave 92-98 to Ruiz and 97-93 to Garcia and 95-95.

“My opponent started out slow, and my game plan was to build out more momentum in the fight,” said Horacio Garcia of the split decision draw. “I feel that I needed more rounds to get the job done, but I respect the judge’s decision. Next time, I hope to take more chances and throw more punches when I can.”

“After this fight, I want a rematch,” said Erik Ruiz of the decision. “I want to take home my belt because I know I made cleaner and harder punches. I am extremely disappointed with the results of the fight.”

Capturing the opening victory of the night in the first boxing event to ever take place at the newly opened Toshiba Plaza was the always swift Joet Gonzalez (13-0, 6 KOs) of Glendora, CA against Chihuahua, Mexico’s own Ricardo “Cepillo” Proano (11-4, 9 KOs) in an eight round featherweight fight. With his consistent counterpunches against Proano, Gonzalez was able to corner his opponent in almost every round. Never one to back down, Proano came back with his consistent head shots to Joet who used his blocks awarding him the win by unanimous decision.

“During the fight, I was very angry because my opponent kept head-butting me,” said Joet Gonzalez of the bout. “At one point during the fight, I was unable to see from my right eye. However, I could tell he was nervous and he really made me work for the victory so I kept my distance and tried to neutralize his hits.”

Marvin Quintero vs. Petr Petrov was a 10-round fight for the NABF and NABA Lightweight title and was presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Banner Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold.” The first bout began at 4:30 p.m. The Estrella TV Boxeo Estelar broadcast will aired on Friday, May 6 at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT and streamed live simultaneously on estrellaTV.com and on YouTube via Fenomeno Studios: youtube.com/FenomenoStudios. The Ring TV live stream began at approximately 4:30 p.m. PT through 9:00 p.m.

For more information visit www.goldenboypromotions.com, www.estrellatv.com, follow on twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @EstrellaTV and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, www.facebook.com/EstrellaTVNetwork, visit us on Instagram at @GoldenBoyBoxing, and @EstrellaTV, follow the conversation using #BoxeoEstelar.

By Norm Frauenheim-

LAS VEGAS – Canelo Alvarez is not a middleweight now and probably won’t be one until sometime next year.

That, at least, was trainer Eddy Reynoso’s likely timetable when asked Thursday whether Canelo’s next fight would be against a true middleweight if he beats Amir Khan Saturday at a catch-weight in his first defense of the WBC’s 160-pound title.

“No, not at all,’’ Reynoso said during a trainer’s roundtable at the MGM Grand. “Maybe in two or three fights. But now, not at all.’’

The plan is for Canelo to fight two more times this year, once in September and again in December. He intends to fight both times at 155-pounds, the contracted weight for the HBO pay-per-view bout against Khan at the new T Mobile Arena.

The question, however, is whether Canelo still will have the WBC title if the 5-to-1 betting favorite beats Khan.

According to an agreement with the WBC for an interim fight after his victory for the belt over Miguel Cotto in November, Canelo has 15 days after the Khan bout to reach an agreement with Gennady Golovkin, the mandatory challenger and presumptive middleweight champion.

Without an agreement with GGG or another deal for an interim bout in the wake of a predicted Canelo victory, the WBC’s next step would be to strip the popular Mexican of the title.

“We will follow the rules,’’ WBC President Mauricio Sulaiman said.

Canelo’s stubborn demand for a catch weight has generated controversy over whether the 25-year-old is ready for thunbeaten and feared Golovkin.

“We’re ready to fight anyone,’’ Reynoso said. “It’s not a difficult fight. It’s a hard fight to make and we’re going to have to sit down with Oscar De La Hoya to do that.

“But as a fight, it is not difficult, because he (GGG) is a fighter who comes forward.’’

Bernard Hopkins, De La Hoya’s promotional partner, defends Canelo’s right to demand a catch weight.

“Who’s the star?’’ said Hopkins, a longtime middleweight champ in 2004 when he agreed to a 158-pound catch weight for a bout against De La Hoya.

Hopkins came in at 156 and won a ninth-round stoppage in a career-defining bout. De La Hoya was fighting at middleweight for only the second time, but his celebrity propelled Hopkins to more money and media attention than he would have received against any other fighter.

“The guy fighting on Cinco de Mayo weekend is the guy generating the numbers,’’ Hopkins said. “He’s the star. Why does everyone want to give GGG a free pass?’’

Canelo has said that GGG has fought a collection of nobodies. A couple of those nobodies are on Saturday’s undercard. There’s David Lemieux, who lost to GGG in October. There’s Curtis Stevens, who lost to GGG in November, 2013.

“Triple-G not being ready for Canelo?,’’ said Lemieux, who faces Glen Tapia Saturday night. “I don’t think that’s the case. Sometimes, people have got to say whatever they want to say.

“But we all know Triple-G has a long amateur history. He’s a very good fighter. And it’d be a very interesting fight if he fought Canelo. Canelo has fought a lot of tough opponents, but so has Triple-G.”

Canelo, Stevens said, has the leverage because of his pay-per-view numbers, including 900,000 for his victory over Cotto.

“Canelo, he’s the man, the pay-per-view superstar, and he is a junior-middleweight, not a true middleweight,” said Stevens, who fights unbeaten Patrick Teixeira Saturday. “Canelo makes the rules in this case. It’ll be a good fight if it happens.”

LAS VEGAS (May 5, 2016) Fighters on the undercard of Canelo vs. Khan hosted a final press conference today at MGM Grand Hotel and Casino ahead of Saturday’s bouts. Co-main event fighters David Lemieux (34-3, 31 KOs) and Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (23-2, 15 KOs) were joined by Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs), Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (20-0, 13 KOs), Patrick Teixeira (26-0, 22 KOs), and Curtis Stevens (27-5, 20 KOs), all of whom will fight on the HBO Pay-Per-View broadcast. They were also joined by preliminary undercard fighters Diego De La Hoya (14-0, 8 KOs), Rocco Santomauro (13-0, 1 KO), Jason “El Animal” Quigley (10-0, 9 KOs), “King” James De La Rosa (23-3, 13 KOs), Lamont Roach, Jr. (10-0, 3 KOs), Rashidi Ellis (14-0, 11 KOs), and David Mijares, who will make his professional debut on Saturday at the new T-Mobile Arena.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s undercard final press conference:

ERIC GOMEZ, Senior Vice President for Golden Boy Promotions:

“We have put together a fantastic undercard bursting with talent. From the opening bout to the main event, each of these undercard fights are sure to bring the action and excitement to T-Mobile Arena leading up to the main event.

“Thank you to our broadcast partner, HBO – the best network for boxing. HBO will broadcast three of the undercard fights on Saturday evening including the co-main event between David Lemieux and Glen ‘Jersey Boy’ Tapia; the welterweight showdown between Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera and Frankie ‘Pitbull’ Gomez; and a 10-round matchup for the vacant WBC De Las Americas Middleweight Title between Brazil’s Patrick Teixeira and Brooklyn bomber Curtis ‘Cerebral Assassin’ Stevens.

“To get fight fans ready for the final four bouts of the evening, the Canelo vs. Khan preliminary undercard will present two action-packed battles starring two of the game’s top rising stars, streaming live on HBO Boxing YouTube Page. In a 10-round super bantamweight bout, Mexicali’s Diego De La Hoya will put his perfect record on the line against Shane Mosley’s Rocco Santomauro of Duarte, California, putting back life into the De La Hoya vs. Mosley rivalry.

“Plus, Donegal, Ireland’s Jason ‘El Animal’ Quigley will try to keep his impressive professional run going when he takes on Benito, Texas’ seasoned fighter ‘King’ James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout.”

BERNARD HOPKINS, Future Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions Business Partner:

“I am excited to be a part of this. Undercard boxers have an opportunity to get into it. Two of the biggest months in boxing are May and September. The middleweight class is my baby and in the conversation and that makes me happy. I’m looking for better fights to come. Enjoy, sit back and write what you write, but pay attention.”

DAVID LEMIEUX, Former IBF Middleweight World Champion:

“It’s great to be here back on the big stage and preform in from of the world again and make a good mark in Vegas. I am extremely excited to perform well. I am ready and very excited to give the fans a great show and they will not be disappointed at the end of the night. Thank you to Golden Boy. I try not to leave anything behind in the gym. We’ll see how Tapia comes with on his end, and I’m excited to see the Canelo – Khan fight.”

GLEN “JERSEY BOY” TAPIA, Middleweight Contender:

“To tell you the truth, I know most of you guys have me losing this fight but I know what I can bring to the table. I learned from all my losses and I can’t wait to show you guys what I can do. And when we look back, we can show you how wrong you were.”

