Floyd Mayweather-Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez fight sets TV ratings record in Mexico

The junior middleweight title fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico this past Saturday in Las Vegas had a national rating of 41.1 points in Mexico, which equates to 77-percent share, a record for a boxing event televised in Mexico.

The numbers mean some 22.1 million viewed the bout in Mexico on Televisa.

Mayweather won via majority decision.

Pay-per-view numbers in the U.S. have yet to be released by Showtime.

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Former heavyweight champion Ken Norton has died at the age of 70

Several outlets are reporting that former heavyweight champion Ken Norton has died at the age of 70.

Norton had been in poor health since suffering a stroke in 2012. He was perhaps best known for his three fights with Muhummad Ali, of which only one was for a major championship.

Norton broke Ali’s jaw in their first fight in San Diego, won by Norton via split-decision in March 1973. Six months later, that September, Ali won a split-decision over Norton at the Forum.

Ali was scored the winner over Norton in their third fight in September 1976 at Yankee Stadium. It was a controversial unanimous decision, one that enabled Ali to retain his two major title belts.

In one newspaper account the day after that third fight, Norton was quoted as saying he told Ali to his face he thought the decision was a poor one. Norton was asked what Ali’s reply was.

“What could he say? He knew I was right,” Norton said.

 

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Gay boxer Orlando Cruz says life has changed since coming out in October

Featherweight contender Orlando Cruz of Puerto Rico last October announced to the world that he is gay. He is believed to be the first fighter to do that while still active.

During a conference call this week promoting his Oct. 12 title fight with Orlando Salido of Mexico, Cruz indicated he was thrilled regarding his decision to come out.

“My life has changed completely,” Cruz said. “I am now a different person. I am happy with the support that all of the people have given me. And I just want to continue to work hard doing the things that I need to do to make history.”

Cruz, a 32-year-old southpaw, is 20-2-1 with 10 knockouts. Salido, 32, is 39-12-2 with 27 knockouts.

They will fight underneath the welterweight title fight between Timothy Bradley and Juan Manuel Marquez at Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas (on HBO pay-per-view).

 

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Former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik stiffs cab driver, charged with theft

Several news outlets are reporting that former middleweight champion Kelly Pavlik, who has a history of alcohol abuse, stiffed a cab driver for a $25 fee early Wednesday morning in Canfield, Ohio; Pavlik is from Youngstown.

According to TribToday.com, the cab driver said Palik appeared drunk. He has been charged with petty theft and is slated to be arraigned Friday in Canfield.

The retired Pavlik, just 31, went 40-2 with 34 knockouts. He last fought in July 2012 and won a unanimous decision over Will Rosinsky at Home Depot Center in Carson.

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C.J. Ross, judge who scored Mayweather-Alvarez a draw, takes leave of absence

Judge C.J. Ross has taken a leave of absence from boxing effective immediately, the Las Vegas Review-Journal reported Tuesday.

Ross is the judge who came up with the absurd score of 114-114 for this past Saturday’s junior middleweight title fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mayweather was scored the majority decision, with judges Dave Moretti and Craig Metcalfe giving him the bout by respective scores of 116-112 and 117-111. Ross, 64, somehow came up with a draw in a fight where most veteran reporters gave Alvarez no more than a round; some did not give him even that.

According to the Review-Journal, Ross sent an email to Keith Kizer, executive director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Part of it read, “I will be taking some time off from boxing but will keep in touch.”

The replay of the fight can be seen Saturday at 9 p.m.on Showtime, which televised the fight on its pay per view arm.

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Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez replay on tap Saturday night

A replay of this past Saturday’s junior middleweight title fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at MGM Grand in Las Vegas will be shown this Saturday on Showtime at 9 p.m.

Fans who did not purchase the pay-per-view feed will have the chance to see just how terrible the scoring was by judge C.J. Ross, who shockingly scored the bout a 114-114 draw. Even the scorecards of Dave Moretti (116-112) and Craig Metcalfe (117-111) in favor of Mayweather seemed off as most longtime boxing reporters gave Alvarez either one round, or none at all. (Mayweather won a majority decision).

Mayweather, 36, is now 45-0. Alvarez, 23, is 42-1-1.

Also, fans will get to see a replay of the semi-main event between super lightweight champion Danny Garcia and Lucas Matthysse. Garcia (27-0), who did a fantastic job of taking away the power of Matthysse (34-3), won a unanimous decision by scores of 114-112, 114-112 and 115-111.

 

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Carlos Molina of Chicago takes title from Las Vegas’ Ishe Smith in snooze-fest

Carlos Molina of Chicago took a junior middleweight world title from Ishe Smith via split-decision underneath the Floyd Mayweather-Saul “Canelo” Alvarez junior middleweight title fight (on Showtime pay-per-view).

It was about as boring a 12-round fight as one can imagine. Molina won by scores of 117-111 and 116-112 with the third score going to Smith by a 116-112 count.

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Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez looked a bit too thin after weighing 152 pounds for Mayweather

From where most of us reporters were seated Friday at the weigh-in, Saul “Canelo” Alvarez looked ripped in the mid-section after tipping the scales at 152 pounds.

However, after a colleague sent yours truly a message saying Alvarez looked kind of sickly, we made sure to watch the tape of the weigh-in on the news late Friday night. Not that Alvarez necessarily looked sickly, but he did look like he was too skinny.

Alvarez on Saturday night will take on Floyd Mayweather Jr. in a junior middleweight title fight at MGM Grand in Las Vegas, site of the weigh-in, which attracted 12,200 fans. The bout will be fought at a catch-weight of 152 pounds, two under the limit (on Showtime pay-per-view).

There are those who wonder if having to lose those extra two pounds will render Alvarez listless for the fight. Time will tell, but it won’t be shocking to see Alvarez tire in the second half of the fight.

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Lines for Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez memorabilia off the charts

Much has been made about the possibility that tonight’s junior middleweight title fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at MGM Grand in Las Vegas could break pay-per-view records.

Local Las Vegas news stations are saying there could also be record numbers for local merchants with the thousands upon thousands in town for the event.

On top of all that, there was a line Saturday morning at the Mayweather-Alvarez memorabilia line at MGM Grand that was three times longer than anything yours truly has seen in 20 years of covering boxing in Sin City.

Mayweather-Alvarez will be available on Showtime pay-per-view.

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Danny Garcia, Lucas Matthysse make weight underneath Mayweather-Alvarez

With all the hoopla surrounding Saturday’s junior middleweight title fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view), let’s not forget that there is one heck of a semi-main event.

In it, Danny Garcia of Philadelphia will defend his two super lightweight titles against Lucas Matthysse of Argentina. It’s expected to be a hard-hitting thriller.

Garcia and Matthysse both made weight Friday before 12,200 at MGM Grand, unheard of attendance for a weigh-in. Garcia tipped the scales at the 140-pound limit on the second try. He wore a surprised look on his face when it was announced he first weighed in at 140 1/2. He got off, got back on only seconds later and it was announced he weighed 140.

It was kind of weird, as reporters talking among themselves laughed, saying things like, “I wish I could lose weight that quickly.”

Matthysse weighed 140.

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