Two female journalists say Mayweather banned them from covering fight
Two of the biggest names in sports journalism said they won't be covering Saturday night's fight because their credential requests were blocked by Floyd Mayweather's team — a charge the fighter's PR team denied.
Here's what CNN's Rachel Nichols and ESPN's Michelle Beadle said on Twitter early Saturday morning.
No fight for me or @MichelleDBeadle. Mayweather's team told my producer the camp was blocking my credential. https://t.co/JTjjXadPp8
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 2, 2015
I, along with @Rachel__Nichols, have been banned from the MGM Grand Arena for the fight tonight by the Mayweather camp. #TheFightGame
— Michelle Beadle (@MichelleDBeadle) May 2, 2015
Mayweather spokesperson Kelly Swanson later took to Twitter to deny the reporters' claims, saying Nichols was indeed credentialed and that Beadle had been credentialed through HBO Boxing.
"No one including ME banned Rachel Nichols from covering the fight," Swanson wrote.
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Swanson later told Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports that Nichols had been credentialed all along but that there was some initial confusion. She also said it was up to CNN to decide which of its credentialed reporters would sit in the one arena seat that has been allotted to the organization.
Beadle tweeted on Saturday afternoon that her credential had been re-approved but that she wouldn't be attending the fight.
After hearing my credential was pulled, I went home. Told this morning that HBO was able to get it re-approved late last night.
— Michelle Beadle (@MichelleDBeadle) May 2, 2015
Both Nichols and Beadle have been critical of Mayweather and his record of domestic violence. Nichols even conducted a heated interview with Mayweather last fall that she re-posted on Twitter on Saturday.
Here's my interview with Floyd Mayweather from this past fall, the same week the Ray Rice video was leaked: https://t.co/yFiBhEQhFb
— Rachel Nichols (@Rachel__Nichols) May 2, 2015
Needless to say, it was not a good look for Mayweather, whose record of poor and abusive behavior toward women has been one of the main storylines leading up to the fight with Manny Pacquiao.
Mayweather attracted plenty of instant criticism for the reported credentialing decision, including one strong take from boxing legend Oscar De La Hoya.
@KevinI classless move by Maywether, I'm sure @stephenasmith will come out and defend him @MichelleDBeadle @Rachel__Nichols
— Oscar De La Hoya (@OscarDeLaHoya) May 2, 2015
I can’t think of a more narrow-minded, short-sighted decision by Mayweather’s camp than banning two prominent women in sports media.
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) May 2, 2015
2 ways to look at this: 1. mayweather is a horrible person. 2. the best boxer in the world is afraid of @MichelleDBeadle & @Rachel__Nichols.
— Lana Berry (@Lana) May 2, 2015
Floyd Mayweather bans female journalists from fight, afraid he might get confused and accidentally try to hit the wrong person.
— Matt Goldich (@MattGoldich) May 2, 2015
Credential requests for the fight were administered by Magna Media.
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