Photo Credits: Esther Lin/Showtime, Idris Erba/Mayweather Promotions
LAS VEGAS — The Mayweather Boxing Club was the site for Tuesday’s media workout featuring Floyd Mayweather and Mickey Bey. The two are just 10 days out from the “Mayhem” Showtime pay-per-view that pits Mayweather against Marcos Maidana, and Bey in his first title shot against Miguel Vazquez.
Below are select fighter quotes from yesterday’s session.
FLOYD MAYWEATHER
This is a remarkable turnout and I appreciate the media who came out today. I’ve had a tremendous training camp and worked very hard. I’m mentally and physically prepared. I’m doing this fight for the fans. The fans have been with me for 18 years. It’s because of them I’m here today. I have to embrace the fans.
This fight is about the sport of boxing. Fans wanted to see this fight. They like to see excitement. Why not do it again? Maidana is a hard worker who is coming to fight. My job is to be patient and smart and to entertain.
The first few rounds were exciting last time and then I turned it around in the second half. I expect to throw more combinations this time. I can’t say if the rematch will be easier. I won the first fight, it’s up to him to change. The champ can make adjustments and I can be especially smart about it. Nobody can solve the May-Vinci code.
Watching a fight from the outside is totally different than from what’s going on in the inside. He may have been attacking but I was countering, throwing body shots. That affected his thought process and he fought different after that.
I always find a way. Whether I am 26 or 37, I still find the way to win. I guess when you win all 12 rounds, or 10-plus rounds so many times, fans and the media get spoiled. The bar is set so high. I fight not only my opponent, but everybody, the biased fans, the biased critics.
But I was the one who set the bar so I can understand. But it’s not about silencing critics at this point. My thing is I have to take care of my children and family. My job is to do what I what I do best. My job is to be Floyd Mayweather.
People are entitled to their opinions. They are entitled to believe what they want to believe. But when you reach this level that I’m at there are always those taking shots at you. I don’t worry about that. Taking shots at me only comes with the territory. If you want to believe lies or rumors, that only makes my story better.
I’m one of those who trains every day. I look and feel strong. I’ve dedicated myself to training. The other day I went 14 non-stop rounds. As I get older I grow mentally if not also physically.
I’m going strong and my team is going strong. SHOWTIME and CBS are the best. They gave me an offer I couldn’t refuse.
I don’t really focus on who I might fight next, or how many times I’ll fight. But my job is to take it one fight at a time. We’ll see how it plays out on Sept. 13 and go from there.
One day I want to go into the Hall of Fame, not as one of the all-time best, but the best.
MICKEY BEY
The world title fight for me is huge and it just shows that being patient and doing the hard work pays off. I’ve had a lot of interruptions but you just have to stay patient, stick with it without losing focus, training hard and never think about quitting or giving up.
It’s gonna be a big night on Sept. 13. It’s been about a year’s wait for me, but look at that as a positive because it gave me more time to perfect my craft. I had so many breaks with no fights, but I just had to stay dedicated, keep looking at it as a positive thing, and keep learning.
Vazquez is a legit champion with several title defenses. I give full credit to him. He’s rated No. 1 at lightweight. That’s what makes it better for me. A lot of people complain that guys are fighting for vacant titles or cherry-picking. I just love the biggest challenges and coming out on top and that is what I’m gonna do on Sept. 13. We’re both stepping up and I’m the underdog.
I prefer this. I don’t need the easy route. I’m finally where I’d be if I hadn’t had all the inactivity. So I’m gonna kill all the birds with one stone. People don’t know how hungry or determined I am. You never know who’s gonna come out on top in this game, you never know for sure what the guy has inside, and you never know what a fighter’s gonna bring that night. So you’ve got to be ready.
There’s no added pressure on me. Every promoter has fighters that lose. I’m just glad that I finally get to step up for a title against a legitimate champion and can become a world champion. That is definitely big for me
Camp was excellent. I learned from the [John] Molina fight. I’d won every round but the only thing I shouldn’t have done was showboated at the very end. Nobody beat Molina like I beat him, not even (Lucas) Matthysse. Matthysse had problems with him.
So I learned the hard way that you don’t play around until after the bell rings and the fight is over.
Beats, Boxing and Mayhem 