Notebook: Mayweather is in the zone
Floyd Mayweather Jr. has turned from a complaining prima donna into Prince Charming in trunks as he prepares to face Zab Judah, Dan Rafael writes in his weekly notebook.
LAS VEGAS -- The transformation of Floyd Mayweather Jr. is unmistakable.
While gifted in the ring, Mayweather wasn't so gifted outside the ring, where his persona turned many off and begged for a makeover.
After all these years, consider it done.
Maybe it is simply maturity.
Maybe it is the stark realization that he must work extra hard at presenting himself to the public now that his fights are on pay-per-view, where the more he can sell, the more he can earn.
Maybe it's a combination of both.
| FIGHT CARD |
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Thomas & Mack Center, Las Vegas • Welterweights: Floyd Mayweather Jr. (35-0, 24 KOs) vs. Zab Judah (34-3, 25 KOs), 12 rounds • Flyweights: Jorge Arce (43-3-1, 33 KOs) vs. Rosendo Alvarez (37-2-2, 24 KOs), 12 rounds, special attraction • Lightweights: Juan Diaz (28-0, 14 KOs) vs. Jose Cotto (27-0, 19 KOs), 12 rounds, for Diaz's title • Junior welterweights: Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. (24-0-1, 18 KOs) vs. Tyler Ziolowski (8-2, 6 KOs), 6 rounds |
Whatever it is, the 29-year-old pound-for-pound king has turned from sour, unwilling interview subject and complaining prima donna into Prince Charming in trunks as he prepares to face Zab Judah in a welterweight showdown Saturday (HBO PPV, 9 ET) at the Thomas & Mack Center.
While Judah has refused all interview requests and done zilch to promote the fight, Mayweather has been as much of a force promoting as he has been in the ring during his brilliant 10-year pro career.
Mayweather has been everywhere.
Print and Internet interviews? Done.
Teleconference? No sweat. (And on time!)
TV appearances? Bring 'em on.
ESPN.com chat? Just tell him when.
"Whatever my promoter needs me to do, and whatever and wherever he wants me to be, whatever time he wants me to be at, whatever city he wants me to be in, I'm going to be there," Mayweather said. "It's about cooperating and being a businessman and being a gentleman and respecting the media.
"That's how the fight game goes. It's about being a professional. That's the reason why [Judah] can't be in my shoes, because he don't know how to conduct himself like a professional."
Promoter Bob Arum, who has been with Mayweather since signing him as a bronze medalist out of the 1996 Olympics, has had more than his share of ups and downs with him over the years, but believes he has turned the corner.
"Yes, I think he's matured. He's finally listening to his advisers and he realizes that he is engaged in a business," Arum said. "In order to maximize his own revenue, he's got to act like a likeable human being, which he certainly is. If he hadn't matured as a person, this metamorphosis wouldn't have been possible."
Part of it, Arum said, is that Mayweather no longer has the security of a long-term HBO contract guaranteeing him millions of dollars without the responsibility of promoting.
"That was the evil of the HBO contract because there was really no incentive," Arum said. "Now there is a [monetary] guarantee, but the big money comes from the upside. He realizes he is in the pay-per-view business and that he's got to convince people to want to watch him fight."
The transformation began last summer, when Mayweather headlined his first PPV event, a one-sided beating of Arturo Gatti that generated more than 350,000 buys.
"For the Gatti fight, Floyd was cutting his teeth with the publicity," Arum said. "It was a good learning experience. Now, he's the A-side. Before, he was the B-side. Now, he's carrying the promotion."
Mark Taffet, who heads HBO PPV, has also noticed the difference in Mayweather's attitude.
"I am telling you not only is he capable of carrying the sport, but Floyd is ready to make the commitment and sacrifice to do it," Taffet said. "I really believe it is because he is so comfortable in his skin now. He is on top of the sport and he stands more clearly in his position than he has in the last few years, and he feels really good about it. He has been remarkable with his commitment to marketing and promotion. He has not let us down on a single commitment. He is being the ultimate professional."
One of the reasons for Mayweather's turnaround is because he finally has achieved acceptance as the No. 1 fighter in the world, a slot he took over following Roy Jones' decline and Bernard Hopkins' back-to-back losses to Jermain Taylor last year, not to mention Mayweather's dominant victories.
"From Floyd's perspective, he feels the world has caught up with him," Taffet said. "He always knew how good he was but now the world is catching up with the idea that he is the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world. I really believe that he is on the cusp of something very, very big. He is on the cusp of breaking through. A lot of it has to do with his maturity."
