Mayweather vs. Marquez officially set for July 18!

"I’m here to stay. I’m here to fight and reclaim what’s mine. I’m the king and nobody has taken my throne."
-Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

On the afternoon of the Pacquiao vs. Hatton fight in Las Vegas, former pound for pound king Floyd Mayweather Jr announced his return to the sport as well as his July 18 battle against lightweight champion Juan Manuel Marquez.

Following Manny Pacquiao's two round destruction of Ricky Hatton, boxing fans are looking forward to the fight between Mayweather and Marquez, which will be contested at a catch weight of 144lbs, staged at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas NV, and will be televised on HBO PPV in a card promotionally billed "Number One/Numero Uno." HBO's acclaimed reality series, 24/7, will once again return to cover the lives and training camps of both Mayweather and Marquez in the weeks leading up to their date with destiny in Mayweather/Marquez 24/7.

While Pacquiao has built a reputation for myself as the reigning best pound for pound fighter in the world, Mayweather insists that he remains the best. During the official announcement of the Mayweather vs. Marquez fight a couple weeks ago, Mayweather implied, "When it comes to July 18, I don’t need to tell you what I’m going to do. A small man will never retire me. I’m here to stay. I’m here to fight and reclaim what’s mine. I’m the king and nobody has taken my throne."

Marquez acknowledges that that he must beat the best if he really wants to be considered the best. As the days and months wind down and we get closer to July 18, fans and experts will focusing on the three fighters who are undeniably the top three best pound for pound fighters in the world today - Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather, and Juan Manuel Marquez. It could be fun to witness just how things will unfold between these three elite-level fighters!

photo: daylife.com