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The Associated Press
Boxers Juan Manuel Marquez, right, of Mexico, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. face off during a news conference at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Saturday, May 2, 2009. Mayweather formally announced his return to boxing Saturday, less than a year after he retired and said he was through with the sport. The two will fight on July 18 in a fight with a 143-pound limit.
Tuesday, July 21, 2009 | midnight
Penn hops out of pool
Don't Fight 'GSP'
Floyd Mayweather Jr. might not be talking much about the rib injury that delayed his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez this month, but that seems like the only topic not up for discussion.
In a recent interview with CBSSports.com, “Pretty Boy Floyd” rapped on Marquez and Pacquiao, and took a monster shot at mixed martial arts, saying the sport his Sept. 19 fight vs. Marquez is competing head-to-head against (UFC 103 is in Dallas the same night) is for “beer drinkers, boxing is for everybody.”
“You can’t take my shoes off, and take my shirt off and throw me in a cage. You do that with animals, you don’t do that with humans,” said a bold Mayweather. “It takes true skills to be in the sport of boxing.”
While Mayweather probably should have stopped his brash statements there — considering many of the MMA fans he was offending probably helped him become boxing’s “pay-per-view king” by purchasing his blockbuster fights — he didn’t, saying MMA was created by white fighters who couldn’t cut it in the ring.
"In boxing, we know who's dominating. Black fighters and Hispanic fighters is dominating in this sport,” Mayweather continued. “And this is not a racial statement but there's no white fighters in boxing that's dominating, so they had to go to something else and start something new."
When the subject turned to a much-anticipated match with Manny Pacquiao (whose fight against Miguel Cotto in November was officially announced Monday), Mayweather said the Filipino superstar would have to become his own boss before he could consider a bout.
“Everybody wants to see the Pacquiao fight, but it doesn’t work like that. Pacquiao isn’t his own boss and he’s giving up 27 percent of his money to Bob Arum,” Mayweather said. “Once he becomes his own boss, then we can talk. If he’s not his own boss I ain’t got nothing to say to him.”
But just in case he does, Mayweather says you know where to find him.
“It’s not hard to find me. Everybody know I’m in Las Vegas,” he said. “Just look for the biggest mansion and the prettiest Rolls-Royce — that’s me.”
More Fighting Words: Brash statements weren’t reserved for just boxers last week, as a verbal duel between a duo of Las Vegas-based fighting characters created MMA-on-MMA action.
The ex-boyfriend of Gina Carano, Muay Thai fighter Kit Cope, took to the airwaves of MMAJunkie Radio to slam Carano’s training regimen for her upcoming fight against Cristiane “Cyborg” Santos, and took a shot at Randy Couture’s popular Xtreme Couture gym in Las Vegas, and specifically trainer Shawn Tompkins.
"It's the cool kids club,” said Cope, who also joked of having a sex tape featuring Carano.
“The gym itself is overhyped. I don't think that Randy makes them (improve) at all. Shawn Tompkins will work you out and he will make sure you are in shape, but he's not going to teach you any kind of technical nothing."
After his comments earned a great deal of hype in the MMA blogsphere, Cope clarified that he was kidding about his statements of Carano. He did not apologize to Tompkins.
Tompkins fired back on Rawvegas.tv that any of the nearly 30 fighters he trains would defeat Cope, who is “not good enough to get into those organizations.”
“He's doing what he always does. He jumps in front of a video camera, he gets excited and he runs his mouth off,” Tompkins said. “He hasn't fought in years and I don't see him training anybody.”
No Surgery Necessary: UFC welterweight champion Georges St. Pierre will not need surgery to repair the groin injury he suffered in his title defense against Thiago Alves at UFC 100, according to Sherdog.com.
“Georges should be back in the gym training within a few weeks after a brief rehabilitation,” wrote the Canadian superstar’s manager Shari Spencer in an e-mail to Sherdog.com.
UFC president Dana White announced that the champion’s next challenger would be the winner of UFC 103’s welterweight bout between Mike Swick vs. Martin Kampmann.
Then again, maybe both will heed the advice of “GSP’s” new Gatorade commercial and “never, ever fight George St. Pierre.”
Ribbed: Much like Mayweather’s injury, Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. had to pull out of his fight again Jason LeHoullier, scheduled to be the main event of Saturday’s "Latin Fury 10" pay-per-view card in Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico.
Top Rank officials said the son of Mexican legend Julio Cesar Chavez Sr. (39-0-1, 29 KOs) suffered the injury while training in Big Bear, Calif., and could not throw punches effectively.
