Mayweather Promotions CEO Leonard Ellerbe has an opinion—a particularly partisan one, to be sure—about who will win when his fighter faces Saul "Canelo" Alvarez on Sept. 14 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
But, to hear him tell it, Alvarez’s people didn’t do their man any favors in the run-up.
In a prolonged segment during Episode 2 of Showtime’s All Access series, the outspoken Ellerbe repeated a claim he’d made several times during the 10-city press tour earlier this year that it was Alvarez’s team, not Mayweather’s, who suggested the fight’s 152-pound catchweight.
Alvarez, who stands 5’9” and is generally regarded as the bigger, stronger man in the fight, hasn’t weighed in as light as 152 since a March 2011 decision over Matthew Hatton, the brother of former 140- and 147-pound world champion—and Mayweather foe—Ricky Hatton.
Alvarez weighed 151.5 pounds for that fight and won a unanimous decision over Hatton, who weighed 149.5. The 5’8” Mayweather has fought above 147 pounds just twice in his career, for unanimous decisions over Oscar De La Hoya (150 lb) in May 2007 and Miguel Cotto (151 lb) in May 2012.
“His management put out something on BoxingScene(.com) that they would be willing to fight at a catch weight,” Ellerbe said. “Because his management is inept, we take advantage of those kinds of things. Why would we go in a different direction? They suggested it, why would we say no and do something different? They put him at a disadvantage. His management did.”
No one from Alvarez’s team commented on the issue during the episode.
“It wasn’t that Floyd Mayweather asked for a catch weight, because absolutely that did not happen. I want to be clear on the record for that,” Ellerbe said. “Floyd would have fought him regardless, but his management put that out there. So if you have an idiot manager, that’s what it is. (Alvarez is) an excellent young fighter. But he’s in over his head. He’s in over his head. Come Sept. 14, Canelo’s got a problem.”
Pulling No Punches
While it titillates the fans and creates compelling headlines for media outlets trolling for surface-level stories on the upcoming Sept. 14 fight, the carnage that Canelo is apparently creating amid his sparring ranks in Big Bear, Calif. hasn’t impressed quite everyone.
Alvarez’s team—specifically his manager, Chepo Reynoso, and Reynoso’s son, trainer Eddie Reynoso—spent a portion of Episode 2 lamenting the fact that their fighter had sent one prospective sparring partner home with fractured ribs, while another was shelved with a dislocated shoulder.
“We need new people who can handle it,” Chepo said while on the phone seeking reinforcements.
Upon cutting to Mayweather, however, the pound-for-pound kingpin was unmoved.
“I could care less what the rumors is about Canelo’s camp,” he said. “I could care less what Canelo did in his camp. I’m not a f***ing sparring partner. I’m f***ing Floyd Mayweather and I can f***ing fight.”
Shock It to Me
The boxing public wasn’t alone in its collective shock at the one-round stoppage loss suffered by defending WBC featherweight champion Abner Mares—a prohibitive favorite entering the fight—when he faced Mexican veteran Jhonny Gonzalez on Aug. 24 in Carson, Calif.
Alvarez and his team were watching the fight live from their training camp in Big Bear, and both Alvarez and manager Reynoso reacted with particular shock when Mares was dropped with a left hook and then battered with a follow-up barrage en route to his first career loss.
“You’ve got to be kidding me,” Alvarez shouted, upon seeing Mares hit the deck for the first time. “We know both fighters and we wanted the better man to win, but we thought it would be Mares.”
The 23-year-old Alvarez attempted to use the surprise result as a lesson for his fight with Mayweather, for which he currently stands as a decisive underdog, according to Bovada. On that site, a $100 wager on Alvarez would return $220, while a $280 bet on Mayweather is required to win $100.
“The favorite doesn’t always win,” Alvarez said. “The guy who you think is going to win doesn't always win. That’s boxing.”
Two Angry Men
Meanwhile, if Episode 2 taught anyone anything, it’s that the venom between Mayweather and De La Hoya, who fought in 2007 and have been business partners for several events since, hasn’t gone away.
De La Hoya, who promotes Alvarez and insisted to Mayweather in Episode 1 that his man would “kick your ass,” claimed the youngster was given an edge heading into September because “I laid out the blueprint (on how to beat Mayweather). I took it out of the vault and I handed it to Canelo Alvarez.”
Mayweather won a split decision in the most lucrative pay-per-view match of all time when he met De La Hoya at the MGM Grand, taking two scorecards by 116-112 (8-4 in rounds) and 115-113 (7-5 in rounds) and losing a third by a similar 115-113 verdict.
It’s the only one of "Money’s" 44 pro fights that ended with an opponent ahead on any scorecard.
Nonetheless, the winner was not at all impressed with his ex-rival’s claim.
“Everybody Oscar De La Hoya gave the blueprint to, I kicked their ass, too,” Mayweather said. “He's not shit to me. F**k Oscar De La Hoya. How you gonna give someone the blueprint to beat me if you didn't beat me. Tell Canelo to go to my kitchen, get the sharpest knife and cut the bullsh*t out.”
Making His Pitch
Though he’s the quieter and more humble of the two fighters, it’d be incorrect to assume Alvarez has no extracurricular responsibilities outside of preparing for Mayweather.
The initial episode of the series showed Mayweather in his promotional role, and the second episode chronicled his efforts to move “The Money Team” merchandise at the Magic Convention, a twice-yearly trade show with exhibitor categories including clothing, streetwear, active sporting wear and accessories.
Alvarez, meanwhile, was shown filming commercial footage as part of his endorsement relationship with Under Armour, which began in March 2012, shortly before his fight with Shane Mosley.
“It does take work to mix training with the interview and the tour and the commercials, but it’s part of the job,” he said.
Unless otherwise noted all quotes were obtained from Showtime's All Access Mayweather vs. Canelo Episode 2, which aired on Aug. 31, 2013.
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