By Jack Welsh

Floyd Mayweather, Jr., after only three fights in three years, will expand his work ethic to prove being the pound-for-pound star is more than one man’s opinion.

And the revision starts Saturday when the 27-year-old former WBC super featherweight and lightweight champion faces Puerto Rico’s Henry Bruseles in a 12-round 140-pound world elimination at the American Airlines Arena in Miami.

With Top Rank promoting and HBO televising at 10 p.m.(ET), Mayweather will be making his first start since May 22 when he debuted at140 with a unanimous 12-round decision over former WBO junior welterweight ruler DeMarcus Corley in Atlantic City.

It was a great action match-up from the opening bell. Mayweather, showing superb boxing skill and speed, and Corley rocked each other in the early rounds that had the house responding on its feet.

Mayweather scored knockdowns in the eighth and10th rounds and was a going away winner on scores of119-107,119-108, 118-108 and lifted “Pretty Boy’s” resume to 32-0 21 KOs.

“DeMarcus landed some very good punches but he never hurt me at all. I felt my power would be a factor and I felt great at this weight. I went to 130 and beat the best, then I went to 135 and went the best.

Now I’m going to do the same with the guys at 140. I’ll win my third world and that should make a point with the fans who try to question my pound-for-pound claim.”

Mayweather has trained with concentration at the Top Rank gym to be in top condition for the 24-year-old Bruseles.

Arum is pleased with Mayweather making his Florida debut against one of Puerto Rico’s more promising young fighters lauded as a power puncher with both hands.

“Floyd Mayweather is one of the best in the world and Bruseles is a young strong boxer who wants to prove that he belongs at tis level. It should be an exciting fight for our return to Florida,” Arum added.

Bruseles, out of Caguas, P.R ., was a top amateur boxer in Puerto Rico before

turning pro on Feb.8,1999 with a first round knockout of Vance Thompson at the Forum in Inglewood, Ca. Bruseles won his first 16 pro bouts and is 5-1-1,13 KOs. The slick Latino’s only loss was a controversial 10-round decision against Ernesto Zavala in San Jose, Ca.

“It’s a good opportunity for me to show I can fight the best in the world and I’m looking forward to fighting Mayweather here on Saturday, especially with HBO on TV,” said Bruseles.

Perhaps Mayweather and his admirers share the same complaint that he has not have a definitive fight since turning pro in1996.

That situation can be in transition later this summer if “Pretty Boy” has no trouble wth Bruseles and Arturo “Thunder” Gatti handles “Jesse James” Leija Jan.29 in Atlantic City. It would be Mayweather’s first pay-per-view TV.

Basically, Floyd Mayweather, Jr., is ambitious to be a great world champion and there is no debate such talent is missing.

There was never any doubt his natural athletic prowess showed early growing up in Grand Rapids, Mi., where his father, Floyd Mayweather,Sr., a pro himself in the ‘70-80s, gave his son a tutor beyond his years.

Young Mayweather became a five-time U.S. national amateur champion and reached the ultimate in that category when, as a 125-pounder, he was a bronze medalist in the 1996 Atlanta Olympics.

Next up: Top Rank’s Bob Arum.

“Pretty Boy” and his split with his father to sign with Houston music, non-boxing man, James Prince, has been well documented as well as the rising ring star becoming his own worst enemy by letting.a sometimes irascible ego shooting him in the foot.

It’s hard to imagine Mayweather has a penchant for listening and associating with the wrong people repeatedly. Children with women out of wedlock have shook the fighter with far more court dates than he has had in the ring in the last three years.

And if that isn’t enough, awaiting some later dates before a judge to answer charges on kicking a bar bouncer, a reckless driving collision, and allegedly slapping two women in a hotel bar.

Roger Mayweather, an uncle and former two-time world champion, has done a solid job in keeping his nephew dedicated but when some of the hanger-ons start mentioning Floyd Jr., in the same breath as Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Leonard, hat bands are a cinch to stretch out of sight.

Depending on the circumstances and issues to be reviewed, Mayweather’s

charisma isn’t forced. And he can be mannerly in dealing with the public and his fans.

Ironically. mega box office doesn’t seem to be the two-time world champion’s forte. Mayweather’s only sellouts have been the four fights he has had before the home folks in Grand Rapids. After making 11 appearances in Las Vegas venues,”Pretty Boy” has never had a sellout approaching 10,000 spectators.

Mayweather’s last local outings were defending his WBC lightweight titles against Jose Castillo in 2002, winning 12-rounds decisions Apr.20 and Dec.7.

Prior to the Corley fight, Mayweather’s once-a-year-efforts were scoring a seven-round TKO over Phillip N’Dou Nov.1, 2002 in Grand Rapids and winning a 12-round decision from Victoriano Sosa Apr.19, 2003 in Fresno, Ca.

As a Hall of Famer in progress, May-weather is well-aware of keeping his image on the plus side. The champion is gracious in dealing with his admirers and has no limit when it comes to talking about improving his craft.

“The people that really know me seem to indicate I’m a good guy and I welcome their attention. Let‘s talk boxing, all day, but when it comes to my personal life, forget it.”

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas and a regular contributor with Ringsports.com and other American sports publications.)