The countdown to “HIGH STAKES: Floyd “Money” Mayweather vs. Andre Berto” continued Tuesday afternoon as Floyd Mayweather and Andre Berto made their Grand Arrivals at MGM Grand in Las Vegas before their fight this Saturday, Sept. 12 live on SHOWTIME PPV® (8 p.m. E/5 p.m. PT) from the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
In what is expected to be the final fight of his illustrious 19-year career, boxing superstar and pound-for-pound king Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) will put his undefeated record and WBC and WBA Welterweight World Championships on the line against power-punching, two-time welterweight world champion Berto (30-3, 23 KOs).
Also making their Grand Arrivals Tuesday were the six other talented fighters who will compete on the four-fight pay-per-view telecast: Roman “Rocky” Martinez, Orlando “Siri” Salido, Badou Jack “The Ripper”, “Saint” George Groves, Jhonny Gonzalez and Jonathan “Polvo” Oquendo.
In world title fights, Martinez (29-2-2, 17 KOs) will risk his WBO Junior Lightweight title in a rematch against the boxer he dethroned, four-time world champion Salido (42-13-2, 29 KOs), and Jack (19-1-1, 12 KOs) will make the first defense of his WBC Super Middleweight World title against mandatory challenger Groves (21-2, 16 KOs). Opening the telecast will be a 10-round junior lightweight showdown between former three-time world champion and Mexican power-puncher Gonzalez (58-9, 49 KOs) against Puerto Rico’s Oquendo (25-4, 16 KOs).
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.
Here is what the fighters and Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said at MGM Grand on Tuesday:
FLOYD MAYWEATHER
“To become great, you have to follow greatness. To become a great leader you have to be a great follower.
“I want every fighter to stay focused and on a parallel path.
“I’ve done a lot for this sport. Everyone used to be focused on heavyweights. My ultimate goal was to have everyone focus at whatever weight class I was, in my weight class. I’ve always been able to make noise at whatever weight class I was in.
“We want Andre to believe in himself and his skills.
“Every fighter that I’ve ever faced had the remedy to beat me, but the results have always been the same.
“I don’t overlook anyone, he’s a tough competitor, and we will just have to see what happens on Saturday.
“My ultimate goal is that we can find another Floyd Mayweather. When I turned professional I was a teenager and the MGM was Mike Tyson’s building. I’m just blessed and I feel like I was dealt a royal flush.
(On Jen Welter) “She is a remarkable woman; I look forward to meeting her. She’s a trailblazer.”
ANDRE BERTO
“I had a tremendous training camp. I am in better shape than I’ve been in years.
“I’m looking forward to making history on Saturday.
“I don’t know anything about any code that Mayweather has. When I want to walk through a door I just break through.”
LEONARD ELLERBE
“We’re really honored to be able to honor her (Jen Welter) at the Titans of Trade breakfast. This is our sixth breakfast; we’ve been able to recognize other great women who have contributed to sports.
“She’s a remarkable person and we look forward to honoring her and having her attend the fight.”
BADOU JACK
“This is my first defense so I’m excited and absolutely ready for Saturday. He says he is going to win, but we’ll see how it goes on fight night.
“I’m ready to go. I’m ready to knock him out.’’
GEORGE GROVES
“I’m feeling great, really focused and had a great camp. On Saturday all I have to do is be myself and I will get the job done.
“Jack is a good opponent but he is not as good as me.
“I appreciate all the support I am getting from the Brit fans, some of whom are here today. This is going to be a good week.’’
ROMAN “ROCKY” MARTINEZ
“I am very proud to be on this card and what better way to be a part of it than against Salido again.
“We all know Salido’s style: he falls and is used to getting up and continuing to fight. This is going to be a tough fight like our last one. But I am going to do my best and do what I can to win again.’’
ORLANDO SALIDO
“I’m ready to bring on the war, give it everything I’ve got and looking for a big win. I know I made a lot of mistakes in the last fight but I’m confident I corrected them.
“A big difference in this fight is that it is not in Puerto Rico like our first one, this one’s at a neutral site the United States. Whether it’s a decision or a knockout, I’m coming to win.’’
JHONNY GONZALEZ
“Oquendo is a great, tough fighter but I am ready to take him on. I expect this to be a great fight on Saturday and I will leave everything in the ring.
“This is going to be a hard fight. I’m coming here to win.’’
JONATHAN OQUENDO
“Jhonny Gonzalez is a champion of the world. We know he’s a powerful, dangerous fighter. But I’m here to fight and give my daughter a gift on Saturday.
“But this fight is for all the fans of Mexico and Puerto Rico.”
