Mayweather vs Mosley
By G. Leon
Late in the summer of 2002, with only a few months of Boxing experience under my belt, "Sugar" Shane Mosley called me from his training camp in Big Bear Lake, California seeking advice. Mosley felt uncomfortable with Barry Frank of IMG and the coziness of his relationship with Bob Arum, then promoter of Oscar De La Hoya, whom Mosley would face the following September. In my most regrettable move since boxing became my full time gig, I advised Mosley to hire Judd Burstein, who for reasons unbeknownst to me, is still representing Mosley despite making some bonehead moves right out of the gate.
1. Judd's Gift To Gary: Burstein finalizes the deal for the De La Hoya rematch. If Mosley's best interest were his top priority, he would have used somebody's promotional license for a nominal fee to keep Mosley a promotional free agent until after the fight. Mosley wound up winning the fight and losing at least one million dollars another promoter would have given him for his autograph on a contract.
Instead, in a questionable move, Burstein grants Gary Shaw three options, including two fights with Winky Wright, who would stay with Shaw after Mosley's relationship with GSP ended bitterly.
In 2003 Burstein and Shaw were very cozy and had done quite a bit of business relating to Lennox Lewis. Was this a kick back of sorts? I'm not going to go that far, but Boxingtalk believes Burstein should have known better and if he didn't, he above all people should know that ignorance is not a defense.
2. The Victor Conte Suit: The outcome of this legal battle will have no impact on what people think of Sugar Shane Mosley.
His admitted use of Conte's designer products heading into his rematch with Oscar De La Hoya will always be a blemish that lead to Mosley undergoing USADA testing for his May 1 fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. (Correction Made: Shane didn't fail a PED test.)
But squeaky clean test results for the May 1 bout do more to clear Mosley's name than anything Burstein will accomplish in a courtroom.
Victor Conte's reputation has been damaged beyond repair. He's completely alienated himself from everybody in boxing, save for Andre Ward.
If Burstein were really so concerned about his clients reputation, wouldn't he be handling this case pro-bono? I mean if his "dog" is capable of winning it, why should Mosley have to spend any money, let alone the hundreds of thousands he's given Burstein? Something tells me Mosley's given him a pretty (multi-million dollar) penny already.
If Shane was bamboozled by simpletons like Victor Conte and Daryl Hudson, am I nuts for thinking a brilliant, but money hungry lawyer like Judd Burstein could take him for a ride longer than anybody not named Jin?
3. Gold Or Sugar: What is he really invested in?
He represents both Sugar Shane Mosley and Golden Boy Promotions.
Still, nobody has asked Judd to make a decision between Golden Boy Promotions and Shane Mosley. (Sure Shane is his long-time client, but Burstein is capable of making money with Golden Boy long after Shane is gone.)
Instead he negotiated the Mayweather fight on Mosley's behalf with Richard Schaefer, whom he will represent in Manny Pacquiao's defamation suit.
To further prove this point, Arnold Joseph is still friends with his former long-time client Bernard Hopkins, but he's no longer the fighter's attorney because he now works for Golden Boy.
If the lawyer, manager, agent, advisor or whoever isn't capable of telling the promoter to go f**k himself because he works for promoter, then he shouldn't be on board.
Remembering The Birth Of Benedict Burstein: Burstein earned the Benedict moniker When he agreed to represent Don King. After all, it was Judd screaming that Don King is a "cancer" to the sport of boxing, that his victory against King in the Terry Norris case was a dose of "chemotherapy." And it was Boxingtalk asking since Don King is the cancer of boxing could Judd Burstein be the tumor?
Update; Benedict Lansky: In a recent NY Daily News follow-up, Burstein apparently sent a reputable scribe the following; "Nate, there will come a day when I have an opportunity to do serious harm to your career. You may not know at the time that it was me, but when you end up with your job lost and reputation destroyed, I (will) call to tell you it was me."
Since that's the case when exactly will Shane Mosley's phone ring?
Source: boxingtalk.com
