Mayweather Is Far From Bright Lights

FRESNO -- In his somewhat star-crossed but undeniably star-bright career, Floyd Mayweather has headlined cards in such boxing hotbeds as Detroit, San Francisco and, of course, Las Vegas.

But never in Fresno.

Of course, no one has ever fought for a title in the sleepy San Joaquin Valley city.

“It doesn’t matter if it’s here or in a big town,” said Mayweather, who will put his World Boxing Council lightweight championship on the line tonight at Selland Arena against unheralded Victoriano Sosa, whose claim to fame is, well, claiming to be related to the Chicago Cubs’ Slammin’ Sammy. Of course, the home run-hitting right fielder stands a better chance of pulling an upset than his namesake.

“I’m just trying to fill seats and ... put on a show. It’s not a mega-fight, but it’s a good fight for me.”

At 29-0 with 20 knockouts, Mayweather seems to deserve better, even if he has trouble selling out sites and Sosa, who was paraded around Friday’s weigh-in sporting a Cubs cap and No. 21 jersey, has a respectable record of 35-2-2 with 26 KOs.

“Yeah, I’d heard of Fresno,” Mayweather said. “College basketball. Tark the Shark. UNLV. That’s how I heard of it.”

Sure enough, former Fresno State and Nevada Las Vegas Coach Jerry Tarkanian stood in the back of the room while Mayweather weighed in at 134 pounds and former UNLV point guard Marcus Banks, a potential first-round pick in the upcoming NBA draft, took his place in Mayweather’s entourage.

“I just want an impressive victory,” Mayweather said. “A lot of guys will be watching.”

One of them, he hopes, will be Oscar De La Hoya. Mayweather has been making noise about jumping three weight classes to meet the 154-pound champion.

“I’m a fighter, but I’m also a businessman,” said Mayweather, who makes $2-million paydays but aches to reap Golden Boy-sized purses. “This is a fight boxing needs.”

But what about his estranged father, Floyd Sr., training De La Hoya? Wouldn’t that make for strange ringside company?

“Not at all,” he said. “It makes it more exciting. Without my dad, he’d be really flustered. He can’t teach him how to beat me because my dad’s never seen me be beat.”

De La Hoya, though, threw salt in Mayweather’s plans.

“Because I have too much respect for Floyd Sr., I will never fight his son,” De La Hoya said earlier this week.

Even if he takes his time moving up in weight?

“By that time, if he takes that route, I’m already retired,” De La Hoya said. “I don’t have that much time. The truth is, Floyd can talk all he wants, I’m never going to fight him.”

But be sure of this -- if they do fight, it won’t be in Fresno.

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World Boxing Council international super-lightweight champ Miguel Cotto (14-0, 11 KOs), of Caguas, Puerto Rico, weighed in a pound heavy and had to lose it in an hour to ensure his undercard fight with Joel Perez (34-4-2, 20 KOs) of Houston.

Times staff Writer Steve Springer contributed to this report.