LONDON, August 15 – Already the pound-for-pound and pay-per-view King in the United States, with an excess of seven million pay-per-view buys and total revenues approaching half a billion dollars, Floyd “Money” Mayweather has been untouchable through 41 professional fights, making him the biggest boxing attraction of this era.
For his Sept. 17 showdown with World Boxing Council (WBC) Welterweight World Champion “Vicious” Victor Ortiz, which takes place at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. and will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View in the United States, Mayweather has his sights set on conquering the world.
“I love all of my British fans and I appreciate all of their support throughout my career,” said Mayweather. “It is my dream to eventually fight in the U.K. but in the meantime, tune-in to STARPOWER on Saturday, September 17 when I step back in the ring to face a very tough challenge in Victor Oritz. It will be an extremely exciting fight and another Mayweather experience for everyone to enjoy.”
“Floyd is a major sports and entertainment attraction worldwide and his record-breaking box office and pay-per-view success is a testament to the power and value of his name and business franchise,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO Mayweather Promotions. “He takes his next step towards all-time boxing greatness, continued global recognition and commercial success on September 17 when he faces Victor Ortiz. We expect this fight to follow the amazing achievements of his past performances.”
“Floyd Mayweather has become a major crossover brand in the United States, which is evidenced not only by his pay-per-view and box office revenue numbers, but also by the fact that he has one of the largest fan followings on social media websites of any athlete,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, co-promoter of the Sept. 17 mega-event. “It’s clear that Floyd’s reach is global, so it is only fitting that he is setting out to capture the global pay-per-view market and continue to break records. It is our goal to help him achieve the ‘unachievable’ and bring the great sport of boxing into new and unchartered territories.”
With Mayweather currently sporting nearly 1.5 million followers on Twitter, almost 650,000 Facebook friends and a very interactive website (www.floydmayweather.com), the demand to see his mega-fights live has increased to the point where his bout against Ortiz, will be distributed in 170 countries. In addition to the United States, some of the countries airing the “STAR POWER” via pay-per-view are the United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, Australia, New Zealand, Bermuda, Curacao, Canada and, for the first time, French-language Canada.
Fans in the United Kingdom can watch “STAR POWER: Mayweather vs. Ortiz” live on Primetime, channel 480 on Sky, Virgin on Demand and streamed live via the website www.primetimelive.co.uk. Existing Sky customers can buy through Box Office. New customers must register beforehand online at www.primetimelive.co.uk or by calling 0871 200 4444. Virgin customers Press home > More on Demand > Live Events. The fight will cost £14.95 and a small one-off registration fee will apply for customers new to Primetime.
This sets the stage for the 34-year-old Mayweather to set even more records, something that the six-time world champion in five weight divisions specializes in.
He already owns the record for the largest number of pay-per-view buys for a single night when he defeated Oscar de la Hoya in a 2007, reaching nearly 2.5 million homes. The Las Vegan also holds the record for the highest average number of pay-per-view buys per fight of any fighter, active or retired. When you consider the legends who have made their mark on the sport over the years like De La Hoya, Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, Floyd Mayweather is clearly an all-time great and definitely in a league of his own.
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“STAR POWER” is a mega-event taking place on Saturday, Sept. 17 from two world-class cities with three world titles at stake. Floyd Mayweather and Victor Ortiz will face off in a 12-round fight for Ortiz’s WBC Welterweight World Title from the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nev. Canelo Alvarez and Alfonso Gomez will do battle in a 12-round fight for Alvarez’s WBC Super Welterweight World Title from STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, Calif. Also live in Las Vegas, will be Erik Morales vs. Lucas Matthysse in a 12 round fight for the vacant WBC Super Lightweight World Title and an opening fight featuring undefeated rising star Jessie Vargas against top contender Josesito Lopez. The mega event is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, DeWALT Tools and AT&T. Alvarez vs. Gomez is presented in association with Canelo Promotions and Morales vs. Matthysse is presented in association with Box Latino Promotions and Arano Box Promotions. In the United States, “STAR POWER: Mayweather vs. Ortiz” will be produced and distributed live by HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9:00 p.m. ET/6:00 p.m. PT / 5:00am BST (Sunday morning 18th September).
Jimmy Lange to Fight Raul Muñoz for WBU Title as Main Event on September 10th Card at Patriot Center
AIRFAX, VA (August 15, 2011) – Championship boxing returns to the Northern Virginia/National Capital area with a world title on the line as Jimmy Lange (36-4-2, 24 KOs) of Great Falls, VA faces Raul “El Toro” Muñoz (22-14-1, 16 KOs) of Topeka, KS for the World Boxing Union’s (WBU) vacant 154-lb. championship in the 10-round Main Event on Saturday, September 10th at the Patriot Center. Presented by Valcourt Building Services, Jimmy Lange Boxing will feature seven exciting pro bouts showcasing world-class fighters from in and around the beltway region.
Lange has won his last five fights, including a unanimous win over Mike McFail this past June in Virginia Beach. The former star from season one of The Contender television show has headlined all 12 Patriot Center pro boxing shows dating back to September 2005. He remains the sport’s biggest draw in the region, with Jimmy Lange Boxing shows consistently attracting thousands of fans and showcasing top local and world-class talent.
A native of Mexico now fighting out of the Midwest, Muñoz lost his last fight to undefeated top prospect Mike Jones in Philadelphia on June 25, 2011. He turned pro at age 18 and has faced world-class competitors such as Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Hector Camacho, Austin Trout, Joel Casamayor, Yory Boy Campas and Alfonso Gomez.
The WBU originated in England, but recently moved its U.S. operations to Atlanta, GA under the direction of Chairman Don “Moose” Lewis. Notable fighters who have held a WBU belt include George Foreman, James Toney, Hasim Rahman, Ricky Hatton, and Micky Ward (as highlighted in the Oscar®-nominated film The Fighter).
The rest of the Jimmy Lange Boxing card:
Jonathan “Reid Dawg” Reid (35-12, 19 KOs) vs. George “Wartime” Rivera (12-6, 4 KOs) – 8 Rounds, Jr. Middleweight (Co-Main Event)
Michael “No Joke” Stewart (47-6-3, 24 KOs) vs. TBD, 6 Rounds, Welterweight
Todd “White” Lightning” Wilson (10-0, 4 KOs) vs. TBD, 6 Rounds, Jr. Welterweight
Zain “Tiger” Shah (5-0, 3 KOs) vs. Julius “Vicious” Kennedy (7-2-1, 3 KOs) – 6 Rounds, Jr. Middleweights
Scott “Cujo” Sigmon (16-3, 8 KOs) vs. Bruce “The Rage” Rumbolz (22-22-2, 13 KOs) – 8 Rounds, Super Middleweight
Lawrence Jones (3-5-2, 1 KO) vs. Jose Felix (10-9-2, 3 KOs) – 6 Rounds, Jr. Middleweight
Tickets, priced at $35, $50, $75, $125, $300 and $500 (plus applicable service charges), can be bought through all Ticketmaster outlets including the Patriot Center box office, online at www.ticketmaster.com/ and via Phonecharge at 703-573-SEAT, 202-397-SEAT and 410-547-SEAT. Accessible seating is available for patrons with disabilities by calling 703-993-3035.
Doors will open at 6:00 pm, with the first fight scheduled to begin promptly at 7:00 pm. All bouts are subject to change. Jackie “First Lady of Boxing” Kallen serves as promoter with matchmaking duties handled by J.D. Brown.