Davis stops Ruiz in 1st; Retains 130 lb title

Gervonta Davis retained the WBA Super Featherweight title with 1st round stoppage over late replacement Hugo Ruiz at The Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

Davis dominated by landing lefts to the body and upstairs. With the nose of Ruiz already leaking blood, Davis landed a left hook that sent Ruiz to a knee. When he got to his feet, he was unresponsive to referee Jack Reiss’s questions, and the fight was stopped at 2:59.

Davis, 129.8 lbs of Baltimore is 21-0 with 20 knockouts. Ruiz, 129.4 lbs of Sinaloa, MEX is 39-5.

With his promoter Floyd Mayweather looking on, Davis made quick work of his late-replacement opponent. “I knew it was coming,” he said. “I wanted to go more rounds, but I knew if I got him out of there early I could fight again sooner. When I touched the jab I saw his arm was in front of his face so if I threw a hook or uppercut it was right in line.”

“As soon as he started landing punches, I could feel them,” Ruiz said. “I have a lot of first round knock outs, today was my turn to lose in the first round. It happens in boxing.”

Next up for Davis could be the winner of the March 2 Ricardo Nunez-Edner Cherry WBA Eliminator on SHOWTIME from Barclays Center. “We could do that,” Davis said. “At the end of the day I’m a fighter. I’m a fighter and I have a great team. One of the best in the sport. I believe in my team and whatever they line up, I’m ready.

Davis told SHOWTIME reporter Jim Gray he’s ready for a sweet homecoming for his next fight. “Yes, sir. We’re coming to Baltimore. We’re going home, baby.”

Mario Barrios stopped Richard Zamora in round four of a scheduled 10-round junior welterweight bout.

In round four, Barrios landed a big right hand that off a big flurry of punches. Barrios staggered Zamora with a big right to the chin. That was followed up by a flurry, and the fight was stopped with Zamora still on his feet at 2:16.

Barrios, 142.4 lbs of San Antonio, TX is 22-0 with 15 knockouts. Zamora, 141.2 lbs of San Lois Potosi, Mexico.

“He wasn’t an easy target at all,” said Barrios, who sparred with Amir Khan and Devin Haney in training camp and is the WBA’s No. 1 ranked fighter at 140 pounds. We just used everything we worked on in camp to find my range.”

He added: “It was an amazing fight. I tip my hat to Zamora – he’s a hell of a warrior. I wish him nothing but the best for the rest of his career. Like he said at the press conference, he wanted a war and I brought it to him. Total respect to him.”

Zamora was making his United States debut. “I came to fight,” he said. “I didn’t come to lay down. I thought I still could have fought more. I don’t want to criticize the referee. He did what he had to do.”

Barrios said he’s ready for the next big step-up in his career. “That’s up to my managerial team,” he said. “Whenever they feel I’m ready I’ll fight for a world title. Any one of them. I am knocking down the door for a world title right now.”

Javier Fortuna won a 10-round unanimous decisions Sharif Bogere in a lightweight bout.

In round six, Bogere was cut over the right eye from a headbutt. Later in the round he went down from a half punch/half balance shot from Fortuna.

Fortuna, 135 lbs of La Romana, DR won by scores 96-93 on all cards and is now 34-2-1. Bogere, 135.6 lbs of Las Vegas, NV 32-2.

“(The knock down) was correct,” said Fortuna, who said he would love a future shot against Davis. “I saw his eyes were a little glossy and his legs buckled a bit. When I saw that he was cut, the game plan changed again and we had to work again to attack the cut.”

Originally from Uganda but now living in Las Vegas, Bogere gave himself a seven out of 10 grade. “I think I won the fight,” he said. “Even the knockdown was bull. He kept coming at me with the head. He kept trying to head butt me. The challenge was that there was blood in my eye. The first couple of rounds I was boxing him easily.”

“What I want right now is a contract so I can fight Gervonta Davis wherever. Lomachenko, any of them,” said Fortuna, who had a No Decision against Adrian Granados last June on SHOWTIME after falling out of the ring in the fourth round suffering a head and neck injury.

Erickson Lubin stopped former world champion Ishe Smith after round three of a scheduled 10-round junior middleweight bout.

In round two, Lubin dropped Smith three times. In round three, it was an uppercut that sent Smith down, and the bout was stopped after the round.

Lubin, 155.8 lbs of Orlando, FL is 20-1 with 15 knockouts. Smith, 155.8 lbs of Las Vegas is 29-11.

Juan Heraldez stopped Eddie Ramirez in round seven of a scheduled 10-round super lightweight bout.

In round five, Heraldez dropped Ramirez twice with hard combinations. In round seven, Heraldez dropped Ramirez for a 3rd time, and the bout was stopped at 2:30.

Heraldez, 141.8 lbs of Las Vegas is 16-0 with 10 knockouts. Ramirez, 141.8 lbs of Chicago, IL 17-3.

ERICKSON LUBIN TRAINING CAMP QUOTES

LAS VEGAS (February 5, 2019) – Super welterweight contender Erickson Lubin will enter the ring under the guidance of coach Kevin Cunningham for the first time when he steps into the ring this Saturday against former world champion Ishe Smith as part of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING COUNTDOWN from Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

The digital presentation will stream on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT, and will also feature a showdown between super lightweights Juan Heraldez and Eddie Ramirez, all leading up to that evening’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event. The three-fight SHOWTIME telecast begins live at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT headlined by super featherweight world champion Gervonta Davis defending his title against former world champion Hugo Ruiz.

Lubin will fight for the second time since losing his first world title challenge to Jermell Charlo in 2017, and for the first time with his new coach. The Orlando-native began training camp in West Palm Beach, but has been training in Las Vegas for the last month since the team moved west to finish the training camp for Adrien Broner’s fight against Manny Pacquiao.

Here is what Lubin had to say about Saturday’s fight and more:

On his matchup against Ishe Smith:

“Ishe Smith has been in the ring with the best of them and he’s never been stopped. He knows how to fight and I’m expecting him to be at this best. I will have to dictate the pace right from the opening bell. My goal is to be the first person to take him out, but if it goes the distance, I’m okay with that as well. I’m going to win this fight and win it impressively.”

On training with new coach Kevin Cunningham:

“Kevin is a no-nonsense type of guy. He’s going to tell you the truth if you like it or not. If I’m doing something wrong in his eyes, he’s going to speak on it right away. He’ll do the same if I’m doing something right, so I like his style of training and I’m learning more each day we are together. This will be our first fight together and I’m excited to get back in the ring. We have a nice game plan in place that we will execute on fight night.”

On training in Las Vegas for the first time in his career:

“Training in Las Vegas is no joke, because we are training in higher elevation than what I’m used to in Florida. Getting away from the distractions at home has been relaxing. I’ve been getting great sparring and my timing is right on point. Las Vegas is definitely the place to be for high level sparring and training.”

On fighting in Southern California for the second time in his career:

“I really like fighting on the west coast. The fans are great, and the weather is beautiful. I know we’ll be fighting outdoors so I’m looking forward to that. Everyone knows this venue has hosted some really good fights. I’m looking to steal the show on Saturday night.”

# # #
ABOUT DAVIS VS. RUIZ
Gervonta Davis vs. Hugo Ruiz pits the WBA Super Featherweight World ChampionDavis against the former world champion Ruiz in the main event of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING on Saturday, February 9 from Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California and presented by Premier Boxing Champions.

SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING coverage begins at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT and features undefeated super lightweight Mario Barrios taking on Mexico’s Richard Zamora and former world champion Javier Fortuna battling lightweight contender Sharif Bogere.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Mayweather Promotions, TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

For more information visit www.SHO.com/Sports and www.premierboxingchampions.com follow on Twitter @ShowtimeBoxing, @SHOSports, @PremierBoxing @MayweatherPromo, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook at www.Facebook.com/SHOSports, www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions.

SHOWTIME SPORTS TO LIVE STREAM ERICKSON LUBIN VS. ISHE SMITH AND JUAN HERALDEZ VS. EDDIE RAMIREZ UNDERCARD BOUTS ON SOCIAL MEDIA PLATFORMS AHEAD OF GERVONTA DAVIS VS. HUGO RUIZ EVENT

CARSON, Calif. (January 31, 2019) – SHOWTIME Sports will provide live streaming coverage of two undercard fights on the network’s social platforms on Saturday, February 9 from Dignity Health Sports Park, formerly StubHub Center, in Carson, California and presented by Premier Boxing Champions. Super welterweight contender Erickson Lubin will face former world champion Ishe Smith in a 10-round contest plus super lightweights Juan Heraldez and Eddie Ramirez will meetin a 10-round bout as part of SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING COUNTDOWN.

The digital presentation will stream on the SHOWTIME Sports YouTube channel and SHOWTIME Boxing Facebook page beginning at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT leading up to that evening’s SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING event. The three-fight SHOWTIME telecast begins live at 10 p.m. ET/7 p.m. PT headlined by super featherweight world champion Gervonta Davis defending his title against former world champion Hugo Ruiz.

Tickets for the event, promoted by Mayweather Promotions, TGB Promotions and Sampson Boxing, are on sale now and can be purchased at AXS.com.

The 23-year-old Lubin (19-1, 14 KOs) returns to action after most recently stopping Silverio Ortiz last April in his first bout after losing his world title challenge against Jermell Charlo. Originally from Orlando, Florida, Lubin is now training in West Palm Beach with trainer Kevin Cunningham and will look to work back towards title contention in his first fight with Cunningham. Lubin was a top amateur who turned pro at 18-years-old and was both ESPN and The Ring’s Prospect of the Year in 2016.

The first Las Vegas-born fighter to capture a world title, Smith (29-10, 12 KOs) continues to challenge top super welterweights and most recently lost decision to WBC champion Tony Harrison and top contender Julian Williams. Prior to that, Smith had picked up victories over Frank Galarza and Tommy Rainone, while also picking up victories over Randall Bailey and Cornelius Bundrage.

The undefeated Heraldez (15-0, 9 KOs) continued to rise up the rankings in 2018 with a decision victory over Kevin Watts and a stoppage of Maynard Allison. Representing Las Vegas, the 28-year-old scored a unanimous decision victory over then unbeaten prospect Jose Miguel Borrego in his first 10-round bout last August on the Mayweather vs. McGregor undercard.

Fighting out of Aurora, Illinois, Ramirez (17-2, 11 KOs) will return to action looking to bounce back from losses to former champions Argenis Mendez and Antonio DeMarco. The 26-year-old had previously picked up impressive victories over then unbeaten fighters Kevin Watts and Ryan Karl.

Ishe Smith vs. Tony Harrison Media Workout Quotes

Nov. 17, 2017, Las Vegas,Nevada — weighin — for Mayweather Promotions – Cosmopolitian
— CHRIS FARINA – Mayweather Promotions

LAS VEGAS (May 9, 2018) – Fight week events kicked off Wednesday with a media workout for the Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce card headlined by former world champion Ishe Smith taking on super welterweight contender Tony Harrison this Friday, May 11 from Sam’s Town in Las Vegas.

Coverage on Bounce begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and also features unbeaten cruiserweight Andrew “The Beast” Tabiti, who participated in Wednesday’s workout, meeting Lateef Kayode for 10 rounds of action.

Tickets for the event, which is being promoted by Mayweather Promotions, begin at $25, are on sale now and will be available at www.samstownlv.com/entertain.

Here is what the participants had to say Wednesday:

ISHE SMITH

“I’ve been in there with some great fighters throughout the year. My mentality is that no fighter is going to beat me who’s been stopped every time he’s stepped up. I have to do whatever I can to make sure that happens.

“This is the first time in my career that I’ve had a strength and conditioning coach for two fights in a row. I feel really good right now. I hate clichés and I hate saying this is the best camp of my life, but I really do feel like this is one of the best camps I’ve had. I felt like that last fight too, but I know I’ll sound like everybody else

“What motivates me is watching guys like LeBron James who have been doing this nearly as long as I have, and they’re still at the top of their game. That kind of longevity is what I strive for and that’s because I live that life inside and outside of the gym.

“I’ve been training for three months for this fight and I just want a fair shake on fight night. I thought the scorecards in the Julian Williams fight were terrible. I can’t control it but it’s definitely something I want to avoid on fight night.

“Nobody has put on for Las Vegas like I have. I’ve done everything in my career the hard way. I took Cornelius Bundrage’s belt in his hometown. I’m not going to be beat on Friday night.

“I’ve been in this game two decades and I’ve seen the highs and the lows. If everything works out, I’ll be victorious on Friday night. I’m ready to go on the road and take on anyone.”

TONY HARRISON

“Every time I step into the ring I’m extremely motivated. I’m fighting to feed my family. I’m from Detroit so we go through wars all the time. I was ready to jump on this fight as soon as they asked me about it.

“This is a fight that will get me back to a world title fight. This can get me right back into a title eliminator. What better place to do it than the boxing capital of the world? Everybody who fights wants to be in the main event fighting in Las Vegas.

“Ishe Smith has been in a lot of tough fights and he’s fought most of the top guys in the division. If I can get him into some danger, I want to see how his will is at that moment. I’m going to push him from round one and I think it makes for a good fight.

“It’s part of my mental game to make him work round after round. If I see him slow down, it will make me push more. I appreciate what he’s done, but I don’t know how much more he has left. I want to be a champion like he was.

“Being the first person to stop Ishe would be an opportunity I have to take. It would make a statement. But if I go the distance, it would answer all of the questions the critics have had about my motor. I’m going to be fresh until the end of this fight.”

ANDREW TABITI

“I’m excited to put on a good show and take care of a solid durable opponent. I know that my time is coming and this another chance to show off my skills.

“Once I fight the top tier cruiserweights, they’re going to see what I’m capable of. I basically used Steve Cunningham’s game plan against him. I’m very adaptable.

“I’m focused on showing a versatile side of my boxing skills. I’m not going straight for the knockout. I want to show people that I have boxing IQ and the ability to knock anyone out in the ring. I want to show both sides of my skill set.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“It’s always important to have great fights like this to Las Vegas. With Ishe Smith being a native it’s even better. This is a good fight that could put Ishe back into the thick of things. People don’t raise their hand to fight Ishe. I think Ishe has a second wind right now and he’s refreshed at this point in his career.

“Ishe doesn’t fight like he’s 39. There isn’t going to be anything that Tony Harrison can bring that Ishe hasn’t seen. Ishe has picked it up and I think the rest of the division knows that. It’s a deep weight class with a lot of possibilities out there. He has the ability to beat anyone out there.

“The future is very bright for Andrew TAbiti. It’s all in his hands. He has all the attributes that you need. He has a good team around him and it’s just a matter of finding ways to help him get to the next level. This is a great opportunity for him to showcase his skills against a very durable, tough guy in Kayode. Tabiti is looking to make a statement to all the other cruiserweights out there. He’s a guy they’re going to have to deal with in the very near future.”

Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce will also be available to be streamed live via Bounce’s new subscription-video-on-demand service Brown Sugar, which features an extensive and one-of-a-kind library of iconic black movies as well as Bounce original programming and series. Brown Sugar is available on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Channels, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Kindle, Android and Apple smartphones and tablets and web browsers via BrownSugar.com. Brown Sugar also has Google Chromecast capabilities which allow video to play on televisions directly from mobile devices and tablets for consumers with Android and iOS devices. There is a free initial trial period for subscribers with a retail price of $3.99/month thereafter.

Bounce (@bouncetv) is the fastest-growing African-American network on television and airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage. The network features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and more. Bounce has grown to be available in 99 million homes across the United States and 95% of all African-American television homes. Visit BounceTV.com for more information.

Ishe Smith & Tony Harrison Training Camp Quote

LAS VEGAS (May 3, 2018) – Former world champion Ishe Smith and 154-pound contender Tony Harrison spoke about their respective training camps and upcoming matchup just over a week before they square off in the Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce main event Friday, May 11 from Sam’s Town in Las Vegas.

Coverage on Bounce begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and also features unbeaten cruiserweight Andrew “The Beast” Tabiti meeting Lateef Kayode for 10 rounds of action.

Tickets for the event, which is being promoted by Mayweather Promotions, begin at $25, are on sale now and will be available at www.samstownlv.com/entertain.

Smith, a native of Las Vegas fighting in his hometown, shared thoughts on his training camp at the Mayweather Boxing Club while Harrison, a former title challenger, gave insight into the work he’s put in at the Superbad Gym in Detroit.

Here is what the fighters had to say:

What kind of problems does your opponent pose?

Ishe Smith: “I look at all of my opponents the same honestly. Tony is a good kid and a good fighter who’s fought for a world title. He had a lot of hype behind him back in the day before suffering his first loss. I’ve been in this game for so long and sparred so many future and current Hall of Famers, I look at each opponent the same.

Tony Harrison: “I know that Ishe is a rugged fighter who likes to get inside, and that sometimes causes things like accidental head butts and also just makes for a grittier fight overall. He’s willing to dig deep and get muddy. He comes in with a lot of experience, which you can never take lightly.”

How do you expect this fight to look?

TH: “I’m just going for the win, but if I have a shot to stop him I’m going go for it. I want to be the first one to do what nobody else has been able to do, and that is stop Ishe Smith. I think doing that would put me right back in the conversation at the top of the division. But I’m just going in there to win by any means necessary against an experienced opponent.”

IS: “Well my biggest opponent at my age, with the wisdom I’ve gotten, is the man in the mirror. I have to make sure that man is ready to fight. That will dictate the direction this fight goes. I’ve been on a roll of showing up ready to fight recently. If I’m proud of that man in the mirror, it’s going to be a memorable fight,”

How has this training camp gone? Have you made any recent adjustments to your camp?

IS: “I’ve had a nearly 20-year career but until now, I’ve never had a strength and conditioning coach for two consecutive fights. Being able to stay with one guy for the Julian Williams fight and then having him again, that’s going to be key. It helped me last fight and it’s going to keep me going forward.”

TH: “This camp has been amazing. This has been the first camp that I’ve felt like I haven’t overdone it and run my body into the ground. I’ve always tried to go over and beyond what I’ve needed to do. This camp has just been more calculated and methodical. I’ve gotten rest when I needed it. I feel great.”

Who have you been sparring with and what have you been looking to get from your sparring partners?

TH: “The atmosphere at the gym has been at a world championship level. My sparring partners have been a really versatile bunch of quality fighters. We’ve done work with U.S. Olympian Charles Conwell, Leon Lawson, William Williams, Lanardo Tyner, Antonio Urista and a couple others. I think we’ve covered just about whatever Ishe could throw at me on May 11.”

IS: “I’ve sparred everybody you can think, especially for this camp all of the guys on the Mayweather Promotions team. I’ve been sparring big guys, little guys and I’ve even joked with Andrew Tabiti about getting in there with me. I’m really having fun and enjoying my time in the gym.”

Do you think the 12-year age gap will make a difference in this fight? Why or why not?

IS: “Absolutely not. He’s been knocked out twice. I’ve never been stopped. I do a good job of ignoring the outside noise. Age is nothing but a number. It’s totally different when you’re actually in the ring with me. I’ve always been about challenging myself. I live a fighter’s life inside and outside of the ring. I’m set up to deal with anything that’s thrown my way in this game.”

TH: “I don’t really know how he lives his life, so I’m not really sure how his age may or may not play a factor. But I’ll be coming in at an aggressive pace, and then we’ll see how things play out. It’s a mystery for now though until we get in there and figure him out a bit. But he looked good and fresh against Julian Williams and Williams is one of the top guys in the division. So I think he’ll be confident coming off of that performance, but I’ll be ready for him.”

What kind of improvements have you made in recent fights and how will you implement that in the ring on May 11?

TH: “My main thing is my confidence. I don’t think anybody can beat me when I’m at the top of my game. When it’s fight time, I’m able to implement that and motivate myself. I know in my heart that these guys can’t beat me.”

IS: “I’ve been able to develop a really strong support system in my life that’s helped my career stay strong. By using that and treating my body well, I’ve been able to last. This recent work with a new strength and conditioning coach has really been a game changer and I think can take me to another level in this portion of my career.”

What can a win on May 11 do for you going forward? Who would you like to go after next with a win on May 11?

IS: “A win on May 11 is the only option. I want to have my hand raised at the end of the night. The win can mean a lot. Julian Williams was in a title eliminator after beating me, so I know anything is possible. I have to win. It just means everything to me. I’m never going to look past what’s on my plate. No dessert for me until I finish my dinner.”

TH: A win against Ishe would get me back to the truly meaningful fights, championship fights. I’d love another shot at a title holder like Jarrett Hurd. The goal is to get back to the top to face the best fighters in this stacked division.”

# # #

For more information visit: www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.mayweatherpromotions.com follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @BounceTV, @MayweatherPromo, , and @Swanson_Comm , become a fan on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions and www.Facebook.com/BounceTV. Follow the conversation using #PBConBounce. PBC on Bounce is sponsored by Corona: La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Former World Champion Ishe Smith Battles Exciting Contender Tony Harrison in 154-pound Clash that Headlines Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce Live on Friday, May 11 from Sam’s Town in Las Vega

LAS VEGAS (April 20, 2018) – Former super welterweight champion Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith will battle top 154-pound contender Tony Harrison in a 10-round match that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce on Friday, May 11 from Sam’s Town in Las Vegas.

In the co-main event, top contender Andrew “The Beast” Tabiti will meet Lateef Kayode in a 10-round cruiserweight attraction. Smith and Tabiti, both Las Vegas residents, will be fighting on their home turf and looking to impress their hometown fans.

Tickets for the event, which is being promoted by Mayweather Promotions, begin at $25, are on sale Monday, April 23 at 12 p.m. PT and will be available at www.samstownlv.com/entertain.

“Mayweather Promotions has had a busy year thus far and the momentum isn’t slowing down with May 11th at Sam’s Town Live right around the corner,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions. “This venue is certainly one of the local properties that we enjoy working with and have made it our home over the past few years.”

