Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley get physical at opening press conference

Mayweather vs Mosley
As they posed for pictures at the first press conference together, "Money" Mayweather lost his usual cool as both men exchanged shoves.

The contest between Mosley and Mayweather, at welterweight (147lbs), was made when the intended match-up between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fell through with the two camps unable to agree on pre-fight drugs testing.

Mayweather has since insisted he wants to “clean up” the sport of boxing.

"When it comes to performance enhancement drugs, I stepped up the plate. I want to show the world that my sport is clean.”

On yesterday’s altercation, motormouth Mayweather explained: "Our noses touched. don't like nothing but the ladies. I don't mind the trash talking but he grabbed my hands. I said, 'Don't put your hands on me.' I pushed him away.

"It takes two to make a mega fight. Shane Mosley is one of the best welterweights of our era and I want to fight the best and continue to fight the best. I am not only in the fight business; I am in the check cashing business.

"I am able to generate millions of dollars. They say Shane is the WBA Champion, but we all know that belts do nothing but collect dust.

"You can hate it or love it, but this is a God given ability. I am taking these skills and showing the world that I am going to entertain.

"There's always an excuse. If I beat someone, they say he's over the hill. If I beat someone else, they say he is too slow. I can just be me and be the best.

"There is nothing cool about taking punishment. There is nothing cool about getting hit in the head. There is no blue print to beat me, and that is all that matters. You can't judge a person before you know a person. I am just like every body else. I go home I love my children, I love my mother, but I also have a gift."

Mosley added: "May 1 symbolizes something. After this fight, it is going to be clear. It is going to be the date of Mayweather's first loss. It has been a long time since I have had a chance to show the world that I am the best fighter. I have wanted to be the best and have people understand that I am the best.

"I just want to say I am going to take my hat off to Mayweather. For a minute I wasn't going to get a fight from any of these top fighters and now I will. I would like to say that it is going down May 1 and it is going to be me and Money Mayweather."

Naazim Richardson, Mosley's trainer, believes it will be a close contest, in spite of insiders believing Mayweather will be too slick for Mosley, who is renowned more for power and who has had greater success against come-forward fighters. Mayweather prefers to react as a counter puncher.

"You can't really say one is better than the other. At this level they are both special. It's proven,” said Richardson. "This will be one of the great ones. One-hundred-forty-seven pounds is a premiere weight class. May 1, Shane will matchup against one of the best athletes in the sport."

Oscar de la Hoya, President of Golden Boy Promotions, believes it will be a classic.

"We are here in a big mega fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sugar Shane Mosley," he said.

"This fight reminds me of Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns, the classic fights we used to watch on TV. It's like watching the Super Bowl or the NBA Championship. It's boxing's version of the World Series. I fought both fighters and I know what is going to happen. Do you want to know what I think? I know there is going to be a knock-out and it ain't going to be pretty."

Source: telegraph.co.uk