![\"LE\"](\"http:\/\/ringsidereport.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2015\/08\/LE.jpg\")
<\/a>“Leonard Ellerbe is trying to sell ice to Eskimos!”.—Buddy Ruffin, JR., Coffeyville, KS, President of the Leonard Ellerebe Go Sit Down Somewhere with the BS Fan Club (125,000,000,001 member and none of us are full of BS!)<\/strong><\/p>\nFloyd \u201cMoney\u201d Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) opened up the Mayweather Boxing Club on Wednesday for his last media day ever as he prepares for the last fight of a celebrated 19-year career. He will defend his WBC and WBA Welterweight World Championships against power-punching, two-time welterweight world champion Andre Berto (30-3, 23 KOs) on Saturday, Sept. 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME PPV\u00ae (8 p.m. ET\/5 p.m. PT).<\/p>\n
If triumphant, Mayweather would match the record of the late heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, who retired in April 1956 with a record of 49-0.<\/p>\n
Television camera crews, newspaper columnists, boxing writers, radio broadcasters, web reporters and photographers watched as boxing\u2019s perennial pound for pound king and 12-time world champion in five weight classes went through approximately a 45-minute workout, which consisted of about 35 minutes of sparring.<\/p>\n
Before a training session that was hosted by TV & CBS Radio personality Big Tigger and Emmy\u00ae Award-winning sports reporter Mark Kriegel and streamed in high definition across multiple platforms, including via satellite feed, YouTube and social media, Mayweather took questions from the media inside a specially-constructed tent in a parking lot outside the gym.<\/p>\n
Promoted by Mayweather Promotions, the Sept. 12 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\u00ae will support the event with the Sports Emmy\u00ae Award-winning series ALL ACCESS.<\/p>\n
In world championship fights on the pay-per-view telecast, Roman \u201cRocky\u201d Martinez (29-2-2, 17 KOs) will defend his WBO Junior Lightweight title in a rematch against four-time world champion Orlando \u201cSiri\u201d Salido (42-13-2, 29 KOs), and Badou Jack \u201cThe Ripper\u201d (19-1-1, 12 KOs) will make the initial defense of his WBC Super Middleweight World title against mandatory challenger \u201cSaint\u201d George Groves (21-2, 16 KOs). The opening fight of the telecast will feature former three-time world champion and Mexican power-puncher Jhonny Gonzalez (58-9, 49 KOs) against Puerto Rico\u2019s Jonathan \u201cPolvo\u201d Oquendo (25-4, 16 KOs) in a 10-round junior lightweight scrap.<\/p>\n
Plus, former 154-pound world champion Ishe Smith (27-7, 12 KOs) will be opposed by longtime top-five contender Vanes Martirosyan (35-2-1, 21 KOs) in the 90-minute COUNTDOWN LIVE: MAYWEATHER vs. BERTO\u201d preshow on Saturday, September 12.<\/p>\n
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions LLC., are priced at $1,500, $1,000, $750, $500, $300 and $150 and are on sale now. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per household for all ticket prices except the $150 ticket category, which is limited to four (4) per household. To charge by phone or with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.<\/p>\n
What Mayweather, Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe, WBC Super Middleweight World Champion, Badou Jack and Mayweather Promotions\u2019 Ishe Smith said Wednesday:<\/p>\n
Floyd Mayweather<\/p>\n
\u201cBerto can fight. He\u2019s a two-time champion. He\u2019s hungry. He comes to wage a war. There is never a dull moment when he fights so I expect a hell of a fight out of him. We\u2019ll all see how it plays out.<\/p>\n
\u201cMy last fight, all you guys put [Manny] Pacquiao on a pedestal and look what happened. I went in there and did what I needed to do, which is win.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis fight, no matter who the opponent, somebody would have something critical or negative to say. Some people are never satisfied. But I\u2019m satisfied.<\/p>\n
\u201cAll 48 of my fights have been hard. None have been easy. All played a major key. It\u2019s the \u2018Mayweather Era.\u2019 I feel that every fighter is an artist and they all take pictures their own way. I\u2019m just one of the very best artists.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019ve truly been blessed. I\u2019ve taken my time, kept my eye on the prize and done what I\u2019ve had to do. So I\u2019m able to make a choice when to retire. Most fighters really couldn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoxing has always been work to me, a job. If I could say anything to a youngster taking up boxing it would be to \u201cbe smart and not take a lot of punches. It\u2019s called the sweet science for a reason. Hit and not be hit, make a lot of money without taking a lot of punishment. That\u2019s what it\u2019s about.<\/p>\n