"Where he thought he should be, and where he actually is, have finally meshed," said John Hornewer, Mayweather's boxing attorney. "He obviously had his ups and downs. When you are frustrated about your career and where you think your career should be, you get angry like Floyd has in the past. Now Floyd is there and has been embraced. So he feels love, and he is giving love back."
"Oh, yes, it feels good," Mayweather said of his acceptance as the sport's best fighter. "It feels good for the people to finally know. I appreciate the media and all the people and all the magazines."
Mayweather's thirst to polish his image seemingly has carried over into his personal life.
There was a time when he bragged about how much money he would spend at strip clubs. There were also several problems with the law, ranging from serious domestic abuse charges to an assault charge stemming from a barroom brawl to a lawsuit over an unpaid jewelry bill of $124,000.
Those issues have since been cleared up and he recently signed with the William Morris Agency, the influential Hollywood marketing firm that handles many major athletes, including Oscar De La Hoya and Serena Williams.
"His personal life is impeccable," Arum said. "He doesn't get into trouble. Not that he was a troublemaker before, but he put himself in situations where he could get himself in trouble. He doesn't do that anymore. When you're the king and you're the standard bearer for boxing, you tend to behave differently."
Case in point: Thursday's final news conference.
When the festivities were concluding with the traditional pose down between Mayweather and Judah, there was barking between the fighters. When Judah started to curse and threaten Mayweather, he simply looked out to the sea of cameras and flashed his million-dollar smile.
"Three years ago he might have smacked Zab at that press conference," Hornewer said. "This Floyd turned and smiled."
Around the ring
Lewis lands gig: Former heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis is embarking on a second career as a broadcaster. First, he will fill in for regular HBO analyst Emanuel Steward, Lewis' former trainer, on Saturday's HBO PPV telecast. But viewers should get used to seeing Lewis more regularly.
He told ESPN.com that he is finalizing a deal with HBO to become the full-time expert analyst on the revamped monthly "Boxing After Dark" series, which debuts April 29.
"I thought when I retired I would say, 'That's it. I'm done working.' But you realize you still want to do things," said Lewis, whose wife is expecting their second child in about a month. "Doing this interests me. I would watch fights on TV and listen to some guys talk about the fights and go, 'What is he talking about?' I can definitely talk about the fights."
On "Boxing After Dark," Lewis will join color analyst Max Kellerman on the three-man broadcast team. The blow-by-blow announcer is expected to be Fran Charles, who used to call fights for HBO's "KO Nation" series.
Lewis will work alongside Jim Lampley and Larry Merchant on Saturday because Steward is in Spain training Wladimir Klitschko for his fight against heavyweight titlist Chris Byrd April 22 in Germany.
Corley's view: Former junior welterweight titlist DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley has a strong opinion about Saturday's fight, and if anyone's has merit, it is his.
Corley (31-4-1, 17 KOs) fought both Mayweather and Judah, losing decisions to both in back-to-back fights, and now serves as Mayweather's chief sparring partner.
Mayweather dropped Corley twice and won a lopsided decision against him in May 2004 and Judah beat him on a split decision in July 2003.
"You want to know the truth? Zab has great speed, Floyd has better speed. Zab has good power, Floyd is a better, stronger puncher," Corley said. "He's going to break Zab down early in the fight. It's not going to go over eight rounds. I have never seen a fighter train the way Floyd trains. That's one reason why I am in his camp now, and Roger [Mayweather] trains me now as well. Floyd just works tremendously hard. I don't see a fighter out there who out-trains him."
Corley, who will fight Junior Witter this summer for the junior welterweight belt Mayweather vacated to move up to 147 pounds, said Mayweather is much stronger at the new weight than he was when they fought at 140 pounds.
He also said Mayweather is "the mentally stronger fighter."
"He has really filled out," Corley said. "After this fight, I would like to see Floyd fight at 154 pounds."
Corley said Judah is too wild early in a fight to survive against Mayweather.
"Zab gets anxious early in a fight," Corley said. "Zab will rush in there. When Zab rushes in, he swings wild punches, and you can't do that with Floyd. His radar is on point 100 percent. His accuracy is real good. He will break Zab down early in the fight, and a lot of people think it will be with head shots. He's going to break him down like he did Sharmba Mitchell -- to the body. He's going to hurt Zab.
"I fought both of them. Zab won't be able to exchange with Floyd. When Zab exchanged with me, he got out. He didn't set down long enough for me to catch him. When Floyd exchanged with me, I caught him and he realized I could punch, so he boxed the rest of the fight. But he has filled out and become a strong welterweight. He's much stronger and can take better punches now."
Hatton deal done: After months of ups and downs and twists and turns, junior welterweight champion Ricky Hatton (40-0, 30 KOs) will make his next move official Monday at a news conference in Boston.
