Lem's latest: Mayweather-Cotto 24/7 to be televised on CNN

HBO’s Emmy Award-winning reality series 24/7 will return to CNN, which will air replays of the all-new four-part series 24/7 Mayweather/Cotto beginning Saturday, April 14 at midnight ET/PT.

The show will chronicle the events leading up to the clash between WBC welterweight titleholder Floyd Mayweather Jr. and WBA junior middleweight beltholder Miguel Cotto May 5 on HBO Pay Per View from the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mayweather (42-0, 26 knockouts), who turned 35 last month, is pursuing his eighth title in a fifth division against Cotto. Cotto (37-2, 30 KOs), 31, of Puerto Rico. Mayweather is making his sixth appearance on on 24/7, Cotto his third. Mayweather lives and trains in Las Vegas. Cotto will train in Florida.

Episode one will appear on CNN following the  HBO premiere at 9:45 p.m. ET/PT. Episodes two and three will air on CNN on subsequent Saturdays -- at midnight ET/PT April 21 and at midnight ET/PT April 28.

The finale will air at midnight ET/PT on May 4 on CNN, less than 24 hours before Mayweather and Cotto take the ring.

RAY LEONARD SAYS R&B SINGER USHER WILL PORTRAY HIM IN ROBERTO DURAN FILM

Five-division titlewinner Sugar Ray Leonard told RingTV.com that R&B crooner Usher has been tapped to play him in an upcoming movie about rival Roberto Duran, which is still in the filming stage.

"Have you heard that Usher's playing me in that Roberto Duran movie?" said Leonard. "It's set for next year, but Usher has agreed to play me in that movie."

Leonard was hired as a consultant to choreograph the action sequences in the film Real Steel, which featured giant robots battling like prize fighters. Would he like to coach Usher to fight in his style?

"Well I was trying to figure out who should train him to do my thing," said Leonard. "We'll see. I'll keep you posted."

A 1976 Olympic Gold medalist, Leonard earned his first major title belt by vanquishing previously unbeaten Wilfred Benitez for the WBC welterweight crown via 15th-round stoppage in November of 1979. He lost the title in his second defense against legendary former lightweight champ Duran, who out-pointed him over 15 ferocious rounds in June of 1980.

Leonard then regained the title with an eighth-round TKO of Duran in the famous "No Mas" return bout in November of 1980, avenging the loss from five months earlier. Next, Leonard rose to the junior middleweight class for a ninth-round stoppage of previously unbeaten Ayub Kalule, dethroning the WBA beltholder in June of 1981.

Just three months later, Leonard overcame Thomas Hearns by 14th-round knockout, dethroning the WBA titleholder in a clash of pound-for-pound titans in September.

Leonard's next major victory would not come until almost five years later, when he ended a nearly three-year layoff by vanquishing Marvin Hagler as WBC middleweight beltholder by unanimous decision in April of 1987.

In November of 1988, Leonard accomplished a coup by getting WBC light heavyweight titleholder Donny Lalonde to put his belt on the line at a catchweight of 168 pounds, with the WBC's vacant super middleweight belt also on the line.

Leonard stopped Lalonde by ninth-round stoppage, taking both belts in the process, before closing out his career with a draw and a unanimous decision opposite Hearns and Duran, respectively, before losing his last two comeback bouts against Terry Norris and Hector Camacho.

Leonard's book, The Big Fight: My Life In and Out of The Ring, details his cocaine abuse and his having been sexually abused by a former coach.

LEONARD SAYS MUHAMMAD ALI, RAY ROBINSON, BRUCE LEE, ELVIS PRESLEY SHAPED CAREER

Leonard told RingTV.com that he was influenced by the foursome of Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson, Bruce Lee and Elvis Presley. 

"Well, there was also Ali, but with Sugar Ray Robinson, I had these two guys who I borrowed some stuff from. But there was Ali, Sugar Ray Robinson and there was Bruce Lee. What a combination. And a little bit of Elvis. Ali's persona was so huge, and he had the look, he had the style and the grace and all of that stuff," said Leonard.

"Sugar Ray Robinson was an entertainer, inside and outside of the ring, know what I mean?  He was the epitome of an entertainer. Bruce Lee was a small package with power and with speed. And Elvis was just the s--t, you know? Just the s--t, man."

LUCIAN BUTE BECOMES CANADIAN CITIZEN

Romanian-born IBF super middleweight titleholder Lucian Bute (30-0, 24 KOs) was sworn in as a Canadian citizen on Monday in advance of his scheduled title defense against ex-titleholder Carl Froch (28-2, 20 KOs) on May 26 in Froch's native Nottingham, England.

Bute's official ceremony was held at St. Dorothy Elementary School in the district of Saint-Michel in Montreal, an event that was attended by InterBox Promotions' President Jean Bedard and his coach, Stephan Larouche.

"I just experienced one of the most important moments of my life. I have been preparing for this day for the last five years. I felt like a true Quebecer and Canadian long ago, but today I am very proud to obtain my Canadian citizenship," said Bute.

"My origins are Romanian, but it is important to me to implicate myself fully in my adopted country of Canada. I am very lucky to have been received so well in this country since I set foot here for good in 2003. It is my choice to live here, and it makes me happy to know I am a real Canadian citizen now."

Bute will soon leave for an intensive six-week training camp in Florida with Larouche to begin preparation for Froch.

MIKKEL KESSLER-ALAN GREEN SLATED FOR MAY 19 IN DENMARK

Former super middleweight titleholder Mikkel Kessler (44-2, 33 KOs) will meet Alan Green (31-3, 21 KOs) on May 19 in  Parken, Copenhagen in Kessler's native Denmark, according to Green's promoter, Lou DiBella.

"He's going to be fighting Kessler, and it's going to be at a catchweight, but at light heavyweight, and I think that it's a great opportunity for Alan Green," said DiBella.

"He knows that he has to look very good in that fight. I think that at lightheavyweight, he is a better fighter, and that at lightheavyweight, he should be able to give a good fight to Kessler."

Lem Satterfield can be reached at lemuel.satterfield@gmail.com