\u201cNobody knows what the future holds, but right now, I\u2019m cool and comfortable and having no second thoughts at all about retirement. I had a good career, I won every world title, but boxing is wear and tear on the body. It\u2019s time to hang \u2018em up. I\u2019m looking forward to working with some up-and-coming kids, going on walks, and taking vacations.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Leonard Ellerbe<\/p>\n
\u201cAll people are saying is that Berto is 3-3 in his last six fights but Pacquiao was 3-3 in his last six fights, too. Cotto has lost two of his last five fights. But they\u2019re both headed to the Hall of Fame.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe know Berto is coming to fight, that he is coming to win and shock the world. There\u2019s no way Floyd takes him lightly. He is working just as hard for this fight as he did the previous 48.<\/p>\n
\u201cFloyd is my friend, we\u2019re family, but I commend and applaud him for doing what he\u2019s done, what he\u2019s accomplished, how successful he is, how successful he\u2019s been from 1996 to now.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s truly remarkable. To be able to walk away on his own terms, to follow his own game plan, is unbelievable. At 38, he\u2019s got a boatload of money in the bank, all his faculties and he did it his way. This is the American Dream.<\/p>\n
“Floyd could fight as long as he wants, if that were what he wanted to do. People don’t understand what goes into his craft. He trains around the clock. He’s given his life to his career. He’s ready to ride off on to the next phase of his life. He’s earned that right.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe made a commitment and we are following his contract. Besides, how much is enough? How much can one ask of somebody? How much more can he make?\u2019<\/p>\n
“This will be Floyd’s last fight. I’m very excited for him. He’s done it his way. He’s had an illustrious career and I know he’s very comfortable with what he’s been able to accomplish.\u201d<\/p>\n
Badou Jack<\/p>\n
\u201cHonestly, I think this fight could steal the show and will be the fight of the night. This will be very, very entertaining.<\/p>\n
\u201cGroves is definitely a good, tough fighter, He has a lot of speed, a lot of heart. I respect him. . He fought Carl Froch twice. But I\u2019m not Froch and don\u2019t fight like Froch. We have different styles.<\/p>\n
\u201cThis is my first defense and I\u2019m very excited about it, but I have always maintained an underdog mentality, and that will never change. I\u2019m trying to stay humble. I\u2019m still the same guy but by becoming a world champion it has only made me work even harder.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m still learning, working hard. I know I can\u2019t look past anyone. There are a lot of potential really big fights in the future \u2013 and I want to fight the best no matter if it is GGG, Andre Ward, whoever.<\/p>\n
\u201cBut right now my only focus is on the game plan and executing it. I\u2019m really looking forward to fighting [George] Groves and winning on Sept. 12.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n
Ishe Smith<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m not going to make any predictions. I\u2019m just going to go out and do what I do and that\u2019s give 100 percent.<\/p>\n
\u201cI will say this, though, if he thinks he is going to knock me out, like he\u2019s saying, it\u2019s going to be a very entertaining fight.<\/p>\n
\u201cI won a world title as a B-side, but I feel I\u2019m the A-side in this fight. I\u2019ve fought the best in the division for years and years, I\u2019ve sparred with the best.<\/p>\n
\u201cMartirosyan is a good dude and has a nice family, but he hasn\u2019t been in with guys like I have. Guys that are better and hit a lot harder than him. I\u2019ve never been down. I\u2019ve never taken an eight-count. I\u2019m 34 years old and never been hurt and he says he\u2019s gonna stop me. That\u2019s just crazy.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m betting on my chin, that\u2019s for sure. He couldn\u2019t knock out [Jermell] Charlo in his last fight. He made all kind of excuses for losing. The reason he lost was because he lost to a better fighter.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf he wants to go for the KO, fine; if that\u2019s his focus. For me, I\u2019m not thinking KO. I\u2019m just thinking winning.\u2019\u2019<\/p>\n