LAS VEGAS - Floyd "Money" Mayweather (48-0, 26 KOs) opened up the Mayweather Boxing Club on Wednesday for his last media day ever as he prepares for the last fight of a celebrated 19-year career. He will defend his WBC and WBA Welterweight World Championships against power-punching, two-time welterweight world champion Andre Berto (30-3, 23 KOs) on Saturday, Sept. 12 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, live on SHOWTIME PPV® (8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT).
If triumphant, Mayweather would match the record of the late heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano, who retired in April 1956 with a record of 49-0.
Television camera crews, newspaper columnists, boxing writers, radio broadcasters, web reporters and photographers watched as boxing's perennial pound for pound king and 12-time world champion in five weight classes went through approximately a 45-minute workout, which consisted of about 35 minutes of sparring.
Before a training session that was hosted by TV & CBS Radio personality Big Tigger and Emmy® Award-winning sports reporter Mark Kriegel and streamed in high definition across multiple platforms, including via satellite feed, YouTube and social media, Mayweather took questions from the media inside a specially-constructed tent in a parking lot outside the gym.
Promoted by Mayweather Promotions, the Sept. 12 four-fight pay-per-view telecast will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV and is the sixth and final fight of a record-breaking deal between Mayweather and Showtime Networks Inc. SHOWTIME Sports® will support the event with the Sports Emmy® Award-winning series ALL ACCESS.
In world championship fights on the pay-per-view telecast, Roman "Rocky" Martinez (29-2-2, 17 KOs) will defend his WBO Junior Lightweight title in a rematch against four-time world champion Orlando "Siri" Salido (42-13-2, 29 KOs), and Badou Jack "The Ripper" (19-1-1, 12 KOs) will make the initial defense of his WBC Super Middleweight World title against mandatory challenger "Saint" George Groves (21-2, 16 KOs). The opening fight of the telecast will feature former three-time world champion and Mexican power-puncher Jhonny Gonzalez (58-9, 49 KOs) against Puerto Rico's Jonathan "Polvo" Oquendo (25-4, 16 KOs) in a 10-round junior lightweight scrap.
Plus, former 154-pound world champion Ishe Smith (27-7, 12 KOs) will be opposed by longtime top-five contender Vanes Martirosyan (35-2-1, 21 KOs) in the 90-minute COUNTDOWN LIVE: MAYWEATHER vs. BERTO" preshow on Saturday, September 12.
Tickets for the live event, which is promoted by Mayweather Promotions LLC., are priced at $1,500, $1,000, $750, $500, $300 and $150 and are on sale now. Tickets are limited to eight (8) per household for all ticket prices except the $150 ticket category, which is limited to four (4) per household. To charge by phone or with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.
"Berto can fight. He's a two-time champion. He's hungry. He comes to wage a war. There is never a dull moment when he fights so I expect a hell of a fight out of him. We'll all see how it plays out.
"My last fight, all you guys put [Manny] Pacquiao on a pedestal and look what happened. I went in there and did what I needed to do, which is win.
"This fight, no matter who the opponent, somebody would have something critical or negative to say. Some people are never satisfied. But I'm satisfied.
"All 48 of my fights have been hard. None have been easy. All played a major key. It's the 'Mayweather Era.' I feel that every fighter is an artist and they all take pictures their own way. I'm just one of the very best artists.
"I've truly been blessed. I've taken my time, kept my eye on the prize and done what I've had to do. So I'm able to make a choice when to retire. Most fighters really couldn't.