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Adrien Broner admits that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is his role model. He regularly calls Mayweather "big bro," asks the pound-for-pound ace for advice and is exceedingly humble (for him) in admitting that Mayweather is boxing's top dog (for now anyway).

But Broner has also told the world that he sees himself as the sport's driver in the near future. To be the man, it makes sense for him to beat the man, right?

A Mayweather-Broner fight has been discussed in barrooms and chat rooms for a couple of years, but the issue becomes more salient now that Broner has leaped from 135 pounds to 147 pounds -- Mayweather territory. But Broner shut down the possibility of a Mayweather clash when asked at a Tuesday media gathering at Gleason's Gym in Dumbo, N.Y., ahead of Saturday's card, topped by a fight between Broner and welterweight titlist and Brooklyn native Paulie Malignaggi.

"My big brother got his legacy, I got mine," Broner said. "I want to see him retire undefeated. I don't want to hand him a loss."

But I do recall Broner having declared he wants to gross a billion dollars when all is said and done. It's a given that a fight with Mayweather would bring him $10 million dollars or so closer to that goal. That doesn't entice him.

"It's not about money," Broner declared. "I ain't hungry, I'm fine."

Both Broner and Mayweather will contradict themselves, a stance they took in days past, and leave fans and naysayers alike puzzling it out, trying to decipher their words and actions.

DALLAS -- The extra weight Mikey Garcia kept on in failing to make the mandatory 126-pound weight limit meant something on Saturday night.

It allowed Garcia to put forth a dominant performance against Juan Manuel Lopez to remain undefeated by scoring a TKO at 1:34 of the fourth round at the American Airlines Center in a featherweight title bout.

Garcia's victory means he most likely will leave the featherweight division and move to super featherweight.

Garcia (32-0, 27 KOs) lost his belt on the scales on Friday afternoon at the American Airlines Center when he failed to make weight. He had to vacate the title and give his opponent a six-figure settlement as punishment for the extra weight.

"Well, the belt, it's mine to keep," Garcia said. "It's on the record books now, but sadly I didn't expect that. It does upset me. I was actually walking to the weigh-in and I was upset, and I was crying a little bit that I was no longer champion."

In the ring, Garcia won all four rounds, dropping Lopez twice as he used a stifling jab to set up the knockdowns.

The first knockdown came on a straight right that sent Lopez down in the second round. The final knockdown was set up by a straight right hand followed by a left hook to the nose, sending Lopez flat to his back. Over nearly four rounds, Garcia's right hand produced swelling under both of Lopez's eyes.

It was easy to see that Garcia was the heavier man and that staying at 126 pounds is no longer in his future.

A potential fight with super featherweight titlist Rocky Martinez could be in the works for Garcia by the end of the year.

If you don't believe Garcia is ready to move up, review his work from Saturday night:

His punches, no matter how long or short, came with power and pushed Lopez back. Garcia weighed 141 pounds on Saturday night, and his trainer and older brother, Robert Garcia, said the added weight didn't affect his fighter.

Lopez, on the other hand, felt the effects quickly.

"I thought I hit him with a couple of shots and he took them very well," Lopez said through an interpreter. "It surprised me and it let me know he was a lot bigger and a lot stronger. I was hoping to take him in the later rounds, hoping he would get tired for making the weight, but it didn't work out that way."

Garcia normally takes his time when he fights. He waits for his opponent to make mistakes before taking over. Saturday night, he started faster, throwing a jab then stepping away and waiting for Lopez to do something.

Lopez wanted to wear his opponent down but couldn't because Garcia's punches were wearing him down instead.

When his night was over, Garcia was talking about staying at featherweight. But that's not happening if he wants to continue to struggle to make the weight. He says he felt dizzy at times when he tried to make weight.

"I feel like I could fight here and regain my title," he said. "But there is still an option to move up to 130, and if I decide to stay at 130 because I feel comfortable there after I try it, I may decide to stay there. But I really want to come back to 126. I think this is where I belong. I'm the featherweight champion of the world, and I think this is where I belong."

That might still be true in Garcia's mind. But his body, and the reality of the situation, say he's moving up.

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico -- Former two-division titlist Juan Manuel Lopez, like many others, has his opinions about boxing's Mexico-Puerto Rico rivalry -- including that it has been extremely favorable to his career.

Nearly half of Lopez's 35 professional bouts have come against Mexican fighters -- fourteen, to be precise. Four, specifically, have had a major impact on his path.

"Fighting against Mexicans has been a huge part of my career," Lopez said. "But I see it more as a competition between two countries with big fighting styles. Puerto Rico fighters move well, they are more technical. Mexico fighters like to clash, there are very few who like to counterattack. Juan Manuel Marquez is one of the few, and we might consider Oscar De La Hoya, since he is of Mexican origin but developed in the United States.

"If we want to talk about the topic, we have to divide it by eras. The [Wilfredo] Gomez era was huge. 'Tito' Trinidad and his 'Fight of the Millenium' against Oscar De La Hoya was huge. [Ivan] Calderon had two big clashes against [Hugo] Cazares. And back in the day, Hector Camacho was a headache to the Mexican boxers. They were all transitions."

Lopez won a junior featherweight title in 2008 when he defeated Mexico's Daniel Ponce De Leon by first-round TKO. He moved up to featherweight in 2010, winning a title in his first bout in the division, and later bested Rafael Marquez (yet another Mexican star) to run his record to 30-0.

But the prestige that came with those wins all but vanished in 2011 when Lopez put his belt on the line against another of Mexico's finest: Orlando Salido.

"Salido is the toughest fighter I've ever faced," Lopez said. "Sometimes, styles define the fights. Salido is a fighter who takes a lot of punches, and that's one of the factors that helped him beat me."

