Oscar De La Hoya has been known to send a couple shockwaves through the Boxing world, a recent tweet has fight fans buzzing about an epic showdown in the 122 pound division.

On Sept. 18, De La Hoya tweeted, “Mi gallo Leo Santa Cruz esta disponible a pelear con quién sea. Abner Mares o Rigo desde el Staples center en Los Angeles, que les parece” De La Hoya is letting his followers know that his guy, Santa Cruz, is able to fight against anyone, including Mares or Guillermo Rigondeaux from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Santa Cruz (28-0, 16 KOs) has never been one to give excuses to why he cannot fight certain fighters, so if De La Hoya is serious about the Santa Cruz-Mares matchup, it would be a favorable fight and an immense seller in Los Angeles, where both fighters are well known.

After Santa Cruz’ knockout victory in the second round against Manuel Roman (17-3-3, 6 KOs) fight fans did not seem to be impressed with the matchup, especially on the Mayweather-Maidana undercard.

Santa Cruz had stated that Roman used to be a sparring partner and he was a tough guy. He felt Roman deserved the chance to go up against him as his first 12 round bout in his professional career. The fight ended shortly after Santa Cruz caught Roman with a straight right and knocked him down, ending the fight. Santa Cruz stated later on during a press conference that night that he wants Rigondeaux, Scott Quigg or Carl Frampton next.

The most exciting fight for boxing fans that would happen between the three of Leo’s choices of contenders would have to be Rigondeaux (14-0, 9 KOs.). Rigondeaux, a 33-year-old out of Cuba, also has Santa Cruz under his radar. Rigondeaux is a tough contender who brings the heat every time he steps into the ring. Like Santa Cruz, Rigondeaux lands his shots very precisely, where he wants them to be landed. This would be an interesting fight to make, however it would not sell in Los Angeles like Santa Cruz vs. Mares would.

Santa Cruz, 26, is out of Michoacán, Mexico and ready for whatever fight he has set up for him in the future. He has never been the type of fighter to pick and choose who he wants to fight but he takes the fights that are presented to him. He recently vacated his bantamweight title in order to move up in weight and is looking for the next best fight.

Mares (27-1, 14 KOs) is coming off a win against Jonathan Oquendo back in July, Most boxing fans were disappointed with Mares’ performance, claiming that if this is the “new Mares,” they did not like what they saw. Mares recently began training out of the Bay Area with Virgil Hunter, who also trains well-known names such as Amir Khan, Alfredo Angulo and Andre Ward.

Santa Cruz is currently the WBC junior featherweight champion. He has stated in many interviews that he is ready for whatever fight comes his way and he works hard to prove that he is the best. With Santa Cruz’s style of fighting, he steps inside the ring to deliver many fast, landing punches in order to bring the crowd an entertaining fight.

A fight between Santa Cruz and Mares would be an exciting fight for both fighters fans, having been disappointed with both their previous match-ups. With De La Hoya putting Mares’ name on the table, Santa Cruz should stick to his “ready-to-go” attitude and pick up this fight if it is offered in Los Angeles, where both fighters have a huge fan base.

– Kiana Medina

For the co-main event of the Mayhem card, Leo Santa Cruz (27-0) won by TKO in the second round to former sparring partner Manuel Roman (17-2). Santa Cruz giving his opponent more credit than most fight fans did, by saying Roman is dangerous and deserves the opportunity.

For the first round, Santa Cruz quickly applied the pressure and Roman covered up on the inside absorbing a lot of punishment. The second round, and what was the last round of the fight, saw a strong right hand from Leo Santa Cruz that landed to the cheek of Roman, sending him to the canvas. Although Roman was able to get up before the ten count, he stumbled and forced the referee to end the fight. This was a quick precise performance from Santa Cruz who will have his eyes set on the higher ranked fighters.

Santa Cruz stated before he is ready to take on the bigger name fighters in his weight division. For his post-fight interview Santa Cruz called Guillermo Rigondeaux, “I’m not scared, I’m ready”. We shall see if both teams can make that fight, but for now Santa Cruz remains undefeated and still the WBC Super Bantamweight Champ.

In the lackluster fight between Miguel Vasquez (34-3) and Mickey Bey (20-1) for the IBF lightweight title, Bey became the new champ in a shocking result. For twelve rounds, both fighters threw wild punches, not connecting much and never able to find their range.

Vasquez fought in his usual awkward style, and Bey had a hard time being quick to the draw. The only exciting moment of the fight was the reading of the scorecards. Lederman scored the bout 115-113 for Bey. Judge Adalaide Byrd scored the bout 115-113 for Vasquez. The shocker came from judge Robery Hoyle who scored the bout 119-109 for Bey, to have his hands raised and hear, “And New”. This was shocking result as many had Vasquez up on the cards, only for the judges to think otherwise.

Kicking off the night in Sin City, for the opening bout on PPV, James De la Rosa (22-4) won by unanimous decision against Alfredo Angulo (22-2). The two middleweights went all ten rounds, but not in the best fashion. De la Rosa began the fight switching stances, using his movement to hit Angulo from all angles. Angulo went down in round two and suffered a cut over the right eye in round six. Angulo was deducted a point for a low blow after several warnings in round seven. With the referee warning Angulo’s trainer, Virgil Hunter, of stopping the fight, Angulo came out into round nine with speed and power. De la Rosa being drawn into more exchanges, gave Angulo more of an advantage in round nine and ten. With no more rounds left, it just wasn’t enough for the 32 year old Angulo. With judges scoring 98-90, 96-92, 99-89 James De la Rosa improved to 23-2 and celebrated with a back flip in center ring.

– Leann Perez / @LeannPerez_

– Contributor for www.BehindtheGloves.com

Fifteen years after the release of The Matrix, the boxing world appears to have it’s own version of the hit-movie.

