When Floyd Mayweather Jr. announced earlier this week he will face hard-punching Marcos Maidana on May 3, the site of the pay-per-view bout had yet to be determined. But don’t hold your breath thinking Barclays Center might be in the mix.
A source told The Post an official announcement on the site and ticket sales would be made within the week. When asked if the bout would be held at Barclays Center, the source said, “I doubt that will happen.”
The more likely landing spot is the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, where Mayweather has fought exclusively since 2007, when he defeated Oscar De La Hoya. “He’s just comfortable there,” another source said. “He lives in Vegas, trains in Vegas and has his routine.”
The whole Cinco De Mayo weekend celebration revolves around Las Vegas, though that might be tempered because Maidana (35-3, 31 KOs) is from Argentina. Another factor is the hefty state tax penalty Mayweather would face on his $30 million purse fighting in New York.
The website BoxRec, which tracks each boxer’s fight record and upcoming bouts, has listed the MGM Grand as the venue for Mayweather-Maidana.
Nonetheless, Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, has mentioned the added benefits of Mayweather fighting in the New York area. It would expose his Mayweather Promotions brand to the media capital of the world and likely draw additional pay-per-view buys simply because of the location and its links to past championship fights and fighters.
It also would be a big coup for Barclays Center, which has invested heavily in boxing by signing an exclusive deal with Golden Boy Promotions.
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Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. will always be marketable because he is the son of a Mexican legend. But whether he can be taken seriously as an elite boxer will depend on his performance against Bryan Vera in their rematch Saturday night at the Alamodome in San Antonio. HBO will televise.
Chavez (47-1-1, 32 KOs) was unimpressive in earning a decision over Vera last September. That followed a year-long absence from the ring following a positive test for marijuana after he lost a September 2012 bout to Sergio Martinez.
Chavez, a former WBC middleweight champion, blamed his poor performance against Vera (23-7, 14 KOs) on struggling to make weight, a common problem for someone whose work ethic has been often criticized.
He needs a dominate performance against Vera to keep alive the prospect of a future match with someone like middleweight champion Gennady Golovkin. Chavez and Vera both weighed in at 167 ½ pounds on Friday, good enough to meet the 168-pound limit. That’s much better than the first fight, when the weight limit had to be raised to 173 because Chavez knew early on he couldn’t make 168.
“Vera has not seen the best Julio,” Chavez said. “I had my best training camp since I fought Andy Lee. I’m ready to fight. Having my little daughter Julia gives me extra motivation.”
Vera remains confident.
“I’m going to beat him for the second time. Everyone knows I won the first fight. I will get my hand raised.”