On Saturday, Lopez will face featherweight titlist Miguel Angel "Mikey" Garcia (who, like De La Hoya, is Mexican-American). In January, Garcia mostly had his way with Salido before winning a technical decision and grabbing the belt that Salido had lifted from Lopez.

"Mikey was a huge puzzle for Salido, but that won't be the case for me," Lopez said. "Styles make fights, and Mikey has the perfect style for me."

For Juan Carlos Payano and Jundy Maraon, Friday's fight will play a pivotal role in the future of each fighter's promising career.

Payano and Maraon will meet on ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" main event at the South Mountain Arena in South Orange, N.J.

Maraon (15-0-1, 12 KOs), of the Philippines, is coming off a resounding victory against Ernie Marquez -- his first fight in the United States. A southpaw who is trained by Nonito Donaire Sr., Maraon made his return against Marquez in September after a two-year hiatus caused by a hand injury.

Payano (13-0, 7 KOs), a Dominican whose Filipino paternal grandfather nicknamed him "Baby Pacquiao," has fought six of his past seven fights in the U.S. and likely feels more confortable in this part of the world. He and Maraon are similar in style: Both are aggressive and explosive, carrying knockout power in both hands. The difference is speed. Payano appears faster, though Maraon is a great counterpuncher.

"I'm not going to put myself at risk when I attack, so I planned this fight differently from other ones," Payano said. "Maraon is a strong man who has good power, but he has never faced an opponent of my experience."

Payano, who has worked extensively with southpaw sparring partners in preparation for this fight, understands that his jab could be the key to manage the rhythm of the fight.

"It is the basic tool to win the fight," Payano said, "and in training we have insisted on adjusting the jab to our strategy."

The winner will become the mandatory challenger for bantamweight titlist Koki Kameda. Payano insists the higher stakes won't affect him in the ring.

"I participated in major events such as the Olympics and the world championships, so I am ready to overcome any pressure," he said.

Payano's approach is built on aggressiveness and cumulative combination punching. The left hook to the liver followed immediately by an overhand right have been his most effective tools, yet against a southpaw who has a knockout hook and can land straight down the middle, that game plan could leave Payano exposed.

"I don't face all the fighters in the same way," said Payano, adding that he expects his speed to be the decisive factor Friday. "He's not an easy opponent. I'm ready for everything, to get to the 12 rounds and, depending on how the fight goes, I'll see if there are opportunities for the knockout. In that case, I will not hesitate to finish him quickly."

On the undercard, Jorge "King" Diaz of New Jersey (17-1, 10 KOs) will face Dominican Yenifel Esteban Vicente (24-1-2, 16 KOs) in a junior featherweight bout. A matchup of two prospects with aggressive styles would seem to be an entertaining one.

Diaz is still rebounding after a 2011 stoppage loss to then-prospect Teon Kennedy sidetracked his promising start. Since then, he has added two victories. Vincent, meanwhile, had climbed high in the world rankings before he was defeated on points by Chris Avalos last August.

CARSON, Calif. -- Cus D'Amato once said, "When two men are fighting, what you're watching is more a contest of wills than of skills, with the stronger will usually overcoming the skill."

On Saturday night in Carson, Calif., Erislandy Lara's demonstrative advantage of skill over Alfredo Angulo only served to inflame Angulo's reserve of willpower. The elegance of Lara's skills simply weren't capable of removing Angulo's will from the equation of the fight. Then, in the fourth round, Angulo's fiendish efforts were rewarded when he dropped Lara, the first knockdown Lara has suffered as a professional. For the duration of the round, every fan in attendance stood to roar approval. Round after round, Angulo took even more risks, applying pressure and striving to close out the fight while eating enough leather to reconfigure his face. Again Angulo dropped Lara, yet the Cuban got off the deck to continue.

In the 10th round, Angulo ate nearly everything Lara threw at him in order to land something meaningful of his own. Then a crisp left hand from Lara struck the swelling over Angulo's eye. Angulo grimaced as another left followed, then another, and finally the referee called off the bout, fearing a broken orbital bone.

Boos. Beer tossed into the ring. "Tijuana style!" a writer next to me laughed. Everywhere you looked, aggrieved faces contorted in expressions of betrayal.

It was all a little incomprehensible to me. Everyone on hand had enjoyed a brilliant fight stopped only after one fighter's health was gravely in danger.

Boos?

Wait a minute. When exactly was enough enough? What was the expectation here?

Victor Ortiz quit against both of Saturday's headliners, Marcos Maidana and Josesito Lopez. Were those unreasonable decisions? In one of those fights, Ortiz's jaw was broken in two places. Should he have been booed for not fighting on with a broken jaw, as Muhammad Ali did against Ken Norton? Ali was praised for such courage. Oscar De La Hoya was fully capable of getting off his stool to continue against Manny Pacquiao, yet sensibly recognized the futility. Does he get a pass? At the time, his corner asked if he felt like continuing, and Oscar didn't launch much of a protest when it was suggested he not bother. Joe Frazier was legally blind in the only good eye he had left against Ali in the "Thrilla in Manilla." Was his trainer, Eddie Futch, right to call off the fight? Did Futch betray his fighter?

What about the most famous quitter in boxing history? Is Duran's "No Mas" a more defining moment in his career than his victory over Sugar Ray Leonard in their first fight? For many, it is. Mike Tyson notoriously looked for a way out against Evander Holyfield when it was clear Holyfield had his number. Suddenly, Tyson's cowardice in gnawing off Holyfield's ear overshadowed nearly everything he had accomplished as a fighter. Twice, Andrew Golota snatched defeat from the jaws of victory against Riddick Bowe when he swung gratuitously low. His career never recovered.

So in boxing, when is it acceptable to quit? How much abuse is a fighter expected to endure before he can be allowed to show some concern for his own welfare? Anyone who has been around fighters knows they all share the same secret: They are more afraid of embarrassment and humiliation than injury. Do fans and writers use this fact against them in what we celebrate or criticize?