The mysterious and somewhat allusive Al Haymon has created a fictitious world in which his fighters operate in. A man who seems to suffer from a social-anxiety disorder is the most talked about person in the sport.

You rarely see a video interview with an American-based fighter that does not mention Haymon. Why does he have such an iron grip on the sport?

I could fill the rest of this story with who he represents, but what is most concerning for me is what Haymon’s exact goal in boxing is? Is there a dollar amount?

Of course that must have a significant importance on his agenda. We all get up in the morning and commute somewhere for the exchange of crisp currency for service. But Haymon was already a wealthy man before boxing, culminating a treasure chest of booty from representing some of the largest American artists in history.

Another concern is the fear that his fighters seem to have in calling another fighter out.

Why the reluctance? Do you get penalized? Whatever happened to YOLO?
Boxing can be a short, tough career. Surely a fighter would want to create their own legacy. Right?

Recently we have seen super lightweight champion Danny Garcia slaughtered for his fight against Rod Salka, a man should have served as a sparring partner at best.

Adrien Broner beat Emanuel Taylor as expected last week. During his post-fight interview, Broner’s response to who he would like to fight next seemed scripted.

“My next opponent should be Lucas Matthysse,” Broner said.

Broner didn’t say “I would like” or “I want.” His response was “should.”

What ever happened to fighters calling fighters out? The best wanting to fight the best. Bernard Hopkins has spoken out about this trend recently, which prompted him to agree to fight Sergey Kovalev.

This trend has become a cancer for the sport and it needs to be fixed.
This Saturday, Haymon’s stable-stud Floyd Mayweather Jr. will take on Marcos Maidana in a rematch from their May encounter. The undercard is one of the weakest cards I’ve seen recently. I’m a huge Mayweather fan, but if I lived in America, I would struggle to justify paying $75 for the event, based on the Mayhem undercard.

Haymon represents WBC super bantamweight champion Leo Santa Cruz, who has often stated he would like to fight Carl Frampton or Scott Quigg. But what happens when their representatives reach out to each other? Excuses about why these fights can not happen.

In Santa Cruz’ case, a “0” on a fighter’s record doesn’t mean anything if they have not fought the best competition in their division. That’s just my opinion.

Boxing needs a fighter represented by Haymon to break free from “The Matrix” and I’m betting on Keith Thurman. Thurman has called out the almighty hierarchy. He is one of the few fighters that call out other fighters. Thurman wants to fight Top Rank fighters and guys like Broner and Amir Khan.
I admire Thurman’s bravado. It appears it’s only a matter of time before he is banished in exile for desecrating his “cherry-picking path” or we walks on his own accord.

So Keith, do you take the blue or red pill?

– Paul Ready / @PaulReady

– Contributor to www.BehindtheGloves.com

CLOSED CIRCUIT TICKETS FOR “MAYHEM: MAYWEATHER VS. MAIDANA 2″ ARE ON SALE NOW

 FOUR-FIGHT PPV EVENT TO BE TELECAST ON THE BIG SCREEN SATURDAY, SEPT. 13

 TICKETS ONLY $75 EACH

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 5, 2014) -We are just over a week to go until “MAYHEM: Floyd Mayweather vs. Marcos Maidana 2″ and for the boxing fans who can’t make it to the MGM Grand Garden Arena and still want to experience this event live, Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions are pleased to announce that several Las Vegas locations will be offering closed-circuit telecasts of “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2.”

Tickets for the closed circuit telecasts are priced at $75, not including handling fees. All seats are general admission and select venues are on sale now. Tickets can be purchased via Ticketmaster (800-745-3000),www.ticketmaster.com, MGM Resorts International Contact Center (866-740-7711), and all MGM Resorts International ticket offices. You must be 21 years of age or older to purchase tickets.

**Guests are encouraged to pick up their tickets at least 4 hours prior to event time to prevent waiting in long lines at event time.

Properties hosting these telecasts are MGM Grand Premier Ballroom, Monte Carlo Diablos, Monte Carlo The Pub, Monte Carlo Double Barrel, Mirage Events Center and Bellagio Hyde Lounge.

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” a 12-round world championship bout for FMayweather’s WBA Welterweight Belt and WBC Welterweight and Super Welterweight World Titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts, “The Equalizer” in theaters Sept. 26 and The Mexican Tourism Board – Mexico: Live it to Believe It!. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV^® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT) and is the fourth fight of a six-fight deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. In the co-main event, Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC Super Bantamweight Title against Manuel Roman in a 12-round bout and Miguel Vazquez faces IBF Lightweight World Championship in a 12-round bout for the IBF Lightweight World Championship. In the PPV opener, Alfredo Angulo squares off against James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout (162 lbs.). The event will be available in Spanish through secondary audio programming (SAP).

Mayweather vs. Maidana will be shown on the big screen in over 500 movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. For more information visit www.FathomEvents.com

Information provided via press release

LAS VEGAS (Sept. 3, 2014) - Undefeated 11-time, five-division world champion and perennial pound-for-pound king Floyd “Money” Mayweather (46-0, 26 KOs) participated in a media workout on Tuesday, 11 days before his rematch with exciting Argentine slugger and former welterweight world champion Marcos “El Chino” Maidana (35-4, 31 KOs) in the main event of  “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2” on Saturday, Sept. 13 live on SHOWTIME PPV^® (8 p.m., ET/5 p.m., PT) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Dozens of television camera crews, radio newscasters, newspaper and web reporters, photographers and (video) bloggers were on hand to watch Mayweather work out Tuesday at the Mayweather Boxing Club. The media workout was streamed live via satellite feed, YouTube, Ustream, www.mayweatherpromotions.com, www.goldenboypromotions.com and TheBoxingBlog.SHO.com.