MARVIN SOMODIO, Trainer for Glen Tapia:

“This fight is going to be very tough, Lemieux is ready. Tapia is ready too though. We had a very great camp under Freddie Roach.”

MAURICIO “EL MAESTRO” HERRERA, Former WBA Interim Super Light Weight World Champion:

“I never dreamed of getting this far and I am hoping to stay at this level. I’ve fought six to seven undefeated guys and I gave them hell. Fighting an undefeated fighter is nothing new. I’m a dream killer. Bring me any prospects and lets see if they are the real deal.”

FRANKIE “PITBULL” GOMEZ, Undefeated Welterweight Contender:

“I’m really excited to be apart of this event. I know my opponent is strong, but I am ready to do my best. This is my second opportunity, and I will take advantage of it.”

PATRICK TEIXEIRA, Undefeated Middleweight Prospect:

“I’m really excited to be a part of this event. I know my opponent is strong, but I am ready to do my best. I want to take the future world title back to Brazil.”

CURITS STEVENS, Former World Title Challenger:

“I am physically ready, in great shape, and mentally prepared. Momma said to knock you out.”

JOHN DAVID JACKSON, Trainer for Curtis Stevens:

“People in the sports world have been talking, ‘Is Curtis ready? What makes this opponent great? This is the first fight. He has more experience in the ring.”

DIEGO DE LA HOYA, WBC Youth World Super Bantamweight Champion:

“If he wants to fight I will leave my life in the ring like a war. Like every great Mexican.”

ROCCO SANTOMAURO, Undefeated Super Bantamweight Prospect:

“I want to thank Golden Boy and give a huge thank you Diego De La Hoya. I am here to win. Not a lot of prospects want to take on other undefeated prospects, and we are here to put on a show.”

SHANE MOSLEY, Trainer for Rocco Santomauro:

“I’m excited and it’s like I’m fighting. This will be a great fight on the undercard on Saturday night.”

JASON “EL ANIMAL” QUIGLEY, Middleweight Prospect:

“I’d just to like to take a chance to thank everyone. A lot of Irish fans came out, and I know what I am capable of. I have sparred over 160 rounds. Not only this for this fight, but for every fight, I come at 110 percent. This is why I came from Ireland. Come Saturday night, I’m ready to take care of business.”

JAMES DE LA ROSA, Middleweight Contender:

“I’d like to thank everyone. I want to thank the man upstairs. I hope Quigley’s ready ’cause I’m ready and I’ve trained hard to leave my mark.”

LAMONT ROACH, JR, Undefeated Super Featherweight Prospect:

“Happy Cinco de Mayo! Thank you to everyone for putting me in this position. This is my second Pay-Per-View card. Bernard Hopkins told me to take full advantage of it and obviously I did. I appreciate everything and I am excited.”

RASHIDI ELLIS, Undefeated Super Welterweight Prospect:

“My birthday is fight night. Thank you Golden Boy Promotions. I had the best sparring training, and I am ready to go and ready to give on a show.”

DAVID MIJARES, Super Lightweight Prospect:

“Man, this is something else and I am very fortunate to be treated like this. I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions for the fight and for being on the undercard of these amazing fighters. I can’t wait to get in there and get my job done.”

Canelo vs. Khan, a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold,” O’Reilly Auto Parts, Casa Mexico Tequila, DOOM® — Fight Like Hell on May 13, and HANDS OF STONE: The True Story of Roberto Duran, in theaters this August. David Lemieux vs. Glen Tapia is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management and Patrick Teixeira vs. Curtis Stevens is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Main Events. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person (a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600 and $400 price levels and a limit of two [2] per person at the $250 and $150 price level) are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing, join us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, and follow the conversation using #CaneloKhan.

NEW YORK (May 5, 2016) – Universally acknowledged as the most talented fighter of this generation and one of the greatest boxers in history, now-retired Floyd Mayweather will be honored during the month of May when SHOWTIME Sports® continues its year-long salute commemorating 30 years of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING® with “MAYWEATHER”.

The fifth round of a 12-month tribute will be highlighted by four of the most memorable and meaningful fights in Mayweather’s magnificent 19-year career – against Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, Marcos “Chino” Maidana, Manny Pacquiao and Andre Berto.

The four fights will air on “Throwback Thursdays” all month at 10 p.m. ET/PT on SHO EXTREME and are available on SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, SHOWTIME ANYTIME® and via the network’s online streaming service. Each fight will be wrapped with brief context and commentary from SHOWTIME Sports host Brian Custer.

Below is the schedule of SHOWTIME EXTREME premieres for the month of May
Thursday, May 5: Mayweather vs. Canelo
Thursday, May 12: Mayweather vs. Maidana I
Thursday, May 19: Mayweather vs. Pacquiao
Thursday, May 26: Mayweather vs. Berto

May Days

(Mayweather-Canelo, Sept. 14, 2013) — In a blockbuster megaevent billed as “The One,” Mayweather won an impressive 12-round decision over previously undefeated Canelo Alvarez in the then-highest-grossing pay-per-view and most profitable boxing event of all time. For the night’s work, Mayweather collected Canelo’s WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight Championships.

(Mayweather-Maidana 1, May 3, 2014) — Mayweather seized “The Moment” against Marcos Maidana, but it wasn’t easy. For a stirring moment – or two, in fact – it appeared the aggressive-minded Argentine might do the unthinkable — and deal Mayweather his first defeat. But the supremely skilled and savvy Mayweather rallied convincingly in the bout’s second half to take a 12-round majority decision.

(Mayweather-Pacquiao, May 2, 2015) – Five-Division world champion Mayweather won a clear 12-round unanimous decision over Eight-Division world champion Manny Pacquiao in a record-shattering “Fight of the Century.” Regarded as one of the most anticipated sporting events of all time, Mayweather-Pacquiao demolished PPV records for buys, revenue, live gate and more. The fight nearly doubled the previous record of 2.48 million buys generated by the Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya match in 2007 and nearly tripled the record $150 million in U.S. pay-per-view revenue generated by Mayweather-Canelo in 2013. Inside the ring, Floyd had his way throughout, winning by the scores of 118-110 and 116-112 twice,

(Sept. 12, 2015, Mayweather-Berto) – Mayweather went to 49-0, matching the record of the late heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, with a dominant 12-round unanimous decision over Berto. In command throughout, “TBE” landed an impressive 56 percent (232/410) in punches thrown and 67 percent of his power punches (132/196) to triumph by the scores of 120-108, 118-110 and 117-111. If this was Mayweather’s last fight, as he’s said, then the maestro manufactured yet one last masterpiece.

# # #

Showtime Networks Inc. (SNI), a wholly-owned subsidiary of CBS Corporation, owns and operates the premium television networks SHOWTIME®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ and FLIX®, and also offers SHOWTIME ON DEMAND®, THE MOVIE CHANNEL™ ON DEMAND and FLIX ON DEMAND®, and the network’s authentication service SHOWTIME ANYTIME®. Showtime Digital Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of SNI, operates the stand-alone streaming service SHOWTIME®. SHOWTIME is currently available to subscribers via cable, DBS and telco providers, and as a stand-alone streaming service through Apple®, Roku®, Amazon and Google. Consumers can also subscribe to SHOWTIME via Hulu, Sony PlayStation® Vue and Amazon Prime Video. SNI also manages Smithsonian Networks™, a joint venture between SNI and the Smithsonian Institution, which offers Smithsonian Channel™, and offers Smithsonian Earth™ through SN Digital LLC. SNI markets and distributes sports and entertainment events for exhibition to subscribers on a pay-per-view basis through SHOWTIME PPV. For more information, go to www.SHO.com.

Los Angeles, CA (May 5, 2016) Boxing Superstar and Unified Middleweight World Champion Gennady “GGG” Golovkin heads to Las Vegas this weekend to meet his legion of international fans and attend the matchup between Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan at the T-Mobile Arena on Saturday night, May 7, 2016.

While in Las Vegas, Golovkin will also host two autograph signings, returning to the Field of Dreams stores at the Grand Canal Shoppes at The Venetian Las Vegas and The Forum Shops in Ceasars Palace.

“I’m excited to attend the Canelo vs. Khan fight to witness this great matchup of size and power vs. speed and movement,” said Golovkin, holder of the WBA, IBF, IBO and WBC “Interim” Middleweight World Titles. Golovkin is the WBC Mandatory Challenger for the winner of the Canelo vs. Khan fight.