“I’m looking forward to seeing Ishe Smith back in the ring after the stellar performance that he put on against Julian Williams to close out 2017. I know that he is physically and mentally prepared to take on Tony Harrison and will not disappoint. Andrew Tabiti is a young talented fighter that is on track to have a bright future. He will look to build upon his flawless record in the co-feature against Lateef Kayode on May 11.”

The 39-year-old Smith (29-9, 12 KOs) became the first Las Vegas-born boxer to win a world championship when he defeated Cornelius Bundrage for a super welterweight title by majority decision in 2013. He lost the title by split decision to Carlos Molina in his next fight before earning another title shot against Erislandy Lara in 2014, that he lost lost by decision. Smith most recently dropped a competitive contest on Bounce against Julian Williams last November.

“I picked up right where I left off from my last fight. I’m back in camp. I didn’t take any time off since my last fight,” Smith said. “This will be the second fight in a row where I am bringing in a strength and conditioning coach. I credit my strength & conditioning coach, who played a major role in my last performance being one of my career best. It was no question, before I had a date I was back working with my team. I feel younger, I feel great – I’m the modern day Benjamin Button. I felt great in my last fight and I’m going to continue to bring it.

“I don’t feel like I’m approaching 40, I actually feel younger and in the best shape of my life. This camp I’m focused on not leaving anything into the judges hands like last time. I can’t allow another bad call against me. It’s time for me to make a statement, dominate, and get this guy out. I don’t know much about my opponent, but I’m going to make him fight my fight.”

Harrison (26-2, 21 KOs) is a heavy-handed 154-pound contender from Detroit, Michigan who has put together two strong victories since suffering a KO loss to unified super welterweight champion Jarrett Hurd in 2017. Harrison most recently scored a KO victory over George Sosa on Feb. 17 in El Paso.

“It’s about time for me to get back into the loop. This is a tough fight against Ishe, who is coming off of a good performance for himself against Julian Williams,” Harrison said. “I’ve been wanting to fight Ishe since my early days as a pro, and this is exactly the kind of fight that I need. This is definitely going to be a good one.

“Ishe is almost 40 years old, but that makes no difference to me. Ishe’s been a world champion, and in order for me to become a world champion, I’ve got to go through one. It’s a difficult task, and there is definitely no way that I’m taking Ishe lightly. I’m the ultimate competitor, and there’s not a fight in the world that I wouldn’t take. I’m ready to lay it all on the line in this fight, and that’s what makes it all worthwhile when I get the win.”

Tabiti (15-0, 12 KOs) has used his punching power to make a steady climb up the cruiserweight ladder. The 28-year-old, who was born in Chicago and now lives in Las Vegas, took a major step forward in his last fight when he scored an impressive unanimous decision victory over former world champion Steve Cunningham on Aug. 26. A win against the veteran Kayode will further solidify his position among the top cruiserweight contenders.

“My last fight I showed everyone that I’m a smart boxer,” Tabiti said. “I think a lot of guys expect me to just go in the ring and knock guys out but I feel like it’s important to show that I’m versatile. I can box with you or I can use my power and get a guy out.

“This camp, my goal is to focus on targeting the body plus using the IQ I gained from my last camp and fight. This guy is older, he’s coming off two losses, he’s on his way out, but I can’t overlook him. My last opponent was a lot older so I’m going to take the tools and experience and put it all together to bring the fans a great performance.”

The 35-year-old Kayode (21-2, 16 KOs) is looking to bounce back from back-to-back losses, including a unanimous decision loss to Keith Tapia in his last fight on Sept. 23. Kayode, who was born in Lagos, Nigeria and now lives in Hollywood, California, dropped down to cruiserweight after his match against heavyweight Luis Ortiz was declared a no contest due to Ortiz failing his post-fight drug test for performance enhancing drugs in 2014. His last victory was a unanimous decision against Nick Kisner in 2015. That paved the way for a shot at the cruiserweight world title later that year, which he lost by knockout to Denis Lebedev.

“Tabiti has absolutely no experience compared to me and his opponents have been less than formidable,” said Kayode. “I will show him why I’m in a completely different class of fighter!”
# # #

Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce will be available to be streamed live via Bounce’s new subscription-video-on-demand service Brown Sugar, which features an extensive and one-of-a-kind library of iconic black movies as well as Bounce original programming and series. Brown Sugar is available on Apple TV, Roku, Amazon Channels, Amazon Fire TV, Amazon Kindle, Android and Apple smartphones and tablets and web browsers via BrownSugar.com. Brown Sugar also has Google Chromecast capabilities which allow video to play on televisions directly from mobile devices and tablets for consumers with Android and iOS devices. There is a free initial trial period for subscribers with a retail price of $3.99/month thereafter.

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Julian Wiliams Training Camp Notes

LAS VEGAS (November 16, 2017) – Top contender Julian “J-Rock” Williams is on the path to another world title shot but will first have to get by former world champion Ishe Smith when they meet in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce live from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Saturday, November 18.

Born and raised in Philadelphia, Williams took his training camp to Big Bear, California earlier this year and served as a sparring partner for middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin before heading home to finish training for Smith.

“This has been a long camp,” said Williams. “I’ve really been training since June 30. I came back from Big Bear and hit the ground running training with Gabriel Rosado. The fun part comes now when we get to fight.

“Training with Golovkin was a great experience. To get to shadow a top five fighter in the world, to see how he moves, to see the kind of work he puts in and the exercises he does, it was very valuable. He gave me some pointers and helped me out so overall it was great.”

Williams most recently stopped Joshua Conley in the seventh-round in June as he made his ring return following his first defeat, to then IBF Junior Middleweight Champion Jermall Charlo in a fight Williams believes he’s learned from.

“I just got a little impatient with Charlo,” said Williams. “Even the second-round knockdown, I got up and I thought I did enough to make that an even round. Then I got impatient, got caught and I paid the price. This is one of those times though that I think some good can come from a loss. It taught me to be a more patient and smarter fighter.”

Now, Williams will face a tough former champion in Smith, the first Las Vegan to capture a world title and a rugged contender who’s faced the very best in the sport for years.

“I remember watching Ishe Smith back on ‘The Contender’,” said Williams. I’ve definitely followed his career. He’s a guy who has seen a lot of styles, but he has eight losses for a reason. He makes mistakes.

“At the same time, nobody has stopped him. I think I can be the guy to knock him out. I think I have the answer for him. At the end of the day, I expect him to be true to his style. Whether he’s winning or losing, it’s a defense-first approach from him. This will be nothing but business for me on Saturday night.”

If Williams can get by Smith on Saturday night in Las Vegas, the 27-year-old has his sights set squarely on a 154-pound world title and is ready for any champion who will get in the ring with him.

“I treat every fight like it’s a must-win,” said Williams. “I treated the Conley fight like that and I’ll bring the same intensity on Saturday. I’m just a hungry fighter who’s focused. I don’t care about all the distractions and nonsense.

“I’m interested in fighting all of the current champions and I have the ability to beat them all. The choice isn’t necessarily up to me, but they’re all great fighters and I know I’m a great fighter too. I’ll take any of them.”

# # #

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and TGB Promotions, are priced at $29, $39, $59, $69, $89 and $149 and are on sale now. Tickets are available at www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com or through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 andwww.ticketmaster.com.

Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. and features Lionell Thompson clashing with unbeaten prospect Earl Newman in a 10-round light heavyweight bout plus unbeaten prospects Tugstsogt Nyambayar and Harmonito De La Torre going head-to-head in a 10-round featherweight fight.

Bounce is the fastest-growing African-American network on television and airs on the broadcast signals of local television stations and corresponding cable carriage. The network features a programming mix of original and off-network series, theatrical motion pictures, specials, live sports and more. Bounce has grown to be available in 99 million homes across the United States and 95% of all African-American television homes.

For more information visit: www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.mayweatherpromotions.com follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @BounceTV, @MayweatherPromo, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm , become a fan on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions, www.Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions and www.Facebook.com/BounceTV. Follow the conversation using #PBConBounce. PBC on Bounce is sponsored by Corona: La Cerveza Mas Fina.

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Ishe Smith Training Camp Notes

LAS VEGAS (November 14, 2017) – Former world champion Ishe Smith will look to stake his claim to another world title opportunity when he battles top contender Julian Williams in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce live from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Saturday, November 18.

Smith knows that Williams provides a steep challenge and the veteran will have to be at his best to hold off the hungry title contender.

“Julian Williams is tough, one of the toughest in the division,” said Smith. “I don’t overlook his talent and what he brings to the sport. I’ve been in boxing going on 17 years, so I’ve seen a lot. Williams hasn’t been tested in all the ways I have. Unlike my opponent, I’ve been in the ring with all levels of fighters: world champions, rising prospects and former world champions. I’ve seen it all.”

The winner of his last two contests, Smith most recently defeated then once-beaten Frank Galarza last September. On November 18, Smith looks to prove that his experience and hard work in training camp will make all the difference once the bell rings.

“This camp is definitely different than my last one, in the sense that I feel more prepared,” said Smith. “I have been conditioning my body to go the distance like I have with all fights. With my experience, coupled with my trainer Rafael Ramos, who has been great in preparing me for any and all curveballs my opponent may try and hand me, I’m ready.

“Training for fights becomes more challenging the longer you stay in the sport, but I’ve always kept it a habit to fine tune my body throughout the year, because at any moment you can get that call. My work and my mindset have improved dramatically and by November 18I’ll be exactly where I need to be.”

The Las Vegas-native will fight in his hometown for the 19th time as a professional and as always, the first Las Vegas-born world champion hopes to make “Sin City” proud with his performance.

“My city has supported me since day one,” said Smith. “It feels great to headline another show in my hometown. Through my up and downs my fans have always been there and supported me and this fight won’t be any different; All I can do is get out there and put on a hell of a show. It’s a special feeling to have home court advantage.”

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Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. and features Lionell Thompson clashing with unbeaten prospect Earl Newman in a 10-round light heavyweight bout plus unbeaten prospects Tugstsogt Nyambayar and Xavier Martinez going head-to-head in a 10-round featherweight fight.

For more information visit: www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.mayweatherpromotions.com follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @BounceTV, @MayweatherPromo, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm , become a fan on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.Facebook.com/BounceTV. Follow the conversation using #PBConBounce. PBC on Bounce is sponsored by Corona: La Cerveza Mas Fina.

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Former World Champion Ishe Smith Clashes With Top 154-Pound Contender Julian “J-Rock” Williams In Super Welterweight Showdown Headlining Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce Live from The Chelsea Inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Saturday, Nov. 18

LAS VEGAS (October 23, 2017) – Former world champion Ishe Smith battles top 154-pound contender Julian “J-Rock” Williams in a 10-round super welterweight clash that headlines Premier Boxing Champions on Bounce live from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas on Saturday, November 18.

In the co-feature, Lionell Thompson clashes with unbeaten prospect Earl Newman in a 10-round light heavyweight bout. Televised coverage begins at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT with unbeaten prospects Tugstsogt Nyambayar and Xavier Martinez going head-to-head in a 10-round featherweight fight.

“This card is going to bring it,” said Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe. “The fans will be presented with variety; veterans and prospects going head-to-head and tough fighting styles meshing come fight night. The main event between Ishe Smith and Julian Williams is going to be an exciting battle! I think Ishe and Julian are going to put on a great show. Both fighters are very tough competitors and fight with everything they have. We also have a great undercard line-up. This is going to be an all-around exciting night of boxing for the fans.”

“This is the kind of show that presents something for every boxing fan,” said Tom Brown, President of TGB Promotions. “Ishe Smith is a former champion who still has title aspirations. He’s going up against a young hungry contender on the comeback trail in Julian Williams. Earl Newman will be taking a major step up when he takes on Lionell Thompson in the co-feature and both Tugstsogt Nyambayar and Xavier Martinez will be looking to keep their undefeated records intact. It all adds up to a fun night for boxing fans.”

The 39-year-old Smith (29-8, 12 KOs) won his world championship with a majority decision over Cornelius Bundrage on Feb. 23, 2013 to become the first Las Vegas-native to win a world title. He has also challenged top fighters such as Erislandy Lara and Daniel Jacobs and most recently defeated Tommy Rainone and Frank Galarza in his last two bouts.

“I took this fight just like I’ve taken every tough fight over the years,” said Smith. “I constantly challenge myself to the best and I believe Julian Williams is one of the best in the division. If you look at my resume, all I’ve done is fight the best guys, in their prime, so this is nothing new to me. I’ve reached the point where I’ve seen it all. This fight will get me exactly where I need to be, closer to a world title shot.”

Williams (23-1-1, 15 KOs), one of the top young contenders in the 154-pound division, is working his way back into title contention by taking on a tough former world champion in Smith. The 27-year-old Williams of Philadelphia suffered a KO loss to Jermall Charlo in his first title shot in 2016 and returned to the ring with a TKO victory over Joshua Conley in his last fight on June 30.

“We’ve been working hard for months and I’m ready to get back in the ring,” said Williams. “I could fight tomorrow. I know this is an important fight for my career. Ishe is a veteran and he is going to bring his ‘A’ game to try to prove he’s still got it. I’m not going to give him that opportunity. I will be victorious and show that I’m ready to fight the best in the world.”

Lionell Thompson (18-4, 11 KOs) is on the trail of a 175-pound world championship and he hasn’t taken the easy road, having challenge the likes of Sergey Kovalev and Radivoje Kalajdzic in his pro career. The 32-year-old out of Buffalo, N.Y. is coming off a knockout victory over Steve Lovett in his last fight on Feb. 24. The last time he fought at the Cosmopolitan, he defeated Donovan George by unanimous decision on Sept. 16, 2016.

Unbeaten prospect Earl Newman (10-0-1, 7 KOs) will be taking a big step forward in taking on his toughest competition to date in Thompson. The 26-year-old Brooklyn-native is coming off a split draw against Paul Parker on Sept. 19 after winning his first 10 pro fights.

A 2012 Olympic Silver medalist from Mongoloa, Tugstsogt Nyambayar (8-0, 8 KOs) now fights out of Carson, California. The 25-year-old turned pro in March of 2015 with a first round knockout of Gabriel Braxton. Since then, Nyambayar has stopped every opponent in his path, including most recently scoring a 10th round TKO over Jhon Gemino in February.

The unbeaten 19-year-old prospect Xavier Martinez (9-0, 5 KOs) will face his toughest test as a pro when he enters the ring on November 18. Representing Sacramento, Martinez has scored two victories in 2017 having stopped Jesus Aguinaga in September after earning a decision over then unbeaten Prince Smalls in June.

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For more information visit: www.premierboxingchampions.com and www.mayweatherpromotions.com follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @BounceTV, @MayweatherPromo, @TGBPromotions and @Swanson_Comm , become a fan on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.Facebook.com/BounceTV. Follow the conversation using #PBConBounce. PBC on Bounce is sponsored by Corona: La Cerveza Mas Fina.

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HBO SPORTS® TO REPLAY GENNADY GOLOVKIN VS. KELL BROOK 2016, DANIEL JACOBS VS. ISHE SMITH 2009 & ROMAN “CHOCOLATITO” GONZALEZ VS. CARLOS CUADRAS 2016 ON HBO2 AS A SPECIAL PREVIEW TO THE UPCOMING GOLOVKIN VS. JACOBS PAY-PER-VIEW EVENT

GOLOVKIN- BROOK WEIGH IN
INDIGO 2,LONDON
PIC;LAWRENCE LUSTIG
WBC,IBF AND IBO MIDDLEWEIGHT TITLE
GENNADY GOLOVKIN V KELL BROOK
WEIGH IN FOR THEIR FIGHT AT LONDONS 02 ARENA ON SATURDAY(9 SEPT)

March 3, 2017 – Leading up to the highly anticipated stacked world championship boxing card highlighted by the appearance of Gennady Golovkin, Danny Jacobs, “Chocolatito” Gonzalez and Carlos Cuadras on Saturday, March 18 and presented live by HBO Pay-Per-View® – HBO Sports will present the exclusive replay of three hard-hitting all-action encounters that highlight the remarkable skill and power of these ring warriors.

On Friday, March 10 at 12:05 a.m. (ET/PT) and Saturday, March 11 at 10:50 a.m. (ET/PT), HBO2 will replay back-to-back Golovkin vs. Brook 2016, Jacobs vs. Smith 2009 and “Chocolatito” Gonzalez vs. Cuadras 2016. This past September at The O2 in London, Gennady Golovkin traveled to Kell Brook’s hometown and extended his consecutive knockout streak to 23 in a row with a fifth round stoppage against the then undefeated prize fighter. On August 22, 2009, top prospect Daniel Jacobs displayed incredible resilience and ring skills against Ishe Smith with a 10-round unanimous decision victory. Last September in a Fight-of-the-Year candidate, consensus #1 pound for pound fighter in the world, “Chocolatito” Gonzalez claimed a title in a fourth weight class against Carlos Cuadras in what was the toughest and roughest encounter of his career.

All three fights will also be available 24 hours a day on HBO NOW, HBO On Demand®, HBO GO® subscribers and affiliate portals beginning Monday, March 6.

Golovkin vs. Jacobs, “Chocolatito” Gonzalez vs. Rungvisai and Cuadras vs. Carmona takes place Saturday, March 18 from at the Mecca of Boxing, Madison Square Garden and will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/ 6:00 p.m. PT.

Smith decisions Galarza

Ishe Smith

Former world champion, Ishe Smith won a 10-round majority decision over Frank Galarza in a junior middleweight bout at the Chelsea at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas.

In round two, Smith sent Galarza to the canvas with a hard right hand. The two exchanged some good flurries with Galarza pushing the action down the stretch, but Smith got the decision by scores of 96-93 & 95-94 while a 3rd card read even at 95-95.

Smith, 157.4 lbs of Las Vegas is 29-8. Galarza, 154 lbs of Brooklyn, NY is 17-2-2.

Justin DeLoach won a 10-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Dominique Dolton in a junior middleweight bout.

In round five, Dolton was cut on the bridge of the nose.

DeLoach of Augusta, GA won by scores of 99-91, 98-92 and 96-94 and is now 16-1. Dolton of Detroit is 17-1-1.

Jose Cayetano won a 10-round unanimous decision over Alexis Santiago in a super bantamweight bout.

In round five, Santiago was cut around his right eye. he wwas rocked several times and almost went down from a left hand. Cayetano finished the fight strong as he landed several hard blows down the stretch that had Santiago hurt along the ropes.

Cayetano, 120.2 lbs of Tijuana, MX won by scores of 96-94 twice and 97-93 and is now 20-4. Santiago, 120.5 lbs of Phoenix, AZ is 21-3.

Frank Galarza Camp Notes – Once-Beaten Contender Takes On Former World Champion Ishe Smith in Main Event of Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round on Bounce TV Friday, Sept. 16

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 6, 2016) – Brooklyn-born contender Frank “Notorious” Galarza has been the embodiment of a redemption story his whole life and he will look to keep that theme going when he returns from his first pro loss to take on former world champion Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith in the main event of Premier Boxing Champions: The Next Round on Bounce TV Friday, Sept. 16 from The Chelsea inside The Cosmopolitan of Las Vegas.

Televised coverage begins on Bounce TV at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT and features a super welterweight showdown between Domonique Dolton (17-0-1, 9 KOs)and Justin DeLoach (15-1, 8 KOs).

Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, start at $29 and are on sale now. Tickets are available online at: www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com or through Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000 and www.ticketmaster.com.

After being defeated by unbeaten Jarret Hurd in November 2015, Galarza is determined to reclaim his spot as a contender in the 154-pound division. Training out of the Flatbush Cops and Kids Boxing Gym in Brooklyn with longtime trainer Nirmal Lorick, Galarza has his sights set on the top of the super welterweight division.

Here is what Galarza had to say about training camp, his main event showdown, the 154-pound division and more:

What kind of problems does Ishe Smith propose and what does a victory over him do for you?

FG: “I don’t anticipate having any problems with Ishe. I spar the best guys in the world and with guys who have a lot more experience than I do. I’m going to go in, do my job and make adjustments as needed.

“Beating Ishe puts me exactly where I need to be. I took my first loss in Las Vegas and I wasn’t on my A-game. Fighting Ishe puts me right back after the loss. I constantly put myself to the test with top guys. Ishe is someone in my path who at this point, is in my way.”

What’s your mentality following the loss in your last fight?

FG: “I have lost so much in my life, so I see this loss as just a number. Boxing has everyone fooled that we need to be undefeated to be a top contender or to be great. Some of the greatest fighters have suffered losses. I am looking to be legendary and continue to fight great guys. I’m going to put my record on the line and challenge myself.

“I don’t have a deep boxing background, so I’m learning on the job. I am able to overcome every obstacle. This fight isn’t about the money, this fight and my career is for me. I want to challenge myself.”

Who do you see as the top fighters in the 154-pound division?

FG: “The Charlo Brothers, Demetrius Andrade, Julian Williams and Erislandy Lara are the top of the division in my mind. There are a lot of good fighters in this division. At this point now, the other guys need to go, and that’s where I come into play. Someone like Ishe is an older guy and he needs to give it up and get out of the way for hungry guys like me and the rest of us. People want to see guys like us.”

Who would you like to matchup with, if you can defeat Ishe Smith?

FG: “I’ll face anybody. I’m not trying to fluff my record. I come off a tough loss and I’m looking to beat a former world champion. Give me the best fight and the top guys. Give me one of the Charlo brothers and I’ll fight for one of their titles. Put me in with any of these guys and I will put them to the test, if not beat them.

“It’s a drive I have in me, especially lately, where I feel like I’ve been overlooked. It upsets me to be underestimated. I never turn down a fight. I have to be fearless in order to make it where I need to go. I am not a mediocre fighter. There’s a reason they call me the ‘Brooklyn Rocky.’ I’ve been through adversity and Ishe is in for a rude awakening. The boxing industry has me completely underestimated and at the end of the day, may the best man win.”

