Here is what the fighters and Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions, said at MGM Grand on Tuesday:
FLOYD MAYWEATHER
“To become great, you have to follow greatness. To become a great leader you have to be a great follower.
“I want every fighter to stay focused and on a parallel path.
“I’ve done a lot for this sport. Everyone used to be focused on heavyweights. My ultimate goal was to have everyone focus at whatever weight class I was, in my weight class. I’ve always been able to make noise at whatever weight class I was in.
“We want Andre to believe in himself and his skills.
“Every fighter that I’ve ever faced had the remedy to beat me, but the results have always been the same.
“I don’t overlook anyone, he’s a tough competitor, and we will just have to see what happens on Saturday.
“My ultimate goal is that we can find another Floyd Mayweather. When I turned professional I was a teenager and the MGM was Mike Tyson’s building. I’m just blessed and I feel like I was dealt a royal flush.
(On Jen Welter) “She is a remarkable woman; I look forward to meeting her. She’s a trailblazer.”
ANDRE BERTO
“I had a tremendous training camp. I am in better shape than I’ve been in years.
“I’m looking forward to making history on Saturday.
“I don’t know anything about any code that Mayweather has. When I want to walk through a door I just break through.”
LEONARD ELLERBE
“We’re really honored to be able to honor her (Jen Welter) at the Titans of Trade breakfast. This is our sixth breakfast; we’ve been able to recognize other great women who have contributed to sports.
“She’s a remarkable person and we look forward to honoring her and having her attend the fight.”
BADOU JACK
“This is my first defense so I’m excited and absolutely ready for Saturday. He says he is going to win, but we’ll see how it goes on fight night.
“I’m ready to go. I’m ready to knock him out.’’
GEORGE GROVES
“I’m feeling great, really focused and had a great camp. On Saturday all I have to do is be myself and I will get the job done.
“Jack is a good opponent but he is not as good as me.
“I appreciate all the support I am getting from the Brit fans, some of whom are here today. This is going to be a good week.’’
ROMAN “ROCKY” MARTINEZ
“I am very proud to be on this card and what better way to be a part of it than against Salido again.
“We all know Salido’s style: he falls and is used to getting up and continuing to fight. This is going to be a tough fight like our last one. But I am going to do my best and do what I can to win again.’’
ORLANDO SALIDO
“I’m ready to bring on the war, give it everything I’ve got and looking for a big win. I know I made a lot of mistakes in the last fight but I’m confident I corrected them.
“A big difference in this fight is that it is not in Puerto Rico like our first one, this one’s at a neutral site the United States. Whether it’s a decision or a knockout, I’m coming to win.’’
JHONNY GONZALEZ
“Oquendo is a great, tough fighter but I am ready to take him on. I expect this to be a great fight on Saturday and I will leave everything in the ring.
“This is going to be a hard fight. I’m coming here to win.’’
JONATHAN OQUENDO
“Jhonny Gonzalez is a champion of the world. We know he’s a powerful, dangerous fighter. But I’m here to fight and give my daughter a gift on Saturday.
“But this fight is for all the fans of Mexico and Puerto Rico.”
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“HIGH STAKES: Mayweather vs. Berto,” a 12-round world championship bout for Mayweather’s WBC and WBA Welterweight World Titles takes place Saturday, Sept. 12 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and sponsored by Tecate. The event will be produced and distributed live by SHOWTIME PPV® (8:00 p.m. ET/5:00 p.m. PT). The co-main event will feature a rematch between Roman Martinez and Orlando Salido for the WBO Junior Lightweight World Title. The Martinez vs. Salido fight will follow Mayweather Promotions’ own Badou Jack “The Ripper” making his first defense of the WBC Super Middleweight World title against mandatory challenger “Saint” George Groves. The Jack vs. Groves fight is presented in association with Team Sauerland. The first pay-per-view televised fight is a 10-round super featherweight showdown featuring Mexican power puncher Jhonny Gonzalez against Puerto Rico’s Jonathan Oquendo. The event will be available in Spanish through secondary audio programming (SAP).