On Friday, Golovkin will meet his fans for autograph signings at the following locations;

Friday, May 6
3:00 to 4:30 p.m. PT
Field of Dreams
Grand Canal Shoppes/The Venetian Las Vegas
3377 South Las Vegas Boulevard Suite 2175
Las Vegas, NV

5:00 to 6:30 p.m. PT
Field of Dreams
The Forum Shops/Caesars Palace
3500 South Las Vegas Boulevard #F19
Las Vegas, NV

ABOUT GENNADY “GGG” GOLOVKIN
Sporting a record of 35-0 with 32 knockouts, Golovkin is known as “The Most Exciting, Hardest-Hitting, Most Feared Fighter in the World.” From recently selling out arenas in New York City (Madison Square Garden) and Los Angeles (The Fabulous Forum) in consecutive fights in addition to his sponsorships with the JORDAN Brand, Apple, Samsung, and Bijan, Golovkin is one of the most marketable boxers in the world.

Golovkin’s record includes 22 straight knockouts in addition to 16 consecutive world title defenses. His 91.4% knockout ratio is the highest in boxing’s middleweight division history.

LAS VEGAS (May 4, 2016) – Fighters featured on the pay-per-view undercard of Canelo vs. Khan, held an open workout for fans at the MGM Grand Hotel & Restort today. Co-main event David Lemieux (34-3, 31 KOs), and Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (23-2, 15 KOs) who will meet in a 10-round middleweight fight; Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs) who takes on East Los Angeles’ undefeated star Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (20-0, 13 KOs) in a 10-round welterweight fight; and Brazilian star Patrick Teixeira (26-0, 22 KOs) and Curtis Stevens (27-5, 20 KOs) who will open up the Pay-Per-View telecast in a 10-round career-defining middleweight bout. They were also joined by Jason “El Animal” Quigley and Diego De La Hoya, who will fight in respective middleweight and super bantamweight bouts on the non-televised undercard.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s undercard media workouts:

BERNARD HOPKINS, Future Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions business partner:

“The knock against me years ago was that I didn’t go up in weight – then I showed them I was successful by jumping up two weight classes. And now Amir [Khan] is attempting to do what I did on Saturday and prove them wrong.

“I like Canelo [Alvarez] in the fight. He’ll have a bit of difficulty early, but he’ll calm Amir’s speed down and make it a fight from inside and not a fight from distance. I like a Canelo knockout in the 10th or 11th round – TKO.”

DAVID LEMIEUX, Former IBF Middleweight World Champion:

“My fight with [Glen] Tapia is absolutely at 160 and it’s not going to be an issue making weight. It won’t be a problem dropping the week before, and our program is right on track. I feel great, and I’m very close to making my weight now.

“I’m expecting a hungry Tapia. He’s jumping up weight and wants to prove himself. But he’s going to prove it to the wrong guy. He’s going to lose.

“I’m not here to lose and I am definitely not going to give [Tapia] the chance. I’m going to be merciless on the mat.”

GLEN “JERSEY BOY” TAPIA, Middleweight Contender:

“I’m not killing myself to make this fight. I feel good, I’m full and feel energized because I don’t have to cut so much weight, and I’m happy.

“I need to be smart, use my mind and think in there more than just going in there to brawl. Like Freddie [Roach] says, it’s more about my mind than my heart.

“It’s going to be a fun fight. At the end of the day, I like to entertain but I’ve got to be smart.”

MAURICIO “EL MAESTRO” HERRERA, Former WBA Interim Super Light Weight World Champion:

“Nothing phases me at this point in my career. I’ve been through struggles in my career like all fighters. I’m hungry, I still have fire and nothing is going to get me down. I’ll fight the best and undefeated, whatever it takes.

“It pumped me up when the fight was booked by seeing [Gomez]’s undefeated record. It’s something that motivated me in the gym to work out.

“I hope this weight is a comfortable weight. I feel strong in this weight class, and we’ll see what happens Saturday.

“I want to make an exciting fight for the people, but I do want to win this fight. I have to be very conscientious because Frankie Gomez is a strong puncher – I’ve dealt with him before. I have to play to my strengths and be whom I am.

“I’m excited to have the opportunity to fight at the new T-Mobile Arena.”

FRANKIE “PITBULL” GOMEZ, Welterweight Contender:

“I’m always calm before a fight. It’s been like that since I was 5 years old. You know, going in the ring, [Herrera] is a guy just like anyone.

“People think he’s going to come out and take record away from me. I don’t really care what people think, it doesn’t really get to me. But I’m going to use it to motivate me. In the ring, I just let it go.

“On Saturday night, I’m going to show people a different Frankie Gomez.”

PATRICK TEIXEIRA, Undefeated Middleweight Prospect:

“I really prepared for this fight, I trained really hard. I actually went to Argentina for my camp, and I feel 100 percent.

“I expect a tough fight. He’s a tough fighter that throws really hard, but I’m going to throw a lot of punches and I expect to come out with the victory on Saturday.”

CURTIS STEVENS, Former World Title Challenger:

“[Teixeira] has high output numbers. But his punches are very wide, he telegraphs and it’ll really show.

“Working out in Canelo’s camp was a great experience. It really motivated me to stop doing the garbage I was doing and put another good two-to-three years to my career.

“This fight is important, to get past [Teixeira] and get back into title contention. I just gotta take this all the way.”

DIEGO DE LA HOYA, WBC Youth World Super Bantamweight Champion:

“It’ll be a great fight between two undefeated fighters. But we’re both well-prepared and I’m coming out here to win.

“I knew that the Diaz Brothers were going to give me a hard training camp, and hard camp in general with the trainers we had.

“I don’t want to think to far ahead. I want to take care of this fight and let management worry about what comes next.”

JASON “EL ANIMAL” QUIGLEY, Middleweight Prospect:

“This fight is a huge opportunity to showcase my talent, and I’ve trained my ass off for this fight. Diego De La Hoya is an obstacle in the path of my journey and I aim to remove him from that path.

“Boxing’s a game of surprises, but as much as it’s about surprises it’s also about patience and planning. And I’m ready to put on a master-class this Saturday.”

Canelo vs. Khan, a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold,” O’Reilly Auto Parts, Casa Mexico Tequila, DOOM® — Fight Like Hell on May 13, and HANDS OF STONE: The True Story of Roberto Duran, in theaters this August. David Lemieux vs. Glen Tapia is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management and Patrick Teixeira vs. Curtis Stevens is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Main Events. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person (a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600 and $400 price levels and a limit of two [2] per person at the $250 and $150 price level) are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing, join us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, and follow the conversation using #CaneloKhan.

Photos and videos are available for download in the official Canelo vs. Khan press kit here: bit.ly/canelokhan.

Las Vegas, Nevada: This Saturday, Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens (27-5, 20 KOs) returns to the ring with his one-punch knockout power to face the aggressive up-and-coming prospect Patrick Teixeira (26-0, 22 KOs) in ten rounds of action for the vacant WBC De Las Americas Middleweight Title on the HBO Pay-Per-View portion of the Canelo vs. Khan undercard in Las Vegas on May 7. Curtis has experience and power but Patrick is a younger, more aggressive southpaw. The scouting report for this exciting match-up is below:

