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Boxing’s mega-star, undefeated, Eight-Time, Five-Division and current WBC Welterweight Champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather will return to the ring on Saturday, May 4 to defend his title against Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in “Mayday: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” in a Cinco de Mayo boxing weekend blockbuster. The championship showdown will take place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. live on Showtime PPV.
Sharing the card, on what will be boxing’s biggest night of 2013, will be an explosive match-up featuring WBC Featherweight Champion Daniel Ponce de Leon making his first title defense against Two-Division World Champion Abner Mares.
Mayweather, who recently announced a unique, groundbreaking revenue-sharing arrangement with Showtime Networks Inc. and its parent company, CBS Corporation, is excited to get back to business in his ring return against Guerrero.
“My new deal with Showtime and its parent CBS is very thrilling for me and a motivation to fight more often starting with my May 4 fight against Robert Guerrero,” said Mayweather. “I know Guerrero has been campaigning to fight me for quite a while now and I am happy to give him his opportunity.
“His name is mentioned among the other great champions in boxing today and that means he has proven himself in the ring. He will now have to prove himself against me, which is a whole other story.
“I’m excited for the challenge and fully expect a good, tough fight from him. However, I do expect the same outcome for him as all of the others who have challenged me before…42 have tried, 42 have failed. He will be number 43.”
Guerrero, coming off of a sensational win against Andre Berto on November 24, 2012, further entrenching himself as a formidable and tested world champion, has called out Mayweather for over two years. He will now have the opportunity to dethrone the undefeated pound for pound king when they meet May 4.
“First, I want to thank my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for the opportunities he has blessed me and my family with, said Guerrero. “All of the trials and tribulations that have occurred in my life have made me a better person as well as a better fighter and the results are undeniable.
“Nothing has ever come easy to me and that mental fortitude has prepared me to defeat the one fighter everyone perceives to be the pound for pound king in Floyd Mayweather. When we lock eyes across the ring on fight night he’s going to feel the presence of a man preordained for greatness.
“The time is now to show the world why I’m destined to dethrone Floyd and when I come out victorious on May 4th, the whole world will know I’m a man who willed his way to victory by putting God first in his life.”
“Floyd is a superstar in boxing and his record-breaking deal with Showtime and its parent CBS reinforces his role in the sport as the face and driving force behind boxing today,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions.
“Robert Guerrero deserves this opportunity and I commend him for stepping up and feeling so confident against someone as talented as Floyd, but its Floyd’s night to return to the ring on this Cinco de Mayo boxing weekend and give fans another performance that makes him the champion he is today.
“Boxing and sports fans are in for the thrill of a lifetime on May 4 with such a great night of boxing talent and competition on display. There is so much to look forward to that evening.”
“I am extremely proud to help bring fight fans these match-ups with Mayweather vs. Guerrero and Ponce de Leon vs. Mares that feature amazing champions who perform at the highest level every time they step in the ring” said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions.
“The return of Floyd Mayweather is always exciting and Robert Guerrero, who has aggressively campaigned for this bout for over two years, will be in the fight of his life now that his dream has come true. Ponce de Leon vs. Mares is a highly competitive bout featuring two worthy champions that could stand on its own as a main event.
“This will be a great night of boxing on another tremendous Cinco de Mayo weekend and I expect the fans in the arena and the pay-per-view audience will enjoy and appreciate these championship mega-bouts in one night on what will be the biggest weekend for boxing this year.”
“Not only is Floyd Mayweather the undisputed number one draw in boxing, he is far and away the number one draw in all of pay-per-view,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, Showtime Sports.
“The fact that for his first fight under our new agreement, Floyd selected Robert Guerrero, a dangerous and talented fighter in the prime of his career, as his opponent, shows Floyd’s willingness to challenge himself and his strong commitment to staging the biggest and most exciting events in the sport.
“Showtime PPV has a long history of staging many of the most significant pay-per-view events in history featuring boxing legends Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Julio Cesar Chavez. We are thrilled to add Floyd Mayweather to this amazing list.”
“Hosting Floyd Mayweather’s return to MGM Grand is a great way to celebrate Cinco de Mayo weekend,” said Richard Sturm, president of Sports and Entertainment for MGM Resorts International.
“We look forward to the championship fight in May and know both Mayweather and Robert Guerrero are true champions who will certainly bring an electric atmosphere to the fans inside the MGM Grand Garden Arena and those watching on Showtime PPV.”
“I will get into the ring with a warrior’s mentality and in a very positive frame of mind to assure that we have a great fight and obviously for me to come out victorious,” said Daniel Ponce de Leon.
“This fight is very important for my career and I have every intention of staying the WBC Featherweight World Champion for a long time because even though I’m 32 years old, I feel like I’m 20 years old.”
“First of all I’d like to thank Ponce de Leon for giving me the opportunity to fight for his world title,” said Mares, who will attempt to write another chapter for himself in the history books by winning a world title in a third weight division.
“Because I don’t like to waste opportunities, I have every confidence that come May 4, I will be the new WBC Featherweight World Champion. My dream was to become a world champion and I did it, not once, but twice, and now I have the chance to become a world champion a third time in a third weight division. I can’t wait to get in the ring.”
“Mayday: Mayweather vs. Guerrero,” a 12-round fight for Mayweather’s WBC Welterweight World Championship is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Corona, AT&T and O’Reilly Auto Parts.
The mega-event will take place Saturday, May 4 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live by Showtime Pay-Per-View beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT. Also featured will be Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Abner Mares, a 12-round fight for Ponce de Leon’s WBC Featherweight World Championship.
Tickets for “Mayday: Mayweather vs. Guerrero” priced at $1,500, $1,250, $800, $600, $300 and $200, not including applicable service charges, go on sale tomorrow, Tuesday, March 12 at 1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT.
There will be a total ticket limit of 12 per person with a limit of 10 per person at the $1,500, $1,250, $800, $600 and $300 price levels and limit of two per person at the $200 price level. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets will also be available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