Mayweather worked out for close to two hours. He shadow-boxed, hit the mitts, did calisthenics, worked the speed bag, jumped rope, smacked the heavy bag, did stretching exercises, sit-ups, stand-ups, posed for photos, signed autographs and conducted copious amounts of interviews, some in groups and others one-on-one as soul and rhythm and blues music blared in the background.

Also participating in the media workout was “The Money Team” mainstay, the talented Mickey “The Spirit” Bey (20-1-1, 10 KOs) who challenges IBF lightweight world champion and winner of 13 in a row, Miguel “Títere” Vazquez (34-3, 13 KOs) in a 12-rounder on the four-fight pay-per-view telecast. In other fights, popular, unbeaten WBC super bantamweight champion Leo “El Teremoto” Santa Cruz (27-0-1, 15 KOs) defends against Mexico’s Manuel “Suavecito” Roman (17-2-3, 6 KOs) and Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo (22-4, 18 KOs) takes on James De La Rosa (22-2, 13 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight bout.

Preceding the PPV telecast, SHOWTIME will present a live 10-round junior welterweight bout between John Molina Jr. (27-4, 22 KOs) and Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (64-8-2, 35 KOs) on “COUNTDOWN LIVE” (7 p.m., ET/4 p.m., PT).

Here’s what Mayweather, Bey, Mayweather’s trainer, Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe said during Tuesday’s workout:

FLOYD MAYWEATHER, 11-time world champion

“This is a remarkable turnout and I appreciate the media who came out today. I’ve had a tremendous training camp and worked very hard. I’m mentally and physically prepared. I’m doing this fight for the fans. The fans have been with me for 18 years. It’s because of them I’m here today. I have to embrace the fans.

“This fight is about the sport of boxing. Fans wanted to see this fight. They like to see excitement. Why not do it again? [Marcos] Maidana is a hard worker who is coming to fight. My job is to be patient and smart and to entertain.

“The first few rounds were exciting last time and then I turned it around in the second half. I expect to throw more combinations this time. I can’t say if the rematch will be easier. I won the first fight; it’s up to him to change. The champ can make adjustments and I can be especially smart about it. Nobody can solve the ‘May-Vinci code.’

“Watching a fight from the outside is totally different than from what’s going on in the inside. He may have been attacking but I was countering, throwing body shots. That affected his thought process and he fought different after that.

“I always find a way. Whether I am 26 or 37, I still find the way to win. I guess when you win all 12 rounds or 10-plus rounds so many times, fans and the media get spoiled. The bar is set so high. I fight not only my opponent but everybody, the biased fans, the biased critics.

“But I was the one who set the bar so I can understand. But it’s not about silencing critics at this point. My thing is I have to take care of my children and family. My job is to do what I what I do best. My job is to be Floyd Mayweather.

“People are entitled to their opinions. They are entitled to believe what they want to believe but when you reach this level that I’m at, there are always those taking shots at you. I don’t worry about that. Taking shots at me only comes with the territory. If you want to believe lies or rumors, that only makes my story better.

“I’m one of those who trains every day. I look and feel strong. I’ve dedicated myself to training. The other day I went 14 nonstop rounds. As I get older, I grow mentally if not also physically.

“I’m going strong and my team is going strong. SHOWTIME and CBS are the best. They gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse.

“I don’t really focus on who I might fight next or how many times I’ll fight but my job is to take it one fight at a time. We’ll see how it plays out on September 13 and go from there.

“One day I want to go into the Hall of Fame, not as one of the all-time best but the best.”

MICKEY BEY, lightweight contender

“The world title fight for me is huge and it just shows that being patient and doing the hard work pays off. I’ve had a lot of interruptions but you just have to stay patient, stick with it without losing focus, training hard and never think about quitting or giving up.

“It’s gonna be a big night on September 13. It’s been about a year’s wait for me but look at that as a positive because it gave me more time to perfect my craft. I had so many breaks with no fights but I just had to stay dedicated, keep looking at it as a positive thing and keep learning.

“[Miguel] Vazquez is a legit champion with several title defenses. I give full credit to him. He’s rated number one at lightweight. That’s what makes it better for me. A lot of people complain that guys are fighting for vacant titles or cherry-picking. I just love the biggest challenges and coming out on top and that is what I’m gonna do on September 13. We’re both stepping up and I’m the underdog.

“I prefer this. I don’t need the easy route. I’m finally where I’d be if I hadn’t had all the inactivity. So I’m gonna kill all the birds with one stone. People don’t know how hungry or determined I am. You never know who’s gonna come out on top in this game. You never know for sure what the guy has inside and you never know what a fighter’s gonna bring that night. So you’ve got to be ready.

“There’s no added pressure on me. Every promoter has fighters that lose. I’m just glad that I finally get to step up for a title against a legitimate champion and can become a world champion. That is definitely big for me.

“Camp was excellent. I learned from the [John] Molina fight. I’d won every round but the only thing I shouldn’t have done was showboated at the very end. Nobody beat Molina like I beat him, not even [Lucas] Matthysse. Matthysse had problems with him.

“So I learned the hard way that you don’t play around until after the bell rings and the fight is over.”

FLOYD MAYWEATHER SR., father/trainer of Floyd Mayweather

“Maidana is going to get his butt whooped again, just in a more fashionable way this time around.

“Floyd beat Maidana in the first fight and there’s really nothing else to say.

“I am going to have Floyd do a lot of things differently in this fight than he did during the first fight.

“I am going to tell you something; something was on Floyd’s mind that day and the Lord is my witness. He finally came around and told us all what it was about. Floyd is going to give Maidana a boxing clinic this time around.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“Nothing has changed now that we are taking the lead and promoting Floyd’s fight. And Floyd plays a big part in that as well. He is there every step of the way and makes decisions on all of the major creative and marketing areas that goes into selling one of his fights. But that has been the case for many, many fights now. Floyd is always hands-on. He’s been making the decisions then and now.