Talk about your work outside of the ring and how you strive to inspire kids who grew up in similar situations to yourself:

FG: “I have a non-profit called Youth Fighting Forward. I teach them that no matter what you go through, you can be whoever you want to be I came from nothing and I lost my parents at a young age. I don’t use that as an excuse. I refuse to be a statistic. I want to give the kids back that inspiration.

“Whatever it is you love to do; you are more than capable of doing it. It is in your hands to be a success story. You are not where you came from. We have the ability to change lives. My focus is to help kids growing up who are surrounded by negativity to see a positive. I put my body to the limits and when I don’t want to work out, I push through that. I want to show the kids that they have to have discipline to get through it and one day, I will be a world champion.”

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For more information visit: www.premierboxingchampions.comand www.mayweatherpromotions.com. For tickets, visit: www.cosmopolitanlasvegas.com. Follow on Twitter @PremierBoxing, @BounceTV, @MayweatherPromo and @Swanson_Comm , become a fan on Facebook at: www.Facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.Facebook.com/PremierBoxingChampions and www.Facebook.com/BounceTV. Follow the conversation using #PBConBounce. PBC on Bounce is sponsored by Corona Extra, La Cerveza Mas Fina.

Ishe Smith to battle Frank Galarza on September 16

Former world champion Ishe Smith will take on Frank Galarza on September 16 at The Cosmopolitan in Las Vegas, according to Dan Rafael of espn.com.

“I’m the type to always stay in good condition, so I will be ready to get in on fight night,” Smith said. “I’m deep into training, and I’m planning on delivering a great hard fight for all the fans to enjoy. I’m focused on this fight, but my goal is to get the world title back.”

The card, which is being promoted by Floyd Mayweather’s Mayweather Promotions and was announced Tuesday, will also feature junior middleweight Chris Pearson (14-1, 10 KOs) taking on Justin DeLoach (15-1, 8 KOs) in the 10-round co-feature.

“I feel great, and I’m ready for a chance to redeem myself,” Galarza said. “I know Ishe is an experienced fighter, but this is a shot for me to get back to the top level. I can’t wait to show the boxing world what I am made of.”

“I’m familiar with my opponent, and I’m treating this like a world title fight,” Pearson said. “I feel like getting this victory will put me right at the top of the division. We’re both hungry and want to prove that we have what it takes to be world champions. I’m preparing to be at my very best because of the caliber of fight this is.”

“I’m very excited to get back in the ring against a good opponent. This has been a great year for me, and it seems to keep getting better,” said DeLoach, who has beaten undefeated opponents in his past two fights. “I’m looking forward to a great fight and heading to Las Vegas to handle my business. I’m fighting for my whole city, my family and my fans. I won’t let them down.”

Mayweather goes 49-0 and gets the last laugh in what he says is his last fight

LAS VEGAS – Floyd Mayweather Jr. said it was his last dance. If it was, he also got the last laugh.

In what he promised was his farewell fight Saturday night, Mayweather mocked Andre Berto. Beat him. too, for most of 12-one-sided rounds for a unanimous decision that put him alongside Rocky Marciano in the historical ledger at 49-0.

Everything, including his body language, said he would not fight again. He hugged and kissed his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., on the cheek before the start of the 12th and perhaps his final round.

After the 118-110, 117-110 and 120-108 scores were announced, he knelt at the center of the ring, pointed one of his green-gloved hands toward the ceiling and look up as if he were saying a goodbye prayer.

“My career is done,’’ Mayweather said.

After the ninth, he complained to his father about an injury to his left hand.

“It doesn’t matter whether I hurt my left hand or my right hand,’’ said Mayweather. who collected another $32 million guarantee in the sixth and final fight on his Showtime contract. “My career is over.’’

As definitive as his statement was in the wake of his victory over Berto, speculation will continue about whether he will pursue a 50th victory sometime in the spring, perhaps at a brand new Las Vegas arena scheduled to open next spring.

His decision to face Berto had been mocked the day it was announced. In the end, Mayweather managed to mock Berto, if not the mismatch, himself.

Sometimes, he moved robotically as if to mimic a tiring and clueless Berto. Sometimes, he moved as if had been hurt. He wasn’t. Mostly. He just made fun of Berto. At the strta of the 10th, Mayweather talked non-stop at Berto. Finally, referee Kenny Bayless called timeout and warned both.

“Just trash talk,’ said Mayweather, who hasn’t knocked anybody in eight years.

Berto was cheered for just about anything he attempted from the 13,395 in a crowd that began to fill a Grand Garden Arena that about 90 minutes before opening bell appeared to be nearly half empty.

In the early rounds, however, Berto must have felt like he was playing dodge-ball with a target always close enough to hit, yet always elusive enough to make him miss.

“He a great fighter,’’ said Berto, who didn’t call him greatest when as if he thought Mayweather was The Best Ever.
Berto will let history decide that one.

The rematch was supposed to settle the argument. It didn’t.

Instead, Orlando Salido and Roman Martinez have more to fight about after battling to a draw Saturday night in junior-lightweight bout on the Floyd Mayweather Jr .-Andre Berto card at the MGM Grand.

“I won this fight,’’ said Martinez (29-2-3, 17 KOs), a Puerto Rican who scored a unanimous decision over Salido in April

Salido (42-13-3, 29 KOs) was credited with a knockdown in the third. Martinez complained to no avail. Turns out, Martinez was right and referee Vic Drakulich wrong in ruling it a knockdown. Video replay showed that Salido stepped on Martinez’ foot, knocking him off balance and onto the canvas.

Later in the third, Martinez scored a legit knockdown, landing a big right that sent Salido back on his heels and onto his rear end. Salido was clearly hurt. But he was able to survive and then managed to drag the fight into the kind of bruising exchange he so often wins. He threw 1,037 punches. Martinez threw 691.

“I should have won,’’ Salido said. “That’s not fair.”

Anybody for a trilogy?

Badou Jack scored a first-round knockdown that proved to the key to a split-decision over George Groves in the first defense of his WBC super-middleweight bout.

“I should have knocked him out,” said Jack (20-1-1. 12 KOs), a Jamaican who lived in Stockholm and has moved to Las Vegas to train at Mayweather’s Gym. “But he was tough. George Groves is a tough fighter.”

A right to the temple put Groves (22-3, 16 KOs) onto a knee with 25 seconds left in the first round. The popular UK fighter recovered and forced Jack into a grind-it-out affair that was often hard to score.

What’s next for Jack?

“I’ve heard (Julio Cesar) Chavez Jr. is interested,” he said. Maybe, Lucian Bute. But first, mon, a vacation in Jamaica.”

Jonathan Oquendo of Puerto Rico and Johnny Gonzalez of Mexico opened the PPV part of the card in a super-featherweight bout that began with fireworks and then settled down into a battle of wits, survival and some blood. In the end, Oquendo (254, 16 KOs), prevailed, winning a 10-round majority decision after suffering a knockdown in the first round, knocking down Gonazlez (58-10, 49 KOs) in the second and sustaining a nasty cut on his legs ye;id in the sixth.

The Floyd Mayweather-Andre Berto show opened Saturday during the noon hour, or probably before Mayweather rolled out of bed.

In an empty MGM Grand Garden Arena, Atlanta junior-welterweight Trakwon Pettis didn’t waste any time in his pro debut. Pettis stopped Devante Seay (0-1) of Martinsville, Va., at 2:24 of the first round. He was done in time to catch a late lunch.

In the afternoon’s second matinee, London junior-welterweight Ashley Theopane (39-6-1, 11 KOs) outworked Steven Upsher (24-5-1, 6 KOs), winning a one-sided decision over the Philadelphia fighter who lost to Berto last year.

Then, Baltimore lightweight prospect Gervonta Davis (12-0, 11 KOs) took over with a fast and furious beating of Filipino Recky Delay (8-2, 5 KOs), who was down twice in the first and signaled to referee Russell Mora that he was done at 1:34 of the round.

In another afternoon beating, Romanian super-middleweight Ronald Gavril (13-1, 9 KOs) punished Scott Sigmon (25-7-1, 14 KOs) before the ringside physician ended it before the ninth.

A disciplined, patient Vanes Martirosyan waited as if he knew Ishe Smith would leap and lunge. Smith did. Not once, but twice. Martirosyan (36-2-1, 21 KOs), a middleweight from Glendale, Calif., capitalized both times, scoring knockdowns with well-timed counters late in the third round and again in the eighth for a majority decision over Smith (27-8, 12 KOs), a Mayweather-promoted fighter.

Dayton middleweight Chris Pearson (13-0, 10 KOs) rocked Canadian Janks Trotter (9-2-1. 9 KOs) repeatedly in the sixth and finally floored him in the seventh for a stoppage at 2:59 of the round.

In the last fight before the pay-per-view portion of the card, Uzbekistan junior-welterweight Sanjarbek Rakhmanov (2-0, 1 KO) rocked an overmatched, yet durable Farkhad Sharipov (4-5, 1 KO) of Kazakhstan repeatedly in scoring six-round unanimous decision.

FOLLOW MAYWEATHER – BERTO ROUND BY ROUND

Mayweather_Berto Weigh In Follow all the action as Floyd Mayweather fights in his final fight of his career against Andre Berto. The action kicks off at 6:30 PM ET / 3:30 PM PT with a 4 fight undercard that will feature 2 world title bouts

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12 Rounds WBA/WBC Welterweight title–Floyd Mayweather (48-0, 26 KO’s) vs Andre Berto (30-3, 23 KO’s)
ROUND	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	TOTAL
MAYWEATHER	10	9	10	10	10	10	9	10	10	10	10	10	118
BERTO	9	10	9	9	9	9	10	9	9	10	9	9	111

Round 1 Mayweather suing the left..lead left hook.

Round 2 Right from Berto..

Round 3 Mayweather landing rights to body..Double jab from Berto

Round 4 Jab from Berto..Lead left from Mayweather..body..Hard right..

Round 5 Counter right from Berto..Right from Mayweather..

Round 6 Good counter left from Berto…Hard body shots from Mayweather..left uppercurt…right hand..

Round 7 Right uppercut in inside from Mayweather..Berto works the body with the left hook..Left from Berto..

Round 8 Mayweather lands a left uppercut…terrific combination..1-2..Counter left from Berto…

Round 9 Berto jabs to the body…Right over top from Mayweather…

Round 10 Both guys are talking to each other..

Round 11 Lead left hook from Mayweather,,good uppercut..Nice combination…

Round 12 2 huge uppercuts on the inside from Mayweather,,counter right..jab to the body…right over the op…left uppercut…

117-111, 118-110 and 120-108

Punch Stats

Mayweather 232 of 410 Berto 83 of 495

12-rounds WBO Jr. Lightweight title–Roman Martinez (29-2-2, 17 KO’s) vs Orlando Salido (42-13-2, 29 KO’s)
ROUND	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	TOTAL
Martinez	10	9	10	10	9	9	9	9	9	9	9	10	112
Salido	9	10	9	9	10	10	10	10	10	10	10	9	116

Round 1 Uppercut on inside from Martinez..Salido lands a combination…Combination from Martinez

Round 2 Hard right from Salido..combination..

Round 3 Right FROM SALIDO AND RULED A KNOCKDOWN..Jab from Martinez…LEFT AND DOWN GOES SALIDO..Big right from Martinez

Round 4 Huge right buckles Salido..Counter right from Salido..

Round 5 Hard right from Salido and a left hook..Jab from Martinez..

Round 6 terrific action…Salido pressing

Round 7 Jab from Salido..another jab..hook…

Round 8 Hard right from salido..

Round 9 Right from Martinez..Right from Salido on the inside..uppercut in the inside..Martinez lands a right..Hard combination by Salido…Hard combination,..

Round 10 Martinez landing hard shots in the counter…counter left hook and right from Salido..terrific exchange..

Round 11 Big right from Salido

Round 12 great infighting..Martinez lands a left hook….

115-113 Martinez, 115-113 Salido, 114-114—-DRAW

Punches Martinez: 189- 691 Salido 285- 1037

12-rounds–WBC Super Middleweight title–Badou Jack (19-1-1, 12 KO’s) vs George Groves (21-2, 16 KO’s)
ROUND	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	TOTAL
Jack**	10	9	10	9	10	9	10	9	10	10	10	9	115
Groves	8	10	9	10	10	10	10	10	9	9	9	10	114

Round 1: Jack lands a jab..Double left hook and right from Groves..right..Good right…HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN Goes groves…

Round 2 Jack lands a jab..combination from Groves..Body and right..Combination from Jack…Counter from Groves..

Round 3 Body shot from Goves…Trading jabs…1-2 from Jack..

Round 4 Groves lands a right over the top..right uppercut

Round 5 Right from Jack..Good right from Groves..

Round 6 1-2 from Jack..Jab and right from Groves..another right..

Round 7 Body shot from Jack…Hard right from Groves

Round 8 Hard right from Groves

Round 9 Good right from Jack…

Round 10 Groves lands a jab that buckles Jack..Sharp right from Jack..

Round 11 Left to the body from Jack..left hook to the jaw..

Round 12 Body work from Jack…Groves lands a right…trading good rights..Groves lands a hard right that sets off a great exchange

114-113 Groves; 115-112 Jack; 116-111 Jack

Punch stats: Jack 210- 506 Groves 154- 721

10-rounds–Jr. Lightweights–Jhonny Gonzalez (58-9, 49 KO’s) vs Jonathan Oquendo (25-4, 16 KO’s)
ROUND	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	TOTAL
Gonzalez	10	8	10	9	9	9	10	10	9	10			94
Oquendo	8	10	9	10	10	10	9	9	10	10			95

Round 1: Uppercut by Gonzalez..BIG UPPEERCUT AND DOWN GOES OQUENDO…

Round 2 Right uppercut from Gonzalez…3 punch combination…Blood over the right eye of Gonzalez..right from Oquendo…HUGE RIGHT AND DOWN GOES GONZALEZ…Big left staggers Gonzalez…

Round 3 Good body work from Gonzalez..Straight right from Oquendo..Left hook…Combination from Gonzalez..Oquendo switches southpaw..Body shot from Oquendo..

Round 4 Combination from Oquendo..left hook..Jab to the body..left hook..right

Round 5 Left to body from Oquendo

Round 6: Overhand right from Oquendo..Triple Jab…Good right from Gonzalez..Nice Left

Round 7 Left hook from Gonzalez..Jab..Oquendo working the body…Gonzalez lands a hard right..

Round 8: Gonzalez cut over left eye from accidental headbutt…Left and right from Gonzalez..Jab…Jab from Oquendo drives Gonzalez to the corner..

Round 9 Doctor looking at cuts on Gonzalez…

Round 10

94-94; 95-93 and 98-90 for Oquendo

Punch stats: Gonzales –139 of 502 Oquendo: 100 of 455

10 Rounds–Jr Middleweights–Vanes Martirosyan (35-2-1, 21 KO’s) vs Ishe Smith (27-7, 12 KO’s)
ROUND	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	TOTAL
Martirosyan **	9	10	10	10	9	9	9	10	9	9	MD		94
Smith	10	9	8	9	10	10	10	8	10	10			94

Round 1: Good left from Smith

Round 2 Jab from Martiroysan…Combination..Right to the body..Counter left from Smith

Round 3: 2 shots to the body from Martirosyan..Left from Smith..Counter left..RiGHT FROM MARTIROSYAN AND RULED A KNOCKDOWN

Round 4: Jab from Martirsyan…right…right to body from Smith,,,Nice right from Martirosyan..

Round 5: Good combination from Smith..Good uppercut..Good combination..right lead..3 punch combination..counter right…

Round 6: Good combination..right to body and left to the head..Body…Combination..

Round 7: Smith lanleft to head and left uppercut..lands a left..right

Round 8: Huge LEFT AND DOWN GOES SMITH

Round 9 Nice combination from Smith..good left to body and head..Swelling under the right eye of Martirosyan..Left..

Round 10 Good right from Smith

95-95; 97-91 two times Martirosyan

FLOYD MAYWEATHER & ANDRE BERTO ANNOUNCE SHOWTIME PPV EVENT TAKING PLACE SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12 AT THE MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA IN LAS VEGAS

LOS ANGELES (August 6, 2015) – Accredited media members from around the world came out to the JW Marriott at L.A. Live in Los Angeles Thursday as Floyd “Money” Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) and two-time welterweight champion Andre Berto (30-3, 23 KOs) officially announced their SHOWTIME PPV matchup with taking place Saturday, September 12 from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Also in attendance Thursday were pay-per-view undercard fighters featured on the stacked four-fight telecast. In a rematch of their epic April 11 world-title fight Roman “Rocky” Martinez (29-2-2, 17 KOs) will defend his WBO Junior Lightweight title against four-time world champion Orlando “Siri” Salido (42-13-2, 29 KOs) while WBC Super Middleweight Champion Badou Jack “The Ripper” (19-1-1, 12 KOs) will take on his mandatory challenger “Saint” George Groves (21-2, 16 KOs). A fourth fight on the pay-per-view telecast will be announced soon.

Further undercard action features a super welterweight showdown between Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith (27-7, 12 KOs) and Vanes “The Nightmare” Martirosyan (35-2-1, 21 KOs), who were also in attendance Thursday to announce their fight.

Promoted by Mayweather Promotions, the four-fight pay-per-view telecast will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV and is the sixth and final fight of a record-breaking deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. SHOWTIME Sports® will support the event with the Sports Emmy® Award-winning series ALL ACCESS premiering Friday, August 28.

Here is what the fighters and participants had to say Thursday:

FLOYD MAYWEATHER, 12-Time World Champion

“I’ve had a remarkable career. I wouldn’t change anything. We all make mistakes. We live and we learn but I wouldn’t change anything.

“My dad is a remarkable trainer, Virgil Hunter as well. But when it comes down to it, it comes down to the two fighters in the ring.

“Andre Berto is a tough competitor, a former world champion. Every time he goes out there, he gives it 100 percent.

“I chose Berto because he’s very exciting. Andre Berto is going to push Floyd Mayweather to the limit. That’s one thing I do know.

“Berto always gives an exciting fight. If he gets knocked down he gets back up. He always give 100 percent. Fast hands, good boxer.

“I know what it takes when it’s a fight of this magnitude, because I’ve been fighting on pay-per-view for over 10 years. Berto is a very tough guy, he’s hungry and he’s not going to lie down.

“September 12th is my last dance. On September 13 I just want to sit back and watch some football. I want to watch my children get the best education. And I want to spend every day with my kids. These are the best days of my life.

“The difference between Andre Berto and Pacquiao is you guys [to the media] put hype behind Pacquiao. My job was to go out there and be Floyd Mayweather and be a chess player and that’s what I did. I found a way to win.

“Number 49, this is it. I’ve had a tremendous career. I’m older, wiser and my health is more important than anything. September 12 is my last fight. All 48 fights played a key, but number 48 was the most important.

“This dream all started with just two people. Me and my father. Just the two of us.

“When you look at the two divisions I fight in, there’s one man who stands all alone. I looked at the division and asked who’s always in a tough exciting fight, who has quick hands and who always gives it 100 percent, it was Andre Berto

“This is a guy I can’t overlook. He’s dedicated to the sport just like myself and he’s going to push me.”

ANDRE BERTO, Two-Time Welterweight World Champion

“It’s a long time coming. Now we’re here. Anybody that knows me has seen great things but at the same time they’ve seen me go through some real trials. What comes with that is a lot of hard work and perseverance.

“Two years ago I was in the hospital bed having surgery on my shoulder and not knowing if I could come back from that. At the end of the day it was a blessing. We stayed focused and now we’re here.

“I know I’m going to come in there fast and strong. I’m 152 pounds right now. At the end of the day you’re going to see a kids who’s had his highs. Or who’s had his falls. And now we’re right back to making it happen.

“This is a fight that I felt Floyd still wanted to make happen. Him coming off of the Pacquiao fight, of course it’s easy for people to downplay me. I can’t worry about that and I’m not worried about that.

“Have you ever seen a boring Andre Berto fight? At the end of the day we work our butt off, I’ve been working for a long time. Right now, the harvest is coming. We sowed the seeds and the time is now.

“I bring that rare combination of speed, power and explosiveness to the table. The last person he bought with that combination was Zab Judah. I’m younger, I’m hungry; I’m strong and fast. I’m focused on what I’m coming to get.

“I felt like I went through what I went through for a reason. My time is now. There’s no better day than the present. Floyd is no stranger to me. We’re already deep into camp. You definitely do not want to miss this one.”

ROMAN MARTINEZ, WBO Junior Lightweight World Champion

“I’m so happy to be part of this great show. I’m preparing very well for this fight. Everybody who saw the first fight knows this was a war and this will be the same thing. I’m in great shape and I’m ready to keep my belt.

“I need to work to the body more in this fight and see if I can finish him early this time.

“I’m in really good shape for this fight and I’ve been working to make adjustments to get the knock out but if we have to go the distance, we’ll be ready.

“I feel the rematch is a very exciting fight for television, the kind fans love.

“Everybody who saw the first fight knows it was a war and this will be the same thing. For me, it gives me a chance to leave no doubt in anybody’s mind that I am the champion.

“Salido can say what he says, I hope he’s in good condition because I am. In the end the best man will win this fight and that will be me.”

ORLANDO SALIDO, Four-Time World Champion

“Now I know his weaknesses, I am going to attack from the very first moment, I know what to do for the victory.

“I have to refocus mentally and physically, I’m not going to do much different other than to gain the victory this time

“I’m definitely going to regain this title for Mexico. I don’t feel it. I know it.

“I am very happy we are fighting in a neutral territory for our rematch, not in Puerto Rico again. I was very prepared for the first fight but the referee wouldn’t let me fight my fight. It seemed the referee was talking to me the whole 12 rounds. I was trying to focus only on my opponent, but I couldn’t.

“I’m very excited about this fight. This is a very special month for Mexico and in particular because of that, I’m going to get this victory.

“There’s always a very special rivalry between Mexico and Puerto Rico and I feel it, which is why I so badly want to win this title for Mexico.”