In the documentary "Facing Ali," nearly half the fighters involved required subtitles despite speaking English, their speech slurred by the physical toll of their ring lives. This was their reward for testing their furthermost physical and mental boundaries.

As Guillero Rigondeaux's recent near-shutout of 2012 ESPN.com fighter of the year Nonito Donaire demonstrated, the days of fans cheering Willie Pep for winning a round without throwing a punch are long over. Arturo Gatti's induction into the Boxing Hall of Fame is further testament of boxing giving fans what they clearly reserve their loudest cheers for: fighters who lay their lives on the line at every possible moment of every fight. The truth is, fighters have always done this. We just didn't used to boo the ones who committed the cardinal sin of trying to minimize some of the risk.

Perennial lightweight contender John Molina Jr. returns to the main event of ESPN's "Friday Night Fights" against Russia's Andrey Klimov at the Little Creek Casino Resort, in Shelton, Wash. (ESPN2, 10 p.m. ET).

Molina (25-2, 20 KOs) is continuing his comeback trail after a first-round knockout loss to then-lightweight titlist Antonio DeMarco last September. The native of Covina, Calif., bounced back nicely in January with a fourth-round stoppage of Dannie Williams.

Klimov (15-0, 8 KOs) is undefeated, but he's not proven in top-level fights.

The bout could be the ticket to a title shot for both fighters, who reached this stage of their careers on different paths.

The powerful Molina, 30, who surely will look to assert himself in hopes of an early knockout, says he is ready to win by any means necessary.

"I know I have to pay my dues and get back," Molina said. "Klimov, I've done my studying of him. He's a tough cat, undefeated. He's coming to win -- he's obviously not coming to lose. We're going to have to take it from him, and we're training for such.

"I'm very, very impressed that he took the fight with me, to be honest with you. Either they're in the position that they have to take any opportunity given to them, or they're very confident that the kid can beat me."

Molina, who will have trainer Robert Garcia in his corner for the second time, has been preparing for Klimov, also 30, with pretty good sparring partners in Oxnard, Calif.

"In the gym, we've got everyone from Marcos Maidana to Brandon Rios to the up-and-comers," Molina said. "We've got world-class sparring -- I believe light years ahead of Klimov. Of course, a fight is a fight and sparring is sparring, but I feel like the preparation has gone very well. I'm No. 3 in the world in the lightweight division and I'm bringing up the rear."

Klimov, the underdog, sees this battle as the opportunity of a lifetime.

"I'm a technical boxer," Klimov said through an interpreter. "John Molina is a fighter with a lot of professional experience, with very hard punching power, but I'm probably the best guy he's ever fought."

The fight also promises a confrontation of styles. Molina will be aggressive from the very beginning and will seek to connect with multiple combinations. His goal is clear: to score a KO.

"Klimov has a very European style, herky-jerky," Molina said. "But I've watched him on several occasions and the one punch he throws very well -- he sneaks that right uppercut underneath you where you don't see it. I've got to watch that, because I've been caught by that punch before. But now that I've got it in my head that he'll be throwing that punch, I'll be watching out for it."

In the co-main event, Philadelphia's Farrah Ennis (20-1, 12 KOs) and North Carolina's Anthony Hanshaw (23-2-2, 14 KOs) will meet in a 10-round super middleweight bout. Ennis is a former sparring partner for titlists Sakio Bika and Gennady Golovkin, and he enters with a three-fight winning streak.

Hanshaw was a standout amateur and was considered a promising prospect until he lost his undefeated status to Roy Jones Jr. in 2007. In his next fight, in 2008, Hanshaw was knocked out by Andre Dirrell. Personal problems and injuries sidetracked Hanshaw's career for four years until his return in October 2012, and he enters having won three straight.

In boxing, just as in all sports, there's nothing quite like a fresh set of rankings to stir debate and help bring order to the subject at hand.

We use pound-for-pound rankings as a method of classifying the best and most skillful fighters regardless of weight. We've seen lists similar to the Grantland Relevance Rankings, which aggregates superiority based on a combination of ability, marketability and importance. Heck, even HBO's Jim Lampley has his "Gatti List," named after the late Arturo Gatti, which attempts to order the best blood-and-guts warriors who lay it all on the line.

But what about a set of rankings aimed at the very reason why we watch fights? Which major-network attractions -- superseding in some cases titles won, drawing power and even likeability -- are the most entertaining, compelling and watchable fighters on any given Saturday?

This isn't a list of simply the best all-action brawlers or most artistically beautiful fighters, but in some ways a marriage of both, with a chunk of personality thrown in -- a nod to the fighters who do a better job than others of selling their brand through creative sound bites and flamboyant antics.

Without any further ado, here are boxing's current top 10 most entertaining fighters, with a tip of the cap to honorable mentions Julio Cesar Chavez Jr., Abner Mares, Sergio Martinez, Miguel Cotto and Carl Froch, who just missed the cut:

10. Leo Santa Cruz

Pros: Fights at an absurdly relentless pace behind a high guard, using his long arms to punish with hooks to the body. He's as exciting on a minute-by-minute basis as any fighter in the sport. In his May 4 victory over Alexander Munoz, he became the first boxer in history to have both the Watson brothers and Mariachi Skull Guy in his corner at the same time during the prefight introductions. Now that's some serious representation.

Cons: Even with an ambitious five appearances on television in 2012, Santa Cruz needs a bit more time to build a bigger following and audience.

9. Victor Ortiz

Pros: It's getting to the point where fans can expect one of two scenarios each time Ortiz steps into the ring: It's either going to be a toe-to-toe battle or it'll end in a Tyson-esque meltdown. Sometimes we even get both. Interviews with Ortiz can be an equally bizarre ride. He is at times painfully honest -- such as following his loss to Marcos Maidana when, at 22, he openly contemplated retirement -- and at other times detached and almost unaware of the gravity of what just took place. He added to his fan base with a surprising appearance on ABC's "Dancing With The Stars" and never fails to entertain in some fashion.

