Mayweather vs Mosley
Posted By Avi "Shoefly" Korine
We all know the stakes are high for the fight between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley on May 1, but would a win be enough to supplant Manny Pacquiao from the top spot on the pound-for-pound list? I'm normally not much of a list guy, but with all three boxers being proven greats and fighting at the same weight it's an interesting argument. Let's take a look.
If Mosley wins: A victory by Shane Mosley over Floyd Mayweather would likely be the most impressive in his outstanding career. Currently his two wins over Oscar De La Hoya hold that honor, but at 38 a victory over the super-talented Mayweather would likely trump the De La Hoya fight.
Shane is currently a consensus top-five pound-for pound fighter following his outstanding victory over Antonio Margarito. He has the resume to support a position at the top of the pound-for-pound list. If he beats Mayweather convincingly could he jump Pacquiao?
I don't think so. Though consecutive victories over Antonio Margarito and Floyd Mayweather would be incredible, I still think Pacquiao's recent run is enough to keep him in the top spot. Shane's recent loss to Miguel Cotto and his hard fought victory over Ricardo Mayorga will keep him a step behind, even if he manages to somehow stop Mayweather. Still, the win would pull him close to Pacquiao on all lists, and it's easy to imagine a fight being made between the two competitors to clear everything up.
If Mayweather Wins: This is where things get dicey. Floyd lost his position at the top when he went into a brief retirement. He might have already reclaimed his spot if not for Manny Pacquiao's incredible recent run. Since his return to the ring Floyd has had an easy victory over the great Juan Manuel Marquez.
True, Marquez was the much smaller man, mitigating the credit Floyd should receive, but it was still an impressive performance. There will be no such caveats if Mayweather manages to defeat Shane Mosley. Though Shane is nearing the end of his career he is still among the elites of the sport. In my opinion a clear and dominant victory over Shane Mosley would be the most notable result of Floyd's outstanding career.
But I still don't think it will be quite enough. Pacquiao's two most recent wins against Miguel Cotto and Joshua Clottey were so clear and complete I don't believe a victory over Shane Mosley can move Floyd up. Though Floyd passes the eye test - every time he fights I can't help thinking I'm watching the best fighter in the world - Manny's run of dominance has just been too strong.
I hope and believe the argument will eventually be sorted out the way it should be, in the ring. I ultimately think a deal will be made and the fight will happen. Until that point, however, I think as long as Pacquiao keeps fighting and beating people the way he has been it will be impossible to supplant him from the top of the pound-for-pound list. Unless, of course, one of these guys wants to take a shot at Sergio Martinez and the middleweight title.
Source: sportingnews.com
