Mayweather’s camp denies banning 2 female reporters from fight

Rachel Nichols of CNN and Michelle Beadle of ESPN and HBO posted on Twitter that Floyd Mayweather’s camp banned them from covering Saturday night’s fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Kelly Swanson of Mayweather’s public relations team denied the claims and said it was “a misunderstanding.”

Beadle’s credential later was reinstated, but she left Las Vegas on Saturday morning for her home in Los Angeles and said she would not attend the fight.

“There are emails (revoking her credential),” Beadle said. “They lie. It’s their job. But I was banned.”

Nichols’ credential also was reinstated later in the day, but reportedly she also said she would not attend the fight.

Both television reporters and commentators have extensively covered Mayweather’s history of domestic violence.

“No fight for me or @MichelleDBeadle,” Nichols wrote on Twitter. “Mayweather’s team told my producer the camp was blocking my credential.”

Beadle said on Twitter: “I, along with @Rachel__Nichols, have been banned from the MGM Grand Arena for the fight tonight by the Mayweather camp.”

Swanson of Mayweather’s PR team responded on Twitter:

“No one including ME banned @Rachel__Nichols from covering the fight. She is already credentialed. And @MichelleDBeadle isn’t even on the press list. She’s credentialed through @HBOboxing. Yes credentialed.”

Sally Jenkins of the Washington Post tweeted: “Woman-hater #FloydMayweather just made domestic violence and Rachel Nichols and Michelle Beadle the chief topic for the next 12 hours.”