Cons: Oritz is the kind of personality you can only take in occasional doses, unlike other polarizing fighters who draw you to the screen time and again, regardless of your level of loathing. And, of course, there's always that VO FaceLube commercial.

8. Canelo Alvarez

Pros: The red-haired and freckled Mexican warrior with the matinee idol looks is, despite having 43 pro fights under his belt, still just 22. Not only does he have an Oscar De La Hoya-like ability to attract mainstream female fans due to his smile, he brings in casual male fans with his exciting style. There's a certain star quality to Canelo that you can't teach, let alone describe, and few fighters his age have looked as comfortable as he does in the spotlight.

Cons: Up until this year, he had been brought along far too slowly for a fighter of his popularity and potential, feasting on an unexciting mix of faded names and journeyman contenders. Although he has made strides, he still isn't fluent enough in English to give his own interviews.

7. Gennady Golovkin

Pros: Has the face of a 12-year-old boy, but punches like Wreck-It Ralph. He also once endearingly referred to opponent Gabriel Rosado as "a good boy" in a postfight interview after stopping him. Such a polite fellow. In fact, you'd be hard-pressed to find another fighter who is as efficiently violent inside the ring and almost naively sweet outside of it. That contrast is compelling enough on its own, never mind his crushing right hand.

Cons: Despite the fact that he's been a middleweight titlist for three years and is a featured player on HBO, the only thing holding back Golovkin's ability to entertain is the fact that he’s too dangerous for his own good and could end up having difficulty finding big-name opponents -- same as Martinez did. But will it ever really get boring watching him knock out middle-of-the-road competition?

6. Amir Khan

Pros: The combination of his dynamic and top-end offensive talents mixed with his shaky chin make the vulnerable Khan, who fights with a tremendous amount of courage, a must-see attraction. He also has a way of speaking with a confidence that defies the reality of his own limitations, which is encouraging to some and tremendously irritating to others. Either way, we keep watching.

Cons: He's somehow equally overrated and underrated at the same time, making it impossible to get a grasp at any point on just how good he really is.

5. Manny Pacquiao

Pros: Still brings a very exciting style to the table and has arguably the most recognizable name among active fighters. Also, the expectant drama that should come as he attempts to recover from a brutal one-punch knockout against Juan Manuel Marquez while navigating the twilight of his career could be interesting. And, you know, there's always Buboy Fernandez.

Cons: Outside of a pair of recent bouts with Marquez, we really haven't seen Pacquiao in a competitive and evenly matched fight since 2009. The storylines in his personal life have also been played out ad nauseam in the various documentary series leading up to his fights.

4. Brandon Rios

Pros: There might not be another fighter in the sport who loves brawling at close range and testing his manhood more than Rios, who not only doesn't know how to make a bad fight, but might actually be crazy. Rios very well may have more talent and potential inside the ring than his style lets on, meaning he doesn't go to war each fight because he has to, but does so instead because it's too much fun for him not to. He's got the Gatti gene.

Cons: Only a lack of one-punch knockout power really separates Rios from becoming a breakout star and topping this list.

3. Lucas Matthysse

Pros: He has the best nickname in the sport -- "The Machine" -- and an explosive, wrecking-ball style to match. Oh yeah, and he don't need no stinking judges. (How does an 86.5 percent knockout rate grab ya?) Throw in the rat tail, tattoos and the raw emotion with which he fights, and Matthysse has become appointment viewing. The power in his hands, even on grazing shots, is frightening.

Cons: With his stock at the moment being as hot as a fighter's could be, Matthysse has a window to make a crossover leap. But although you could argue that his fists do enough talking for him, the opportunity to address the masses in English after one of his spectacular knockouts would greatly improve his value to the casual American audience.

2. Adrien Broner

Pros: If you find yourself irritated at the end of a Broner interview, it means he's doing it right. Although some say the fighter owes too much of his style and swagger to Floyd Mayweather Jr., Broner is slowly carving out his own niche with his intentionally polarizing persona outside of the ring and his spectacular potential inside of it. By standing right in front of his opponents and sitting down on his power punches, all the while with a smirk on his face, viewers will be tuning in to see Broner knock people out -- or end up the victim of one -- for years to come.

Cons: Even if you're sick of the postfight hairbrush already, no one provides a sound bite quite like the self-proclaimed "Can Man." But Broner often steps too far over the line of decency. See his recent comments during the buildup to his welterweight debut against titlist Paulie Malignaggi.

1. Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Pros: The greatest reality star the sport has ever seen, Mayweather dominates the spotlight he helped create and does so despite a defensive style that is appreciated but not always considered entertaining. Along with his brilliant ability to market fights and the general buzz he creates by making claims that he is the best fighter in history, "Money" never fails to deliver inside of the ring despite his advancing age and multiple layoffs. His pursuit of perfection and the ongoing debates about his legacy remain boxing's biggest storylines. There isn't a more consistently compelling figure in the sport who demands our attention and keeps us watching.

Cons: Outside of any differences you might have with his lifestyle or opinions, the only criticism anyone can rightfully hurl at Mayweather relates to the fights he failed to provide fans when the opportunity was there. His September bout with Alvarez should help quiet the critical chatter.

MEXICO -- As Juan Manuel Marquez begins training for his Oct. 12 fight with welterweight titlist Timothy Bradley Jr., for the first time in a long time, he won't be thinking about a possible future fight with Manny Pacquiao.

Marquez insists that regardless of what has been reported, he won't participate in a fifth fight with Pacquiao.

