Golden Boy matchmaker Eric Gomez stoked about making Mayweather-Alvarez

There were some boxing insiders who didn’t think a fight would be made between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Well, that junior middleweight title-unification bout for Sept. 14 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view) was announced Wednesday.

The thing that was supposed to kill the fight was weight. Alvarez is a big junior middleweight and would not have been able to get down to welterweight. Mayweather holds titles in both the welterweight and junior middleweight divisions, but he is considered more of a welterweight. They agreed to fight at a catch-weight of 152 pounds – two under the junior middleweight limit. Problem solved, and that made Golden Boy Promotions executives very happy.

“I’m just happy we made it,” said Eric Gomez, matchmaker and vice president at Golden Boy. “There were a lot of doubters. Talking to (Golden Boy CEO) Richard (Schaefer) and Oscar, we knew Floyd would do it because he’s a fighter. He’s a bad (dude). And you don’t get there by dodging anybody.”
 

 

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Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Saul ‘Canelo’ Alvarez is made for Sept. 14 at MGM Grand

It’s time to rejoice, fight fans, because the fight that figures to be a blockbuster in every way was made Wednesday, as Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced via Twitter that he will take on Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico in a junior middleweight title-unification bout Sept. 14 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas (on Showtime pay-per-view).
“I chose my opponent for September 14th and it’s Canelo Alvarez,” Mayweather tweeted. “I’m giving the fans what they want. It will be at the MGM Grand.”
Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, confirmed to this newspaper via telephone an accord has been reached for the fight that will be contested at a catch-weight of 152 pounds, two under the junior middleweight limit.
“One hundred percent,” Ellerbe said. “Most definitely, we’re ecstatic. Floyd is ecstatic. This is the fight he wanted, the biggest fight out there in boxing that could be made. He
made it very clear to me and (adviser) Al (Haymon) that this is the fight he wanted.”
Mayweather currently holds belts in the welterweight and junior middleweight divisions. His junior middleweight title will be on the line, as will Alvarez’s two titles.
Mayweather, 36, is coming off a unanimous decision over Robert “The Ghost” Guerrero in a welterweight title defense May 4 at MGM Grand. Alvarez, 22, most recently defeated Austin Trout in a title-unification fight in April at the Alamodome in San Antonio.
Alvarez, who fights under the Golden Boy Promotions banner, is 42-0-1 with 30 knockouts. Mayweather is 44-0 with 26 knockouts.

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Negotiations ongoing for fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Saul Alvarez

Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, told this newspaper Tuesday that negotiations are ongoing for a fight between welterweight champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. and super welterweight champion Saul “Canelo” Alvarez of Mexico. The fight would take place Sept. 14 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Schaefer was asked if he is confident it will get done.

“Yes,” he said. “I’m a positive-thinking guy. But you never know. With these big, big fights, sometimes they don’t. The only thing I can do is keep working and see what happens.”

Schaefer said the word should come soon.

“The good thing is I don’t think we have to wait too long to find out because there are certain deadlines which have to be met because Sept. 14 is not that far away,” he said.

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