“Personally there is no difference now that Mayweather Promotions is the main promoter. The whole licensing thing is simply a formality. We’ve been putting in the work for years but just haven’t been getting the credit.

“It’s hard work combined with marketing that will allow you to make the crossover to the masses. You have to go beyond the diehard boxing fans to reach a bigger audience and make a PPV fight a success.

“This fight is a must-see fight. The first fight was a tremendous fight. Maidana and a lot of his fans thought that he won the fight. The judges saw a very close fight with Floyd getting the nod. We know coming into this fight that anything can happen. It’s important for the fans to tune in because you never know what will happen on September 13.

“Being able to witness the greatest fighter to ever do it, it can’t be explained what a wonderful opportunity it is. It’s all history in the making.

“Floyd has superhuman powers. He is an incredible athlete. What other athlete in sports has been undefeated in anything over the last 16-to-17 years? Who else has dominated their sport over that long of a period of time? Floyd Mayweather has been undefeated since 1996.

“You can’t look past September 13. ‘Mayhem: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2.’ We just had a fighter get knocked out who was the heavy favorite going into a fight. We are not looking past Marcos Maidana.We know he has tremendous punching power; when he hits guys, they fall. He’s been in the ring with Floyd and he has a tremendous amount of confidence coming into this fight.

“Maidana has done a lot of trash talking because of that supreme confidence that he has. He is going to come in tremendous shape and Floyd will have his hands full. It’s going to be great; this fight will be better than the first fight.”

“MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2,” a 12-round, world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBA welterweight belt and WBC welterweight and super welterweight world titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 13 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions, Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona Extra, O’Reilly Auto Parts, “The Equalizer” (in theaters Sept. 26) and the Mexican Tourism Board – “Mexico: Live it to Believe It!.” The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV^® (8 p.m., ET/5 p.m., PT) and is the fourth fight of a six-fight deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. In the co-main event, Leo Santa Cruz defends his WBC super bantamweight title against Manuel Roman in a 12-round bout and Miguel Vazquez faces Mickey Bey in a 12-round bout for the IBF lightweight world championship. In the PPV opener, Alfredo Angulo squares off against James De La Rosa in a 10-round middleweight bout (162 pounds). The event will be available in Spanish through secondary audio programming (SAP).

Mayweather vs. Maidana 2 will be shown on the big screen in over 500 movie theaters across the country via Fathom Events. For more information, visit www.FathomEvents.com.“MAYHEM: MAYWEATHER VS. MAIDANA 2″ ON SATURDAY, SEPT. 13

AT THE MGM GRAND GARDEN ARENA IN LAS VEGAS LIVE ON SHOWTIME PAY-PER-VIEW^®

WATCH A REPLAY OF THE WORKOUT LIVE STREAM HERE,

Click HERE For Photos From Esther Lin/Showtime

Click HERE For Photos From Idris Erba/Mayweather Promotions

Information courtesy of press release

Photo by Esther Lin/Showtime

Hearns, Leonard, Duran, Camacho, and Hagler, names of boxing legends who wouldn’t know what the phrase “cherry picking” means when it came to their careers. Not only were these guys some of the greatest middleweights of all time, but they all fought each other. Not because they had to, but because they knew they would produce some of the best fights in boxing history. Marvin “The Marvelous” Hagler finished his career with a record of 62-3 against Sugar Ray Leonard in 1987. Roberto Duran having 119 fights before ending his career fighting Hector Camacho in 2001, Leonard’s last fight was also with Camacho in 1997.

Coming into the present, 2014 has become the year of the “cherry pickers”, making boxing matches not as exciting as they were in the 80’s and early 90’s. With ratings at surprisingly low numbers, and ticket sales barely breaking the bank, fans are desperately looking forward to seeing their favorite fighters take the next step. Danny “Swift” Garcia found himself in tough opposition when he fought Mauricio Herrera back in March. Garcia got the decision, but fans felt the win was deserved by Hererra. Garcia chose to redeem his career by taking on opponent Rod Salka just last month. Salka (at the time 19-3) was ranked number 78 in the lightweight division, as opposed to Garcia who is number one and the current WBC/WBA Light Welterweight Champ. Garcia took Salka out quickly in the second round, but received a lot of low blows from fans for his 33 to 1 underdog opponent.

Garcia never had any comment on how he truly felt about his opponent, and getting a comment from Manager Al Haymon is like expecting money to fall off trees. Haymon seemed to have the same idea in mind for WBC Super Bantamweight Champ Leo Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz (27-0) is on his way to the top, but should be fighting the bigger names in his division like Frampton, Quigg, and Rigondeaux. Santa Cruz has definitely made his statements about how he is not scared to fight anyone, however when asked about his next opponent Manuel Roman, Santa Cruz stated he was a good fighter but not really well known. Feeling that maybe his next opponent isn’t up to par, Santa Cruz stated in a recent interview, “I’m not here to say who I want to fight, I’m here to obey.” While that’s correct to being a signed fighter under contract, any boxer should have the opportunity to express who they would like to fight, since after all it is their careers. Although Santa Cruz has gone on to state he is willing to fight any of the big names in 2015.

Gabriel Rosado definitely feels the same. Rosado, a middleweight from Philly, fed up with the politics that come with boxing, took his career to a new organization called Big Knockout Boxing. BKB takes boxing to a whole new level, by taking away the ring, and forcing fighters to fight more in the pocket. Rosado made his BKB debut facing Brian Vera and getting the knockout to become the BKB Middleweight Champ. Before BKB, Rosado faced a lot of tough opposition and often came up short, although you could easily argue some of his losses for wins. Rosado was well on his way to the top of the middleweight division, but by taking the losses from big names like Golovkin, Quillin, and Charlo, Rosado found his career going into the direction of becoming more of a second tier fighter. Disgusted with the cards Rosado was being dealt, he took control of his career, and is now off to a strong start with BKB. After his win Rosado took his opinion to Twitter, “They say they wanna see me in a real boxing ring. But the boxing business is filled with frauds. So what’s really real?”