Category
Curtis “The Cerebral Assassin” Stevens
Patrick Teixeira
Age
31
25
Record
27-5 (20 KOs)
26-0 (22 KOs)
Strength
Curtis is a power-puncher that can end the fight with any punch he throws. He is very experienced and has fought much better opposition than Teixeira thus far.
Teixeira has power in both hands and possesses pinpoint accuracy. He puts together good combinations and has an effective jab as well.
Weakness
Stevens has been inactive for over a year, so some ring rust is expected. He also has a tendency to not let his hands go, which could be costly when fighting a high-volume puncher like Teixeira.
Patrick has yet to face any top-level opposition. He also tends to throw wide, looping punches, which can lead to trouble if Stevens is able to sneak in one of his lethal left hooks.
Experience
He has fought the better opposition, including a win over top-ranked middleweight contender Tureano Johnson, and a hard-fought defeat against current middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin.
He will be at a disadvantage coming into this bout; he has 26 pro bouts under his belt but has yet to face any legitimate contenders. Stevens will be the biggest test of his young career.
Power
Curtis has knockout power in both hands; if he connects clean with any punch it can be a game-changer at any point in the fight.
Patrick has good power in his combinations, he throws vicious body shots and possesses a nasty right hook that has ended many fights for the undefeated southpaw.
Speed
Curtis turns it up a notch when he smells blood, he shows off his quick hands and savage combinations.
Teixeira is quick; he puts his punches together well and maintains a steady pace throughout the fight, which has proven to overwhelm his previous opposition.
Endurance
Stevens is a young veteran of the sport who has proven his endurance; he has gone 10 rounds on four separate occasions and 12 rounds twice.
The Brazilian has gone 10 rounds only twice in his career, but has shown no signs of any stamina issues, even with such a high punch output.
Accuracy
If Curtis can work his way to the inside, he may be able to utilize some accurate bodywork against his much taller opponent.
Patrick has the accuracy advantage; he has demonstrated pinpoint accuracy in his jab and uses his reach effectively in picking apart his opponents from a distance.
Defense
Curtis’s best defense has been his offense, his opponents are usually running from him rather than running towards him.
Teixeira is a rangy fighter who utilizes his reach effectively. It will be a difficult task for any fighter to get on inside on him and do some damage.
Chin
Although Curtis has been stopped in his career, he has a solid chin. He has been knocked down from some big shots by some big punchers, including GGG, and has gotten back to his feet.
Patrick’s chin is still in question. He has not been in any real danger after impressively dominating his opposition thus far.
Style
Curtis is a no-nonsense, in-your-face power puncher who is always looking to end the night early.
Teixeira is a slick and aggressive southpaw who knows how to finish fights. He has a lengthy reach, stiff jab, and throws nasty combinations.
Intangibles
In the prime of his career, Stevens does not believe in tune-up fights. His past four opponents were all former or currently ranked contenders and titleholders. With over a year out of the ring, he has decided against tune-up bouts and will attempt to get his name back in the middleweight mix by taking on a young, undefeated, and dangerous knockout artist in Patrick Teixeira. A win on May 7 instantly makes Curtis a legitimate threat in the middleweight division.
The young Brazilian has chosen to take on a tough task in hopes of moving up the middleweight rankings. Rather than take on a much lesser opponent, he will instead put his undefeated record on the line on the biggest stage of them all, against a fighter in Curtis Stevens who can close the show with any punch he throws. A win over Stevens can catapult him into the top of the middleweight rankings.
Crowd Support
Curtis has been in the bigger fights throughout his career and has a style that is appealing to the fans, so he should have the majority of the crowd in his corner.
Teixeira’s aggressive, come-forward style may earn him some fans before the night ends.
The Match-up
Will ring rust be a problem for Stevens?
Will Teixeira be able to handle Stevens’ power?
Will Curtis be able to handle Patrick’s non-stop come-forward style?
Will Teixeira be ready mentally for his toughest challenge to date?

According to 2015 NABF Matchmaker of the Year, Jolene Mizzone, “This is the type of fight I would love to see more often: the veteran who is willing to fight anyone, any time and the up-and-coming prospect that is ready to take that step up. I love that neither of these guys know what the words ‘tune-up’ mean. Both fighters have a lot to prove and that could only be a recipe for a great fight in the ring!”

Canelo vs. Khan, a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold,” O’Reilly Auto Parts, Casa Mexico Tequila, DOOM® — Fight Like Hell on May 13, and HANDS OF STONE: The True Story of Roberto Duran, in theaters this August.

David Lemieux vs. Glen Tapia is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management and Patrick Teixeira vs. Curtis Stevens is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Main Events. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person (a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600 and $400 price levels and a limit of two [2] per person at the $250 and $150 price level) are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

By Norm Frauenheim-

LAS VEGAS, Nev. – Amir Khan might be a big underdog against Canelo Alvarez Saturday, but he won the news conference Wednesday.

Khan scored a knockout with a punch line.

“You never know, but this could be the last fight for me and Canelo here,’’ Khan said at the MGM Grand. “That’s it, if Donald Trump becomes president.’’

Khan is Muslim, a UK fighter of Pakistani descent. Canelo is Mexican. Trump’s call to make America great again doesn’t exactly include either.

Trump, the Republican Party’s presumptive nominee, has campaigned by saying he would bar Muslims. He’s also promising to build a wall, 10 feet high, along the border between the U.S. and Mexico.

Oh yeah, Trump also might be at the Khan-Canelo fight Saturday night in the T-Mobile Arena’s boxing debut.

After Khan’s line, promoter Oscar De La Hoya announced that Trump would be attending the middleweight bout for Canelo’s World Boxing Council title.

“I just received confirmation that Trump will be here Saturday night,’’ De La Hoya said.

De La Hoya re-confirmed to a handful of reporters after the news conference that he had been told Trump had accepted his offer.

De La Hoya offered Trump two tickets last week during an appearance on Cavuto Coast to Coast on Fox Business News.

Tickets are still available for the fight, an HBO pay-per-view bout. The billionaire politician, who got Mike Tyson’s endorsement last weekend and was at ringside for Gennady Golovkin’s victory over David Lemieux at Madison Square Garden in October, could probably afford to spring for a couple of tickets on his own dime.

But De La Hoya wants Trump to witness a unique, international event between two accomplished athletes from backgrounds he has targeted with comments that have angered Mexicans and immigrants.

“”I have Amir Khan, a Muslim fighter from the U.K., fighting against the most popular boxer in Mexico, Canelo Alvarez, opening up the new T-Mobile Arena,” De La Hoya said when he first made an offer that he figured Trump could only refuse. “We have an opportunity to show Mr. Trump just what Mexicans and Muslims can achieve — and in a city that screams America: Las Vegas. Trump, let me invite you so that you can see what a Mexican and a Muslim can generate.”

It’s not exactly clear where Trump, a former business associate of Don King and Bob Arum, would be seated if he shows up, presumably with somebody other than Ted Cruz. At recent campaign stops in California, violence erupted among demonstrators opposed to Trump, whose name has been booed loudly by fight crowds ever since the ex-promoter became a politician.

“Not in ringside seat,’’ De La Hoya said during the news conference. “But we’ll make sure he sees the fight.’’

LONDON (May 5) – Boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya has tipped Amir Khan as a ‘huge favourite’ ahead of his showdown with Mexican superstar Canelo Alvarez.

The Golden Boy Promotions boss believes the British ace is a genuine threat to middleweight world champion Canelo and thinks those with knowledge of the fight game would not be surprised should he prevail against the odds.

“There’s a reason Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao didn’t want to fight Amir Khan because he possesses skills like no other,” said De La Hoya.

“He may come in as the underdog, but he also comes in as a huge favourite to those who know the sport and to many of those who have seen him fight,” he said.

The six-division world champion was also quick to praise Khan’s willingness to face the very best, comparing his impending battle, exclusively live on BoxNation, to Muhammad Ali’s stunning upset over George Foreman.

“It’s great to be beside a fighter who dares to be great. Amir is a hard worker, not only an Olympic silver medallist, but here is a fighter who is a multiple weight world champion, always asking for the big fights and never getting them.

“Guess what? He’s now here facing the top fighter in the world, and he’s ready for it and excited to face him,” said De La Hoya.

“Whoever thought that Muhammad Ali could knock out George Foreman? I just talked to Foreman and people were praying he didn’t hurt Ali and look what happened there,” he said.

25-year-old Canelo, who is regarded by many as one of boxing’s pound-for-pound kings, knows that he will need to show that come fight night.

He takes on the Bolton born fighter at a catchweight of 155-pounds and says he has done a lot of work to deal with Khan’s speed.

“There’s not too much more left to say, the fight is here. I’m very happy with the work I have done.

“Khan is a very fast, very elusive, and very tricky fighter, but I am happy with the work I have done and I am ready to go in the ring and break him down.

“And again, I am much honoured to be opening the T-Mobile Arena. Come Saturday, I’m excited to yell, ‘Viva Mexico!’,” Canelo said.

Khan v Canelo is exclusively live on BoxNation (Sky/Freeview/Virgin/TalkTalk/Online & App) this Saturday night. Go to boxnation.com to subscribe.
– ENDS –

About BoxNation

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

Previous highlights have included Haye vs Chisora, Khan vs Collazo and Mayweather vs Maidana.

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LAS VEGAS (May 4, 2016) WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) and British top fighter and former two-time world champion Amir “King” Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) met today for one final press conference at the Kà Theater in the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas ahead of their middleweight championship mega-fight showdown on May 7 at the new T-Mobile Arena, which will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Below is what the fighters and their teams had to say at today’s final press conference:

CANELO ALVAREZ, WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion:

“There’s not too much more left to say, the fight is here. I just want to thank each and every one of you for your support and promotion of this fight. I’m very happy with the work I have done. Khan is a very fast, very elusive, and very tricky fighter, but I am happy with the work I have done and I am ready to go in the ring and break him down. And again, I am much honored to be opening T-Mobile Arena. Come Saturday, I’m excited to yell, ¡Viva Mexico!”