BADOU JACK, WBC Super Middleweight World Champion

“I’ve been in camp for about two months now. It’s been a very good training camp and I’m ready right now to fight. We still have a month to go and we’re ready.

“I’ve always been strong mentally but I get some extra confidence from having that green belt. You still have to stay humble and keep working hard.

“Groves is a pretty good fighter. I definitely think it’s going to be an exciting fight. I know he’s coming to get what’s mine and he’s coming to fight.

“He’s fought in the UK in front of a lot of people, but it’s a different stage in Vegas.

“I think I’m the overall better fighter. He’s going to try to knock me out and I’m going to try to knock him out. It’s going to be a great fight. I’m definitely going for the knockout.

“It’s a dream come true to be part of such a big event at MGM Grand for Floyd’s last fight, it’s a blessing.

“It’s no different to me being the main event or on the undercard. There will be even more people seeing my fight which is great.

“I just have to listen to my corner, be smart and be myself. If I do that I’ll walk out of there with my belt intact.”

GEORGE GROVES, Top 168-Pound Contender

“Everything in training camp has been perfect. We’re adjusting to the time difference and the altitude, which takes a couple of days, but everything is going really well. We’re ahead of schedule.

“We’ve been training all year for this fight so I’m feeling really good. I can’t wait to get in there and start punching.

“I think I know more than enough about Jack. I’ve seen him box live against Anthony Dirrell and I’ve studied him on tape. There’s a lot to like about him. I like the fact that he’s come to the U.S. and has made a home out here, there’s bravery in that. He’s latched on to a successful camp but ultimately you have to stand on your own two feet in the ring.

“I think I’m better than him in most aspects. If I go out and perform it’s an easy night’s work for me.

“It’s nice being on a undercard because I’ve dealt with the pressure of the main event. It’s nice to just be able to enjoy the fight. It’s a massive fight but the only thing I have to worry about it fighting. It’s a great opportunity for me.

“Rust is more mental than anything. You only hear a fighter talk about ring rust after a fight because it’s an excuse. We’re in the gym performing, sparring partners are getting beat up and there’s no excuse to not take it into a real fight.

“I’m pleased to be here in America. The third time going for the title will be lucky. We’ve prepared diligently. We’re ready for action.

“I’ve seen Badou up close and personal and as of yet, we can’t find anything that will cause me a problem. We plan to take the belt back to the UK.

“He’ll have comfort being at home and with his stable mates, but that all goes away when you step in the ring and a guy is trying to take your head off.

“Since I was seven years old I’ve dreamed of becoming a world champion. I’ve had ups and downs in boxing but it’s all come full circle.

“We have ourselves in a great place in training camp and I literally cannot wait to get in there.”

ISHE SMITH, Former Super Welterweight World Champion

“I asked for the toughest fights and the toughest challenges. I just want to fight the best. No matter what people think or what people say about me, we put together good fights.
We’ve had three champions at Mayweather Promotions so we’re doing something right.

“Vanes Martirosyan is a good fighter, I have nothing but respect for him. We’re putting together the necessary work in the gym to be successful.

“This fight could probably have been a main event somewhere but I’m happy to be a part of history and Floyd’s finale. I’m looking forward to a great night of boxing.”

VANES MARTIROSYAN, 2004 U.S. Olympian and 154-Pound Contender

“This is a big fight for me. My last fight I left in the judges’ hands and it went the other way.

“September 12 I’m not letting the judges get in my way. I’m going for the knockout and you’re going to see the best Vanes you’ve ever seen.”

VIRGIL HUNTER, Berto’s Trainer

“I’m glad to be a part of this historic event. It’s these moments that I reflect on what these young men go through. I’ve seen some of the great fighters that came before us. When I see some of the negative attitudes on this event, it’s from people who don’t know what those fighters go through at the gym.

“We’re told never to quit and to never give up. Being 48-0 is not an easy job. Particularly when you go back to day one and the obstacles and the hills you have to climb. That’s the spirit of the sport. I think once Floyd Mayweather is gone, we’ll feel the presence that this man had on the sport. I witnessed the same thing with Muhammad Ali.

“Andre Berto has overcome a lot in his life and I’m glad to have made his acquaintance. He epitomizes what a fighter is. He’s overcome and he’s earned this opportunity based off that.

“When you look at that pack in that welterweight division there’s only one that stands out, everyone else is in that pack.

“We intend to give this the best job that we’re going to give it. I think the champ himself respects that. We come to win, but we have to respect what he’s done for the sport.

“I’m glad to be a part of this. It’s a big thrill for me to be on the opposite side of legends and we’re anticipating everything turning out just right for us on fight night.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“Welcome everyone to what will be Floyd Mayweather’s last kick off press conference of his amazing career. We are so excited to be working together to bring another stacked PPV card to boxing fans on SHOWTIME PPV.

“We have a great lineup with three world championships fights.

“Tickets will go on sale tomorrow at 10 am P.T./1 pm E.T. Prices range from $1,500, $1,000, $750, $500, $300, $150.

“Once again Floyd will be putting his WBC titles and WBA title on the line. He will be facing Andre Berto, who will be looking to erase the 0 off Floyd’s record on September 12.

“’Rocky’ Martinez vs. Orlando Salido will be a rematch of the Fight of the Year candidate from April. We know that will be a war.

“These are the kinds of challenges that Floyd needs to push him the way that he needs to be pushed. Andre Berto is a guy we were supposed to fight years ago. He’s a two-time world champion. We know he’s going to bring it. He’s going to give it his best. On September 12 we’ll see if it’s good enough.

“With the storied career that Floyd Mayweather has had, we are truly witnessing history. You better take a good look at him, because the thing’s he’s accomplished in this sport, we’ll never see again.

“We always knew that Floyd would be here, many years ago. When a guy accomplishes these kinds of things, everything he does is historic. When you look around the landscape, this gentleman right here is why the game has been changed.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, Executive Vice President & General Manager SHOWTIME Sports

“Boxing is a tough sport. It’s a tough sport to cover, it’s a tough sport to do business in and it’s a tough sport to make a living at. When you find someone who has been participating in the sport as a professional for 19 years, not just participating but practicing the sport at an elite level, one that’s rarely been seen, that’s something special.

“Two decades at the top of the sport, but you know what’s most impressive? It’s work ethic. Almost 20 years of a work ethic that is unmatched in the sport of boxing. Never in his 19 years has Floyd showed up less than 100 percent prepared, 19 years of unwavering discipline. Once he got to the top level, the work ethic didn’t change. That will be the legacy of Floyd in this sport, it is something I will likely never see again in my lifetime.

“It all comes to an end September 12, it’s our last opportunity to enjoy his incredible skill.

“Andre Berto has a chance to make history himself. If he does that, nothing else will matter. Berto will become known as the guy who finally beat Floyd Mayweather.

“One thing we know about Andre Berto, he’s never lacked for action. There’s only one way he knows how to fight and that’s all out aggressive.

“I’ve seen what Andre can do in the ring, I’ve seen him fight round after round. Fighters like Andre Berto will always be welcome, because no one fights harder than Andre Berto.”

MAURICIO SULAIMAN, WBC President

“I am very happy to once again represent my father and to see the WBC back in a great event. September 12 is a national Mexican holiday and Floyd has taken it over and represented Mexico so well. Andre Berto is a former WBC champion who will for sure bring a great challenge to Floyd Mayweather.”

* * *

For more information visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.SHO.com/Sports andwww.mgmgrand.com and follow on Twitter at @floydmayweather, @AndreBerto, @BadouJack, @StGeorgeGroves, @sirisalido, @mayweatherpromo, @SHOSports and @Swanson_Comm or become a fan on Facebook atwww.facebook.com/FloydMayweather,www.Facebook.com/TheRealAndreBerto,www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions and www.facebook.com/SHOsports.

Smith decisions McCalla

Former world champion Ishe Smith won a 10-round unanimous decision in a Jr. Middleweight bout over Cecil McCalla at the Pearl at the Palms in Las Vegas.

In round two, Smith Rocked McCalla with a hard right. Smith opened up but the bell rang to end the round.

Smith, 155.4 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 98-92 and 97-93 twice and is now 27-7. McCalla, 154.6 lbs of Baltimore, MD is now 20-2.

Ashley Theophane hung on to win a 10-round split decision over Mahonri Montes in a Jr. Welterweight bout.

In round eight, Montes showed the effects of Theophane’s jab as he was bruised on the right side of his face. In the last thirty seconds of the fight, Montes landed a perfect right hand that sent Theophane to the canvas.

Theophane, 143 lbs of Las Vegas won on two cards 96-93 and is now 38-4-1. Montes, 142.8 lbs of Los Mochis, MX took a card 96-93 but he falls to 29-5-1.

Former Junior Middleweight Titlist Smith to Meet McCalla on Special Thursday Edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights and Noche de Combates

Two days before the much-anticipated welterweight unification title fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, a special Thursday edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights presented by Corona Extra and Noche de Combates presentado por Corona Extra will air live April 30, at 9 p.m. ET on ESPN2, ESPN Deportes and via WatchESPN. The show, from the Pearl Theatre at Palms Casino Resort in Las Vegas, will be headlined by former world titleholder Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith (26-7, 12 KOs) taking on Cecil McCalla (20-1, 7 KOs) in a 10-round junior middleweight bout. The card is presented by Mayweather Promotions.

Commentators:
Joe Tessitore and Teddy Atlas will describe the action on ESPN2, while studio host Todd Grisham will be on site providing the latest news on Mayweather-Pacquiao. Pablo Viruega and Delvin Rodríguez will call the fights ringside for Noche de Combates on ESPN Deportes, while Leopoldo González and Claudia Trejos will co-anchor the studio on site. Hall-of-Fame boxing referee and analyst Joe Cortez will join Trejos and González during the telecast. Bilingual reporter Bernardo Osuna will provide live interviews and reports for both shows.

Main Event:

Las Vegas’ Smith, a former junior middleweight titleholder, is looking to rebound from a 12-round unanimous decision loss to defending junior middleweight titlist Erislandy Lara.

“I’m training in Las Vegas for this fight, right at home at the Mayweather Gym,” Smith said. “I’ve been sparring with some pretty good guys…I don’t know much about McCalla. After being in the game as long as I have, you just treat everybody the same – you don’t take anybody lightly. You just make sure you’re prepared.”

Baltimore’s McCalla is looking to get back to his winning ways following a split-decision loss to Chris Van Heerden.

“Ishe is a rough fighter, but nothing I haven’t seen before. I’m ready for this fight,” McCalla said. “I’m definitely looking forward to it. It’s a good fight for me. I’m really determined to get this win. I want to shine this fight.”

Co-Feature:
Thursday’s 10-round co-feature will pit veteran junior welterweight Ashley “Treasure” Theophane (37-6-1, 11 KOs) against Mahonri “Rusito” Montes (29-4-1, 20 KOs). In his last fight, Theophane, who hails from Las Vegas, won a 10-round unanimous decision over Hector Zuniga, while Mexico’s Montes won an eight-round unanimous decision over previously undefeated Diego Cruz.

Upcoming Schedule:

Date

Time (ET)

Main Event

Location

Networks

Thurs, Apr 30

9 p.m.

Ishe Smith (26-7, 12 KOs) vs. Cecil McCalla (20-1, 7 KOs) —10 rounds, Jr. Middleweight

Palms Casino Hotel,

Las Vegas

ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN

Fri, May 8

9 p.m.

Amir Mansour (21-1, 16 KOs) vs. Joey Dawejko (14-3, 7 KOs)—10 rounds, Heavyweight

2300 Arena

Philadelphia, Pa.

ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN

Fri, May 15

9 p.m.

Reynaldo Ojeda (16-0, 9 KOs) vs. Monty Meza Clay (36-4, 22 KOs)

Connecticut Convention Center, Hartford, Conn.

ESPN2, ESPN Deportes+, WatchESPN

Fri, May 22

10 p.m.

Boxcino 2015 Finals

Andrey Fedosov (27-3, 22 KOs) vs. Donovan Dennis (12-1, 10 KOs)—10 rounds, Heavyweight

Brandon Adams (17-1, 12 KOs) vs. John Thompson (16-1, 5 KOs)—10 Rds. Jr. Middleweight

Omega Products Center, Corona, Calif.

ESPN2, ESPN Deportes, WatchESPN

*Schedule subject to change

ESPN Boxing Social Media and Digital Content:

· Follow ESPN Friday Night Fights’ Nigel Collins on Twitter @ESPNFNF or like ESPN Friday Night Fights on Facebook.

· Score the fights round-by-round with the “Live Friday Night Fights Facebook Voting App,” an application on the ESPN FNF Facebook page that allows viewers to score the fight round-by-round.

· Follow ESPN Deportes’ Noche de Combates on Twitter @ESPNBoxeo.

· For the latest ESPN.com boxing news and analysis follow @ESPNBoxing.

· For ESPN boxing digital content, visit the newly re-designed boxing section on ESPN.com (http://espn.go.com/boxing/).

ESPN “All in” from Las Vegas for Mayweather-Pacquiao
ESPN continues extensive week-long coverage from Las Vegas of Saturday’s 12-round welterweight unification title fight between undefeated five-division world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather (47-0, 26 KOs) and eight-division world champion Manny “Pac-Man” Pacquiao (57-5-2, 38 KOs).

Highlights:

· SportsCenter, First Take, SportsNation, ESPN Radio’s The Herd with Colin Cowherd, Sirius XM’s Stephen A. Smith Show, ESPN Radio LA710 Max & Marcellus in Las Vegas;
· Coverage from Las Vegas on ESPN Deportes’ news and information platforms, Semana de Campeones;
· “All-Access” specials;
· Special Thursday edition of ESPN Friday Night Fights, Noche de Combates;
· Pre- and post-fight analysis, stories on ESPN.com, ESPN Deportes.com, ESPN The Magazine.

Lara retains Super Welterweight crown with decision over Smith

Erislandy Lara retained the WBA Super Welterweight title with a 12 round unanimous decision over former IBF champ Ishe Smith at the Illusions Theater in San Antonio, Texas.

Although Smith looked to be the aggressor, he was able to pick off a lot of shots and land some solid left hands. Smith tried to force action on the ropes but he was mostly ineffective/ Lara was able to get his offense over the second half of the fight and had Smith in some trouble in round eleven. Smith had some swelling along the left side of his face in round five.

Lara, 154 lbs of Guantanamo, CUB won by scores of 119-109 twice and 117-111 and is now 20-2-2. Smith, 153 1/2 lbs of Las Vegas is now 26-7.

Lara landed 124 of 569 punches while Smith landed just 68 of 572.

“I’m an experienced fighter and I know how to read my opponent. I read Ishe in the first round and I set up my game plan,” said Lara. “His body work didn’t affect me. I trained hard with Jack [Edward Jackson] and Ronnie [Shields]. He tried to break my concentration with his cheap tactics and dances, but I know how to control myself. I can control my impulses and I don’t let anything get in the way.”

“I want Floyd for my next fight. He’s the best pound-for-pound, and I want to find the best. I already beat Canelo and everybody else in the division,” added Lara.

“I did what I had to do, we had a great camp and I went out there and let it hang,” said Smith after the fight. “You win some you lose some. That’s life. Floyd [Mayweather] told me to keep my head up and that he’s proud of me.”

Badou Jack scored a 6th round stoppage over Francisco Sierra in a scheduled 10-round Super Middleweight bout.

Sierra weight in a staggering 28 pounds more then he did just 24 hours prior at the weigh in

Jack was cut high on the forehead in round one from a headbutt at the same time Sierra was cut around the right eye. In round four, Jack turned up the head as he landed two crushing body shots that doubled over Sierra. he ate another right that had Sierra’s mouthpiece fly out.

In round six, Jack continued to land shots and a final right hand forced the bout to be stopped at 1:58 of round six.

Jack, 169 1/2 lbs of Stockholm, SWE is now 18-1-1 with 12 knockouts. Sierra, 172 1/2 lbs of Tepic, MX is now 26-8-1.

Jack landed 137-262. Sierra 43-271

“He was what I thought he’d be,” said the 31-year-old Jack. “It wasn’t a perfect fight for me. It’s good to be back but I was looking a bit too much for the knockout, I should have relaxed a bit and used my jab. I felt good, I felt strong out there.”

Sierra was frustrated after the stoppage, “I’m angry with the referee for stopping the fight. I wanted to continue but the referee stopped it.

Chris Pearson remained undefeated with a 10-round unanimous decision over Steven Martinez in a Jr. Middleweight bout.

It was a good back and forth fight early with Martinez landed a lot of power shots early. Martinez was cut in round three on his forehead from an apparent headbutt. Pearson started to take over in the second half of the contest as he worked behind a hard jab and mixed in his rights to both the head and the body on a tired Martinez.

Pearson, 155 3/4 lbs of Dayton, OH won by scores of 98-92 & 97-93 twice and is now 11-0. Martinez, 154 lbs of Bayamon, PR is now 15-2.

“I knew he was coming forward, but I had to be smart because I know he’s a good fighter. I wanted to be patient and be smart and use my skills,” said Pearson. “It’s not always going to be a knockout or exciting but it can be dominant and I thought I was dominant.”

LARA vs. SMITH MEDIA WORKOUT QUOTES

SAN ANTONIO (Dec. 10, 2014) – Six of the talented boxers who will fight Friday on SHOWTIME participated in an open media workout Wednesday at Champion Fit Gym ahead of what is expected to be an action-packed tripleheader.

In the main event of Friday’s SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION tripleheader live on SHOWTIME (10:15 ET/PT) from The Illusions Theater at The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, current WBA Super Welterweight Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (19-2-2, 12 KOs), of Houston, Texas, by way of Cuba, puts his title on the line against former IBF Junior Middleweight World Champion Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith (26-6, 12 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nev., in a 12-round title fight.

In a pair of 10-round co-features, once-beaten super middleweight contender Badou Jack “The Ripper” (17-1, 11 KOs), of Las Vegas, Nev., by way of Sweden, takes on upset-minded power-puncher Francisco “Panchito” Sierra (26-7-1, 23 KOs), of Tepic, Mexico, and promising undefeated junior middleweight rising star Chris “Young King” Pearson (11-0, 9 KOs), of Dayton, Ohio, will take on once-beaten Steve “Hitman” Martinez (15-1, 12 KOs), of Bronx, N.Y., in a bout that will open the telecast.

Tickets, priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, may be purchased by calling The Alamodome Box Office at 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com.

Below is what the fighters said at Wednesday’s workout:

ERISLANDY LARA

“People make excuses [for not wanting to fight me]. It has a lot to do with my style. I’m a crafty fighter but I can also punch. I look at it as excuses. Look at my record, look at all the styles I have fought. In 23 fights, there is not one guy in the sport who has fought all the guys that I have fought. I have fought [Carlos] Molina, Paul Williams, Alfredo Angulo, Canelo [Alvarez], [Austin] Trout. That’s six top 10 guys in 23 fights. Not even Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao have fought that type of opposition in 23 fights.

“Absolutely, I’m living the American dream. I am living a dream in general. To get good things in life, you have to go through hard times. Just like they say, hard times don’t last, tough people do, so I just keep marching forward.

“I have been working on making it absolutely clear there is no question of who won the fight [against Canelo]. As fights go on, you have to keep getting better and keep improving.

“You take an experience from every fight. I think there is no question I won over seven rounds of the fight [against Canelo]. If you want to give Canelo some of the rounds I wasn’t punching, that’s no problem, but you are not going to tell me I wasn’t punching and that he beat me in seven of the rounds. That’s crazy.

“I just want to fight the best. I want to fight Floyd Mayweather. I want to fight [Miguel] Cotto. If Canelo dares to do it again, I’ll beat him again. I’m not afraid of fighting anyone. I’ll fight the best. Look at my record, it speaks for itself.”

Ishe Smith

“This is a good opportunity being in San Antonio. This is my first time fighting here, but the fight fans are wonderful. I was here for Canelo vs. Trout and it was great. It’s just good to be here in San Antonio. Fighting in the main event, I’ve done it before and I’ve done it on the road. I won a title fighting Cornelius Bundrage in his hometown so its nothing I haven’t experienced before.

“Every fighter’s dream is to win a world championship. This is just another opportunity where I can cement my legacy in boxing when I’m gone. Obviously I can’t do this forever. I’m 36 now, its getting to that point but I’ve got many years left. I’m just excited to cement my legacy Friday.

“Lara had to do what he had to do in terms of making more money to fight Canelo. The opportunity was greater and he was on a bigger stage, so I understand that. Things happen for a reason and now we’re back here.

“We’ve prepared for the best possible Erislandy Lara on Friday. Whatever he brings to the table we’re ready for. He may shock everyone and want to stay there and fight. I’ve been hearing reports that he wants to be the first to knock me out so that means he has to fight. I’m excited about that. We’re just prepared for anything he may bring.
“Floyd brought me in when he was training for Cotto. He said boxing hadn’t been fair to me and that I deserve a title shot at least. He said, ‘I’m going to get you to the door. It’s up to you what you do when you get there.’ This is just another opportunity. He’s got me back to the door and I’m going to take advantage of it.

“Sometimes I have to pinch myself to realize I’m here. Every day I count my blessings and I don’t take it for granted that I’m still here and one of the few guys that made it out.

“On Friday, I’m going to win and as Al Davis says: ‘just win baby,’ that’s it. That’s the only thing I’m focused on. After I win I’m going to take a long vacation. These camps take a lot out of my body. I’m not 26, I’m more like 46…All I’m focused on is winning. That’s how I was going into the K9 fight. Everything was against me, we were in his backyard. All I told myself was ‘just win.’”

Badou Jack

“Camp went well; I had an injury before and its 95 percent good right now in my right hand. I had a good camp; I sparred with Ronald Gavril, Louis Arias, and a couple other guys.

“I won my last fight with one hand basically. I threw a couple of rights, but I couldn’t throw it with any power. I had a torn ligament in my right hand, but it’s healed and I feel good right now.