So who’s right and who’s wrong? Does it really matter? Boxing fans will continue to watch the sport they love, yet bash the fights they don’t agree with. Golden Boy and Top Rank promise big fights to come in 2015, hoping their strategies of building their fighters has worked. Meanwhile smaller promotions like Iron Mike, and Miguel Cotto have put on some entertaining fights the past couple of months. Boxing is never a dying sport, but it will always be political. With some boxers happy to be a puppet on a string, others are waiting for their chance to make big TV time. Some good names will never be mentioned, and some of those who do get the spotlight are just completely overrated. Some fighters pick their opponents with strategy and more ease, while others want to fight whoever, where ever. Even though there have been some incredible fights this year, there are definitely some we could have lived without. 2014 was absolutely a “cherry picking” year for a lot of big names, who have seemed to forget the phrase, to be the best, you got to beat the best.

– Leann Perez / @LeannPerez_

– Contributor for www.BehindtheGloves.com

Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, the former welterweight world champion who gets his eagerly awaited rematch with Floyd “Money” Mayweather in the main event of “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2″ on Saturday, Sept. 13 live on SHOWTIME PPV, world champions Leo “El Terremoto” Santa Cruz (WBC Super Bantamweight), Miguel “Títere” Vazquez (IBF Lightweight), junior welterweight contender John Molina, Maidana’s trainer Robert Garcia and Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe participated in a Media Workout Tuesday at Robert Garcia Boxing Academy in Oxnard.

In world title fights on Sept. 13, Santa Cruz(27-0-1, 15 KOs), of Los Angeles,will defend his WBC Super Bantamweight World Championship against Mexico’s Manuel “Suavecito” Roman (17-2, 6 KOs) in the “MAYHEM” co-featured bout and Miguel “Títere” Vazquez (34-3, 13 KOs), of Tijuana,will risk his IBF Lightweight World Championship against Mickey “The Spirit” Bey (20-1-1, 10 KOs), a Mayweather Promotions’ rising star from Las Vegas. In the SHOWTIME PPV opening bout, Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo (22-4, 18 KOs) will move up to middleweight to face James De La Rosa (22-2, 13 KOs) in a 10-round middleweight bout.

Preceding the pay per view telecast, SHOWTIME^® will present a live 10-round junior welterweight bout between John Molina (27-4, 22 KOs) of Covina, Calif., and Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (64-8-2, 35 KOs) on “COUNTDOWN LIVE” (7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT on SHOWTIME ).

The boxers did brief workouts as dozens of reporters and TV camera crews looked on during a media workout that was streamed live via satellite, YouTube, Ustream and online at Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions websites.

Undefeated 11-time world champion and perennial pound-for-pound kingpin Mayweather (46-0, 26 KOs) was, like always, the main focus of the questions directed at Maidana (35-4, 32 KOs) on Saturday.

Here’s what the fighters said during Tuesday’s workout:

MARCOS MAIDANA, Former Two-Time World Champion

“Looking back at my first fight, I think I can improve my punching accuracy, but my attack overall was very good and effective. I felt I surprised Mayweather. You could see it on his face.

“Personally, I found it much easier to face up against Floyd this time. When we first fought, I thought I wasn’t going to be able to see him, but I found him in the ring many times.

“I always come out looking for the knockout, but I like the way I fought in the first fight. Maybe the biggest adjustment for me going into this next fight is to keep more of a distance between the two of us. But there is no doubt that I am coming out looking for the win and getting that knockout.

“With this rematch, I don’t know if this fight will be any easier or harder. Mayweather has many skills and I am getting ready for the best that he has to offer.

“There has definitely been more notoriety for me since our first fight. Many things have changed and I have many more fans. But, I have had many big fights in the past including my fights with Adrien Broner and Amir Khan that have given me a lot of recognition.

“Going into training camp for the rematch, much of it has been the same, but we have been doing a lot more sparring. We have worked more on my distance, but besides that everything has been the same.

“I thought at times that I was too aggressive in the first fight and I was able to let Mayweather move around a little bit too much. I will be much more careful in the ring for the rematch. I won’t load up so much, but instead fight fresher and with more distance.

“I honestly didn’t have any disappointments in the first fight. Besides a few minor adjustments, I liked our overall gameplan.

“Right after the fight, I felt that I had won. I was the aggressor and the one looking to attack. But, the judges saw it differently. I am still happy with the way I fought. I absolutely thought I won the first fight, and I will win again on Sept. 13.

“When I first heard about the rematch I was relaxing at home with my family and my first thought was that I had to start training again and I had mixed feelings about that. . That being said, I am happy to get this rematch and I am going to make the most out of my opportunity.”

LEO SANTA CRUZ, WBC Super Bantamweight Champion

“I feel as if I have a target on my back. There is added pressure for me in all of my fights because I am becoming a household name. At the same time though, it means that I am doing something right and my hard work is paying off. People want to fight me and take away my title. It keeps me mentally and physically strong at all times. Before, I was the one looking for them, now they are looking for me.

“Going into this fight, I will go out there and try my best. I know a lot of people are saying that the opponent is not up to my caliber, but I just go out there and fight who they tell me to fight.

“My body is rested and hopefully I will perform to the best of my abilities for this fight. I have been training really hard, I am always in the gym, even if I don’t have a fight coming up. I like to be ready just in case.

“I have a strong desire to put on a great fight for the fans since I have this opportunity because of them. If I give the fans a boring fight, then they won’t want to see me on TV again.

