16.04.07 – By Vanessa McConnell: “These are very exciting times for us. Everyone is talking and we believe the world will be watching,” as I couldn’t have said it better than Mark Taffet, HBO’s Sr. Vice President of Marketing. “The World Awaits” no more as the fight of the century is approaching fast. Tickets are sold out but Dish Network is still taking orders. April 17 Floyd Mayweather will have a media day at the family owned and operated new state-of-the-art boxing gym ‘Mayweather Boxing Club’ in Las Vegas. Trainer Roger Mayweather and assistant trainer Leonard Ellerbe will join Floyd in hosting the grand opening for the gym as he prepares for the “super fight.”
De La Hoya is training at his camp in Puerto Rico with his sparring partner Sugar Shane Mosley. Rey Boom Boom Bautista, Alex Banal, Billy Dibbs from Australia and Golden Boy’s newest prize Francisco Panchito Bojado were also at the camp working out for the fight. Almost 150 reporters and cameras, Mexican TV crews and writers from all over the globe were in Puerto Rico giving us up front action of De La Hoya’s training camp and the arrival of the fighters. “We believe that this fight is special enough because it’s the biggest and the best participants in the sport going at it will take its place among the biggest events in pay per view history. The last true mega-fight in the sport was 2002 when Lewis fought Tyson and prior to that, it was the 1999 fight between De La Hoya and Trinidad,” said Taffet.
“On Sunday, April 15 at 10:30pm ET/PT, HBO will premiere the all-access prime time series ‘De La Hoya/Mayweather 24/7′,” and continue with a “four-part series with unprecedented access that will chronicle the fighters’ preparation for the May 5 mega-fight in Las Vegas and provide viewers with a compelling look at two extraordinary champions,” said Kelly Swanson Golden Boy Enterprises Moderator. The first half of the episode debuts on April 15 and there will be two more episodes debuting on subsequent Sundays, April 22 and April 29, immediately following “Sopranos.” The fourth and final episode of 24/7 will debut on Thursday, May 3 at 9:30pm, just two days before the big fight.
HBO cameras will follow De La Hoya and Floyd across the county on the 11-city promotional tour and inside their training camps. The frenzy is at an all time high as fans get a first hand glimpse of the Mayweather family bond and Sugar Shane Mosley training with Oscar as he prepares for the fight. Mosley took time out to address the media and reply to Mayweathers comment of him being nothing but a “glorified sparring partner.”
“You know, I really don’t care about what Mayweather said. You know I’ve always worked with Oscar even when he went to the Olympics. I sparred with him a lot of times. I mean I spar a lot of world champions to get ready for their – for their fights. So, those comments really don’t bother me. I’m just – my job is to come out here. I’m having a good time in Puerto Rico. I come out here and help Oscar to sharpen up his tools so he can be ready for the fight with Floyd,” said Mosley.
“He’s looking very sharp. He’s fast. He’s working on his jabs and his hooks and getting his right hands over the top of Mayweather’s jabs. And, you know he’s working on a lot of great things. He’s working hard. I mean it’s very hot out here. So you know the weather can really bear down on you and make it real tough for you to workout. When he gets to Vegas he’s going to do absolutely a great job. Without giving too much, I think that Oscar is probably too big and most likely is going to catch him later on in the fight. It’s going to be a great fight. I’m looking forward to being there May 5.”
When Trae Thompson with the Fort Worth Star asked Mosley if he approached Oscar for the sparring spot or not he replied, “I love doing – I love to be in the ring. I love to workout. I love to train. And, I love to help out a fellow friend.” He also admitted that he was approached even before the fight was official. When Mosley told Eddie Goldman from Secondsout Radio that he was stronger than and just as fast as Mayweather and can take a better shot than he can, some might say he is trying to pick a fight with Floyd. “If Mayweather thinks he’s going to do what I did (defeating Oscar), we’re two different people. You know, he’s just smaller than I am.”
Mosley also has a fighter on “The World Awaits” undercard, Billy the Kid (15 – 0) from Australia as well as trying to match up another fight between Turzadi and Vantacky, prizing himself as more than just a fighter. De La Hoya is training with Freddie Roach, and working on his shots, speed and reviewing tapes to prepare for the fights. Mosley proclaims that he is the perfect sparring partner for Oscar because he compares to Floyd in speed, but only time will tell now as the fight of the century comes close.
“The distribution, marketing and promotion efforts for De La Hoya and Mayweather are going to be the most comprehensive in our history. Our distribution will exceed 61 million homes and in 176 countries around the world, which will be a record in the pay per view business. And the sponsors and marketing and promotion plans that are in place are going to create hundreds of millions of consumer impressions and exceed any effort we’ve had in place for any fight in our history,” said Taffet.
De La Hoya vs Mayweather “The World Awaits” is for the WBC super welterweight championship, Saturday, May 5 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, promoted by Golden Boy Promotions broadcast live on HBO Pay-Per-View at 9pm ET/6pm PT. Two separate conference calls will wrap up the series on Tuesday, April 24 with Floyd and Wednesday, April 23 with Oscar.
A weekend of festivities is planned at the MGM Grand on Friday, May 4 immediately following the weigh-in in the MGM Grand where a great televised fight between Hugo Cazares and Wildrido Perez, as well as the return of Francisco Panchito Bojado. Trainers Freddie Roach and Roger Mayweather will address the media this week in a conference call, which we will bring you all the updates on next week. For more information on “The World Awaits” visit www.hbo.com or www.goldenboypromotions.com.