Floyd Mayweather Hits Primetime With CBS Special

Floyd Mayweather is used to starring late in the evening on fight night. He became the highest-paid athlete in the world by becoming a pay-per-view phenomenon, while racking up 43 victories without a defeat. His nine PPV events generated 9.6 million buys and $543 million in television revenue, according to HBO. Mayweather has been part of the four biggest non-heavyweight PPV events in boxing history.

Mayweather’s success on PPV is fueled by being the showman who goes by the name of Money. He stars in reality shows on cable and says and tweets outrageous things to draw attention to his bouts. But the show goes primetime Saturday night on network TV with a one-hour documentary, Mayweather. on CBS CBS +0.65% about the life of the fighter and his May 4
opponent Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero.
The special is part of the 30-month contract Mayweather signed in February with Showtime Networks, which is part of CBS. The deal could be worth more than $200 million if Mayweather completes the six fight contract.

The CBS special is narrated by musician and NCIS: Los Angeles star LL Cool J. It features extensive interviews with Mayweather, his entourage and even Los Angeles Lakers guard Kobe Bryant (see video below). LL Cool J also contributes a song, “We’re The Greatest,” to the film from his new album Authentic, which hits stores next week. Mayweather is produced by Ross Greenburg, who formerly was the longtime head of HBO Sports. “[Greenburg] is one of the most talented documentarians in sports,” says Showtime Sports head honcho Stephen Espinoza.

Boxing programming has been almost non-existent on network television in recent years. CBS aired multiple episodes of Showtime’s boxing reality series Fight Camp 360: Pacquiao vs. Mosley in 2011 ahead of their bout on Showtime PPV. CBS last aired a live boxing event in 1997 when Bernard Hopkins knocked out Glen Johnson. “The previous boxing content produced on Showtime and re-purposed for CBS didn’t make sense,” says Espinoza, who joined Showtime at the end of 2011. He says that shows like All Access are targeted at boxing fans, while the primetime audience on network TV is much broader than that. Espinoza says the Mayweather documentary is a “more cohesive way” to get at the network audience.

Showtime boxing is on a role with viewership up 30% in 2012, and now the network has an exclusive two-and-a-half year contract with the biggest star in the sport. The Mayweather special kicks off a busy week for Showtime boxing. Showtime will air a championship fight card from the Barclays Center immediately following the documentary that is highlighted by Danny Garcia versus Zab Judah. There will be a series of live events on Showtime leading up to the Mayweather-Guerrero fight on May 4. In the middle of it all will be Mayweather, putting on a show like only Money can.

Source: Forbes

Floyd Mayweather vs Robert Guerrero All Access episode 3

Mayweather Confirms Fall Return, Plans To Fight Smarter

The reigning pound for pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather makes his return to the ring May 4th as he will be taking Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, NV live on Showtime PPV. Mayweather has been working extremely hard in training camp as it’s no secret Floyd’s work ethic is second to none.

While Floyd is undefeated and extremely confident, he’s definitely not over looking his younger opponent. BoxingScene caught up with the WBC Welterweight champion and asked him how he sees the fight with Robert Guerrero going.

“We really don't know how this fight is going to play out. That's why this fight is so intriguing. His style is kind of awkward but of course me, I'm very, very versatile. I can do a little bit of it all; I can box, I can bang, I can slug and if I have to get dirty, I can get dirty if it leads to that. But the main thing is I have to listen to my dad and be the best Floyd Mayweather that I can be” said the Grand Rapids, MI native.

While Mayweather is more than willing to get down and dirty and slug it out with Guerrero if it comes to that, he is also looking to fight a smart fight. Mayweather is known as a defensive wizard but in his last bout with Miguel Cotto, we saw him get hit more than we’re used to seeing. This time around he’s going to make the proper adjustments and follow his trainer’s instructions.

“I've faced every style so it's not hard for me to make an adjustment. I just have to go out there and see what's the game plan that my dad has in store for me. [I need to] go out there, execute the game plan and be sharp because I feel like when I talked to Stephen A. Smith; I feel like in the Miguel Cotto fight, it was very exciting but I felt I got hit too much. I have to be a smarter fighter and listen to my corner. For this camp I pushed myself harder and I'm in a lot better shape for this fight” said Mayweather.

Floyd definitely isn’t over looking Guerrero at all as he refused to entertain any questions regarding possible future opponents as his entire focus is on this upcoming bout. But one thing he did confirm is that he will be fighting again this year as it will make for his most active year since 2007.