AMIR KHAN, Former Two-Time World Champion:
“On Saturday you will see the best of Amir Khan. Canelo is a great champion who is dedicated to the sport of boxing, but it is my time and I’m going to grab it with both hands. It’s been my dream to hold a great fight like this in Las Vegas. And, you never know-this could be the last fight between Canelo and I here in Vegas if Donald Trump is elected president.”
OSCAR DE LA HOYA, Chairman and CEO of Golden Boy Promotions:

“It’s great to be beside a fighter who dares to be great. Amir is a hard worker, not only an Olympic silver medalist, but here is a fighter who is a multiple weight world champion, always asking for the big fights and never getting them. Guess what? He’s now here facing the top fighter in the world, and he’s ready for it and excited to face him. Whoever thought that Muhammad Ali could knock out George Foreman? I just talked to Foreman and people were praying he didn’t hurt Ali and look what happened there.

“There’s a reason Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao didn’t want to fight Amir Khan because he possesses skills like no other. He may come in as the underdog, but he also comes in as huge favorite to those who know the sport and to many of those who have seen him fight.

“Canelo is a great fighter and has accomplished so much at 25 since beginning to fight at the tender age of fifteen. This match up will be truly incredible to witness, and the fans will be in for a great night come Saturday. ”

EDDY REYNOSO, Head Trainer of Canelo Alvarez:

“The hard work has been done, the preparation has been done, and we know what we have to do on Saturday night. Canelo is a great fighter and we can tell you that we have worked very hard. On Saturday night, you will see Canelo lift and raise his hand in victory.”

VIRGIL HUNTER, Trainer for Amir Khan:

“Glad to see everyone here again. It’s an honor to really be beside Amir in this situation. He has been through so much in his career with adversity but here he is willing to step up two weight classes and then some to prove he got in to this sport to show he has a legacy and fears no one. I learned this early on from him. I was amazed the first time I saw him spar, and his attitude is amazing. He will walk right in to the face of adversity and it is a pleasure to be right beside him when he walks right in to the ring on May 7. Saturday night will be a great fight.”

JOSE “CHEPO” REYNOSO, Manager of Canelo Alvarez:

“This camp was very intense, very well done, very tough and had tremendous sparring that helped us prepare for this fight. These sparring partners brought the best out of Canelo and you will see that Saturday night. The birth of my granddaughter, Eddy’s daughter, was a true inspiration for us as we trained. The great ambiance we had, the job and the hard work that was done only gives us the confidence that we will be yelling ¡Viva Mexico y Viva Canelo!”

SHAH KHAN, Father and Manager of Amir Khan:

“All the hard work has been done. This has been a dream for Amir, to get to the top and fight the best fights and be amongst MannyPacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Amir always said he wanted this fight and we worked hard towards it.

“It has been a great training camp with great sparring, and Amir looks incredible. The world is looking right at this fight. Initially, many were saying this wasn’t a right fight. This happened to Amir back in his Olympic games when he was 17 years old. As the fight went on, the media didn’t have enough seats to watch him. Now we’re back, Amir is an underdog and we’re going to prove everyone wrong. This is the fight he wants, and I think we’re going to repeat history here on May 7.”

PETER NELSON, Executive Vice President of HBO Sports:

“I want to thank T-Mobile, great venues make great fights. Thank you to Canelo Promotions and Amir Khan’s camp. Lastly, I want to thank Golden Boy Promotions and everyone on the team. When I spoke to Oscar De La Hoya earlier this year, he said he wanted to make the best fights possible. Oscar has consistently lived up to his word, and you can see this is the best fight of 2016 so far. It’s very commendable what Golden Boy Promotions has achieved. This is going to be a great fight.

“Canelo has had a spectacular year in 2015 with a great win over Cotto. For Khan, it has been four years since we’ve seen him, and we’re happy to have him back. We’ll see on Saturday night whose time it is. Both fighters are incredibly hungry. If you haven’t already, check out 24/7 to see the incredible regimens these fighters go through. We are looking forward to Saturday night for these great fights.”

MAURICIO SULAIMAN, President of WBC:

“When Oscar De La Hoya mentions Cinco de Mayo, I think of coming to Las Vegas in the past to watch the biggest boxers with my father. Today, the eyes of the world are on Las Vegas. HBO, the best network in the history of the sport, is broadcasting one of the best fights to be made today. Two elite fighters fighting each other to make sure the world gets a real boxing match.

“I think Amir has a strategy he plans on performing on Saturday, same as Canelo, backed by tremendous teams. They have worked very hard to make this a success. We have a Catholic fighter against a Muslim fighter, and both have been named as ambassadors for peace by Pope Francis. I wish Canelo and Amir the best of luck and may the best man win.”

BERNARD HOPKINS, Future Hall of Famer and Golden Boy Promotions business partner:

“It took a lot of people to put this fight together: HBO, Oscar De La Hoya, and the two camps of Canelo and Amir Khan. It’s a great thing to see, especially being from a middleweight champ, which is true to my DNA history. History is a very important thing to me.

“Let’s enjoy this fight before we start talking about the next fight. We want to put the best in front of the best. Oscar put the best in his career, and Amir Khan has come to make it happen. Enjoy the fight, sit back and do what you do. Either way, we’re going to keep putting together great fights.”

RICHARD STURM, President of Entertainment and Sports MGM Resorts International:

“We are thrilled to be a part of this international sporting event between Canelo and Amir Khan. This will the first of many great boxing events to be held here. T-Mobile Arena has truly changed the Las Vegas landscape in sports and entertainment arenas. Canelo is returning after a tremendous win over Cotto, and Amir returns after nearly 18 months from Las Vegas to take on this huge fighter. We will look forward to seeing everyone Saturday night.”

FELIX PALAU, Vice President at Tecate:

“We at Tecate are very excited. We have launched our biggest effort to promote this fight. Our advertising for this fight has reached more than one million consumers on TV; we have reached more than 6,000 stores to promote the fight. We have also launched our biggest digital effort, having reached more than 11 million fans. We wish Canelo, Khan and all the boxers on the card a successful fight and the best of luck.”

BOB BENNETT, Executive Director of the Nevada Athletic Commission:

“On behalf of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, we thank Golden Boy Promotions for bringing this championship fight to the fight capital of the world and to T-Mobile Arena. ¡Feliz Cinco de Mayo!”

Canelo vs. Khan, a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold,” O’Reilly Auto Parts, Casa Mexico Tequila, DOOM® — Fight Like Hell on May 13, and HANDS OF STONE: The True Story of Roberto Duran, in theaters this August. David Lemieux vs. Glen Tapia is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management and Patrick Teixeira vs. Curtis Stevens is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Main Events. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person (a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600 and $400 price levels and a limit of two [2] per person at the $250 and $150 price level) are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing, join us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, and follow the conversation using #CaneloKhan.

LAS VEGAS (May 3, 2016) -WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) and British top fighter and former two-time former world champion Amir “King” Khan (31-3, 19 KOs)made their grand arrivals today at the MGM Grand Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas ahead of their middleweight championship showdown on May 7 at the new T-Mobile Arena, which will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

They were joined by undercard fighters David Lemieux (34-3, 31 KOs) and Glen “Jersey Boy” Tapia (23-2, 15 KOs) who will meet in a 10-round middleweight co-main event; Mauricio “El Maestro” Herrera (22-5, 7 KOs) and East Los Angeles’ undefeated star Frankie “Pitbull” Gomez (20-0, 13 KOs) who will face off in a 10-round welterweight fight; and Patrick Teixeira (26-0, 22 KOs) and Curtis Stevens (27-5, 20 KOs) who will open up the Pay-Per-View telecast in a 10-round career-defining middleweight bout. They were also joined by Jason “El Animal” Quigley and Diego De La Hoya, who will fight in respective middleweight and super bantamweight bouts on the non-televised undercard.

Below is what the fighters had to say at today’s grand arrivals:

CANELO ALVAREZ, WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion:

“There is a difference between wanting and doing. On Saturday night, we will see who will give who a boxing lesson. I want to thank all of my fans for the support. I am very honored to be celebrating on Cinco de Mayo, and I hope to put on a great show on Saturday night. I’m training hard for twelve rounds, I’m ready to go all of those rounds, and if the knockout presents itself-I’m ready to take it.”