Top Rank and Zanfer Promotions have been open about their plans for a fight next year that would match the winner of Bradley-Marquez with the winner of the Pacquiao-Brandon Rios bout on Nov. 23. But when reminded of those plans, Marquez reiterated his stance.

"Speaking sincerely, I don't think about that anymore," Marquez said of the notion of yet another Pacquiao fight. "Anything that was pending was settled, in every way. If he would have knocked me out the way I did to him, how am I going to ask for another fight?

"Keeping that feeling would be grandiose, and to have my Mexican supporters and the whole world enjoy that feeling and say, 'Remember the best pound-for-pound fighter that was knocked out by Juan Manuel Marquez?' -- to me, that is worth more than all the money in the world."

But a fifth fight with the Filipino icon would earn Marquez a substantial sum -- and would mean a lucrative payout for all involved. Might

"We know that the offer will be tempting, but it isn't worth more than the feeling, what was lived, what was acquired after that knockout," Marquez said. "That's worth more than several million dollars. I would rather retire with this feeling than take a risk in whatever happens with Pacquiao [such as another controversial decision]."

Marquez wasn't happy about having to wait for Floyd Mayweather Jr. to make a decision about his next fight before the date with Bradley could be settled. (Top Rank's Bob Arum announced Thursday that Bradley-Marquez would be moved off the original date of Sept. 14 after Mayweather announced his megabout with Canelo Alvarez for the same day.) But that aside, he assured that his training schedule is on track.

"I'm running in the mornings, getting stronger at the National Talent Development and High Performance Center (CNAR) in order to start getting some rhythm," Marquez said. "[I was] only waiting for the date and location to start training harder."

Joe Cortez was the third man in the ring with some of the best boxers in history, and he holds the unofficial record for world championship fights as a referee. Yet he's still capable of being thrilled by the announcement of the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Canelo Alvarez fight.

"I want to see the fight in person, to chat with fans and talk about this matchup that will be very special," said Cortez, who entered the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2011 and retired last year. "This will be one of the biggest fights in boxing in the last 10 years."

Cortez officiated four Mayweather fights and one Alvarez bout, when the junior middleweight titlist knocked out Josesito Lopez last September. That was also Cortez's farewell fight.

When asked what impressed him most about Mayweather, Cortez pointed to the pound-for-pound king's intelligence and preparation.

"In the ring, having been with [some of the best fighters in the world], I could see that Mayweather had an amazing style. He's always thinking, he knows when to throw his combinations," said Cortez, 69, who oversaw Mayweather's controversial knockout of Victor Ortiz in 2011. "Mayweather throws his punch, and most times he's going to land that punch.

"He's very smart, he brings style and spirit [to the ring]. When he moves in the ring, you say, 'Wow!' He’s very hard to beat."

But Cortez, who refereed almost 3,000 fights in a career that lasted 35 years, also was impressed by Alvarez in the Lopez fight (after which the Mexican star symbolically placed his title belt on the referee's waist, knowing it was Cortez's last fight).

"He was very poised, never lost his control in the ring and had tremendous power," Cortez said of Alvarez. "He connected with good body shots, good combinations and had good defense. He looked like a much more experienced fighter than [his age implied]."

That said, Cortez considers Mayweather the favorite against Alvarez. He warns, though, that boxing always has the potential to surprise, and Alvarez could hurt Mayweather with his powerful right hand, as he did in a win over Austin Trout in April.

"Canelo Alvarez is a superstar today, he's a kid who is 22 and has a great future, a boxer with a tremendous style and a guy who is hungry," Cortez said. "I don't know if he has the experience yet that he should have in one or two more years. Mayweather is 36, and 36 is not the same as 22, but he brings a lot of experience to the ring and has a style that is very hard to beat. He has good power, and I think that right now it will be a little hard for Canelo to beat him because Mayweather has the experience and he, in his last fight, fought like a 22-year-old boxer.

"It will be really interesting because I think the two are coming to battle, but the experience always wins over the youth. It's going to be very close, but I'm favoring Mayweather simply because of the history he already has."

Cortez was the referee in another megabout -- the first meeting between Julio Cesar Chavez and Oscar De La Hoya, in 1996 -- which he says resembles the Mayweather-Alvarez matchup.

"Mayweather being Julio and Canelo, Oscar -- one being older and the other younger," Cortez said.

Young De La Hoya, undefeated at the time and already a star in his own right, won that fight 17 years ago. When Alvarez tries to follow his lead on Sept. 14, Cortez plans not to miss it.

There was a time when Carl Froch's mouth did as much talking for his career as his performances inside the ring.

Beginning with his first fight on American soil -- a 2009 come-from-behind TKO of Jermain Taylor in the 12th round that put him on the radar in the U.S. -- Froch used his new platform as an attempt to lure recently retired, and fellow U.K. star, Joe Calzaghe back into the ring.

Froch, of course, never did end up fighting Calzaghe, the longtime super middleweight king who retired in 2009 with a perfect 46-0 record, over their two-year public feud that followed. (They have since made amends, with Calzaghe openly backing Froch entering his rematch with Mikkel Kessler this past Saturday. Froch won by unanimous decision.)

But in the three full years since Froch's career-making victory over Taylor, the native of Nottingham, England, has done nothing but continue to impress with each performance. In fact, he's on such a hot run right now -- and doesn't appear to be slowing down entering the peak of his marketability at age 35 -- that if things continue to go his way, it's not completely out of the realm of possibility that he ends up defeating Calzaghe in a way that few had thought possible: by surpassing his legacy in the pantheon of great British fighters.

It might sound premature to think about. And I won't begin to make the case that if they had mythically faced off in their prime, the result would be anything different than a Calzaghe victory. But the glaring weakness on Calzaghe's résumé has always been his lack of top competition and the fact that it took him until age 38 to fight outside of Europe.