“I feel like I learned a lot from the [Cristian] Mijares fight. He moved around a lot and kept me on my toes. My plan was to go out there and break him down, but he was very experienced and knew what to do to survive. I feel like I learned more in that fight than I did in any other fight because I was able to figure out how to chase around my opponent.

“The health of my brother has been both a motivation and a distraction for me. In the past, when I would be getting ready for fights he would be in the hospital and I would go and visit him at the same time. I am constantly worried about his health, but at the same time I use it as motivation because I want to be able to support him financially and the only way I am able to do this is if I keep on winning my fights. I told him that if he keeps fighting for his life then I will keep fighting for world titles.

“My opponent [ Manuel Roman] is a great fighter and has many of the same qualities of my past opponents. The only difference with him is that he hasn’t received the exposure that some of my past opponents received, so many don’t know much about him. We know each other very well, we have sparred in the gym together before and he knows how to fight me.

“I am not looking at this as an easy fight no matter what anyone says. He wasn’t an easy sparring partner; we would go at it back and forth. I didn’t beat him up easily as I have with other partners. We have a lot of respect for one another and we are friends, but once I get into the ring there is no playing nice. This is a business and I have to do whatever it takes to come out with a victory.”

MIGUEL VAZQUEZ, IBF Lightweight Champion

“Everyone wants to take the title away from me, but I train very hard with my team and I prepare every day to make sure no one takes away my title.

“Although I am on the card for the biggest fight of the year, there is no added pressure for me- if anything it’s a great honor. I’m ready to fight and show that I’m ready for the big leagues.

“I feel great physically, mentally and spiritually. I am more prepared for this fight than ever before.

“I know that Mickey Bey is strong and fast. There’s a reason why Mayweather has him on his team. But I feel ready for him and it’s an opportunity to show my fans and the world what I am capable of.

“At times I honestly don’t feel like I get the respect from Mexican fans and I do feel like they owe me a little bit. But that is also because of the lack of publicity from my old company and the lack of high profile fights. This is not only a great opportunity for me to make a big breakthrough in the United States, but also to get the Mexican people behind me fully. I will prove to the world that I am ready.

“I feel that I beat Canelo Alvarez in my pro debut. The second time I fought Canelo was a mistake on my part because I fought at 150 pounds and that’s not where I should be, but the first fight against Canelo I definitely dispute. Those previous fights, including the loss to Timothy Bradley, motivate me very much going into this fight.

“People may complain about my style, but I base my style off the fact that I don’t want to get hit. Thank God that my style has worked for me so far in my career.

“I have a lot of experience going into to this fight against Mickey Bey, but you always have to work hard. It doesn’t matter to me that we are fighting in Bey’s backyard; I have fought in many different places and overcome various obstacles. I always come out on top.”

JOHN MOLINA, Super Lightweight Contender

“To me, each fight is just like the last fight no matter if I am a huge favorite or a big underdog; I always train the exact same. I take all my opponents seriously and [Humberto] Soto is definitely not someone to take lightly. He is a crafty veteran that has been in the ring with the best fighters and has won some and lost some. I go in to each fight with 100 percent focus and I am not looking past him in the least.

“My last fight with Matthysse was definitely a great fight. Matthysse was looked at as this monster in the division and I was this newcomer coming into the division. Although I’ve been in the boxing game for a while, my name has barely reached the accolades of such fighters as Matthysse.

“What I was able to take away from that fight is that I am one of the strongest guys at 140 pounds. He fought a hell of a fight and won because he was more experienced than me. But, looking back at the fight, I made the mistake of stepping off the gas pedal a bit when I had him hurt and I should’ve gone in for the kill. I know that the fans want the fight to happen again and I am looking forward to the fight if it does happen again.

“I like the things that my new trainer has implemented going into this fight. I am going to utilize my jab and use my reach to my advantage. I am a lot bigger to many of the fighters at 140 and I think this will work in my favor.

“When I changed trainers it wasn’t because I didn’t get along with Joe Goosen, as he is a very good friend of mine. The reason I changed was because of location. I have a one-year-old at home and having to drive 100 miles round trip to train was wear and tear on my body.

“I have seen many of Soto’s previous fights. He is a seasoned veteran and a hell of a fighter. Believe it or not, when I first turned pro he was already at the top tier of the game and was the main event at a fight of mine. When I walked into the room I was like ‘wow that’s Humberto Soto’, but it shows that I have paid my dues and to me he is like any other fighter once I step into the ring.

“I haven’t felt any ill effects from the [Matthysse] fight except for the bad taste in my mouth. The competitor in me wants to come out victorious in each fight. Physically, I feel very strong and prepared going into this next fight. The stage is set for this fight and we will be a great appetizer for everyone to enjoy leading up to the main event.

“I never look at an opponent as someone that I need to knock out or beat impressively. All I can control is how I perform and what I do best is to fight a good fight. Whether I win decisively or by knockout, as long as I get the victory and give the fans what they want to see is all I care about.”

ROBERT GARCIA, Maidana’s Trainer and 2012 Trainer of the Year

“Training camp has been going great. We have been doing more sparring and working on keeping a distance between him and Floyd. I think that was the biggest thing that we needed to work on after seeing film of the first fight. He needed to not be so aggressive to ensure that he is fresh for all 12 rounds.

“I don’t like the way that Floyd talks about my fighter. On the media tour he was telling everyone that my fighter fights like an MMA fighter and was constantly disrespecting him and I didn’t appreciate that.”

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

“I am very excited for September 13^th. The first fight was such a great fight and I think that the work that Chino has put in, he is coming into this fight with a tremendous amount of confidence. In the first fight, Chino was touch and go. He was able to be effective against Floyd in the early rounds and I know the fans loved watching it. Floyd is a mastermind and a warrior when it comes to being in that ring.