AMIR KHAN, Former Two-Time World Champion:

“All the hard work and training has been done. I have a great team, and I am conditioned and ready to fight and represent my country of England. Mentally, I have prepared by praying, being with my beautiful family, and the support from my fans. Even though Cinco de Mayo is a Mexican holiday, we are going to see a lot of British flags come Saturday night. This is a huge fight, as Canelo is a star in Mexico and America. I know I’m here as the underdog, but I’m ready to win and take this WBC belt back to my home in England. I wouldn’t have taken this fight if I didn’t think I could take it. I have trained for everything and worked on my speed and my power. A win against Canelo would be one of the biggest wins of my career because he is a superstar, especially on this Cinco de Mayo weekend in front of everyone. I have trained and worked on my speed and my power. The fans will be very happy on Saturday night. I will be the new world champion. I think it will be difficult to knock Canelo out, but I know I can give him a boxing lesson.”

DAVID LEMIEUX, Former IBF Middleweight World Champion:

“It feels great to be back here in Las Vegas, and I am excited for a great night of boxing. There is no more rest, it is all business. I am here to give a great show and win some fans. After this weekend, everyone will know the name David Lemieux. I am excited for a great night of boxing come May 7. I am here to give a great show and win some fans. I’m happy he [Glen Tapia] is confidant and 100 percent secure he’s going to win. But, that night the fans are going to be the winners. I am going to be more than ready to win. First, I know I need to take care of Glen Tapia properly. After that, I am going to be more than ready to take on Canelo or Khan.”

GLEN “JERSEY BOY” TAPIA, Middleweight Contender:

“I feel so good to be here in Las Vegas, I have trained hard, and I couldn’t feel better about this fight. I know Lemieux comes in as a great fighter, he has a better record than me, and I have a lot of respect for him. The only thing on my mind in the future is fighting David Lemieux.”

MAURICIO “EL MAESTRO” HERRERA, Former WBA Interim Super Light Weight World Champion:

“Frankie Gomez and I are going to create something very special in the ring on Saturday night. Get your tickets because nobody is going to take this fight from me. Training camp has been tough; like every camp it is the toughest part but all my training will make it an easy night for Saturday. I’m not burned out – I’m hungry to win. Frankie Gomez is undefeated and has everything going for him. He wants to take my spot and everything I have built. I respect him as a fighter, but it is my time. He will get his chance later.”

FRANKIE “PITBULL” GOMEZ, Welterweight Contender:

“I’m ready and Mauricio is a great fighter with a lot of experience but so am I. I’m going to show everyone I am not going here to lose on May 7. Training has been great, and I’ve been getting ready for 12 weeks. I’m 100 percent focused on the sport and ready to go. Herrera is very crafty with great experience and has fought many fighters, but I know I’m better.”

PATRICK TEIXEIRA, Undefeated Middleweight Prospect:

“I’m ready and prepared. Good luck to Curtis on trying to knock me out. I will put on a good show, especially for my Mexican friends.”

CURTIS STEVENS, Former World Title Challenger:

“This has been my dream all my life and the next step is to be a world champion. I’m going to keep the fans real excited on May 7!”

DIEGO DE LA HOYA, WBC Youth World Super Bantamweight Champion:

“I’m very excited to be here and see all the beautiful, Mexican people here as fans and to be here on this card. I am thankful to Golden Boy Promotions for this opportunity. There is some pressure with the De La Hoya name, but I’ve been prepared for it all my life and I’m ready to put on a show for my fans with my fight. I know my fight is going to be tough because I’m fighting an undefeated opponent. But like a well-trained, Mexican fighter, I’m going to give it all in the ring and come out with a victory.”

JASON “EL ANIMAL” QUIGLEY, Middleweight Prospect:

“It feels great to be here with all the support from the fans for my fight on May 7th. I worked very hard to get to this position, and I’m going to grab my opponent, put on my knockout gloves and take the victory.”

Canelo vs. Khan, a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold,” O’Reilly Auto Parts, Casa Mexico Tequila, DOOM® — Fight Like Hell on May 13, and HANDS OF STONE: The True Story of Roberto Duran, in theaters this August. David Lemieux vs. Glen Tapia is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management and Patrick Teixeira vs. Curtis Stevens is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Main Events. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person (a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600 and $400 price levels and a limit of two [2] per person at the $250 and $150 price level) are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing, join us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, and follow the conversation using #CaneloKhan.

LAS VEGAS (May 3, 2016) -WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Champion Canelo Alvarez (46-1-1, 32 KOs) and British top fighter and former two-time former world champion Amir “King” Khan (31-3, 19 KOs) will bring every ounce of their speed and power when they meet in the ring on May 7 at the new T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and live by HBO Pay-Per-View®.

Below is what sports media reporters had to say about their picks for Canelo vs. Khan:

Gary Andrew Poole, The Guardian:

“Khan’s greatest asset is his attacking speed, and to win he will need to put his speed to work quickly because his defensive tactics and chin are seriously suspect. I see Canelo winning. Three major factors point to a Canelo knockout victory: the Mexican superstar has more power (67 percent KO rate vs. 56 percent). Of late, Alvarez, 25, has fought more quality opponents: the last three Alvarez opponents were Erislandy Lara, James Kirkland, and Miguel Cotto; Khan’s last three were Luis Collazo, Devon Alexander and Chris Algieri. And, finally, Canelo smartly set a 155-pound catch-weight because it will make his power punches more devastating. Khan, 29, is a very good lightweight who has tried to chase bigger purses in the welterweight division. Rising yet another eight pounds will be a bridge too far and Canelo-if he can withstand an early assault-will break him down and knock him out. If Canelo wins, the world hopes he will face Gennady Golovkin in the fall.”

Dan Rafael, ESPN.com:

“Canelo is bigger, stronger and younger and while I think Khan will give it a great effort and be more competitive than some think he might be, Canelo will win by knockout in the middle rounds.”

Brian Campbell, ESPN.com:

“Khan’s speed and technical skill will keep him in the fight and present interesting tactical questions for Alvarez to answer. Ultimately, however, the combination of Canelo’s power and Khan’s suspect chin will lead to a knockout finish.”

Bob Velin, USA Today:

“Canelo by knockout in round seven. Amir Khan is one on the quickest fighters in the world today, and we know what happened to Canelo Alvarez against a quick, slick fighter like Floyd Mayweather. However, Canelo has come a long way since then, has prepared and knows what to expect with Khan’s quick hands. His power will be too much for Khan, fighting at 155 for the first time. Khan will stick and move and be able to avoid the big punch through six rounds, but his suspect chin will not stand up to Canelo’s power once the lineal middleweight champ finally catches him.”

Jeff Powell, Daily Mail:

“At the early time of asking, I say Khan by decision but it’s a close call between speed and power, which some factors could affect in the coming days.”

Tim Dahlberg, Associated Press:

“Canelo is on a roll now and eager to prove the Cinco de Mayo date is really his, not Mayweather’s. He was impressive against Cotto and seems to have accepted the loss to Mayweather as normal growing pains for a young fighter. Khan is moving up in weight and in competition, and fast hands only take you so far. I like Canelo in a dominating performance, stopping Khan in the middle rounds in the first fight at T-Mobile Arena.”

Gavin Glicksman, The Sun:

“Khan has craved a super-fight for years and is determined to write his name into the history books with what will go down as one of the biggest upsets in boxing if he wins. It’s a massive ask, and there is the fear he will be stopped if Canelo lures him into a tear-up, but I believe his fast hands and footwork will see him take the champion the distance. As long as he follows Virgil Hunter’s game plan to the letter and boxes smart, Khan claims the WBC world middleweight title on points.”

Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times:

“Amir Khan has appeared to have effectively trained and analyzed properly the best way to defeat Saul “Canelo” Alvarez, but weight classes are created for a reason. So by the end of the ninth round, expect the naturally bigger middleweight champion from Mexico to have landed enough punches on former 140-pounder Khan to force the fight’s stoppage.”

Chris McKenna, Daily Star:

“I am obviously hoping that speed prevails and Amir Khan comes out on top on May 7 for Britain, but he is going to have to be very disciplined. This will be one of Khan’s best performances, but I think it will be tough to get the decision in Las Vegas. The power of Canelo may be just too much, and I believe the Mexican will win by a close decision on the cards.”

Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports:

“Canelo TKO9 Khan — I certainly don’t discount Khan’s ability to win this fight, as he has a lot of talent and a very good trainer who no doubt will come up with an excellent game plan. But Canelo is not simply a slugger. He can box, too, and he’s the far bigger, more powerful man. Khan has had issues in the past with his chin, and that’s going to be a factor in this fight. He’ll have to walk a tightrope and avoid being hit flush, which I’m not sure he can do. I expect Canelo to wear Khan down, slow him down and stop him in the latter part of the fight.”