Calzaghe scored the biggest victories of his career over his final three years against unbeatens Jeff Lacy and Kessler, along with his two triumphs in America over Bernard Hopkins and a faded Roy Jones Jr. He carries the glitz of having walked away unblemished as one of the top super middleweights in history thanks to a 10-year title run and 21 defenses, not to mention the lineal light heavyweight crown he took from Hopkins.

But as things stand now, Froch (31-2, 22 KOs), who endears himself to the hard-core fan with his willingness to constantly face the best, may have already fought better competition than the protective Calzaghe did throughout his entire run.

Froch was not only the first fighter to hand defeats to the likes of Jean Pascal, Andre Dirrell and Lucian Bute, he also has scored additional victories over former champions Taylor, Arthur Abraham, Glen Johnson and now Kessler, without taking anything resembling a soft touch in between.

And with his debated 2010 defeat to Kessler now avenged, Froch is focusing on correcting his other blemish: a 2011 decision loss to unbeaten super middleweight champion Andre Ward in the finals of the Super Six World Boxing Classic.

Any designs on besting Calzaghe's legacy would be heavily bolstered by Froch's defeating boxing's almost unanimous No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter. And it's clearly a hard sell to try to create a scenario in which Froch could do such a thing considering Ward's versatility, toughness and the fact that we still likely haven't seen him pushed enough to find out how great he truly is.

But if there's a fighter who is relentless and confident enough to come close, it might be Froch who, despite appearing to have lost by a fairly wide margin against Ward, used his pressing style to persuade two of the judges sitting ringside to score it daringly close at 115-113.

Could Froch do any better in a rematch? That remains to be seen. But he clearly has shown himself to be the rare fighter who has improved into his mid-30s with each fight, while others have begun to fade. And claiming he has four big fights left before retirement, Froch isn't just saving his best for last, he's forcing us to recalculate his ceiling.

Suddenly Froch is in high demand and could find himself in a number of high-profile bouts, from additional rematches with Kessler and Ward to showdowns with Hopkins or fellow super middleweight titlist Robert Stieglitz. Froch has shown himself to be an exciting, honest and durable fighter, but how many expected to see him setting up shop at this stage of his career in the pound-for-pound Top 10?

It may be a reach to expect Froch to defeat a fighter the class of Ward and to carry on his remarkable run should they meet again, just as it might be too much to expect him to surpass Calzaghe when it's all said and done. But what makes it refreshing to watch is that Froch is willing to go down swinging while giving it a try.

In another step towards a new chance at a world title in the junior middleweight division, Delvin Rodriguez is facing a tough challenge against former world title challenger Freddy Hernandez in the main event of "Friday Night Fights" (ESPN2, 10 p.m. ET) on his home turf at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Uncasville, Conn.

Rodriguez (27-6-3, 15 KOs) comes off a dominant sixth-round knockout of George Tahdooahnippah in his first fight since a lopsided loss against former titlist Austin Trout. It was the second time Rodriguez was defeated in a world title fight after losing to Isaac Hlatshwayo in 2009 for a vacant welterweight title.

Now, focused on his future, Rodriguez believes that by defeating Hernandez in an impressive way, he will be in line for another title shot.

"This will not happen in my next fight, but it will put me in a position to be in line," said Rodriguez, who admits his dream is to face junior middleweight titlist Canelo Alvarez. "And early next year I'll be ready to fight for a title. If that doesn't happen, my plan is to fight at least four times a year.

"It will be an emotional fight [against Hernandez]," Rodriguez said. "I feel very well physically and mentally, and I feel positive that I will look good and I am going to defeat my opponent."

Rodriguez knows it won't be easy. Hernandez is a good fighter who has a lot of experience after having faced many high-profile opponents.

"I am taking him very seriously," Rodriguez said. "That's why I am well prepared and confident in my victory."

Hernandez (30– 4, 20 KOs), of Mexico, is coming off decision losses in his past two fights, against Demetrius Andrade and Erislandy Lara. He has won against the likes of Luis Collazo, Mike Anchondo, DeMarcus "Chop Chop" Corley, Jesus Soto Karass and Ben Tackie, but is best known for his knockout loss to former welterweight titlist Andre Berto.

As much as Rodriguez respects his opponent's experience, he was quick to remind about his own when it comes to fighting strong opposition.

"I believe that I also have a lot of experience," Rodriguez said. "My opponents have been good fighters, and I know I have the fight plan and the skills to beat [Hernandez] and other guys who are better than him. I have demonstrated this throughout my career."

Hernandez typically fights with a high work rate and doesn't shy away from exchanges. He has moments when he overwhelms his opponents with aggression, and at the same time he can assimilate punches very well. Those factors could set up a battle similar to the one Rodriguez had with Pawel Wolak in their July 2011 fight of the year candidate.

"When it comes to pressure, it's true that this could be a similar war, because I'm not thinking about going backwards," Rodriguez said. "I'll be the one applying the pressure and the aggression."

When proposed with a possible change of plans in favor of a more elusive brand of boxing -- with more movement and punches in flurries, similar to the style used by Lara against Hernandez -- Rodriguez discarded that option because his own style is so different.

"For now, the idea isn't to use a strategy of movement, but rather the plan will be to land combinations of two or three punches and apply a lot of pressure," Rodriguez said. "Nevertheless, a great fighter is the one who knows how to adapt to the moment of the battle whenever necessary."

In the co-main event, a pair of junior welterweights square off in a 10-round fight when unbeaten Issouf Kinda (16-0, 6 KOs) faces Chris Howard (15-2-1, 7 KOs). If he wins convincingly, Kinda, who was born in Burkina Faso and now lives in New York, may be considered as a future title challenger. He is fresh off a knockout victory against Javier Loya and holds a victory over Mike Arnaoutis.

The interruption came with the subtlety and grace of a sledgehammer, not unlike the punches landed minutes before by Lucas Matthysse in his dismantling of Lamont Peterson on Saturday.