“I haven’t seen that much about him [Francisco Sierra], but I guess he’s about my height. He seems to have a good right hand.

“I’m confident I’m going to beat him.

“It’s a big opportunity to fight on SHOWTIME. A lot of people dream about this so I am very blessed and happy for that. I want to thank Floyd Mayweather and SHOWTIME for this. If everything goes well this fight, hopefully we get a big fight in May maybe, we’ll see.”

Francisco Sierra

“I spent the first part of training in Tepic, Nayarit and I trained the last two weeks in Guadalajara, Jalisco. Training camp has been very good. I’ve been doing very well. I’ve been training a lot, almost too much.

“I’ve fought on television many times and been to San Antonio a bunch of times. I like fighting in front of a large crowd.

“My biggest strength is my wicked punch. When I was a young kid my trainers got me up to 22 wins, 21 by knockout, and I’m just trying to keep impressing people.

“I know Badou Jack is a strong fighter but what we’ve got in common is that we’ve fought the same man, Marco Antonio Periban. I lost to him and Badou Jack didn’t win. We fought the same guy so we’re in the same category and Badou Jack’s going to have to fight. He’s going to have to give it.

“There’s a lot of Mexican blood up here in San Antonio and the Mexican people like boxing.
“It’s going to be a tough fight but I’m going to win.”

Chris Pearson

“It’s another opportunity God is giving me to put my skills and confidence on display so I’m thankful. Any time I get an opportunity I’m thankful. We put in a lot of work so we’re ready.

“I’m a boxer-puncher. I have a lot of amateur experience. I’ve been in with some tough guys and I’ve been able to beat some tough guys, so I feel like I’m proven. At this point I’m focused on Steve Martinez and on Friday night. The fans will see everything they need to see.

“Steve Martinez is just a solid guy. Not too much I’m looking out for. I know he comes to fight and I’m coming to fight, so we’ll see what happens.

“I fought in San Antonio in the amateurs. I won in the National Trials here so I’ve been here a few times…San Antonio has a lot of Hispanics here and Hispanics are some of the biggest boxing fans that support the sport. It’s going to be fun to have these guys at the Alamodome. I know the energy is going to be high.

“I’m focused on the fight right now. If I do what I need to do and take care of business and I’m sure 2015 will be a much bigger year, but I’ve got to take care of business Friday first.”

Steve Martinez

“To tell you the truth, for this training camp, I had tunnel vision. I have been focused on boxing, Chris Pearson, strength and conditioning, training, running and sparing. I have had tunnel vision preparing for this fight. The only thing I needed was a poster of him to wake up to see every morning. Everything else was blocked out.

“I watched his last fight and a couple of fights before that, but I wasn’t checking footage on him every day. A couple of times I checked him out to see what his defects are. I wasn’t doing that much studying, I let my trainer and my people around me do that.

“In his last fight there were times he got lazy, if he was to get lazy in there with me, it would be a different story. He should be on his toes and active 24/7. Every round, he must stay awake and active or else he will be baffled.

“I’m really humble, I know its SHOWTIME. I’m staying level headed. I’m not trying to be Mr. Big Shot and the star, I’m just trying to stay level. If anything bad happened [in this fight], I could rocket down. I’m staying level and staying humble. Coming out of the Bronx there are a lot of teens, kids, family members and neighbors that look up to me from my gym. It is a pleasure and an enjoyment. They know I’m working hard and I’m hungry. Coming out of the Bronx, it’s not a place where a lot of successful people come out of, so I am happy to show people that it is possible.

“My parents, friends, family and trainer know that this is a fight that I’ve been waiting for since I started boxing at 11-years-old. This is the fight I’ve been working more than half my life for to become a world champion. This is the first step to accomplishing my goals and dreams; my dream of becoming a world champion.”

# # #

“Lonestar Battle: Lara vs. Smith” is 12-round WBA Super Welterweight World Championship fight promoted by Mayweather Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra. The night of fights is a SHOWTIME BOXING: SPECIAL EDITION (10:15 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast) taking place at the Illusions Theater at The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas.

Tickets, priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, are on sale and may be purchased by calling The Alamodome Box Office at 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com

MAYWEATHER PROMOTIONS PRESENTS WBA SUPER WELTERWEIGHT TITLE FIGHT “LONESTAR BATTLE: ERISLANDY LARA VS. ISHE SMITH” FRIDAY, DEC. 12 LIVE ON SHOWTIME ®

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (Nov. 17, 2014) – Mayweather Promotions and SHOWTIME bring boxing fans a 154-pound world title showdown between WBA Super Welterweight Titlist Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara (19-2-2, 12 KOs) and former IBF Junior Middleweight World Champion Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith (26-6, 12 KOs) in the Friday, Dec. 12 installment of SHOWTIME BOXING Special Edition.

“Lonestar Battle: Lara vs. Smith” is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and will take place at the Illusions Theater at The Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, live on SHOWTIME (10:15 p.m. ET/PT, delayed on the West Coast).

Lara and Smith were originally scheduled to meet on Friday, May 2 in Las Vegas to kick-off Cinco de Mayo Weekend, but Lara withdrew from the fight to face Canelo Alvarez on July 12 on SHOWTIME PPV®. In a tightly contested fight, Lara dropped a close 12-round split decision to Canelo. Now, Lara is looking to reassert himself as one of the top 154-pound fighters in the world while Smith is looking to reclaim his piece of the world championship.

Also on the card is once-beaten super middleweight contender Badou Jack (17-1, 11 KOs) who will face Samuel Clarkson of Cedar Hill, Texas (12-3, 7 KOs) as he looks to climb back as a top contender in the 168-pound division. Additionally, promising undefeated junior middleweight and Mayweather Promotions rising star Chris “Sweet” Pearson (11-0, 9 KOs) of Dayton, Ohio, who will take on once-beaten Steve “Hitman” Martinez (15-1, 12 KOs), of Bronx, N.Y., in the 10-round co-feature. The matchup showcases two power-punchers who have combined to knock out 13 of their last 16 opponents.

Tickets, priced at $100, $75, $50 and $25, go on sale tomorrow, Tuesday Nov.18 at noon CT and may be purchased by calling The Alamodome Box Office at 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available online at www.ticketmaster.com.

“This is a fight I wanted and I’m happy that it’s finally going to happen,” said Lara. “We’ve had words in the past but now it’s time to see who the better fighter is. I’m the champion and Ishe Smith is going to realize that I’m on another level once he steps in the ring with me. I have a great team behind me and you’re going to see the best junior middleweight in the world in the ring on Dec. 12. Make no mistakes about it I’m coming to dominate.

“This is a fight I needed, the fight I wanted to secure my legacy in the sport of boxing,” said Smith. “There’s a chink in Lara’s armor, I’m fully ready to expose it on Dec. 12. I’ve always played the underdog role. I love when people count me out. I will become a two-time champion, crowned a champion again for the greatest city in the world Las Vegas.”

“I’m thankful for another opportunity to showcase my talents,” said Pearson. “I believe success is when opportunity meets preparation and I’m prepared. I will allow my performance to tell the rest of the story.”

“I am grateful for the opportunity to fight on SHOWTIME,” said Martinez. “Chris Pearson is a great prospect and my dream was always to fight the best in my division. This is the second go around for this fight. My respect to Mayweather Promotions who kept their word and put this fight together again.”

“I’m very excited to get back in action,” said Jack. “I’m ready to put on a fan-friendly fight in a great fight town.”

Slick southpaw Lara, 31, graduated from the renowned Cuban Amateur Boxing Program and migrated to the U.S. to pursue a professional boxing career. As a young contender, he suffered a controversial loss against Paul Williams. Since then he has established himself as one of the sport’s most prominent fighters highlighted by a TKO of Alfredo Angulo and a 12-round unanimous decision over Austin Trout on Dec. 7, 2013 which earned him the WBA Super Welterweight World Championship.

After a long career that saw him go from the world of reality television as a star on “The Contender” to competing at the top level at 154 and 160 pounds, Ishe Smith, 36, finally put it all together in 2010, beginning a four-fight winning streak that culminated in a decision win over Cornelius Bundrage for the IBF Junior Middleweight Title on Feb. 23, 2013, becoming the first native Las Vegan to ever win a world title. He subsequently lost his title on September 14, 2013 by a close split decision to the always-tough Carlos Molina. Coming off of a second-round knockout over Ryan Davis on May 2 of this year, Smith will attempt to win his second world championship in a span of less than two years.

The 31-year-old Jack was undefeated and on the verge of a world title shot before getting caught with a punch in the first round against Derek Edwards this past Feb. 28. The hard-hitting Jack, of Las Vegas by way of Stockholm, Sweden, rebounded in his next bout with a 10-round unanimous decision victory over Jason Escalera on Aug. 30. Jack is looking for another win on Dec. 12 to climb back into contention for a world title at 168 pounds as he faces Texas’ Clarkson.

Pearson, 24, compiled an outstanding record of 96-8 in the amateurs and was a 2011 U.S. National Champion at 165 pounds. A natural right-hander who fights left-handed, Pearson went 3-0 in the World Series of Fighting matches. Two of the victories were noteworthy, as they came against Olympic Games medalists (2008 gold medalist Bakhyt Sarsekbayen and 2012 bronze medalist Yamaguchi Florentino). Due to an injury, Pearson will be fighting for the first time since February, when he won a close eight-round split decision over Lanardo Tyner on ShoBox: The New Generation. Pearson, despite going down in the sixth, won the toughest test of his career by the scores of 78-73 twice and 75-76. Prior to that fight, Pearson registered a 1:44, first-round knockout over Acacio Ferreira on Dec. 6, 2013 also on ShoBox.

Martinez, 24, promoted by Star of David and Square Ring, was also an accomplished amateur, going 103-17 while winning three New York Golden Glove titles as well as a National Golden Glove title. A pro since Aug. 2009, Martinez will be seeking to establish himself as a legitimate prospect with the first significant victory of his career. Martinez is a poised fighter with a good punch. He went 11-0 at the outset of his career before suffering his lone setback on an eight-round split decision to lefty Dennis Douglin in Jan. 2012. He has gone 4-0 with three knockouts since, including a fifth-round TKO over Antonio Fernandez in his most recent start last May 15. This will be the third fight of the year for Martinez, who is making his SHOWTIME debut.

For more information, visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com and follow on Twitter with @mayweatherpromo, @ShoSports, @LaraBoxing, @IsheSugarShay, @_ChrisPearson or @BadouJack. Become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromo and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing or visit the SHOWTIME Boxing Blog at theboxingblog.sho.com. Also, follow the conversation using #Lonestarbattle.

Smith destroys Davis in 2

Former world champion Ishe Smith took out replacement Ryan Davis in round 2 of their scheduled 10-round Jr. Middleweight bout at The Joint at the Hard Rock in Las Vegas.

Smith was all over Davis in the 1st round as he pounded him to the body and head. After more pounding, Smith landed a crushing right that was followed up by a left hook that sent Davis to the canvas and Davis was counted out by referee Jay Nady at 2:59 of round 2.

Smith, 154 lbs of Las Vegas was originally supposed to take on Erislandy Lara before Lara got a lucrative offer to fight Canelo Alvarez. Smith is now 26-6 with 12 knockouts. Davis, 153.4 lbs of Granite Hills, IL is now 24-14-3.

Mickey Bey scored a 10-round unanimous decision over Alan Herrera in a Lightweight bout.

Bey was dominant by using his speed and landed some solid left hooks over the first 6-plus rounds. Towards the end of round seven, Herrera clipped Bey on the chin with a left uppercut and deposited Bey on the canvas. Bey came back in round eight to land a big right hand on the ropes. They both landed hard rights in the ninth.

Bey, 133 lbs of Las Vegas won by scores of 98-92 twice and 97-92 and is now 20-1-1. Herrera, 135 lbs of Mazatlan. MX is now 32-6.

Jesus Cuellar retained the WBA Interim Featherwight title with a 12-round unanimous decision over former Super Bantamweight champion Rico Ramos.

Cuellar dropped Ramos from a straight left in the 1st-round and Ramos was clearly hurt. Ramos came back and fought well in spots but Cuellar was more aggressive and effective with the exception of being docked a point in round eight for hitting behind the head.

Cuellar, 125 lbs of Buenos Aires, ARG won by scores of 117-109, 116-110 and 114-113 and is now 24-1. Ramos, 125.2 lbs of Los Angeles, CA is now 23-4.

ISHE SMITH VS. RYAN DAVIS FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

ISHE SMITH, Former IBF Junior Middleweight World Champion

“The focus right now is on Ryan Davis. We’ve had a tremendous camp and I just want to thank everyone who has helped me get back into shape.

“I’m very focused on the task at hand and I assured Leonard [Ellerbe] last year that I’d be back on this stage.

“We had a great year last year, but it didn’t end where I wanted it to. I know it’s on me to get there.

“All these other guys here in the Mayweather Camp have helped push me to this point and I’m looking forward to moving ahead.

RYAN DAVIS, Super Welterweight Contender

“This is a big event for me, I’m excited to be part of a big fight week here in Vegas.

“Ishe is a great professional fighter and I’m very excited to fight him.”

MICKEY BEY, Lightweight Contender

“I’m glad that I’m with the right team to bring my skills to the forefront. I know I have a tough opponent but I’m looking to be great.

“I’m looking for a world title fight and this is my road to get there. Make sure you’re there for a good show. If you can’t make it, DVR it because you’ll want to see it again and again.”

ALAN HERRERA, Lightweight Contender

“I’m thankful for this opportunity and I’m very well prepared for this fight.

“I’m going to leave everything in the ring.”

JESUS CUELLAR, WBA Interim Featherweight World Champion

“I’m here to give a good show on Friday.

“I’m looking forward to Friday and that night you’re going to see a champion from Argentina.”

RICO RAMOS, Featherweight Contender

“May 2nd we have a game plan and Jesus is a talented strong fighter but we’re going to stick to our game plan and come out with this victory.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“We have a terrific show on Friday at The Joint at the Hard Rock Hotel and Casino. It is a great card from top to bottom.

“I’d like to thank everyone for promoting this great weekend. We work on giving you the best fights and this card will lead into the great event on Saturday.”

# # #

Smith vs. Davis, a 10-round super welterweight bout, is presented by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and is sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts and GoldenRam. The Joint doors will open at 3:00 p.m. and the first fight begins at 3:15 p.m. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

Tickets, priced at $95, $65, $35 and $25, not including applicable service charges and taxes, are on sale now and available for purchase by visiting The Joint box office, calling 800.745.3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com or www.FOXSports.com/FoxSports1, become a follower on Twitter at www.twitter.com/MayweatherPromo, www.twitter.com/GoldenBoyBoxing, @ishesugarshay, @mickeybeytmt, @JesusCuellarBOX and visit on Facebook at www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions.com and www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing.

FULL UNDERCARD ANNOUNCED FOR THIS FRIDAY’S ISHE SMITH VS. RYAN DAVIS FIGHT CARD FROM THE JOINT AT HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO IN LAS VEGAS

LAS VEGAS (April 29 2014) – The state of Ohio will be well-represented on Friday, May 2, when Cincinnati’s Rau’shee Warren, Jamel Herring and Javonte Clark, Toledo’s Robert Easter Jr. and Cleveland’s Raynell Williams make the trip to Sin City to The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas as undercard bouts leading up to an exciting tripleheader featuring some of boxing’s best.

In the 10 round super welterweight main event, former World Champion Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith faces tough Illinois contender Ryan “Dangerous” Davis. Also in action on FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes will be rising lightweight star Mickey “The Spirit” Bey who will meet hard-hitting Mexican veteran Alan “Explosivo” Herrera in a 10-round matchup and in the televised opener, Argentina’s Jesus Cuellar squares off with former World Champion Rico Ramos in a 12-round bout for Cuellar’s WBA Interim Featherweight World Title.

Three-time United States Olympian Rau’shee Warren (10-0, 3 KOs) has been dazzling in his professional career, using speed, technique and ring savvy to leave his opponents unable to mount any offense against him. After five consecutive shutout wins, the 27-year-old bantamweight will engage in his first 10-round bout on May 2 when he faces Durango, Mexico’s Martin Alvarado (7-2, 6 KOs), a hard-hitting competitor eager to score the upset win.

Owner of four first-round knockouts, Robert Easter Jr. (9-0, 8 KOs) showed off his ability to go the distance in his last fight on January 25 when he shut out veteran contender Daniel Attah over eight rounds. The 23-year-old will return to Las Vegas on May 2 in an eight-round lightweight bout against Carlos Cardenas (20-7-1 13 KOs)of Barinas, Venezuela.

In an eight-round lightweight matchup, Warren’s 2012 Olympic teammate Jamel Herring (7-0, 4 KOs) returns to action for his second bout of 2014 when he meets Peten, Guatemala native Rogelio Cazarez (6-1, 3 KOs). The 28-year-old Herring is coming off of back-to-back victories over Lance Williams and Antonio Sanchez and he expects to add another win to his record against the 23-year-old Cazarez, who is riding a four-fight winning streak.
Rounding out this stellar card will be two four-round bouts will be Cleveland lightweight Raynell Williams (3-0, 3 KOs) faces Joshua Arocho (3-8-4, 2 KOs) of Vineland, New Jersey and Cincinnati welterweight Javonte Clark (1-0, 1 KO) takes on Mexicali’s Miguel Rico (2-5-1).

RYAN DAVIS STEPS IN TO FACE FORMER WORLD CHAMPION ISHE SMITH ON GOLDEN BOY LIVE! SERIES MAIN EVENT ON FOX SPORTS 1 AND FOX DEPORTES ON FRIDAY, MAY 2 AT HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO

LAS VEGAS (April 24, 2014) – Former World Champion Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith will now face tough Illinois contender Ryan “Dangerous” Davis on Friday, May 2 at The Joint at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas. He will replace WBA Super Welterweight Champion Erislandy “The American Dream” Lara after he pulled out from the fight to face Canelo Alvarez on July 12.

Also in previously announced bouts on the May 2 FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes’ broadcast will be rising lightweight star Mickey “The Spirit” Bey, who will meet hard-hitting Mexican veteran Alan “Explosivo” Herrera in a 10-round matchup and in the televised opener, Argentina’s Jesus Cuellar squares off with former World Champion Rico Ramos in a 12-round bout for Cuellar’s WBA Interim Featherweight World Title.

Ishe “Sugar Shay,” (25-6, 11 KOs), whose February 2013 win over Cornelius “K9” Bundrage for the IBF Super Welterweight title was one of the most inspirational boxing stories of the year. Smith made his fans at home and around the globe proud as he became the first Las Vegas native to win a world championship. Smith lost his belt to Carlos Molina in a controversial split decision last September. On May 2, the 35-year-old is back on the ring against Ryan Davis and a step closer to another title shot.

East Saint Louis, Illinois’ Ryan “Dangerous” Davis (24-13-3, 9 KOs) is a 15-year professional and a fearless competitor who will fight anyone at anytime, earning him the respect of fans and his peers. A rugged brawler who has been in the ring with Zab “Super” Judah, Vanes “Nightmare” Martirosyan, David “The Destroyer” Lopez and solid undefeated star Mikael Zewski, the 35-year-old Davis is well aware that with a win over Smith on May 2, he will put himself back in position to make a run up the super welterweight ladder.

Smith vs. Davis, a 10-round super welterweight bout, is presented by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and is sponsored by Corona and O’Reilly Auto Parts. The FOX Sports 1 and FOX Deportes broadcast airs live at 10:00 p.m. ET/7:00 p.m. PT.

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

Ashley Theophane: The Long journey to the Top

It is week three in Las Vegas and the work load is increasing week by week. My team truly do work hard.
My friend Ishe Smith is already the first and only Las Vegas born fighter to win a world championship. On May 2nd he aims to win his second world title. I believe he will!

I’ve come a long way. From York Hall in Bethnal Green to the MGM Hotel and Casino in Las Vegas. Who says dreams don’t come true? I’ve fought on the biggest stage in the world of boxing.

I push myself day in day out to get the best out of my body. I’m a fighter, a spartan, a barbarian in the ring. That’s my job. To fight, to give my best and to win. But to reach for the stars and be one myself. It would not be possible without guidance from three great men. I’m able to be here because of a great team around me. Floyd Mayweather, Leonard Ellerbe and Rene Carayol.

Rene Carayol walked into my life three years ago. A chance meeting at Andy’s barber shop in Paddington, West London. Rene came to my British title challenge to the dominate British champion Lenny Daws to support me and see if I was as good as my barber, Andy believed I was. I crushed Lenny, dropping him twice in a unanimous decision that ripped the British crown from him and bestowed the crown on my head. I was now the King of the 140lb division in Great Britain. Only Amir Khan has achieved more than me in the British 140lb division, in recent years. I believe we will fight one day. It’s just a matter of when.

Rene saw the talent and charisma I had. He believed I had all the attributes to become a star. He backed me and gave me the resources to set up shop in Las Vegas. I met the number one boxer and highest paid sportsman in the world, Floyd Mayweather and CEO of Mayweather promotions, Leonard Ellerbe, they also believed I had the attributes to become something special. They respected my attitude and the hard working person I am. They have also backed me.
I have three men who have achieved so much in the world of business and sport. I am in safe hands. With a team with so much experience. I can not fail.

I’m closing in on my 35th win. I’m just a couple wins away from a landmark battle with Lamont Peterson or a rematch with the number one 140lb fighter in the world, Danny Garcia. We thought four years ago. Many boxing fans believe I won. The only people who really matter are the three judges sitting around the ring. Two of the three judges believed he won by one round. It was that close. Nothing in it. We will battle again. This time the world will be watching.