“Yes, yes. Floyd Mayweather will be fighting in September. If I'm not mistaken its September. I don't know the exact date but it’s September” shared a smiling Mayweather.

Floyd looked to be in phenomenal shape as he worked out for the media and put on a solid and intense workout he considered to be light.


Source:boxingscene

Ruben Guerrero: Mayweather Getting Beat Up in Sparring

Ruben Guerrero, the outspoken father/trainer of Robert "The Ghost" Guerrero (31-1-1, 18KOs), tells BoxingScene.com that he heard rumblings that Floyd Mayweather Jr. (43-0, 26Kos) is getting worked over by his sparring partners. Guerrero challenges Mayweather on May 4th at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Showtime Pay-Per-View will televise.

Both Mayweather and Guerrero are holding their training camps in Las Vegas. Ruben believes his information is valid, because on Wednesday at a media workout at the Mayweather Boxing Club - it was pretty clear that Mayweather was sporting a bruise under his right eye.

"I seen that black eye on him. If he thinks he's getting beat up in sparring wait until May 4. He's gonna get a real beatdown [that day]. He better be ready that's all I'm saying because Robert wants this. He's ready and he's a warrior with Mexican blood. We fight till the death. Robert wants to put a beating on this guy and its gonna take every Mayweather in that ring to beat my son. And if the father wants a old school beating I have one for him too. Viva Mexico! Viva California! Viva Texas! We want this! Let's go," Ruben said.

Ruben says he is not intimidated by going against the training duo of Floyd Mayweather Sr. and his brother Roger Mayweather.

"If you got two trainers you got nothing. Floyd Sr. is a puppet, all he does is talk. Roger is the real trainer who does mitts and everything. The other guy is a cheerleader man. What type of head trainer doesn't do mitts with his fighter? Lil Floyd Jr. just feels bad cause he treated his father like sh*t on TV. If I were Roger I wouldn't allow these fools to do that. He trained Floyd Jr. his whole career and the other guy is here for the paycheck," Ruben said.

Source:
boxingscene

De La Hoya: Canelo Right To Pull Off Mayweather Show

Oscar De La Hoya, who is Canelo Alvarez’s promoter, explains that if he were in the same position as Alvarez, he would have also pulled off the May 4 card that will be headlined by the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Robert Guerrero

As most boxing fans are well aware, Alvarez was originally slated for a 154-pound title unification fight on that show in Las Vegas, but made the decision to back out of that in favor of headlining his own show, which is slated to take place Saturday at the Alamodome in San Antonio. His opponent will be the estimable Austin Trout, whose claim to fame, as it stands now, is a victory over Miguel Cotto at Madison Square Garden in December.

Alvarez’s position all along, as far as he explains it, was that he was not particularly interested in being the main support for Mayweather’s fight, but it was his understanding that a bout with Mayweather, which would have produced by far the largest purse of his career, would be taking place in September.

Mayweather is the type who doesn’t seem to want to commit to anything in writing, looking to leave his options open, and apparently he was not ready to put his name on the dotted line toward such a thing. At that point, it became a matter of whether Alvarez was willing to place himself in a certain position without having any assurances.

Obviously, he did not.

This, Alvarez is engaging in a branding exercise of sorts; his evaluation, and that of his handlers, is that being the top dog on his own show was better than being second banana at someone else’s party. It is his way of demonstrating that he can garner big ratings and a big live audience without having to be someone’s foil.

Source:boxinginsider

Mayweather vs Guerrero: Floyd Sr says relationship with Roger is 'so-so'

Floyd Mayweather Sr says things aren't great between he and brother Roger, the man he replaced as Floyd Mayweather's lead trainer for Floyd's May 4 fight.

With Roger Mayweather reportedly having some awkward moments in camp now that he's essentially been demoted to an assistant trainer for his nephew, new lead trainer Floyd Mayweather Sr acknowledges that the relationship between he and his brother isn't exactly great at the moment:

"It's so-so. The only thing I'm saying is this, sometimes he comes to gym and we don't speak. I'll sit right there and he walks right past me. We're family man, speak. That's what I do. When I come in, I got manners and very good manners. When someone comes by you and don't speak -- I mean, come on, man. It ain't cool, whether it's family or it just be another person."

Floyd Sr and Roger, like Sr and his son, have long had a contentious relationship. Roger's "demotion" is reportedly due to his having some health issues, but Floyd Jr has said himself that he wanted to focus more on defense this camp, and that's where Sr is known as a master trainer.

