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By Paul “Paparazzi” Jones & Justin Jones
Money Mayweather addressed his fans by saying:
“My ultimate goal was to be at the pinnacle in the sport of boxing. And if any fans around the world knows about boxing, Washington, DC knows about boxing.”
“To be world champion for 16 years, and be in this sport 17 years, I’m blessed,” he added.
Mayweather closed his remarks by acknowledging Alvarez’s accomplishments and the benefits for fight fans who choose to tune in to this 12-round match-up of unbeatens. “Canelo you [are] a true champion. And the ultimate goal for you is someday to be on the pinnacle,” he said.
“[Alvarez is] the number one Junior Middleweight. I’m the number one pound-for-pound fighter in the world. We bring the two together, to give you fans what you want to see.”
Photo © Paul “Paparazzi” Jones
In his brief translated remarks, Canelo discussed his heritage and confidence in his ability to erase the “0” from Mayweather’s unblemished record.
“I want to say that I’m very proud to be Mexican,” Alvarez said. “I’m going to repay [Mexico] with a great victory.”
“We will win. Long live Mexico!”
Other News & Notes
Also worth mentioning is Mayweather’s endearing connection with his fan base. The often criticized, but immensely talented and popular prizefighter, did not leave the venue without signing every autograph that was asked of him. Alvarez, however, spent less time signing autographs and interacting with fans before being whisked away.
Also in attendance was Heavyweight titlist Seth “Mayhem” Mitchell (26-1-1, 19 KOs), who avenged a previous TKO loss to Johnathon Banks (29-2-1, 19 KOs) with a recent unanimous decision victory over the Michigan-native. When asked to make an early prediction for the Mayweather-Alvarez tilt, Mitchell remained non-committal.
“I think it’s going to be a hell of a fight the fans are going to see,” Mitchell said. “Canelo is a young lion coming up [and] he’s fighting Mayweather who’s the best pound-for pound. I think it’s going to be a very intriguing fight, and I just think the fight fans are going to win.”
Tickets priced at $2,000, $1,500, $1,000, $600, and $350, plus applicable service charges, are available for purchase via Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. You may also visit ticketmaster.com or www.mgmgrand.com online.