A success attitude…? A mindset, a lifestyle, a journey..but NEVER a destination
Too many people see one or two goals as capable of completing their lives. Well, no, in my opinion – as when you factor in the twists and turns of what can be a long hard life road then ALL you can have is the right mentality to see you through – Brian James

WBA SUPER WELTERWEIGHT WORLD CHAMPION ERISLANDY LARA TO DEFEND TITLE AGAINST FORMER WORLD CHAMPION ISHE SMITH IN THE MAIN EVENT OF MAY FOX SPORTS 1 AND FOX DEPORTES TRIPLEHEADER FROM HARD ROCK HOTEL & CASINO JUST ONE DAY BEFORE “THE MOMENT: FLOYD MAYWEATHER VS. MARCOS MAIDANA”

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

Plus, rising lightweight star Mickey “The Spirit” Bey Jr. will meet hard-hitting Mexican veteran Alan “Explosivo” Herrera in a 10-round matchup and in the televised opener, Argentina’s Jesus Cuellar squares off with former World Champion Rico Ramos in a 12-round bout for Cuellar’s WBA Interim Featherweight World Title.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Mayweather wins big according to everybody but one judge

LAS VEGAS – Floyd Mayweather Jr. did the expected. One judge didn’t.

It was brilliant. It was bizarre. It was boxing all over again.

Mayweather didn’t have to explain himself for fulfilling the promises he made in dancing around and all over Canelo Alvarez Saturday night at the MGM Grand. It was called The One. For once, the promoters got it right. Two great fighters didn’t show up. Only Mayweather did in a one sided-display of brilliance that further embellished his undisputed claim on being the best of his generation.

Canelo never had a chance. Not one.

Still, a judge gave him one. C.J. Ross scored it 114-114. Maybe, nobody should be surprised. Ross was also one of two judges who scored it for Timothy Bradley in the controversial split-decision over Manny Pacquiao on Dec. 8.

When Ross’ score was announced, there were gasps from a capacity crowd that was dominated by Canelo fans from Mexico. They also had seen what everybody other than Ross had witnessed.

Two other scorecards ensured that Mayweather had a victory by majority decision. On judge Craig Metcalfe’s card, it was 117-111. Dave Moretti scored it 116-112. On the 15 Rounds card, Mayweather scored a shutout. Outgunned and out-classed, Canelo didn’t win a round on this card.

“I can’t control the judges,’’ Mayweather (45-0, 26 KOs) said after moving in and out while landing punches with sniper-like speed and accuracy.

It was the right answer from Mayweather, who collected a record-setting guarantee of $41.5 million. Still, it didn’t explain Ross’ score. There had been plenty of talk before opening bell about a rematch. A buzz for the junior-middleweight fight was in the air for days. Money was being made. A pay-per-view record for the Showtime telecast was a real possibility. At the MGM Grand’s sports book, one of the popular bets was a draw. Odds on a draw were 10-1 on Thursday and Friday. Early Saturday, they had dropped to 8-1.

Mayweather’s dominance of the fight might have eliminated any appetite for a rematch, despite what Ross’ score might say.

Canelo (42-1-1, 30 KOs) entered the ring 13 pounds heavier than the 152 pounds he recorded at Friday’s weigh-in. He was bigger and looked it, especially in the upper body. The 165-pound Canelo out-weighed Mayweather by about 15 pounds. But that was no advantage for the young Mexican. It only meant he was a bigger target for Mayweather. A stationary one, too.

“I couldn’t connect,’’ said Canelo, who could wind up with a career-high $12 million once he gets his undisclosed share of the television money. “He was just too elusive, too smart and too experienced.’’

Canelo did not dispute the loss. He said he knew he had been beaten.

It’s strange that C.J Ross didn’t.

Danny Garcia said it was his job to take away Lucas Matthysse’s power.

Mission accomplished.

Garcia (27-0, 16 KOs) employed patience and smarts to nullify that proven power for a unanimous decision over Matthysse (34-3, 32 KOs).

Matthysse was the early aggressor. The junior-welterweight dictated the pace as he stalked Garcia, who retained the 140-pound title.

In moving forward, however, Matthysse stepped into a trap set brilliantly by Garcia. First, Matthysse walked into body shots. Then, there were repeated right hands. Not long after a head butt in the fifth round, an ugly mouse appeared below Matthysse’s right eye. It wasn’t clear whether the butt caused the bruise. From the seventh through the 11th rounds, swelling began to close the eye as he continued forward and straight into Garcia’s right.

In the 11th, Matthysse knocked out Garcia’s mouth piece with a right hand. But Garcia still took the round, knocking down Matthysse with a sucession of puches along the ropes.In the 12th, Garcia was penalized a point for a low blow,

By then, however, it wasn’t enough to take the victory away from the Philadelphia fighter.

There was only one way to score the Ishe Smith-Carlos Molina fight: Dull and duller. Molina (22-5-2, 6 KOs) won it, scoring a split decision and taking the International Boxing Federation’s version of the junior-middleweight title from Smith (25-6, 11 KOs). But there weren’t many cheers or boos about the scoring. There were only yawns for zero action in a fight that went to Molina, who prevailed with some aggression in the early rounds.

Mexican welterweight Pablo Cesar Cano (27-3-1, 20 KOs) bloodied Ashley Theopane’s nose, rocked him with a left in the third, nearly knocked him down with a right in the fifth and backed him up for eight of the 10 rounds, yet had to wait and wonder whether he won the first televised fight. Cano did, scoring a split decision. But he didn’t do enough to convince judge Richard Ocasio, whose score was the first announced on a curious card that favored Theopane (33-6-1, 10 KOs), a Mayweather-promoted fighter.

Luis Arias (7-0, 3 KOs), a super-middleweight from Milwaukee, wore Packer green-and-gold into the ring. Then, he made James Winchester (16-9, 6 KOs) of Reidsville, N.C., look like the Jacksonville Jaguars. Arias scored a shutout, winning every round in a six-round unanimous decision in the final bout before the pay-per-view telecast began. Arias was the fourth Mayweather fighter to win.

Ronald Gavril (7-0, 5 KOs) , a super-middleweight from Romania, made it 3-0 through the card’s first three fights for Mayweather Promotions with a unanimous decision over Shujaa El Amin (12-5, 6 KOs) of Flint, Mich. Gavril suffered a bloody nose early in the bout, but he was the busier fighter throughout the eight-round bout.

Chris Pearson, a Mayweather-promoted middleweight from Dayton, followed Bellows’ first-round TKO with an even quicker stoppage. In the opening seconds, Pearson (12-0, 9 KOs) threw a jab that landed like a baseball bat, leaving Joshua Williams (9-6, 5 KOs) of Westerly, R.I. with a badly bloodied nose. About a minute later, it was over. Referee Russell Mora ended it at 1:14 of the opening round.

Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s promotional company got things started with a victory.

“Easy Money,’’ was the chant from one of the few fans seated Saturday in a chilly, empty Grand Garden Arena two-and-a-half hours before Showtime’s pay-per-view telecast was scheduled to begin for the card featuring Mayweather-Canelo Alvarez at the MGM Grand.

Lanell Bellows (6-0-1, 5 KOs), a Mayweather-promoted super-middleweight, made it easy with a first-round TKO of Jordan Moore (3-1) of Logan, W.V.

Bellows put Moore onto his knees with a paralyzing body shot, a right-handed hook, 2:30 after opening bell.

The One: Mayweather v Canelo Alvarez Live on BoxNation late Saturday night

It’s the biggest fight night in recent memory as Floyd “Money” Mayweather puts his 44-0 record on the line against WBC and WBA Super World Light-Middleweight Champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Before this superfight, Danny Garcia is out to silence his critics and defend his WBC and WBA Super World Light-Welterweight titles against the powerhouse Argentine Lucas Matthysse, while Ishe Smith defends his IBF World Light-Middleweight title against Carlos Molina. Londoner Ashley Theophane provides the British interest as he faces Pablo Cesar Cano over 10 rounds on a thrilling night of live action on BoxNation!

Join us late on Saturday night (1.30am Sunday) for a truly huge night of boxing LIVE from the MGM Grand Arena, Las Vegas.

WATCH THE WEIGH-IN LIVE ON BOXNATION.COM

Website to stream weigh-in free from 10pm to midnight tonight

Tonight at 10pm on the www.boxnation.com website, we’re streaming the weigh-in LIVE as 44-0 Floyd Mayweather and 42-0 Saul “Canelo” Alvarez face off for one final time before the talking stops and the fight of the year begins!

Join us from 10pm tonight to catch the weigh-in before the main event on Saturday night!

WATCH THE OFFICIAL BOXNATION FIGHT PROMO NOW

VIDEO: ISHE SMITH

DANNY GARCIA vs. LUCAS MATTHYSSE & UNDERCARD FINAL PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES TWO DAYS BEFORE “THE ONE: MAYWEATHER vs. CANELO”

LAS VEGAS, NEV. (Sept. 12, 2013) – Unified WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine Light Welterweight Champion Danny “Swift” Garcia and current WBC Inter-Continental Light Welterweight Champion Lucas “The Machine” Matthysse proved that there is more than one main event scheduled at MGM Grand in Las Vegas this Saturday night. The bout headlines one of the strongest undercards in boxing history and precedes the highly anticipated matchup between Floyd “Money” Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez.
Also featured on the undercard are Ishe Smith vs. Carlos Molina in a 12-Round battle for the IBF Junior Middleweight Title, and Pablo Cesar Cano vs. Ashley Theophane in a 10-Round Welterweight battle.

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

DANNY GARCIA, Unified Super Lightweight World Champion
“I had a great camp. I trained very hard. I’m prepared for this fight. Come Saturday night I’m going to put on another epic performance.

“I’m starting to feel like a young veteran.

“I’ve been counted out a lot of times, but always find a way to win.”

LUCAS MATTHYSSE, WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion
“Yes, I do believe I should be the favorite. I’ve been coming and getting those very important wins. Come Saturday I know I’m going to come out with the victory.

“I am very well prepared and I want to thank everybody. We are ready to go.”

ISHE SMITH, IBF Junior Middleweight World Champion
“Pray for Oscar De La Hoya and that he gets through this and comes back healthy. Oscar was a great champion and has done a lot for this sport, so please pray for him.

“Carlos is a good fighter and I’m just happy to represent Las Vegas on this big stage and put together a good fight and go out here and execute the game plan.

“To be here today, sometimes I have to step outside my body. I’m just happy to be living life and sharing my testimony with people. I’m excited about this fight.”

CARLOS MOLINA, Top Junior Middleweight Contender
“I’m ready to go. I just want to fight, I wish the fight was right now. I’m in top shape. I want to go out there and prove that I’m the best 154-pounder in the world, no matter who it is. I’m ready.

“Let’s bring up Lucas with a big applause, this Saturday he will become the next World Champion.”

PABLO CESAR CANO, Top Welterweight Contender
“I don’t like to talk, like my opponent. I like to talk with my fists. Saturday night, I’m going to talk with my fists. We’re going to put Mexico in the No. 1 spot, from top to bottom.”

ASHLEY THEOPHANE, Former British Junior Welterweight
“I want to thank the whole Mayweather staff, Floyd and Leonard for giving me this big opportunity. Working with Mayweather Promotions has been amazing. I’m from London, so I’m representing the U.K. in this big event.

“I’ve got Cano here and he’s a very good fighter. But when you look at his record and you look at mine, who has he beaten? He hasn’t beaten anybody. I can guarantee that a lot of the boxing experts and writers here don’t know the guys he’s knocked out. It’s all good to have 20 knockouts and 26 wins, but if you’re knocking out nobodies then it doesn’t mean anything.”

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions
“As it relates to live-gate, we have a new gate record. The official number now is $20,300,150. So we broke the $20 million mark.

“This is an event within the event. Danny Garcia and Lucas Matthysse is a main event anywhere, it could be its own PPV. Clearly one of the most anticipated fights in the sport of boxing. I want to give a big thank you to Floyd Mayweather for giving his ‘OK’ to have this amazing showdown on this card. This is without any question the best one-two punch in boxing PPV.

“This is not just a co-main event; it really is top-to-bottom an absolutely fantastic card.

“We are hitting this one out of the park. This PPV is tracking and it’s tracking well, very well. We couldn’t have done it without SHOWTIME PPV, they really have stepped up. What they have done with the SHOWTIME and CBS platforms is unheard of.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions
“This card, from top to bottom, is the best card that I’ve personally seen in a number of years. The co-main event with Garcia and Matthysse, that’s a main event within itself. It’s going to be a tremendous fight.

“Ashley did it the old-fashioned way. He paid his way to Las Vegas and said he was going to make a name for himself, make his way into Mayweather Promotions.

“He came to our gym and had been training in our gym for about a month or two. Then Ashley asked to box Floyd. From there, the rest is history. He’s 33-5 with 10 knockouts.”

STEPHEN ESPINOZA, EVP SHOWTIME Sports
“This year has been the strongest programming lineup, the best and biggest fights, and the strongest year for SHOWTIME Sports in a long, long time. It’s been a perfect lead up for this event. For boxing fans, this is Christmas in September, there’s no other way to look at this. And I can’t wait to open the presents at 6 p.m. PT on Saturday.

“This is not an undercard. Regardless of what you’ve heard or seen, this is not an undercard. Danny Garcia has headlined two SHOWTIME cards, Lucas Matthysse has headlined three SHOWTIME cards, Ishe Smith headlined a card for us in February and Pablo Cesar Cano was the co-feature last October in Barclays.

“The bottom line is this event has four main event fights. This is an event where everyone should be in their seats or in front of their TVs by 6 p.m., because all four fights will promise fireworks.”

KEITH KEISER, Nevada State Athletic Commissioner
“We are very happy to be here on Mexican Independence Day weekend at the MGM for this huge fight card on Saturday night.

“We’re very pleased to have this many great athletes up on the stage and in the ring at one time is quite impressive; more impressive than I even thought possible.”

BERNARD HOPKINS, President of Golden Boy East
“I’ve been involved in a lot of big fights, but this is huge. To see an undercard that could just as well be a main event anywhere in the world, it just makes it even better. You get a chance to see boxing at its best.

“Enjoy, because you never know when you might see great fights like this. They only come around every so many years. Thanks for representing that boxing is still alive.”

ANGEL GARCIA, Danny Garcia’s father and trainer
“People still underestimate the champ of the world.

“People still don’t give the Americans props.

“Danny had to earn his, he had to fight for his. I told him that since he was a young kid, nobody will ever give you anything.

“Danny knows how to win. Saturday night, I swear to you, I will not be back-washing my words. If I am, I will cut my head off. I’ll cut my head off, because blood is thicker than anything.”

ABOUT “THE ONE: MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO”:
“THE ONE: MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO,” a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight World Championships and Mayweather’s WBA Super Welterweight Super World Championship taking place Saturday, Sept. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Valvoline, Mexico Tourism, Fred Loya Insurance and Nature Nutrition. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, WBC, WBA Super and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia and thunderous puncher WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion Lucas Matthysse square off in a fight presented in association with Swift Promotions and Arano Box Promotions. Also, Ishe Smith vs. Carlos Molina square off in a 12-round battle for Smith’s IBF Junior Middleweight World Title which is promoted in association with Warriors Boxing. The opening bout on SHOWTIME PPV features a 10-round welterweight showdown between Pablo Cesar Cano and Ashley Theophane. The mega-event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP).

Less than 24 hours after going on sale in June, the event was sold out, but six MGM Resorts properties will host live closed circuit telecasts of “THE ONE.” Properties showcasing the event include ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York. General admission tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $100, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and also are available for purchase by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Closed circuit ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com. “THE ONE” will also be broadcast on nearly 550 select movie theaters across the country. Tickets are available at participating theater box offices and online at www.FathomEvents.com.

Carlos Molina Trainer Says Molina Going to ‘Beat up’ and ‘Knock Out’ Ishe Smith This Saturday at MGM Grand in Las Vegas

Victor Mateo, trainer of upcoming world title challenger, “King” Carlos Molina says Team Molina has their fighter in the shape of his life and ready to beat up and possibly knock out Ishe Smith this Saturday.

Molina (21-5-2, 6 KOs) will face defending champion and Las Vegas resident Smith (25-5 11 KOs) for the IBF Light Middleweight Championship this Saturday, September 14, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. The pair will meet on the pay-per-view televised undercard of the 12-round Floyd “Money” Mayweather vs. Saul “Canelo” Alvarez fight for Canelo’s WBC and WBA Super Welterweight World Championships and Mayweather’s WBA Super Welterweight Super World Championship.

“He’s really strong,” said Mateo of his Chicago-based junior middleweight, Molina. “I never felt this power in him before or seen the look that he has in his eyes. Not too many fighters have this look: the ‘I’m going to kill you’ look. He’s got it. I haven’t seen that look in a fighter in a long time, since Roberto Duran. He’s in the best shape of his life. You’re going to see the best Carlos Molina the world has ever seen on Saturday.”

In preparation for the big fight, Team Molina (consisting of Trainer Mateo, original trainer Lou Askenette, cornerman Harrison “Hammer” Funmaker, and Strength and Conditioning Coach Freddy Cuevas), have been putting in double their usual amount of work at Oakley Fight Club in Chicago.

“It’s been a long training camp. The fight was postponed once before, so we were careful not to burn him out. It went very well. We’re working more on his balance and more a lot of technical stuff. But as far as training we’re just doing more of what we always do.”

Mateo says an unusual series of coincidences brought him and Molina together about seven years ago.

I always say God gave me this direction. I was an amateur boxer, but I gave it up due to a shoulder injury. Years later, my brother Louie suggested I start working with kids at the local gym. I started with this one kid and within six months, he won the junior Olympics and all kids of other tournaments. That’s when I realized I had a talent. From there, I started getting more people and getting good things out of them, even kids they never thought would go anywhere. I was working with another kid, a featherweight who was undefeated. He was getting ready for one of the fights and all of a sudden, I see this guy I’d never seen before standing there. It was Carlos. He asked me if we needed a sparring partner? I said yeah, put your gear on. After the sparring session, the heavyweight Fres Oquendo was ready to go in the ring and Carlos wanted to go spar with Fres! I couldn’t believe it. He would get in with anybody. The following day, Carlos came back to the gym and asked me if I’d work with him. We’ve been together ever since. And a few times since then, I have put him in with heavyweights and he was tearing them up.”

Mateo says he feels blessed to be part of such a big event and is glad he saw what he saw in the raw version of Molina that day.

“People used to tell me all the time that Carlos isn’t going to go anywhere and ask me why was I wasting my time? But I saw something special in him. He was a hard worker. He needed a little more polishing, but he was able to learn and absorb everything. I always felt like he would be champion one day.”

Despite opponent Smith’s contention that the fight will be an easy win for him, Mateo says he’s expecting a big night for his fighter.

“Smith is a strong guy. He likes to throw the double and triple jabs and right hand and likes to counter with the hook a lot. He’s a well-conditioned fighter. It’s not going to be easy, but I guarantee we’re going to win. I see Carlos beating him up and hurting him with pressure, possibly knocking him out.”
ABOUT WARRIORS BOXING

Launched in 2003, Warriors Boxing operates under a simple philosophy-bring the best boxers in the world to fight fans, match them in competitive bouts, and in doing so help re-establish the sport of boxing for a new generation.

With a series of successful Pay-Per-View shows and packed houses to it’s credit, the Warriors business model is working wonders in a sport that was sorely in need of the innovation and energy that the company brings to the table.

When it comes down to it though, a promotional company is only as good as the fighters and fights it promotes. Warriors Boxing has delivered on all fronts, with outstanding bouts such as Lara-Molina, Cayo-Peterson, Abraham-Miranda I and II, Miranda-Pavlik, Miranda-Green, Ibragimov-Briggs, Ibragimov-Klitschko, Urango-Hatton, Urango-Bailey, Cayo-Maidana and Ibragimov-Holyfield.

For more information on Warriors Boxing, visit their website at www.WarriorsBoxing.com.

ASHLEY THEOPHANE: JUDGEMENT DAY

All the work is now done! Floyd Mayweather, Ishe Smith and I are all ready for our important fights on Saturday.
It’s been a great and first class camp. I’ve had the pleasure of sparring not one, but two world champions in my preparations for my fight with Pablo Cesar Cano.

You do not become a world champion by luck – this is a pinnacle that is only achieved by hard work and talent.
Judging by how the boxing media talk about Pablo Cesar Cano, you’d think he beat two weight world champion, Paul Malignaggi, and boxing legends Erik Morales and Shane Mosley. He didn’t – he lost.
I’ve beaten better fighters than him, and have been sparring better fighters than him. DeMarcus Corley, Delvin Rodriguez and Danny Garcia are all better fighters than him. Lenny Daws was in phenomenal condition for our bout, and that wasn’t enough. I’ve been in with big punchers and guys with terrific engines. I just don’t see how he beats me.
Pablo Cano has 26 wins and 20 knock out wins. On the surface, that sounds amazing, but when you look at who he has beaten; he knocked out nobodies. I’ve never heard of them. When he fought fighters with a name – he lost! That’s all that matters.
Oscar De La Hoya believes he is good enough to be a world champion. Floyd Mayweather believes I am also. One of them is clearly wrong! And I believe my promoter knows talent when he sees it.
Make no mistake, it will be a fantastic fight. He believes he can knock me out, and I believe I can knock him out.
Millions will be watching worldwide. I was born for this stage. I always believed I would appear on a show of this magnitude. I just kept working hard, and the hard work has paid off.
Floyd Mayweather himself has told me that “a world championship is waiting for me”.
Pablo Cesar Cano stands in my way.

DANNY GARCIA, LUCAS MATTHYSSE, ISHE SMITH, CARLOS MOLINA, PABLO CESAR CANO AND ASHLEY THEOPHANE DISCUSS THEIR UPCOMING WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHTS ON SEPT. 14 AT MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA IN LAS VEGAS, NEV.

Kelly Swanson
Thanks everybody for joining us today for “THE ONE” media conference call with the pay-per-view undercard fighters. At this point, I’m going to turn it right over to our hosts of the call; that’s both Oscar De La Hoya and Leonard Ellerbe; Oscar is President of Golden Boy Promotions and Leonard Ellerbe is CEO of Mayweather Promotions. So I’m going to turn it over to Oscar, and then he will introduce Leonard.