“Although the first fight was very close between Floyd and Chino, there are no nerves for me, mainly because I don’t have to step inside the ring. Floyd is very prepared for this fight and is extremely motivated in his preparation. He has some added incentive because Chino has been talking a lot of trash and Floyd finds that very disrespectful. Chino has said that Floyd isn’t the great boxer that everyone thinks he is because he has been in the ring with him already. Come September 13^th, Chino has to confront all the things he has been saying about Floyd head on.

“I think this fight will start at the 13^th round versus going back to the first round. Floyd is very determined to stop Chino. Floyd wants to stop him to make a point that he doesn’t want his ability to be second-guessed. Floyd feels in his mind that he absolutely won the first fight and some of the fans thought that Maidana had won the fight. Floyd has vowed that he will pick up right where he left off and make the fight as exciting as possible to prove to the fans that the first victory was warranted.

“I truly believe that this fight will be much more exciting than the first fight because you will see much more action.

“Floyd knows what Chino brings to the table and Marcos has made a great argument for a rematch. In all honesty, the fans are the ones who made this rematch happen. The first fight was such a great fight that he fans wanted to see this fight again. Chino was the best opponent that Floyd has ever faced; he came out and was very aggressive from the opening bell. Floyd was able to make the adjustments as the fight went on because he’s the best in the business at doing that, but this rematch will be non-stop action.”

– PRESS RELEASE

Boxing fans on Twitter received a teaser a few weeks ago from Super Bantamweight fighters Leo Santa Cruz (27-0) and Guillermo Rigondeaux (14-0). While “Twitter beef” is never credited, it sure is entertaining. Santa Cruz and Rigondeaux tweeted they both welcomed the idea of fighting each other, anytime and anywhere. The teaser also seemed more realistic as Santa Cruz was announced as the co-main feature for “Mayhem” the rematch between Mayweather vs. Maidana on Sept. 13th. The opponent for Santa Cruz was “TBA”.

Santa Cruz, 26, was born in Mexico and now resides in California, is trained by his father Jose Santa Cruz. Santa Cruz won the WBC Super Bantamweight title in 2013, defeating Victor Terrazas by KO.

Other fight possibilities for Santa Cruz that fight fans definitely entertained were Carl Frampton (18-0) of Northern Ireland and Scott Quigg (28-0) of the UK. Carl Frampton stated in interviews that he could beat Santa Cruz, and that a fight in Belfast, would be most likely. Santa Cruz responded in interviews that Frampton was his number one choice to defend his title against. “I will come to Ireland to KO Frampton, and if I receive the biggest purse in my career.”

Frampton’s manager Barry McQuigan stated, “If Santa Cruz is genuine in coming to Belfast, we will make that fight happen. It will be the biggest fight in the super bantamweight division, and all the fans know that”.

A lot of U.S. boxing fans are unfamiliar with the names of Frampton and Quigg, as they have only fought in the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland. Both fighters, however, have huge fan base in Europe and ranked within the top 5 of Super Bantamweight for the IBF. The idea of Santa Cruz vs. Frampton was mouth watering, however fight fans were definitely taken back to hear Santa Cruz’ opponent is to be former sparring partner Manuel Roman (17-2) for a twelve round title defense for the “Mayhem” card.

On paper it makes more sense to fight Rigondeaux, the Cuban WBA and WBO Champ. But is that fight too dangerous, too soon? “It’s up to my team who my opponent is, a decision gets made as a team together, my trainer, manager and myself”, Santa Cruz stated.

Rigondeaux, the technical boxer and hit-and-not-be-hit style could create problems for the come forward, brawling style of Santa Cruz. With talks of Santa Cruz taking a few more fights before moving up to 126lbs, this creates the anticipation that fight fans could see the mega match up with one of these more credited undefeated fighters. Even though the biggest name out of the possible, future opponents is Rigondeaux, the Cuban only holds a 14-0 record. What makes Rigondeaux the better match up? His fighting style and the unanimous decision win over Nonito Donaire have definitely given him most of his credit. He is quite simply the most talented boxer the division, with a style that many have tried perfecting and failed miserably.

Although Santa Cruz hasn’t fought some of the big name fighters in the division, a 27-0 record with the WBC World Title is still impressive. Not to mention Santa Cruz is a “likeable” fighter, always humble, smiling and pictured with his family. Whether you’re familiar with Santa Cruz or not, being the co-main feature on a Floyd Mayweather card is huge. Although this isn’t his first time, Santa Cruz  defeated Alexander Munoz by TKO on the undercard to Mayweather vs. Guerrero in 2013. Santa Cruz reportedly made $500,000 for his last title defense to Christian Mijares as the co-main feature to the Alvarez vs. Angulo card.

Fans of Santa Cruz can still expect a good fight with Manuel Roman, and hope that this is a build up fight to a bigger name in late 2014 or early 2015. Whether it be a fight in Europe against Frampton or Quigg, or here on U.S. soil with Rigondeaux, each fight has the potential to be a “FOTY” candidate and produce mega fireworks. While his focus is on the next opponent, Santa Cruz has his eye on all the big fights. “I’d fight any of them, because I want to fight the best”, says the WBC champ, “I want to give the fans what they want because without them I wouldn’t be here.” No doubt Santa Cruz has us anxious and excited to tune in on Sept. 13 and keeping us on the edge of our seats as to what’s coming up next.

The fact is Leo Santa Cruz is a very talented fighter, worthy of having the WBC belt around his waist. His next few boxing moves are worth take notice of, especially with all the talk he wants to be involved in the big fights. Watch out, the super bantamweight division could explode with big fights with Leo Santa Cruz sure to be the pinnacle focus.