Robby Kalland, CBSSports.com:

“Canelo over Khan by unanimous decision. I think Canelo Alvarez will come out on top with a unanimous decision victory over Amir Khan on May 7. I expect the fight to be fairly even early, but Alvarez’s power and skill will eventually wear down the speed of Khan leading to Canelo pulling away on the cards in the latter half of the bout. Alvarez showed against Miguel Cotto what he can do against a smaller fighter, walking through Cotto’s power punches. I don’t see Khan’s power bothering Canelo either, which will allow him to walk down Khan and get in range to deliver power shots of his own.”

Richard Damerell, Sky Sports:

“Amir Khan’s hand speed and also speed of foot will cause problems for Saul Alvarez from the opening bell. Alvarez’s advantage in power might even work against him, and he could be a touch too eager in his pursuit of a knockout. Khan must stay disciplined throughout, which has been a problem in the past, but I think he will overcome a few scares to claim a stunning upset win.”

Bernardo Osuna, ESPN Deportes:

“I believeCanelo will take down Khan with a TKO in round nine.”

Salvador Rodríguez, ESPNDEPORTES.com:

“I expect a Canelo knockout in the middle rounds. It should be a short fight but explosive. Khan’s chances are minimum but he has speed and a high IQ. Canelo has the moment and the timing to punish and finish him by the sixth or seventh round. So I bet absolutely for Canelo’s power on this mega-event.”

Francisco Cuevas, NBC Deportes:

“I think Canelo will win by knockout in six rounds. I think that Canelo will dominate the fight. He has the power and has shown a lot of improvement in his defense, and Amir Khan has been knocked down before several times. I think that it will be challenging for Canelo in the first and second rounds and after that he will dominate.”

Eduard Cauich, HOY Los Angeles:

“I think Canelo with catch Khan in rounds six through eight.”

Jorge Ebro, Miami Herald:

“In my opinion, Canelo will be the winner of this fight. It is true than Khan is fast, but he is no match to Canelo’s power. When Canelo starts to hurt him with his uppers, that will be the beginning of the end for the English warrior. Canelo will win in six rounds by knockout.”

George Gigney, Boxing News Magazine:

“Canelo’s power and size are huge factors in this fight, but I also think his timing will help him win. In recent fights we’ve seen Canelo display some very smart counter-punching, and he’s able to offset his opponent’s speed advantages by catching them at the right times. I think Khan will get off to a bright start, using angles and his blurring hand speed to keep Canelo quiet for a few rounds but eventually Alvarez will find his range and begin to open up. Canelo’s work to the body is also likely to play a factor and will slow Khan down in the second half of the fight, bringing down the pace to one more comfortable for Canelo. I think Khan will frustrate Canelo at times and make this fight more difficult than expected, but my pick is for Canelo to win a comfortable decision on the cards.”

Steve Carp, Las Vegas Review-Journal:

“Canelo TKO in round nine. This will be a classic case of a good big man being better than a good little man. I expect Khan to try and outbox Canelo and use his speed. But eventually, Canelo will find the range and though Khan has a better chin now than in the past, Canelo’s power will eventually do him in and force a stoppage.”

Dougie Fisher, RingTV:

“Canelo by TKO in 10 rounds. I think it’s going to take Canelo some time to catch Khan. I think he will have trouble with khan’s speed and mobility. I think in the early rounds he will be surprised by Khan’s power. I think Khan will earn respect in the early rounds. I think cannel will gradually work his way in the middle rounds.”

Ricardo López Juárez, La Opinión:

“Canelo by knockout by the seventh round. I think it’s going to be a competitive fight but eventually Canelo’s power will make a difference. There will be a size, weight and power difference.”

Steve Kim, UCNLive.com:

“The fight is a sprint, not a marathon. Even though Khan has speed, Canelo is a very sound fighter. I predict the fight ends Saul Alvarez TKO round seven.”

Miguel Maravilla, Fight News:

“I believe Canelo will win. He is a bigger fighter and a better puncher. He will stop Khan with a TKO between rounds eight and 10.”

David Avila, The Sweet Science:

“Canelo by decision. I think it will be a technical fight. I think Khan will realize he can’t exchange too freely with Canelo. I don’t think Canelo will chase him too much but he will wear him down and he will win by close decision.”

Canelo vs. Khan, a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, Ring Magazine and Lineal Middleweight World Championships, is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Canelo Promotions and sponsored by “Cerveza Tecate, Born Bold,” O’Reilly Auto Parts, Casa Mexico Tequila, DOOM® — Fight Like Hell on May 13, and HANDS OF STONE: The True Story of Roberto Duran, in theaters this August. David Lemieux vs. Glen Tapia is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Eye of the Tiger Management and Patrick Teixeira vs. Curtis Stevens is presented by Golden Boy Promotions in association with Main Events. The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets priced at $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600, $400, $250 and $150, not including applicable service charges and taxes, with a total ticket limit of 12 per person (a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,000, $800, $600 and $400 price levels and a limit of two [2] per person at the $250 and $150 price level) are on sale now. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call 888-9-AXS-TIX (888-929-7849). Tickets also will be available for purchase at www.t-mobilearena.com or www.axs.com.

For more information, visit www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.hbo.com/boxing, follow us on Twitter at @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing or www.Facebook.com/HBOboxing, join us on Instagram @GoldenBoyBoxing, @canelo, @amirkingkhan, @OscarDeLaHoya and @HBOboxing, and follow the conversation using #CaneloKhan.

Photos and videos are available for download in the official Canelo vs. Khan press kit here: bit.ly/canelokhan.

ESPN and ESPN Deportes offer extensive pre- and post-fight multi-platform coverage of the anticipated middleweight championship between defending title Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez and Amir Khan, including special bilingual production led by ESPN Deportes’ A Los Golpes and One Nación to air on Friday, May 6 at 10 p.m. ET on ESPN2.

Hosted by Bernardo Osuna and Claudia Trejos from the ESPN studios in Los Angeles, the 30-minute pre-bout show goes behind the scenes the anticipated fight with a unique look at Alvarez and Khan’s training, and the analysis of Mexican world champion Julio Cesar Chavez alongside special guests commentator Max Kellerman and boxing trainer Abel Sánchez.

In addition, ESPN Deportes will present weeklong multimedia coverage beginning Monday, May 2, at 6 p.m. ET, with a special edition of A Los Golpes, hosted by the network’s experts David Faitelson, Osuna and Chávez, and featuring special guest, Oscar De La Hoya.

The network will also present special segments from Las Vegas, Nevada, on SportsCenter, Capitanes, Nación ESPN and #Redes; followed by a live edition of Golpe A Golpe from the weigh-in on Friday, May 6, starting at 6 p.m. ET.

On Sunday, May 7, Golpe a Golpe will lead the pre- and post-fight live coverage from the Arena, with the analysis of Osuna, Faitelson, Juan Manuel Marquez, Chavez, Trejos, Joe Cortez and Jorge Eduardo Sanchez, starting at 8 p.m. ET.

ESPNdeportes.com will post daily features surrounding the fight by Carlos Nava and Salvador Rodriguez, and ESPN Deportes will air re-runs of two Mega Fights featuring Canelo throughout the week.

Programming Schedule:

Date

Time (ET)

Coverage

Network

Mon, May 2

6 p.m.

A Los Golpes

ESPN Deportes TV

Wed, May 4

9 p.m.

Mega Fights: Saúl “Canelo” Álvarez vs. Ryan Rhodes

ESPN Deportes TV

Thru, May 5

7 p.m.

SC Primera Plana: Canelo vs. Khan

ESPN Deportes TV

Fri, May 6

6 p.m.

Semana de Campeones: Weigh-in show

ESPN Deportes TV

Fri, May 6

10 p.m.

A Los Golpes/One Nación Special

ESPN2

Sat, May 7

6 p.m.

Mega Fights:

Floyd Mayweather vs. Miguel Cotto

Undercard: “Canelo” Álvarez vs. Shane Mosley

ESPN Deportes TV

8 p.m.

Semana de Campeones: Pre-show

ESPN Deportes TV

2 a.m.

Semana de Campeones: Post-show

ESPN Deportes TV

-30-

By Bart Barry-

Saturday Mexican super middleweight Saul “Canelo” Alvarez will defend the lineal middleweight championship of the world, not to be confused with the PBC middleweight championship or the HBO middleweight championship, against Britain’s Amir “King” Khan, currently the WBC’s silver champion of the welterweight division. The match will happen in Las Vegas on pay-per-view, naturally.

All the boxes are checked – Face Off, 24/7, Greatest Hits – but interest is wholly wanting.

I’ve been ringside for fights enough of Canelo’s to know they’re better in person than via television yet I hadn’t a farthing of an impetus or a modicum of that farthing to travel to see this fight. Amir Khan has never struck me as better than a highlight reel of nationalistic and ethnic special effects. Surely some Brits and lots of Pakistanis feel something like pride when they watch him, but in many more cases, I infer, persons claim to be impressed by Khan because their own box-checking told them to be so: Handsome, well-spoken, fast hands, bilingual, beloved by others.

That was certainly Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer’s calculation way back when. Not too long after Khan – an Olympic silver medalist, have you heard? – got plastercracked by Breidis Prescott in 2008, he won a cynical rehabilitation match against Marco Antonio Barrera 18 months after Barrera resigned his ownership stake in Golden Boy Promotions by retiring, and not long after that Khan began appearing at ringside as Oscar’s guest.

After racing through Paulie Malignaggi in the best performance of his career Khan raced away from Marcos Maidana in the expiring moments of their 2010 match – a performance that couldn’t be talked to pretty. The image of Khan in perimeter-hopping flight, eyes wide, tail high, pride low, endures and endures. It’s why many of us cheered for Danny Garcia in 2012, seven months after Khan lost a decision to Lamont Peterson. Garcia uncorked Khan with a left hook that’s aged better than both Garcia and Khan.

Then it was back to the rehabilitation circuit for King Khan, a string of decision victories against opponents a prizefighter of Khan’s celebrity should not have needed judges to best. After making Chris Algieri, a small welterweight, look formidable enough to get Algieri recently fed to a PBC prospect, a year ago Khan settled in for a victory hibernation. It took a cashout arrangement for Khan and his advisor – I’m going to cash you out, Amir, because I’m out of cash – to get Khan back in the ring, this time in a match for the lineal middleweight championship of the world Cinnamon Alvarez beat from the waist of Miguel Cotto who won the title from a cripple who decisioned a drunk.

Which mightn’t be amusing as it is were it not for the purists now propped high on their hindlegs by dudgeon for Canelo’s refusal to defend this august title above 155 pounds. Gennady “He’ll Fight Anyone Between 154 and 168 Pounds” Golovkin, the reigning, defending and undisputed middleweight champion of HBO, may not have a chance to sue posterity for greatness, his partisans fear, if he cannot accumulate on his record some marquee welterweights or 154-pounders willing to face him at the middleweight limit.

Fans are now clamoring for Canelo to fight Golovkin, except they aren’t. HBO is clamoring for Canelo to fight Golovkin for a combination of reasons like: The Golovkin marketing budget is starting to outpace its effect. Most idiots left boxing with Money May, and the aficionados who remain are more interested in great matches than abetting networks’ lame starsystems, which means the HBO middleweight champion will never get back on pay-per-view without either luring Canelo into a match with him or, heaven forbid, moving up in weight and challenging himself.

Golovkin won’t move up in weight for the same reason Canelo won’t move up in weight: Why the hell take a risk when there are millions to be made by not taking risks? And before you say “Posterity!” wipe that smirk off your face.

Nobody thinks Canelo will beat Golovkin at 160 pounds – so how does anyone expect the disinterested among us to believe there is clamoring for a match whose promotional tagline would be “Ratify Golovkin!”? Canelo knows this, and Canelo knows he is the AAA-side in a match with Golovkin, and he is behaving like it. A question for those who sincerely believe Golovkin’s starching Canelo at 160 pounds is what’s best for our beleaguered sport: Then what? Canelo is off pay-per-view till he can be rehabilitated, and Golovkin has no one to fight with his easy new prestige. Or is the idea actually to harangue the welterweight champion of the world out of retirement?

Goodness, stop it.

Back to Saturday’s spectacle. The best outcome is Khan, SD-12: A narrow, controversial decision in which Khan outbusies Canelo, who shows massive amounts of frustration for his loyal fans at Khan’s unwillingness to engage in a manly way. Oscar, Canelo’s promoter, can get in the ring afterward and tell us about protesting the decision and hiring investigators and so forth. The WBC – to whom Golovkin’s folks pretend they’ve pinned dreams of fairplay; yet in whose sweatsuit Canelo trains – can order an immediate rematch, and knowing Canelo will win that by prefilled scorecards emulate Hollywood by ordering a sequel to the rematch at the same time they order the rematch, filling Canelo’s calendar until Mexican Independence Day 2017, time enough for him to grow in to a middleweight while Golovkin grows out of one.

Some folks will remember Canelo didn’t move up to 160 pounds while Golovkin was still there. Some folks remember Golovkin didn’t move up to 168 while Andre Ward was still there. As we’ve seen, though, that’s nothing some quality agitprop can’t fix.

I’ll take Canelo, KO-8, because, who are we kidding, Khan has no chin.

Bart Barry can be reached via Twitter @bartbarry

By Norm Frauenheim

By now, all the arguments have been stated and re-stated. We’ll hear them again, ad nauseam, next week in the final days before Canelo Alvarez and Amir Khan fight at Las Vegas’ new T-Mobile Arena.

Catchweight or middleweight? Should Canelo surrender the WBC’s 160-pound title or move forward with a mandatory defense against Gennady Golovkin? Those questions will be heard about as often as Donald Trump’s name.

Fair or not, Khan figures to become a footnote, at least in the pre-fight proceedings. That might become a very big piece of motivation for him and he’ll need every bit of it against the bigger, stronger Canelo.

Nevertheless, the GGG question isn’t going to go away. For Canelo promoter Oscar De La Hoya, it’s a classic dilemma.

The young promoter, a Hall of Fame fighter who wanted to fight the best and still does, faces controversy no matter what path he chooses in the wake of a likely Canelo victory.

On the one hand, there’s growing public pressure on him to do the deal for Canelo-GGG in September. On the other, there’s the risk of losing income that Canelo, the game’s current pay-per-view leader, figures to generate if he isn’t ready and suffers a one-sided knockout.

What would you do? For vocal fans armed with the various forms of the social-media megaphone, it’s easy to demand that the bout happens ASAP. They don’t have any skin in the game. It’s not their money. If it was, what would they do? If it was your money, what would you do?

The guess here is that a big percentage would delay the inevitable, especially after watching GGG’s powerful blowout of Dominic Wade last Saturday.

Wade won’t be remembered for anything other than being GGG’s 22nd straight knockout victim. He didn’t look as if he could beat any known middleweight, or good junior middleweight for that matter. Nevertheless, GGG’s dominance was evident in his power, style and body language. He’s in his prime and fought as if he wanted everybody to know exactly that.

With all due respect to unbeaten flyweight Roman Gonzalez and his one-sided decision over McWilliams Arroyo Saturday, Golovkin trainer Abel Sanchez said GGG was pound-for-pound No. 1. No argument here. I didn’t hear much of an argument from anywhere else either.

I’ve said before and I’ll say it again: Khan’s skill set – fast hands and faster feet – could make Canelo look bad. But Khan’s instinct is to brawl after he gets tagged. At some point, that will do him in, say, after the eighth round. Canelo wins a stoppage, but not in a dominant enough fashion to suggest he’ll have any chance against GGG four months from now. He’s 25, yet still another fight or two away from the kind of maturity he’ll need for a legitimate shot against GGG.

“Many things have changed,’’ Canelo said of how he has grown since his lone loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. “I’m more experienced now. I’m more of a complete fighter. I’ve learned so much in that fight. So many things have changed. I think I have more confidence around the ring, so there’s many things that have changed.’’

But the suggestion is that more still has to change in an ongoing process for the young Mexican who is about nine years younger than GGG. Canelo’s demand for a 155-pound catchweight is just a dodge. Truth is, it’s his corner’s way of saying he still needs to mature. It would be refreshing if they just said that. But pride and business won’t allow them to. Instead, we get euphemistic talk, all rhetorical feints and all very annoying.

For De La Hoya, the question looks to be simple enough. Canelo is the key to his financial war chest, which will be critical for a while.

The boxing business is down, predictably so amid the continuing hangover from Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao, a turn-off for all of the causal fans who bought the hype and the fight last year. HBO has cut it boxing dates. That’s why Bob Arum will stage Terence Crawford-versus Viktor Postol on pay-per-view on July 23.

There’s a further red flag in a $925-million lawsuit that investors have filed against Waddell & Reed, which bankrolled Al Haymon’s ambitious PBC venture. http://www.courthousenews.com/2016/04/28/investors-furious-at-money-put-into-boxing.htm

It’s hard to know where the suit is headed. But it is enough to know that a big risk in September just wouldn’t be wise.