As Showtime's Jim Gray was set to begin his postfight interview with the Argentine slugger in the center of the ring at Boardwalk Hall in Atlantic City, N.J., the microphone was abruptly hijacked by Golden Boy CEO and Matthysse promoter Richard Schaefer.

"Let me say first something. We have -- we have a new Manny Pacquiao! He's from Argentina and his name is Lucas 'The Machine' Matthysse!" blurted an overwhelmingly giddy Schaefer, the fact that he also mispronounced Matthysse's surname making it all the more amusing.

Schaefer's commandeering of the spotlight in Matthysse's finest hour came off as something akin to the drunk uncle at a wedding going off the rails in an unsolicited serenade of the bride and groom. But aside from the comic relief the moment provided, Schaefer's outburst could also be viewed as a microcosm of Golden Boy's handling of the fighter up to this point.

Matthysse's performance on Saturday was a statement to future opponents and casual fans alike that he's for real, not just one of boxing's most devastating punchers. But based on the authentic reaction of Schaefer, who couldn't resist waiting another second to inform the free world just how valuable a commodity Golden Boy now possessed, it was as if Matthysse's promoter had no idea what it had in the first place.

So the natural question becomes: What the heck took Schaefer so long?

If it wasn't for Peterson's willingness to test himself against a fighter who has been so consistently avoided over the past two years, Matthysse's recent run of knockouts against a battery of faded, C-level, unknown and overrated fighters might have been forced to continue. And that's especially considering Golden Boy was beginning to look like an accomplice to Matthysse's problem, with the outside impression being the promoter was unwilling to match him with any of its prized in-house stars.

Matthysse campaigned constantly for a fight with the name at the top of the food chain at 140 pounds: fellow Golden Boy fighter Danny Garcia. Instead, he was continually persuaded to accept a fight he never wanted, one against fellow all-action countryman and friend Marcos Maidana, who had moved up to welterweight.

In a nutshell, that's exactly who Matthysse is -- a fighter not interested in being simply an attraction (like so many fighters today) and one whose sole focus is to test himself in every single fight against the very best in the world.

Finally, thanks to a perfect storm of events on Saturday, Matthysse will get that chance against Garcia in September, as long as the unbeaten Garcia doesn't win the Floyd Mayweather Jr. lottery in the meantime. And with the Peterson fight marking Matthysse's first under new manager Al Haymon, one can assume the days of him not getting the push he rightfully deserves are now over.

If Matthysse, 30, can learn English to increase his profile to an American audience, his potential as a breakout star has no limits thanks to his look and highly marketable style.

Not only has he finished 32 of the 34 fighters he has defeated, Matthysse also claims to have knocked down every single opponent who has gotten into the ring with him. Add to that the fact that both of his losses, a pair of split decisions in the hometowns of Zab Judah and Devon Alexander, were contentious enough that it isn't ridiculous to consider Matthysse an unbeaten fighter at this point.

It was just yesterday that Matthysse couldn't get a fight to save his life. Now his promoter is hailing him as the sport's next Pacquiao.

The Lucas Matthysse Era has begun, and it's nice to see everyone is finally on board.

CANCUN -- With the marks from battle still fresh on his face, Shane Mosley admitted after Saturday's welterweight fight with Pablo Cesar Cano that the challenge of his return after a year-long layoff took him by surprise.

"It was tougher than I expected," Mosley said. "Cano is a warrior. I think my experience made the difference. I was out [of boxing] for a while, and it took me some time to get my rythmn, but in the end we did things well."

Mosley, 41, emerged from retirement to break a four-fight winless streak -- his most recent victory having come in January 2009 against Antonio Margarito. Since then, Mosley (47-8-1, 39 KOs) had drawn against Sergio Mora and lost unanimous decisions to Canelo Alvarez, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao by wide margins.

"My experience was important," he said of the Cano win. "At the start he surprised me, but we could take care of it. My father [and trainer, Jack Mosley] kept saying to me, 'Throw your right, look for body shots.' We did this and things worked out."

Afterward, Cano (26-3-1, 20 KOs) praised Mosley for his performance and admitted that the veteran's years in the ring were the defining factor.

"His experience was key," Cano said. By the middle of the fight, he changed; he started boxing. He's still fast, but in the end I didn't lose to a nobody. I believe I have the talent to ask for more opportunities, and if they offer me a rematch, we'll gladly accept."

Cano, a gritty 23-year-old whose only previous losses came to Erik Morales and Paulie Malignaggi, said he was happy with his performance even though he wasn't able to seal the deal.

"I hurt him a few times -- I felt it -- but I couldn't finish him up," he said. "It was a difficult fight, I thought I made a good impression. I respect the judges, but Mosley told me at the end that a draw would've been fine with him."

All three judges at Arena Oasis saw a 115-113 win in favor of Mosley.

Mosley initially said he would take some time before making a decision about his immediate future -- "We'll rest. Right now, I don't know what will happen" -- but on Monday he took to Twitter and announced that he would continue fighting and seek a world title shot.

CANCUN, Mexico -- Pablo Cesar Cano wants to end the arc of Shane Mosley's career, but the former three-division titlist still believes he has the drive and passion to be a player at the top of the welterweight division.

After clearing Friday's weigh-in -- Cano came in at 146 pounds, Mosley at 148.6 -- each fighter is confident that Saturday's matchup at the Grand Oasis will lead to a championship fight coming his way.

"The last few fights I lost because of injuries, but I'm well," said the 41-year-old Mosley (46-8-1, 39 KOs) after the weigh-in. "My body tells me I'm well, so we are still going to be doing this for a while. Cano is a tough fighter, but I shouldn't have any problems beating him and being on my way to win a world title.