– Leann Perez / @LeannPerez_

– Contributor to www.BehindtheGloves.com

Marcos “El Chino” Maidana, the former welterweight world champion who gets his highly anticipated rematch with Floyd “Money” Mayweather in the main event of “MAYHEM: Mayweather vs. Maidana 2″ on Saturday, Sept. 13 live on SHOWTIME PPV^®, met with media members in Carson, Calif., last Saturday at StubHub Center and tookpart in an interview on the SHOWTIME CHAMPIONSHIP BOXING telecast.

Joining Maidana at the media roundtable were two-division world champion Leo “Terremoto” Santa Cruz,and Alfredo “El Perro” Angulo, both of who are on the pay-per-view undercard on Sept. 13.

Santa Cruz(27-0-1, 15 KOs), of Los Angeles,will defend his WBC Super Bantamweight World Championship against Mexico’s Manuel “Suavecito” Roman (17-2, 6 KOs) in the “MAYHEM” co-featured bout whileAngulo(22-4, 18 KOs) will move up to middleweight to face James De La Rosa (22-2, 13 KOs) in a 10-round bout. Also on the four-fight telecast, Miguel “Títere” Vazquez (34-3, 13 KOs), of Tijuana,will defend his IBF Lightweight World Championship against Mickey “The Spirit” Bey (20-1-1, 10 KOs), a Mayweather Promotions’ rising star from Las Vegas.

Preceding the PPV telecast, SHOWTIME will present a live 10-round junior welterweight bout between John Molina (27-4, 22 KOs) of Covina, Calif., and Humberto “La Zorrita” Soto (64-8-2, 35 KOs) on “COUNTDOWN LIVE” (SHO, 7 p.m. ET/4 p.m. PT).

Undefeated 11-time world champion and perennial pound-for-pound kingpin, Mayweather (46-0, 26 KOs) was, of course, the main topic of the questions directed at Maidana (35-4, 32 KOs) on Saturday.

“He’s not as good as people think,” Maidana told the dozens of reporters in attendance at StubHub Center. “I was able to pin him to the ropes and land punches, so he’s not as difficult or as invincible as people think. He’s hittable. You can land on him. I made mistakes. I was a little too anxious. He never hurt me, but he’s got a respectable punch. You’ve got to respect him.”

Below is more of what Maidana, Santa Cruz and Angulo said during the media roundtable:

Marcos Maidana

Did you get tired in the first fight?

“Yes. I did. I came out strong the first six or seven rounds, and after that I had to take a break and catch my breath a little bit. I had to pace myself. I have to not get as anxious for this fight.”

Are you training any differently for this fight?

“No. No big changes. Just working on my distance control and a couple other minor changes.”

Does your conditioning need to be better this time around?

“I’ve had a little more time to prepare for this fight so this time I’m going to be ready.”

Have you studied the last fight? And what could you do better?

“Yes. Minor changes, but not too much else.

“(Mayweather) can obviously change and get better, but I can change and get better too. The only thing he can do is box and that’s what he did in the first fight. He was moving a lot. What is he going to do? Move more?

“I’m always looking for the knockout. And if I can’t (get it), I’m going to win by decision.”

What would a victory be like over Mayweather?

“It would be the best thing in my career because I would be the first person to beat him.”

How has your life changed since the first fight?

“It’s changed. But I’ve had big fights before. The Amir Khan fight; the (Adrien) Broner fight. But this fight is bigger than those. So it’s changed.

“I never thought that he would give me the rematch. But when he decided to, I was surprised.”

Are rematches harder or easier?

“This is the first time in my career that I’m doing a rematch. It can be a little bit of both. You can argue that it can be hard, but at the same time we know each other so it can be easier.

“I fight for glory. Obviously, my future is secure. But part of me fighting still is because I want to win. And I want to beat Mayweather.”

Leo Santa Cruz

“I’m excited and I’m hungry. It’s been like five months since I’ve been in the ring. I’m just ready to go out there and do what I do and give the fans a great fight.”

On facing his next opponent, former sparring partner Manuel Roman:

“We used to spar a lot and he has good technique, but not a lot of people know him. He’s a good friend, but this is business. Once we’re up there we have go out there and give it our best.”

What are some of the things that you feel you need to improve on as a fighter?

“Everything. There are a lot of things we have to improve on. We’re trying to get different experiences, like fighting with people who move a lot. Every time we’re in the gym there are little things we need to learn. As my father says, ‘You never stop learning.’ I’ve learned a little from every fight.”

Do you plan to fight at 126 pounds next?

“Maybe I’ll do one or two more fights at 122, then go up to 126.”

Who is the one guy you want to fight?

“Guillermo (Rigondeaux). He’s the one who’s been calling me out saying that I’m scared. I want to prove that I’m not scared. I know it’s a hard fight for me, but we don’t care. I want to give the fans what they want. I want to please them and if they’re happy, I’m happy.”

Alfredo Angulo

“I’m happy fighting at 160 (middleweight). It’s a lot better than 154. I wasn’t having trouble making weight, I just feel better at 160. I’m ready to take over the division at 160.”

What do you think about your power at 160 pounds?

“You’ll see on Sept. 13.”

What do you think about facing James De La Rosa?

“I honestly don’t focus on my opponent. I focus on the work I have to do. Virgil (trainer Virgil Hunter) grades them and tells me what I need to do.”

Who do you want to fight at 160?

“I don’t even know who the fighters are at 160. Honestly, I don’t focus on the names. I don’t even know the names at 154. What is most important to me is the fans. Whoever they put in front of me is fine.”

– PRESS RELEASE

Behind the Gloves’ Michelle Joy Phelps spoke to super bantamweight  WBA regular champion Scott Quigg. He mentioned his desire to fight Leo Santa Cruz and also talks about the possible bout with Carl Frampton in the future. Quigg provided his prediction for the Carl Froch vs George Groves rematch.  Watch the full interview below: