Las Vegas Weekly

May 21, 2009 · 11:26 AM

Excitement begins for Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s return to the boxing ring

By Robin Leach

Floyd Mayweather Jr. at Pure.

Photo: Pure Management Group

This is a heads-up for what might well turn out to be the biggest boxing event of the summer and sets up the ultimate clash. Tickets go on sale tomorrow at 10 a.m. for the Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. fight against Juan Manuel Marquez at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

High-priced ducats will sell for $750 and $1,000 for the July 18 event, but tickets start at $150. Move fast tomorrow morning because they’re predicting a sell-out, and that means scalpers will be tripling the prices within days!

Photo: Palms

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and friends at Ditch Fridays at the Palms.

Our hometown hero Floyd has given up his retirement from boxing and will put his undefeated record of 39-0 with 25 KOs on the line. His challenger, nicknamed “Dinamita,” defeated Oscar de la Hoya in May 2007 for the World Junior Middleweight title and is a highly touted and dangerous fighter. After winning a bronze medal in the 1996 Olympics, Floyd won his first world title at age 21 two years later.

Floyd, who is a regular at our Las Vegas nightclubs and restaurants, announced his retirement in December 2007 after a 10th-round knockout victory against Ricky “The Hitman” Hatton. He went on to appear on Dancing With the Stars and Wrestlemania but told me that his decision to retire was final, as he wanted to work his money magic on Wall Street. However, the door was left ever so slightly open for a return, and now to prove it, tickets go on sale tomorrow.

Photo: Pure Management Group

DJ AM and Floyd Mayweather Jr. at Pure.

Juan Manuel, who hails from Mexico City, has a record of 50-4, with 37 KOs. He won 29 of his first 30 professional bouts, and after a controversial loss in 1999, he won every fight for the next seven years! Juan Manuel lost to Manny Pacquiao, who has agreed to fight Floyd if Floyd beats Marquez! Manny recently knocked out Ricky at the end of the second round in a headliner bout here in Las Vegas.

Look for a Pacquiao-Mayweather Jr. fight to be promoted and staged here in Las Vegas if everything falls into place!

Robin Leach has been a journalist for more than 50 years and has spent the past decade giving readers the inside scoop on Las Vegas, the world’s premier platinum playground.

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