Hatton, along with his father-manager, Ray Hatton, and co-promoters Artie Pelullo of Banner Promotions and Dennis Hobson and Robert Waterman of England's Fight Academy, will announce Hatton will move up to welterweight and challenge 147-pound titlist Luis Collazo (26-1, 12 KOs) of New York on May 13 at Boston's TD Banknorth Garden.
The fight will be the first for Hatton under a multi-fight contract with HBO, which outbid Showtime for rights to the fighter.
Hatton, 27, of England, emerged as a force in 2005. He dethroned longtime 140-pound champ Kostya Tszyu via an 11th-round TKO, unified belts with a ninth-round knockout of Carlos Maussa and won several fighter of the year awards.
Castillo-Corrales III undercard: Originally, Showtime planned to air only the rubber match between lightweight champ Diego Corrales and rival Jose Luis Castillo on June 3 from Las Vegas.
But the network has had a change of heart and added another potentially exciting bout as the co-feature.
Flyweight champ Vic "Raging Bull" Darchinyan (25-0, 20 KOs) of Australia, who made a splash in March when he scored a one-punch knockout of Diosdado Gabi on "ShoBox," will make his fourth defense against Mexico's Luis Maldonado (33-0-1, 25 KOs), a protégé of Erik Morales. Maldonado's glossy record will be put to the test because Darchinyan represents a quantum leap in the level of competition he has faced. Maldonado is coming off a 12-round draw against Cristian Mijares in February.
Darchinyan promoter Gary Shaw tried to first make a unification bout between Darchinyan and Omar Narvaez of Argentina, and thought he had it done. However, Narvaez (20-0-2, 14 KOs) backed out and is more likely headed to a unification fight with fellow Lorenzo Parra (27-0, 17 KOs) of Venezuela instead.
Guzman dumps title shot: Joan Guzman, 29, a former junior featherweight titlist who was due to challenge featherweight belt holder Scott Harrison in a mandatory fight May 20 in Ireland, has backed out in the wake of signing a co-promotional deal with Golden Boy Promotions, which will guide Guzman along with Sycuan Ringside Promotions.
Instead, Guzman (24-0, 17 KOs) is moving up in weight again to junior lightweight and will face former lightweight titlist Javier Jauregui (51-12-2, 35 KOs), who is coming down in weight, in the opening bout on the May 6 Ricardo Mayorga-Oscar De La Hoya HBO PPV card in Las Vegas.
The other television bout features a 10-round junior middleweight fight between former titlist Kassim Ouma and Marco Antonio Rubio.
In untelevised bouts, Ishe Smith, the former "Contender" participant, will make his Golden Boy debut against Alexis Divison in a 10-round junior middleweight fight; 2004 U.S. Olympian Rock Allen will face an opponent to be named in a six-round junior welterweight fight; and junior featherweight prospect Jonathan Oquendo will face an opponent to be determined in a six-rounder.
The Harrison-Guzman fight had been postponed three times, but since it has been rescheduled, Harrison promoter Frank Warren has advertised it heavily and is angry Guzman bailed.
"After talks with Guzman's camp, they made it clear that Joan has no intention of facing Harrison," Warren said. "To say I am disappointed, especially when we had a signed contract for the fight, is an understatement. All the talk from him has been about what he was going to do to Harrison, but I think it was beginning to dawn on him that Scott really wanted the fight. And isn't it ironic that having constantly questioned Harrison's ability to make the weight -- who unlike Guzman has never failed on the scales at a weigh in -- it turns out that he's got the problem?"
Warren said Harrison will defend his belt May 20, and he and matchmaker Dean Powell are searching for a new opponent.
Still, Harrison was disappointed by Guzman's decision.
"I said all along that I would beat Guzman, and he knew it," Harrison said. "It's a shame that he didn't have the heart to face me."
Bell stripped: The IBF is at it again. The organization once found guilty of taking bribes to rig its rankings has stripped O'Neil Bell of its cruiserweight belt just three months after he united the three major titles to become only the second undisputed champion in division history.
The reason: Bell, who underwent recent dental surgery, was medically unable to fight a mandatory defense against Steve Cunningham on Showtime's May 6 card.
But that sort of move is tame for the IBF, the same organization that allowed Judah to keep a welterweight belt after he lost a title fight to Carlos Baldomir in January, and the organization that last summer stripped Juan Manuel Marquez of a featherweight belt because no promoter submitted a purse bid for his mandatory defense against an obscure fighter from Thailand.