Two other title bouts — featuring lightweight Urbano Antillon (26-0, 19 KOs), of Maywood, Calif., vs. Miguel Acosta (25-9-2, 19 KOs) of Venezuela, and junior flyweight titleholder Giovani Segura (20-1-1, 16 KOs) of Bell Gardens, Calif., defending his title against the Philippines' Sonny Boy Jaro (30-7-5, 19 KOs) — will go on as scheduled.
Around the octagon/ring and beyond: Amir Khan lived up to his lofty expectations, defeating Andreas Kotelnik on Saturday to capture the WBA junior welterweight title. But don’t expect the silver medalist to face fellow Brit Ricky Hatton anytime soon. Promoter Frank Warren insists the “Hitman” is not up to it and “should definitely retire.” … B.J. Penn shows off his impressive hops with the old jumping-out-of-the-pool trick. … While the details of his death are still sketchy, boxer Arturo Gatti was remembered as a big-hearted fighter when more than 1,000 mourners turned out at his funeral Monday. … Dream 10 underdog Marius Zaromskis shocked pundits, winning the welterweight grand prix and divisional championship before a holiday crowd of 11,970 Monday at the Saitama Super Arena in Japan.
Andy Samuelson can be reached at andy.samuelson@lasvegassun.com or 702-948-7837.
too bad mayweather is running his mouth AGAIN. seriously, who's buying his fight over the ufc? maybe a few older guys, but that's it. it's sad that boxing is no longer enjoyable.
and, come on kit cope. las vegas tries to support you as you are a hometown guy and unlv alum. as we know, those who run their mouths are lacking something. sorry, but be quite your 15 minutes are over.
Hey Mayweather, who is the heavyweight champ right now in Boxing? It is a Russian White guy so how about that? What a douchebag fighter he is. He runs his mouth so much he will ruin his ppv money this next fight. People won't buy his lousy fight after this. I sure won't. Screw that!
Agree with Mayweather. Rather watch boxing than MMA.
This BOY needs to learn alot more class before he speuws more crap from his face!This punk and his onterage disrupted my business for almost an hour so he could have his way with a girl! His people pushed my customers around,and all acted in a way that if they do return,they will be kicked out! I CAN SEE WHY HIS FATHER DUMPED HIM! GROW UP KID! AND DROP YOUR ONTERAGE THAT IS ONLY THERE FOR YOUR MONEY,AND TAKE SOME LESSONS IN CLASS TOO!
And one last comment,I HOPE PACQUIAO KNOCKS YOUR MOUTH SHUT(if ya got the guts to enter the ring with him)IT SOUNDS AS IF YOUR A BIT SCARED TO FIGHT SOMEONE THAT IS POUND FOR POUND ALOT BETTER THAN YOURSELF!And that includes every aspect of what being a human being is all about too!
Only the future will tell if Mayweather has a valid point. Big mouth though he has, he is an extremely gifted athlete and "still" no MMA fighter can come close to earning what he does in the ring, even including thier endorsement deals. One is an Olympic Sport and one is a "start-up". Bottomline though, there is plenty of room for both sports and Las Vegas "needs" them both!
Personally I enjoy both. However, Floyd has every right to talk mess. He hasn't been beat. So when he gets beat then you all can talk mess. No one complained about Ali talking, in fact people loved him for it. Its a sport and thats what happens. I, as well as, many others will buy the fight so no big deal if cry babies decide not to! For the record RYPHI--- Russian is not white!! He is foriegn! He would probably give you a beat down just for saying that!!!
keep talking little guy the fact is your a fast handed dancer not a fighter a fighter get hit and overcomes.. a fight brings the fight to his opponet.. ive watch you box and it makes me wanna sleep... you dance ... no one wants to pay 59 dollars to see you dance around throw some hands and run away.....boxing is gasping its last breaths its going to be like hockey... still around but really no one cares....floyd you should just thank your lucky stars you made money will you did .... because trust me the party is over........you will be broke and mumbeling in about 10 years....
Rocco - Yes, if you are a fighter, you are going to get hit. But, you can't fault a fighter who is fast enough to "avoid" getting hit. I'll pay $59.00 to watch Mayweather fight becuase he is one of the quickest humans on earth. In fact, I'd pay a couple thousand to see him fight in person. It's amazing to watch. However, to lash-out at MMA or UFC is pointless I agree. Floyd better hope he doesn't run into one of those beer drinking MMA fighters he referenced after they've had a few too many on the Strip, or he may get a one way ticket to UMC Trauma.
bad mouth mma mayweather let me see u get in that octagon then bad mouth it you need a good beaten like mir need another fight with brock.
MAYWEATHER look all gangster he won't be looking to gangster if he in south central