Like always, it's hard to tell what's real and what's just needling with this situation. This is a group of guys that have in the past seemed almost unable to talk about one another even in a positive way without taking some minor jab. But I think it's pretty clear that Roger isn't exactly cool with his role and Floyd Sr replacing him as lead trainer. For the most part, he's not saying anything about it, but this stuff isn't coming from nowhere, obviously.

Source:badlefthook

The Week’s Boxing Schedule

Saul “Canelo” Alvarez vs. Austin Trout, Saturday, Showtime, San Antonio. This fight excites me in ways I’m not sure I understand. There will be lots of coverage of it here on TQBR this week. Two boxers in their prime, at the top of their weight division are fighting – something that doesn’t happen all that often, sadly. My two cents, briefly – Alvarez (41-0-1, 30 KO) will win this one. I think the kid from Jalisco is something special – a true boxer-puncher. Trout (26-0, 14 KO) impressed against Miguel Cotto, but Alvarez is bigger, meaner and stronger than Cotto. His combinations are things of beauty. I think Trout will have moments of success on the outside, but Canelo will do more damage and win more rounds on his way to a decision.
Javier Fortuna vs. Miguel Zamudio, Friday, ESPN2, Atlantic City. There was a time when featherweight prospect Javier Fortuna (21-0, KO 15) was the talk of the town. The Dominican prospect is a huge puncher and through 2011 and 2013 knocked out a succession of increasingly impressive gatekeepers and fringe contenders. Then he fought Snooki-managed presumed no-hoper Patrick Hyland on the undercard of Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez III and did not shine as expected. Perhaps it was a blip, or maybe “El Abejon” is just limited. I don’t think we’ll find out against Sinaloa’s Miguel Zamudio (25-1-1, 13 KO). There’s no doubt the Mexican is tough (Everlast should probably change its slogan from “Nothing Soft Comes Out of the Bronx” to “Nothing Soft Comes Out of Sinaloa”), but he’s wild and slow. Fortuna’s fast wide punches are going to land before his slow wide punches and it’s going to be lights out. Tune in to see a highlight reel knockout.
Tyson Fury vs. Steve Cunningham, Saturday, NBC, New York. It’s the most obvious analysis in the world, but I think Steve Cunningham (25-5, 12 KO) is just too small a heavyweight to threaten Tyson Fury (20-0, 14 KO). Fury is half a foot taller than the Philly fighter. Yes, Fury at times seems like he’s all over the shop in terms of footwork and basic skills, but I can’t imagine how Cunningham will be able to get to him without getting his head punched off. Add to that Cunningham’s at times iffy punch resistance a lack of punching power and if you can work out a way for him to win, post it in the comments.
Nathan Cleverly vs. Robin Crasniqi, Saturday, Epix, London. Light heavyweight Nathan Cleverly (39-2, 15 KO), a mathematician by trade, has rather cleverly (see what I did there?) got himself a belt and used it as a tool to fight a procession of no-names. Germany’s Robin Crasniqi (39-2, 15 KO) is absolutely no exception. Meh. Lovable rogue/madman Dereck Chisora (15-4, 9 KO) fights Hector Alfredo Avila (20-12-1, 13 KO) in a heavyweight clash on the undercard. This is an easy one for Chisora, who probably deserves considering his punishing recent schedule – losing to Robert Helenius, Vitali Klitschko and David Haye on the trot.
Victor Terrazas vs. Cristian Mijares, Saturday, UniMas, Mexico City. This could be the hidden gem of the week, friends – a clash between Victor Terrazas (36-2-1, 21 KO) and Cristian Mijares (47-6-2, 22 KO), the Transnational Boxing Ranking Board’s #4 and #7 junior featherweights, respectively. There’s a nice Mexican rivalry going on, with Terrazas hailing from Guadalajara while Mijares calls Mexico City home. Terrazas is the fresher here, but will have to deal his southpaw countryman’s awkwardness. “El Vikingo” lost to a similarly awkward lefty in Rendall Munroe back in 2010. I like him to win this time, but he’ll have to keep Mijares on the back foot.
The Rest. Already covered most of it, but there are a few more un-televised offerings, the most notable being the junior middleweight fight between Brian Rose and Joachim Alcine in Blackpool, England. Featherweight Lee Selby fights on the undercard… Episode two of Showtime’s All Access documentary/infomercial on Floyd Mayweather vs. Robert Guerrero premieres on Wednesday.