The Don King-promoted Showtime card at the DCU Center in Worcester, Mass., still will go on, with Cunningham (19-0, 10 KOs) facing Guillermo Jones (33-3-2, 26 KOs) in a rematch for the belt stripped from Bell, who still has the Ring magazine title and remains the recognized division champion.
Cunningham edged Jones on a 10-round split decision in their first meeting, April 2, 2005. Many felt Jones deserved the decision, and he has won both his bouts since, beating former titleholders Wayne Braithwaite and Kelvin Davis via fourth-round knockouts.
Cunningham earned the mandatory position with a decision against Davis last fall.
The main event remains intact, with junior middleweight titlist Alejandro "Terra" Garcia (25-1, 24 KOs) defending against Worcester's Jose Antonio Rivera (37-4-1, 24 KOs).
Quiles-Diaz: With lightweight titlist Jesus Chavez out for an extended period because of a severe arm injury that forced the cancellation of a March defense against junior lightweight champ Marco Antonio Barrera, Ricky Quiles (39-6-3, 8 KOs) and Julio Diaz (32-3, 24 KOs) will fight for the interim title May 18 on pay-per-view.
Quiles, a 17-year pro, has waited a long time for his first title opportunity.
"I've waited my entire career for this moment, and I'm not about to let it slip away," Quiles said. "Julio Diaz is a great fighter, and you know what happens when a Puerto Rican and a Mexican get together in the ring, but I will win this war."
Diaz (32-3, 24 KOs) is a former champion getting another shot.
"There is nothing better than being a world champion," he said. "It's an on-top-of-the-world feeling. I miss that feeling. I had it once, and I want it back. Now, I have a better appreciation for what I had and for what I will have again. My loss to a great champion, Jose Luis Castillo, has only increased my hunger and desire to again wear a world title belt. I have nothing but respect for Ricky Quiles; he is a most worthy opponent. But I am on a mission and I will not be denied."
The card is being billed as "Tribal Pride" because it marks the first time Native American-run promotional companies have teamed up to present a title fight.
Warriors, which promotes Quiles, is run by the Seminole Tribe of Florida, and Diaz is promoted by Southern California-based Sycuan Ringside Promotions, which is run by the Sycuan Band of the Kumeyaay Nation.
Quick hits
• Arum said that if Mayweather wins, a possible opponent could be former junior welterweight champ Kostya Tszyu, who hasn't fought since last summer's title loss to Hatton. Arum said Top Rank president Todd duBoef had been in contact with the Tszyu camp about a potential bout.
• When Arum and King made the deal for the Mayweather-Judah fight, Arum agreed to pay the Judah-King side a guaranteed $1 million, plus a share of the pay-per-view profits. Even though Judah and King decided to split the $1 million, Judah will leave the arena Saturday night with little to no money. Between what he owes King and the IRS -- which will be on hand to garnish Judah's paycheck, according to the Nevada Athletic Commission -- Judah could walk away from the fight without a dime.
• Chad Dawson (22-0, 15 KOs), the quick and slick rising super middleweight contender, has decided to campaign at light heavyweight. He tested out the 175-pound division in March on the Joe Calzaghe-Jeff Lacy undercard in England, scoring an easy third-round knockout of Jamie Hearn and will stay there June 2 when he headlines on Showtime's "ShoBox: The New Generation" against an opponent to be named. Dawson was going to fight former title challenger Rico Hoye, but Hoye backed out.
• Showtime is offering fans a chance to vote for the greatest fighters and moments in its 20-year history of "Showtime Championship Boxing." Go to Sho.com/boxing to vote. First up among the various categories the network will review on its monthly cards is best KO artist. The nominees: Mike Tyson, Terry Norris, Acelino "Popo" Freitas, Ricardo Lopez, Evander Holyfield and Jeff Lacy. In the coming months, the other categories will be: best rivalries, best comeback, most memorable event, best upset, best fighter and best fight.
• Handlers for junior middleweight titlist Roman Karmazin, promoted by King, and mandatory challenger Rodney Jones, promoted by Pelullo, have until April 18 to make a deal for the fight or the IBF will hold the purse bid.
• Promoters for England's Nicky Cook and Gamaliel Diaz of Mexico have reached an agreement and avoided Friday's scheduled purse bid for the featherweight elimination bout. They will meet June 16 in London with the winner to become the mandatory challenger for WBC titlist Takashi Koshimoto of Japan.
Quotable: "If you make a mistake with me, you must pay. And if you don't have a chin, you're going to pay in a big way. You got to realize this. It takes three things to be a great fighter: a great mind, a great chin and a great heart. Now he may have a good mind and a good heart, but his chin ain't up to par. And if I land, I'm going to be a home run hitter."
-- Pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr., assessing Zab Judah, his opponent Saturday night.
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