"I'm over 40, but I feel a passion for this sport. It's what I love doing and I will show it in the ring [Saturday]. This is an important fight, and I have to show that I'm still a player."

Cano, 23, has had his share of big fights in his relatively short career, at least as compared to Mosley. He lost to Mexican legend Erik Morales in 2011 and fell to Paulie Malignaggi in a close, disputed fight last October. Both were championship bouts -- the only blemishes on Cano's record (26-2-1, 20 KOs). Now Cano believes Mosley can give him the boost he needs to reach the next level.

"In boxing and life there are cycles," Cano said. "I think Mosley's is about to end and mine is just starting. I'm in the best shape to win and make him think about his career.

"Mosley is already a legend, and that's why I thank him for this opportunity. I know no one has knocked him out, and it would be special to do it. That's my mission, and I'm sure they will raise my hand so I can pursue another title belt."

If a random reader strolled into my office this afternoon, looked me up and down, then said I should hit the bricks because I'm no good at my job anymore, you can imagine where I'd tell him to go. (And then I'd wonder how the guy got in the building and change the locks.)

So I don't expect Shane Mosley to heed my words -- or the warnings of anyone else, outside of those in his family or professional circle. Boxing is his trade, he's allowed to make an honest living, and if a boxing commission is still willing to green-light him, who am I to tell him not to step through the ropes again?

But here it is anyway: Shane, please take your gloves and go home.

Here's the thing: I actually believe Mosley, even at 41, remains a viable welterweight opponent at the second -- or third-tier levels. And when he returns Saturday in Cancun, Mexico to face Pablo Cesar Cano -- a tough 23-year-old kid whose only two losses came to Paulie Malignaggi and Erik Morales in close decisions where Cano gave as good as he got -- there will be an element of mystery to the proceedings. Mosley isn't being thrown to the wolves.

But it comes down to more than just an interest in honest competition, or even a preservationists' urge to hermetically seal the legacy of a three-division titlist and former pound-for-pound buzzsaw. (Mosley hasn't won a fight since 2009, going 0-3-1 since then, so that ship has sailed anyway.) Of greater concern is the toll exacted on him by 55 professional fights -- particularly the more recent ones, in which his hair-trigger reflexes seemed to rust before our eyes.

This isn't a broken-down Joe Namath or Shaquille O'Neal hobbling through his final days of athletic glory. Losing a few ticks off the fastball or a half-step down the line? A guy can live with that. But for a fighter whose foundation is built on reaction time and hand speed, a slight erosion of skills translates to fewer connects, longer bouts and more glancing blows coming back that turn into flush shots to the face. Can a guy live with that? Maybe. But even a handful of those sort of rounds can ruin the quality of that life over time.

Fighters and fans both understand the potential costs. You either make peace with them or move on. But no one who appreciates the sacrifices that boxing requires has the stomach for gratuitous carnage. Mosley might not be that far gone just yet, but he's testing those limits. For his own sake, is it too much to ask him not to?

With that, here are five fighters I'd like to see retire right now:

Shane Mosley
He hasn't thrown a meaningful punch since buckling the knees of Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the second round of their 2010 fight, when Mosley was coming off a 15-month layoff and suddenly appeared a different fighter. He went into a shell after those initial rounds against Mayweather, and he was painfully gun-shy against Manny Pacquiao a year later. Having trouble touching up Floyd is one thing. The fact that Mosley not only couldn't get to Manny but ultimately stopped trying was perhaps the more telling sign.

James Toney
Toney, 44, is a mess in just about every sense of the word. Once a devastating middleweight and super middleweight titlist, he's now a sloppy heavyweight who is 6-4-1 with two no-contests against middling competition since 2005. Toney still has power, but he's too slow to use it effectively. Worse, his titanium chin, which keeps him in fights even when he's overmatched, ironically has become one of the greatest threats to his health. After 87 pro fights -- an almost obscene number in this day and age -- he conducts blustery, unintelligible interviews that would be humorous if they weren't so heartbreaking.

Oliver McCall
McCall's moment in the sun -- a second-round TKO of heavyweight champ Lennox Lewis in London -- is now almost two decades old. Now consider that he has fought 40 times -- forty! -- since. McCall still has the goods to have somewhat recently beaten creaky former contender Fres Oquendo but couldn't measure up to Wladimir Klitschko victim Francesco Pianeta. That shouldn't inherently rule that “The Atomic Bull” be put out to pasture, but considering his age (48), the power of his heavyweights foes and the sustained punishment he has taken (McCall went the distance in 10- or 12-rounders in nine of his past 10 fights), I'd say enough is enough.

Pongsaklek Wonjongkam
Because they're often left with so little after being stripped of their speed in their early or mid-30s, most of boxing's little guys get out of the game at a more appropriate time relative to their primes. Wonjongkam, 35, never got the memo. The former flyweight champ and Thai stud seemed to be drained of most of his fight after outpointing Edgar Sosa in 2011. A draw and an upset loss to journeyman Sonny Boy Jaro followed, and his since then his wins (three against fighters making their debut) don't speak near the volumes of his single defeat (a TKO at the hands of sub-.500 foe Rey Megrino).

Roy Jones Jr.
For those who aren't old enough to remember or who were living on Neptune during Jones' prime from the mid-1990s through the early 2000s, here's a quick scouting report: Think Floyd Mayweather Jr. meets Mike Tyson. Jones was literally scary-good, combining speed and dominance with a fearsomeness that infused each of his fights with a sort of fascinatingly macabre inevitability. Which is why it's stunning to see the current version of Jones so utterly disarmed against fighters he would have ripped to shreds back in the day. Yes, he's 44. And of course the moves between divisions weren't kind to him. But even just five years ago, when Jones already was in mid-decline, the crushing knockout he suffered against Denis Lebedev (in 2011) would've been unthinkable. There's a reason we now only see Roy on HBO with a mic in his hand.