Oscar De La Hoya
Yes. We are one month away from the mega event, “The One: Floyd Mayweather vs. Canelo Alvarez,” which will be a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC and WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight World title and Mayweather’s WBA Super Welterweight Super World Championship. We also have a tremendous co-main event, Danny Garcia vs. Lucas Matthysse, which obviously you all know that fight could have been a pay-per-view itself, but for the fans Mayweather decided along with Ellerbe and Golden Boy Promotions that this fight belongs on the big stage along with Floyd Mayweather and Canelo Alvarez. That will be a unification fight for the lightweight world title. Also, Mayweather promotions put on a tremendous undercard, co-main event with Ishe Smith vs. Carlos Molina. Ishe Smith is promoted by Mayweather Promotions. Also another spectacular fight with Pablo Cesar Cano, who had a tremendous fight against Sugar Shane Mosley in Cancun, Mexico a few weeks ago, is fighting against Ashley Theophane, which will be a ten-rounder in the welterweight showdown.

This event is being brought to you live from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions along with Canelo Promotions. We are excited and thrilled to once again by hosting the live events throughout the MGM properties, which will host the closed circuits at ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York. Also, to make sure that fans get a unique experience nationwide, for all the fans who cannot make it to Las Vegas or watch it at home on pay-per-view, NCM Fathom will be showing Mayweather-Canelo on over 400 movie theatres to get that experience with other fans. Get your popcorn, your drinks, and experience this once in a lifetime opportunity to watch a Mayweather vs. Canelo and the entire card in movie theaters.

It’s a wonderful wonder experience. I really recommend this experience to anyone who hasn’t seen a fight. We’re expecting this even to shatter all records. We have broken one record already, which is the live gates and those are obviously indications that this event will break the pay-per-view record of 2.5 million homes so it’s very exciting for boxing. It’s very exciting for all the fighters, everybody participating so let’s show the world that this is “THE ONE.” This is the one that is going to put boxing on that worldwide stage and show everyone that boxing is the best sport in the world.

So without any further ado, I would like to introduce to you the CEO of Mayweather Promotions and that is Leonard Ellerbe.

Leonard Ellerbe
I’d like to welcome everyone to the call today. Thank you for taking time out of your busy schedule to join us. We have a tremendous event, obviously, on September 14th and it all starts, with the Mayweather vs. Canelo. We have three other undercard bouts—two of those which are world championship fights, so we’ve got a total of three world championship fights on the card. This is the biggest pay-per-view card definitely that I can recall in recent history from top to bottom.

And to start off in the first fight on the show a gentleman, he’s originally from London, England. He’s now living in Las Vegas fighting out of the Mayweather Boxing Club, a gentleman that I just recently signed last week, a guy who I would say is the definition of what a blue-collar worker is all about, a guy who didn’t have it easy. He worked his way through fighting some very, very tough fights. He owns victories over Delvin Rodriguez who is getting ready to fight Miguel Cotto. He’s beaten a number of different top guys along with DeMarcus Corley who took forward 12-rounds. He’s just a very, very tough fighter. A guy who we’re very proud to have on our stable, so without further ado, I’d like to introduce Ashley Theophane. He’s 33-5 with one draw with 10 KO’s.

Ashley Theophane
It’s a pleasure to be on “THE ONE” card. It’s the biggest boxing event in the world. It’s going to be one of the biggest ever and it’s a big achievement on that. Leonard and Floyd have put me on the card and I’m looking forward to it. And for me, obviously, I’ve got Pablo Cano. He’s fought Erik Morales. He’s fought Paulie Malignaggi. He’s fought Johan Perez, Shane Mosley. He is a very tough operator, and I’m going to be in great shape, but to me every time he steps up is when he’s lost, and to me this is another step up, and he’s going to lose again, but I respect him. And I’m saying I’m going to be 110 percent ready, and I didn’t fly over here from London, England to take a loss, that’s not even on my mind. I’m training with the best in the world. I’ve got a great training team, and we’re going to be ready for “The One” and it’s an honor to be on the show with—you’ve got Ishe Smith who is world champ. You’ve got Danny Garcia who is world champ. You’ve got Lucas Matthysse, and then you’ve got the pound-for-pound king who is Floyd Mayweather himself so it’s a great card. It’s one of the best I’ve ever seen, and it’s going to break records.

For me coming from London, England it’s a very big deal. It’s all over the news in England that I’m part of Mayweather Promotions, and I’m representing the UK and at the same time I’m representing like Mayweather Promotions, which is the face of boxing. Mayweather Promotions is taking over boxing. They’ve just had their first world champion, Ishe Smith who is the first Las Vegas born world champ. So it’s great to be part of such a great team, and I have to thank Floyd and Leonard again for this great opportunity that they believe in me and I believe in me. So it’s just all about taking it to the next level and Pablo is the—he’s the great step in the right direction so I want to thank everyone.

Q
Ashley, can you just give us some perspective on what you already did, on you know how big it is to sign with Mayweather Promotions at this point in your career, and also, how important it is at your age to reignite your career against someone like Pablo?

Theophane
Well, it’s great to be with Mayweather Promotions at any point in your career if you’re just starting out, if you’re in the middle of it, or if you’re at the end of it. I’ve been a professional for ten years now, and to me it feels like the right time. Floyd has been a professional for years, for nearly 18 years. I’ve been a professional for ten. You’ve got to have been around for a long time. I still feel that I’ve got a lot left in me, another five or six years so.
I’m not worried about the age. I’m 32-years-old. I’m going to be 33 but if you look at the guys who Pablo lost to he lost to guys who were in their 30s so experience is a very—youth is good but experience at the same time is—you can’t buy experience and that’s what I’ve got. I’m a smart fighter. I’m a strong fighter. I’ve been in with like some good like boxers. There’s Delvin Rodrigues. He’s going to fight Miguel Cotto next. You’ve got Garcia – he’s going to fight Lucas Matthysse. I’ve beaten DeMarcus Corley. He’s fought everyone in boxing. I’ve been British champ so I’ve been around the block. I’ve sparred with the very best in boxing so to me I’m at a good point in my career, and I don’t want no easy fight. This is going to be my … fight. I’m training up with Mayweather Promotions. With them behind my back the world is my oyster and Leonard and Floyd both believe in me and it’s just up to me to do it in the ring and that’s what I’m going to do.

Q
Do you still believe that you could still win a world title maybe even despite your age?

Theophane
Yes, 100 percent. You don’t have to be a world champion in your 20s. Like there’s no age where if you’re 32-years-old you can’t win a world title. Ishe Smith has shown—he won his first world title—oh, I think he was 34-years-old or 33-years-old so it doesn’t matter because everyone they get their—because they get their opportunities at different times in their careers so the age is not an issue. I still feel good. I’m 32-years-old. I haven’t been in like many hard fights because I’m a smart boxer and I have a good defense. The age it doesn’t play a role. I eat well. I don’t smoke. I don’t drink. You don’t see me out in the clubs so the age is not an issue.

Q
And have you set a time limit on when you can—how long you want to wait to do it?

Theophane
Well, I’ve been a pro for ten years. I would be—I’m happy to be a professional for another five years so I’m cool. Floyd is 36-years-old now and he’s still in great shape. If he wanted to continue to go on like Oscar did with SHOWTIME he could. If you live the life you can’t put an age restriction. You’ve got Bernard Hopkins, he’s well in to his 40s and it’s not an issue. I don’t want to be boxing when I’m 40-years-old but I’ve set a goal. I’ve had 39 fights so I’m just focused on this fight and to get a win; that’s it. That is the most important thing.

Q
Ashley, when you look at your opponent he’s had some notable fights. Do you take that into consideration knowing that you want to make it big in the states and want to win, of course, a world title and not—as you just finished saying, you may—whether you said it or not you may be patterning your career under Mayweather and you want to have a world title before it’s all over. So what are you doing in consideration to prepare for Cano?

Theophane
Well, if nothing really changes I’m always in shape so it’s just continuing to put forth the hard work in the gym to do my runs, my swimming and stuff, and it’s all about just being focused and being smart. I’m not going to really change anything up. I’ve watched him fight in the past and to me every time he stepped up he lost. He may have 20 KO’s but you have to look who is he knocking out? He’s knocking nobody out. You’ve got Erik Morales. You’ve got Paulie Malignaggi, and you’ve got Shane Mosley so every time he stepped up he lost. If you look at the guys who I beat and you look at the guys who he beat there’s no comparison, so that is what you have to go by. But with every fight you have to respect your opponent, and I respect him because all of those fights that he stepped up he gave them a very hard fight so I expect a hard fight, but I expect to win as well.

Q
Boxing takes all of your life. Mayweather said—and I’m quoting Floyd Mayweather and I think he’s absolutely right because 44 tried and 44 failed. He said that, “Boxing is a 24/7 business not a 9 to 5er.” Do you believe in that concept?

Theophane
One hundred percent and you have to see that. I’ve been a professional for ten years. I’ve never had it easy so I had to go on the road. I’ve boxed in five countries. I’ve won in five countries, but I’ve never had it easy. For me I’m used to being in the backyard and having to fight the promoters’ guy and I’m supposed to lose and I win. So for me I’m used to doing it the hard way so to finally have a team to back me and believe in me that’s only going to make me a better fighter because I know that they have my back. So for me I’m just continuing to work hard and to even work even harder. So we have a young lion who may—he may watch me and think that I’m old now and it’s his time, but he fought that against the other three guys he stepped up to and he always was a bit short. He’s going to be a bit short again because I’m in that class where he stepped up. He is going to lose. It’s just how but I’m focused and I live the life. I don’t party. I don’t drink. I don’t smoke so I don’t put no limit on what I can achieve.

Q
Ashley, Do you have a weight at which you feel most comfortable and when you’re ready to fight for a title it’s just going to matter on the best opportunity or do you have a particular weight class in mind?

Theophane
Well, all through my career I’ve boxed being the junior welterweight and welterweight division so I don’t really like to restrict myself. It’s just on the opportunity, the opponent. I want to fight the best in the world in both divisions so I make weight like good so I’m okay. The weight issue is not a problem for me.

Q
Leonard, I just wanted to ask what caught your eye about Ashley that led Mayweather Promotions to want to sign him and put him on this show?

Ellerbe
Well, Ashley’s a gentleman that I’m very familiar with. I’ve been watching him work for the last couple months. He’s a guy that once I did my research on him—obviously, I had watched him in the Danny Garcia fight a couple years ago and it was a fight that I personally thought that he got the bad end of the stick. And he’s a gentleman that like I say he has tremendous character. I think that he’s had a tough road, as he just mentioned, with going in other fighters’ backyards and getting it done the hard way. So now with us—with him being part of Mayweather Promotions I think that we’re going to go out and create these opportunities, and he just has to go out and win. And I think that he will be a guy that the world will get a chance to see him on September 14th. He’ll put on a tremendous fight, and he’s going to make a lot of noise, and he’s going to be right there in the thick of things with the Danny Garcias and Lucas Matthysses right off the bat.

Q
My question for Ashley was I just was curious how he came to wind up in Vegas training at Mayweather’s gym and how he had kind of met them and wound up with them. I heard what Leonard had said a little earlier about seeing him and doing his research, but I’m curious how and when that Ashley ended up in Las Vegas working with Floyd and the gym.

Theophane
Well, it goes back to Cotto camp when I came over to Vegas because I was in New York. That’s where I normally train and I was there for like eight weeks, and I knew that Floyd was going to fight. I just thought that I would just come over as part of my camp and just do two weeks at the Mayweather Boxing Club. I came over for two weeks. Leonard and Floyd were very nice to me. The sparring there it was great. When I left back I wished Floyd well in his fight with Miguel Cotto, and then the next time came for the Robert Guerrero fight and I had other fight which was going to come up so I said I’ll go out to Vegas again, went out to Vegas for four weeks for this time. I was sparring with great guys, and I just liked the vibe at the gym. The Mayweather Promotions team was all like just friendly with me and I just stayed there for like the whole camp, and it just went on like this from there. So I think Leonard and Floyd just heard about the work that I was putting in the gym, and then I got to spar with Floyd and it was just step-by-step, bit-by-bit just keep working, the way I’ve done my whole career just putting in the work. Floyd and Leonard listened to what others were—like said that I was a good boxer and they got my record, and then the rest is history. I signed up with Mayweather Promotions to take it to the next level now.

Q
I have one other question for you, Ashley, and Leonard made reference to it in his comments about thinking that maybe you came out on the wrong end of the stick in the very close good fight you had with Garcia a couple years ago, which is really the first time he had ever faced what people would consider yourself one of the top guys in the weight class. I’m curious to see him in this undercard fighting in the co-feature and a pretty big fight. Do you feel like with a good performance on a card in which he is also features that you could perhaps if he does okay in his fight get a rematch with him like for the title?

Theophane
You know I don’t focus on one opponent because there’s many great boxers in the welterweight and the junior welterweight division, but if a rematch happens it happens. A lot of people thought that I beat him the first time around. To me it was a close fight and they gave it to him. It happens in boxing, but the fight could happen down the line. I thought I won the first time. I’ve watched him fight and he’s big so I’m very happy that he’s gone on to be a world champ, but I don’t think that he has improved much since I watched him fight. He beat Amir Khan. He beat Erik Morales, but other than that I haven’t really seen much improvement, but you never know. It could happen in the future. I just want to fight in the division, and I’m not just going to focus on one man. It’s whoever.

Oscar De La Hoya
Now I would like to introduce to you the other participant, which will be fighting Theophane. He has a record of 26-3-1, 20 KO’s. He hales out of Mexico, Tlalnepantla, Mexico. He’s one of the top hopefuls from Mexico. We would consider him a future world champion who is fighting the best and this is no exception. Theophane is a fighter who is going to bring his a-game and Cano understands that. He’s coming off two close decision losses against Paulie Malignaggi and Shane Mosley. Obviously, we know him making his breakthrough battle against legendary Eric Morales, and so he’s always here to put on a show. He’s in tremendous shape now. He’s ready to take the world by storm September 14th so let me introduce to you Pablo Cesar Cano.

Q
Pablo, what has your preparation been for this fight with Ashley?

Pablo Cesar Cano
I understand I came off two controversial fights, but I am preparing very hard. I am 100% ready and I am not looking for a knockout. I am just looking to make a great fight, and just give the fans what they want.

Q
You are very young. Do you feel that’s an advantage?

Cano
I believe it is an advantage however there are older boxers just like Bernard Hopkins that even though he’s at an older age he’s still very strong, very fast, and I believe age is nothing but a number, and I’m going to just give 100 percent and fight a great fight.

Q
Pablo, you’ve been in with three former champions and lost close decisions. Is there any concern that after this fight you could, at an early age, slip in to opponent status or more or less sparring partner mentality?

Cano
I understand I have been in three close fights with three great champions with great names and that I have gained a lot of experience, and with that experience I’m taking that in to account with my new plans. I’m just going to fight, and gain more experience there. I just believe that I am going to give a great fight.

Swanson
We will now make the transition to our next set of fighters and will turn it over to Leonard to make the introductions. Leonard.

Ellerbe
Mayweather Promotions’ first world champion, what can I say? A gentleman that has been the epitome of what hard work and dedication is all about. He’s a guy that’s been around the sport for quite some time. He’s had his ups and downs but he’s persevered. He’s a guy that’s obviously just not even a year ago was initially—you know got the opportunity to come in, worked with Floyd to help him prepare to get ready for Cotto, and he made the most of the opportunity because he’s a guy that we’ve been familiar with for quite some time. He’s been knowing the whole Mayweather family for a number of years. A guy that we know firsthand the kind of setbacks that happened in the sport and a lot of times it’s really about the right situation that you’re in to protect your best interest and he was a guy that we took under our wing. We got him an opportunity with “K-9” Bundrage for the world title, and he definitely made the most of that opportunity and the sky is the limit. He’s a guy, like I said, who represents not only Las Vegas with being the first born Las Vegas world champion, which is a tremendous feat within itself, but he’s a very, very proud champion. He understands what being world champion is about. He has a responsibility to that, and he wants to be the best that he can be. He’s a guy, like I said, I personally admire quite a bit. Without further ado, I’d like to introduce the IBF Junior Middleweight Champion, none other than Ishe Smith.

Ishe Smith
Training is going great. I had put in eight weeks before I suffered the cut to fight July 19th and we took a couple weeks off and got right back in the gym so training has been great. It’s just a fabulous, wonderful opportunity to be fighting on this card; the biggest card of my career. You know I’m not the main event. It’s just an honor. It’s just sometimes I just can’t believe it. It’s taken me 13 years to be on a big card, but I’m truly honored. I’m truly blessed, and I wouldn’t be here without God and just without him placing the right people in my life, like Mayweather Promotions people. It’s been a great ride. It’s been a real good ride.

Ellerbe
This next gentleman has been around for quite some time himself. He’s a guy that’s finally getting his shot after quite some time. He began making a lot of noise with his definitely heavily disputed draw against Lara in 2011. He’s won four of his last five fights. He has beat former world champions like Kermit Cintron and Cory Spinks with his only loss coming with a controversial DQ against James Kirkland in March of 2012. He’s a very, very tough competitor. It took quite some time for me to make this fight happen, and we were more than happy to put this fight as a world championship fight on the biggest card ever, and we know that Carols Molina—he’s a very, very tough fighter, and he’s coming to win, and his promotional company, Warriors Boxing, they’ve been behind supporting him, and, like I say, he’s coming to lay it on the line come September 14th. So, without further ado, I’d like to introduce Carlos Molina.

Carlos Molina
I’m ready. I had a good training. I was ready July 19th. We’ve been training all summer long and the best shape of my life. I’m just entering my time in my career. I just turned 30-years-old. I’m feeling great. I’m feeling my best and I am ready for September 14th.

Q
I have a question and maybe Ishe and Carlos you can both answer this. I’ll start off with Ishe. I know you probably would have liked to have the fight when it was originally planned on July 19th after participating in your training camp and doing all the things you do to get ready for the fight, but now looking back is it almost better for you do you think that this fight was postponed and now you get to be on a much, much bigger stage than you would have otherwise been on previously?

Smith
I think so. It’s a privilege to, like I said, to be on the biggest card of my career, bigger than any contender card I ever fought on, bigger than any show boxing main event, bigger than any co-features that I’ve been on. It’s a blessing. July 19th was because I work a lot with the youth out here in Vegas. I coach various sports, and I had a lot of people coming in town and these tickets are already sold out so it’s disheartening. Now I’m not able to have the people that can’t get tickets or can’t afford these kind of priced tickets to come see me fight but they’ll be tuned in on TV watching on pay-per-view. And like I said, it’s just an honor. Mayweather Promotions made sure that I get another date at home after this so it definitely is an honor. I don’t take it for granted at all.

Q
And Carlos, how about yourself? Like you just said you were going to fight the 19th on TV but not on a big mega card like this. Do you think from the way you look at it it’s almost better to be on this level of a show than had you been on that other card on the 19th?

Molina
Yeah well I mean like to me really it doesn’t matter where it is. I just want to fight. I want to fight for the IBF belt and wherever it happens to be—this happens to be an even greater opportunity I feel, but like I said it doesn’t really matter as long as I get the title shot and get that belt. But yeah to be on a big card like this and get all that exposure that’s definitely better.

Q
Well, especially because the main event happens to be taking place in the same weight class where you guys both fight, and certainly people will look at that main event, look at the winner of the fight between you two, and it’s certainly not out of the question if the winner wants to further unify the title they would have to see you. Do you think about at as a prospect of—it may be a long shot but—landing a shot with the winner against Alvarez or Floyd?

Molina
Yes, definitely. I mean right now, first things first is, Ishe. I’m ready for that fight. The belt, without that it’s nothing else but getting that and making a statement in this fight, and then being considered to be—being on the radar for these guys. If they don’t want to give me the fight right away I’ll be really—I’ll be willing to fight anyone. Just keep winning and sooner or later you might get that.

Q
All right. I have just one other question for you, Ishe. With regard to the cut that you suffered, how bad was it and how is it now?

Smith
It was pretty bad at the time, but we have great doctors. I was able to see a doctore here in town, and we did the right things we needed to do, and it’s healed up really well. I’ve been sparring for some weeks now and everything is going perfect, everything is great.

Q
Ishe Smith, I have been following you for years before the contender series but you remind me of a very young Sugar Ray Robison and that is the truth. I’m wondering how come after the contender you seem to fall off the radar screen and I didn’t see you for years and years until now finally Golden Boy—not Golden Boy but Mayweather Promotions finally put you where you belonged a long time ago. I see the emotion broke out of you when you won the title. Has it been frustrating all these years to finally come up in to a title owner and under the biggest fight of the year card?

Smith
Well, you know I think as a man I needed to go through those things. Those things you can’t predict life. Obviously, it’s not the way I scripted it starting off and then going to the contender, but things happen and I couldn’t be happier with my life where it is right now. I have some very important people that have helped me get to where I am today, and without them I wouldn’t be where I am, and that’s why I’m always grateful to Mayweather Promotions and everything that they’ve done for me. But you know this is the biggest card. It don’t matter what happened in the past. This is probably arguably the biggest card in the last ten to fifteen years just because of the main event and the co-feature so it’s a privilege and an honor to be on this card, and, like I said, as a man I think I needed to go through those trials and tribulations to be where I am today and I’m truly blessed.

Q
Yeah this question both of you can answer. Given your past and you both had tough luck stories—and Ishe, I thought you beat Fernando Guerrero by the way—knowing what you’ve been through, each of you, and knowing who you’re fighting has been through similar situations could this, for both of you, and each of you answer, be the most difficult fight and at the same time probably bring out the best in each of you? Can each of you answer that question?

Molina
Ishe is a pretty well-rounded fighter. I feel like the harder I train—it depends on how hard I train to make the fight easier for me, so I’m not sure. I can’t say something like that until I actually get in there and go through it and do it, but I feel like it is going to bring out the best in me because there’s a championship fight that I would have. Even though I train for every fight and I can pine for the championship fight this is it right here. This is what I visualized since I started boxing and it’s right in front of me, and I’m so focused. I’m so ready. I’m ready to go. I wish the fight was closer.

Smith
Whenever you’re world champion you know you’ve got a lot of people gunning for you and coming to take what you’ve earned and what you fought hard to accomplish. And I was able to do that in Detroit, and I don’t want to fall victim to looking past Carlos. He’s a tough competitor, and I’ve trained really hard so I won’t have any hiccups and I don’t have any trip ups. This fight we’re in tremendous shape and I’m ready to go, but I think it’s going to be a good night of boxing. Everyone on the card is going to be great from top to bottom, and I’m looking forward to putting on a tremendous fight for all the Las Vegas fans and all the fans across the world who will be tuned in on pay-per-view.

Q
One more question for Ishe. Can you address Carlos’ style? Have you faced anybody with guess awkward would be the best word?

Smith
I’ve faced all kinds of styles. They said K-9 was going to be too big and strong for me and he was awkward. You don’t worry about styles; skills pay the bills, and come September 14th I’ll be ready to go and I’ll be keeping my title here at home. I don’t worry about he going to fight. I just have to listen to my coach and go out there and execute the game plan, and I feel like the one fight I didn’t do that—where I didn’t listen to him was the only fight I lost and that was Danny Jacobs. But, as you said, I thought I beat Guerrero and since I’ve been with Eddie we haven’t lost a fight at 154 pounds so I’m extremely excited to be defending my title at home. To accomplish so much in my career in such a short period of time being with Mayweather Promotions and having this wonderful opportunity to fight on the biggest state in boxing is just amazing.

Q
Ishe, first of all you’ve ended up with an opponent who is, in my mind, going to be much trickier than K-9 Bundrage. Why did you select him as an opponent? How did that come to be? This is a fight nobody saw coming, and do you see any parallels between youself and Molina? You have had similar circumstances coming up.

Smith
He’s a hard worker. You can’t really say that he’s tougher or trickier than K-9 because K-9 was a world champion. Like I said, I don’t worry about styles. I just go in there and fight my fight. I told Leonard to make this fight. I fold Leonard when I won the title that he was going to be the first guy I fought. I didn’t have to make this mandatory until November but I respect his story. I respect where he come from, and I want to give the fans what they want, and I want to fight the best. That’s just the bottom line. I want to fight the best in my division and go out on top. When I retire I want to be talked about and I want to be remembered, and I think that’s what everybody wants in this game, and I think I’ve already left a legacy by being the first Las Vegas born world champion but it’s not complete. We still writing the script and, like I said, I’m excited to be fighting on the biggest card in boxing and I can’t wait to go.

Q
You’re a titleholder now. Have you changed any in your day-to-day approach to life or has anything changed in your mind or what you do or how you approach things in general?

Smith
You know you’ve become champion it just takes your training to another level because you realize you got guys coming for you. There’s not a week that I can’t go by without somebody mentioning my name so that all comes with the territory. I haven’t changed anything. I still work very hard. I still train hard, and I’m ready to defend my title and keep my title.

Swanson
Thank you very much gentlemen. We will now move on to our co-featured fight of the evening and I would like to reintroduce Oscar De La Hoya to make the introductions.

De La Hoya
It is very exciting to be introducing what we expect is an explosion come September 14th with two great fighters, and I am saying great because you have on one hand Lucas Matthysse who has a tremendous, tremendous record, an outstanding knockout ratio, 94% of his wins come by knockout; and on the other hand you have the champion Danny Garcia who is undefeated, 26-0, 16 KO’s who keeps on proving to every single person day in and day out that he is going to be great. He is going to be taking all comers. This is a fight that, like I said before, belongs on its own pay-per-view on any given day. This is a fight that the people have been waiting for. This is a fight that when you finish watching if you do not love boxing already you will fall in love with the sport because this is what it’s all about. Putting Lucas Matthysse against Danny Garcia in that same squared ring will be a tremendous, night for every boxing fan across the globe.

Let me introduce to you first—he is rated number one at 140 pounds by the Ring Magazine, has scored a staggering 94% of his wins by knockout. He does possess the highest KO percentage of any world champion in history, and has won six fights in a row by KO including his third round KO of Lamont Peterson on May 18th. He has a record of 34-2, 32 KO’s, Trelew, Chubut, Argentina, Lucas “The Machine” Matthysse.

Lucas Matthysse
Hi. Good afternoon. I’m here at the gym trying to train. We’re sparring and I’m very happy and pleased to be on this call.

De La Hoya
Now, I’m going to introduce to you a young man who needs no introduction. He is the unified super lightweight world champion. He first won his world title in 2012 by dropping then … legendary Erik Morales for the WBC 140 pound title, and, like I said before, he keeps proving everyone who has doubt in him—he keeps proving them wrong in every fight that he’s in. He has great knockout power but at the same time he does possess the talent of a boxer/puncher. He hales out of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. He is the unified super lightweight world champion with a record of 26-0, 16KO’s, Danny “Swift” Garcia.

Danny Garcia
Hey. What’s up, everybody? I want to say good afternoon to everybody. I hope you’re having a blessed day, and I’m very motivated for this fight. I’ve been working hard in the gym, and I’m very excited for September 14th and it’s going to be another epic showcase by me that night.

Q
Lucas, what is your plan for this fight?

Matthysse
I am training very hard. It’s a hard fight but I’m going to give the fans what they want, and I’m going to bring the win to Argentina.

Q
Lucas, Danny Garcia as an athlete and as a fighter or are you going to go in to the ring and just give it your all?”

Matthysse
I respect Danny as a fighter. He’s a great champion, but I am going to give the fight 100%.

Q
Lucas, can you talk about what it has been like for you since you’ve signed with Al Haymon? Do you have this new sense that you’re going to be able to be in big fights such as this in your future?

Matthysse
Yes the plans are to have bigger and greater fights and to continue fighting.

Q
Danny, just from some of the stuff that I’ve read and some of the way your father has reacted I get the sense that he feels you’re not being as respected as a champion as you feel you should be and he feels you should be, and, in fact, that maybe you’re not being treated as or perceived as the a-side. Most notably, he talked about Lucas’ presence on the cover of Ring Magazine. What are your thoughts? What do you have to say about that and is that true?

Garcia
You know I really don’t care what the media thinks or who they think is the best because in my heart I know I’m the best, and I hold the titles, and September 14th is going to be another day at work for me, and I’m just going to defend my title. I’m still champion and the people who don’t believe hey that’s their problem. I know in my heart I’m the best 140 pound fighter in the world, and I’m going to show it on September 14th.

Q
Last question for you, that left hook sequence—where Lucas dropped Lamont Peterson with his left hook, and obviously Peterson landed his but it didn’t have as much of an effect. You are known as the left hooker. If that sequence happens in your fight can you kind of address what might happen? Do you think he’s seen a left hook like yours?

Garcia
We’ll have to see. I’ve fought big punchers. I took big shots before, but Peterson when he threw that left hook he was more in a position that’s why he got the end of it. But I’m just going to be smart. I’m going to do what I do best, make adjustments in the fight and get the victory.

Q
Okay. My question is for Danny Garcia; Danny, do you think that for this match the winner deserves the fight with Mayweather and Canelo’s winner? Do you think you are ready for the fight with Mayweather?

Garcia
It’s a big fight but I’ve got to worry about my fight. I’m not really worried about the future right now. My future is Lucas Matthysse and I’m not looking past him, but that’s up to Golden Boy and Al Haymon and whatever they want to do. I’m just a fighter and that’s what I do is fight, so whoever they put me against that’s what I do.

Q
Why do you think that the people doesn’t believe you after the many fights, many knockouts in favor of you?

Garcia
I really don’t know because I feel like I’m before my time a lot of people still don’t understand it because I’m not supposed to be here right now. It wasn’t supposed to be my time right now. I made it my time. I took it and the people still don’t understand it but I’m just going to keep building my legacy and proving myself.

Q
My question for Lucas is he had such an easy time knocking out Lamont Peterson, I wondered did he anticipate that victory was going to be as easy as it, at least, looked on the outside of the ring, and does he think that he can do something similar and make that kind of statement against Garcia?

Matthysse
Going in to the Lamont Peterson fight was difficult at the beginning but then it became easy for me and that’s why I knocked him out. With Danny Garcia, I have prepare myself but I believe that I’m going to do my best and just give a great fight.

Q
Do you think though that the end result could be the same, an early knockout because your power at least it looks so good in his recent fights?

Matthysse
I respect Danny Garcia as a champion. I am going to give a lot of resistance, but I feel that I am confident enough to give a great fight. It is going to be a difficult fight but I’m not looking for a knockout. I am looking to have a great victory and give a great fight.

Q
I have just one other question for Lucas. Some of the comments Danny has made—although he is showing respect for Lucas it doesn’t sound like he really thinks a whole lot of his punching power. He has said that he has a built up record in Argentina where he really didn’t fight a lot of top opponents, and then when he came to the United States and fought people like Zab Judah, like Devin Alexander that—the way Danny described it was as soon as somebody hit him back he lost, and that the record and the knockout power is maybe a little overrated. How does Lucas respond to that?

Matthysse
On September 14th I’m going to prove to Danny—That’s going to be the proof that when he feels my punches if they’re strong enough or not, and that will either give him the benefit of the doubt if he is strong.”

Q
How do you think the ambiance is going to be around Las Vegas? There’s going to be a lot more Mexicans than there is Argentinians. Do you believe the Mexicans are going to be behind your back?”

Matthysse
Yes. I believe the Mexicans will be behind me; although, there will be a few Argentinians there to support me and to see a great fight.

Q
If there is a victory against Danny Garcia what element will it give you with the Argentinian public?”

Matthysse
I would be on top of the world. The Argentinians will—it would be the best fight of my life.

Q
Hey, Danny. I know that you said that your job is just—on your team is just as a fighter but the reality was this fight was on the table for a while. How soon after your win over Zab Judah did you realize that you would probably be fighting Lucas Matthysse?

Garcia
I accepted the fight when he came to me. I think it was about five, six weeks ago, five weeks, six weeks ago. As soon as the fight was gave to me I accepted it but it took them time because the negotiations; you know it’s a big fight. It’s not an easy fight to make, and as my fighter I accepted the fighter. Me and my dad we accepted the fight and the negotiations—where the fight was going to take place, the money so it was a lot of things but the fight got done. I’m happy and then I’m happy to give the fans again what they want.

Q
I guess what I was trying to get at like when you—before you even accept a card do you have like an idea of who you want to fight next? I know you’re the type, you know I fight whoever they put in front of me, but obviously I know you always want to fight the best. Did you recognize Matthysse as the best of the lot and that you would have to fight him? Not that you would have to fight him but fight him to prove that you are the best.

Garcia
Yeah no doubt it was a fight that the fans wanted and the boxing world. He’s buzzing off his last two victories; his last two knockout wins so the fight was built up. Showtime made it big. The media made it big so it was only worth it to fight with me.

Ellerbe
I want to touch on to what Danny just added on. I just think this is kind of important. A lot of times when you have big events like this and obviously this is a main event on its own, but there was a lot of criticism coming Danny’s way, unjustifiable, by members of the media and the fans because obviously those out there who thought that Danny was unafraid to take the fight. But let me go on the record with this; I know firsthand. Obviously, I have a very close working relationship with my business partner and everyone knows who that is and we at least talk ten times a day. Danny and his dad, I know firsthand, have been very, very adamant that they wanted that fight to the point where they were bugging Haymon about making the fight. What’s taking so long?

I just want to be clear that this is a fight that Danny and his dad wanted from the very beginning. It’s just a matter of the things that take time for fights to come together, and it’s just not simple little things. Obviously, when you’re talking about large amounts of revenue and other particulars that come in to play because that’s great but you know fighters at this level there’s no such thing about being scared of one another. When it comes down to it nobody is scared to make money. Danny didn’t get to this level—his father is a tremendous trainer. They didn’t get to where they’re out—Lucas didn’t get to where they’re at—two fighters being scared of one another. This is a tremendous fight and this is the fight that the fans have demanded and both guys want to fight and it’s going to be a great fight come September 14th. I just wanted to add on the fact that I know firsthand that Danny and his dad had demanded this fight to the point where they were bugging Mr. Haymon about what was taking so long in getting this fight made.

Q
Danny, I know that you were ringside for Lucas’ KO Peterson and you’re a champion. I mean we all know that you have the ability and the goods to make this happen and pull off a victory, but I’m just wondering what you’re doing psychologically to prepare yourself because he’s a scary dude.

Garcia
I’m doing the same thing I always do, just training hard, and yeah he has power but I have power too so if he’s not careful he’s going to get hurt. But I’m not going in there worrying about another man. I’m doing what I do best and just training hard, staying focused, and adapting; adapting to the fight. I’m not going in there worrying about another man’s power. I’ve got power myself so I’m just going to go in there, make adjustments and get the job done.

Q
Hey, Danny. Was the random blood testing as a result of what happened with Eric Morales or is it something that’s related to suspicions that have crept up concerning Lucas’ camp or his results in fights?

Garcia
No. That has nothing to do with Lucas Matthysse. Ever since I won the world title, ever since I bet Erik Morales the first time, Amir Khan took the test, Morales took it again, Zab Judah took the fight and now this fight. It doesn’t matter who I fight for what it’s just something I feel needs to be done if you want to be the champion. And it’s my fourth defense and it’s the fourth fighter who has took the test; it’s just something that comes with do you have to beat the champion and that’s something I ask for. I just want a clean fight and that’s it. It has nothing to do with Lucas Matthysse. It’s just what I do.

Q
Hey, Danny, this question is for you. You’ve been in lots of fights. We all know this is not going to be an easy fight. Would you say this is your hardest fight up to date?

Garcia
I could probably answer that question after the fight because the fights not here yet. I really don’t know because sometimes the hardest fights—sometimes you think the hardest fights will be the easiest fights, sometimes you think the easiest fights will be the hardest fight. You really don’t know until the fight happens, but you know at this level you know you’re going to get hit. It’s all about preparing for the fight and making adjustments, and that’s what I feel I bring to the table.

Garcia
Okay. You know I’ll thank the media for taking the time out to ask these questions, and I’m very excited about being a part of this and I’m training hard. I’m very motivated, and I can’t wait to show my fans and all the new fans that are going to be watching me September 14th what I’m about and I’m going to keep the title in Philadelphia. I’m going to do this for all my Latinos around the world. The end.

Matthysse
I just want to thank everyone for their time today. I am training really hard in Argentina and will be ready for September 14.

Ellerbe
You heard today from all six guys who are fighting on the card, and we have, like I said, a top fight card, best that I’ve seen in recent history. We’re expecting great things. We know we have great fights, and the Matthysse v. Danny Garcia, like I said, that fight is fireworks all over. You have Matthysse who is known as—he has the most feared man out there in boxing today and we know that Danny’s a great champion and that fight’s going to come down to one guy trying to impose his will and the other guy doing what he does. I think you’re going to see a tremendous, tremendous fight in that fight. I think you’ll be able to see Garcia be able to do things that many people hadn’t seen him do before, and I think that you’ll be able to see what happens when Danny backs Matthysse up. All those things will be answered in that fight and come September 14th those questions will be answered on that night. And the fight before that we have Ishe and Molina; that’s going to be another barn burner, another world championship fight. Ishe is coming to win. Carlos is coming to win. It’s going to be a great fight, and to open up the card Ashley and Cano, both guys have never ever been in a not exciting fight.

From top to bottom we have a tremendous card, and we’re just really, really truly excited. Mayweather Promotions working with Golden Boy Promotions, Richard, Oscar and their great staff and obviously my staff and Kelly’s staff we’ve all been working together to make this a great night of boxing, and we look forward to all you guys continuing to support this event, and come September 14th expect a great night.

De La Hoya
Thank you very much. Guys, we have we have exciting news coming up in the weeks leading up to the event so we will talk soon, and we will see you soon. Thank you.

END CALL

“THE ONE: MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO,” a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight World Championships and Mayweather’s WBA Super Welterweight Super World Championship taking place Saturday, Sept. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Valvoline, Mexico Tourism, Fred Loya Insurance and Nature Nutrition. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, WBC, WBA Super and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia and thunderous puncher WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion Lucas Matthysse square off in a fight presented in association with Swift Promotions and Arano Box Promotions. Also, Ishe Smith vs. Carlos Molina square off in a 12-round battle for Smith’s IBF Junior Middleweight World Title which is promoted in association with Warriors Boxing. The opening bout on SHOWTIME PPV features a 10-round welterweight showdown between Pablo Cesar Cano and Ashley Theophane. The mega-event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP).

Less than 24 hours after going on sale on June 25, the event was sold out, but six MGM Resorts properties will host live closed circuit telecasts of “THE ONE.” Properties showcasing the event include ARIA, MGM Grand, Mandalay Bay, The Mirage, Monte Carlo and New York-New York. General admission tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $100, not including handling fees, and are available for purchase at each individual property’s box office outlets and also are available for purchase by phone with a major credit card at 866-799-7711. Closed circuit ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. Tickets also are available through Ticketmaster by calling (800) 745-3000 or online at www.ticketmaster.com.

For more information, visit www.floydmayweather.com, www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com,www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @FloydMayweather, @CaneloOficial, @MayweatherPromo, @DannySwift, @IsheSugarShay, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @mgmgrand and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #TheOne and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOBoxing.

“THE ONE” PAY-PER-VIEW CARD IS COMPLETE WITH A WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP FIGHT BETWEEN ISHE SMITH AND CARLOS MOLINA

LOS ANGELES, (August 8, 2013) – Just when fight fans thought “THE ONE: MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO” couldn’t get any bigger, the opening two Pay-Per-View bouts of the September 14 mega-card at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas have been announced, with a third world championship bout and a meeting of two rising stars making this the must-see event of 2013.

In a 12-round battle for the IBF Junior Middleweight World Championship, Mayweather Promotions star and Las Vegas’ own Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith defends his crown for the first time against feared top contender Carlos Molina. The opening bout on the SHOWTIME PPV will be a 10-round welterweight showdown between Mexico’s
Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano and England’s Ashley “Treasure” Theophane, the most recent fighter to sign with Mayweather Promotions.

“THE ONE: MAYWEATHER VS. CANELO,” a 12-round fight for Canelo’s WBC, WBA and Ring Magazine Super Welterweight World Championships and Mayweather’s WBA Super Welterweight Super World Championship taking place Saturday, Sept. 14 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and Canelo Promotions and sponsored by Corona, O’Reilly Auto Parts, AT&T, Valvoline, Mexico Tourism, Fred Loya Insurance and Nature Nutrition. In the 12-round co-featured attraction, WBC, WBA Super and Ring Magazine Super Lightweight World Champion Danny Garcia and thunderous puncher WBC Interim Super Lightweight World Champion Lucas Matthysse square off in a fight presented in association with Swift Promotions and Arano Box Promotions. Also, Ishe Smith vs. Carlos Molina square off in a 12-round battle for Smith’s IBF Junior Middleweight World Title. Smith vs. Molina is promoted in association with Warriors Boxing. The mega-event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. The event can be heard in Spanish using secondary audio programming (SAP).

After a long career that saw him go from the world of reality television as a star on “The Contender” to a series of ups and downs at 154 and 160 pounds, Las Vegas’ Ishe “Sugar Shay” Smith (25-5, 11 KO’s) finally put it all together in late 2010, beginning a four fight winning streak that culminated in a 12 round decision win over Cornelius Bundrage on February 23 earning the 34-year-old the IBF Junior Middleweight World Championship. Now the reign of “Sugar Shay” begins with a hometown bout against the always-tough Molina.

Long avoided by the elite at 154 pounds, Patzcuaro, Mexico native Carlos Molina (21-5-2, 6 KO’s) is finally getting his shot at championship gold on September 14 after a decade slugging it out in the ring. Now making his home in Chicago, the 30-year-old Molina began making noise with his disputed draw against Erislandy Lara in 2011, and he has since won four of five bouts, defeating former world champions Kermit Cintron and Cory Spinks, with his only loss coming via controversial DQ against James Kirkland in March of 2012.

Mexico’s Pablo Cesar “El Demoledor” Cano (26-3-1, 20 KO’s), like countryman and headliner Canelo Alvarez, will have a nation in his corner when he steps between the ropes on September 14. Given the controversial nature of his recent decision losses to Paulie Malignaggi and Shane Mosley, the 23-year-old plans on giving the judges the night off by scoring a defining knockout of Theophane. A pro since 2006, Cano can do it all in the ring, and in his first Las Vegas fight since his classic 2011 battle with the legendary Erik Morales, he vows to put on a show.

A proud native of London, England, 32-year-old Ashley “Treasure” Theophane (33-5-1, 10 KO’s) is a graduate of the School of Hard Knocks in the ring and is finally getting his chance to shine on the world stage. A former British junior welterweight champion, the talented Theophane owns victories over Delvin Rodriguez and DeMarcus Corley, and he gave current world champion Danny Garcia one of his toughest fights in 2010 before losing a split decision. Winner of two straight, Theophane is looking to prove that he was made for the bright lights of Las Vegas.

For more information, visit www.floydmayweather.com, www.mayweatherpromotions.com,www.goldenboypromotions.com,
www.sports.sho.com and www.mgmgrand.com, follow on Twitter at @FloydMayweather, @CaneloOficial, @DannySwift, @Ishesugarshay, @MayweatherPromo, @GoldenBoyBoxing, @mgmgrand and @SHOSports, follow the conversation using #TheOne and become a fan on Facebook at www.facebook.com/FloydMayweather, www.facebook.com/MayweatherPromotions, www.facebook.com/GoldenBoyBoxing and www.facebook.com/SHOsports.