Pacquiao must save civilization from Mayweather domination

Boxing Examiner | Michael Marley

Welcome to my nightmare and to yours also if you don't want to see total world domination by Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr.

What if The Mouth That Roars is way too salty for Sugar Shane Mosley, about to turn age 39 and away from the ring for 15 months by the time of their May 1 bout?

What if, then as day follows night, Mayweather plays with Manny Pacquiao, the righteous lad from GenSan?

What if both of these key bouts turn into, as Mayweather thinks they will, easy work?

I don't know about you but I am fully prepared to streak naked, birthday suit only, through Times Square at noon time.

I am also planning on moving to a lower floor, as living on the 11th floor, and throwing myself out the window could be catastrophic.

I figure a self-propelled hurl from the second or even the third floor will just break a few bones, nothing more.

Styles makes fights, friends, it is the dictum that never goes away.

Mayweather's defensive skills allow him to make a monkey out of anyone.

The de la Hoya fight was “competitive” only because the calculating Mayweather did not step on the gas until the fifth round. Forget that baloney about Oscar's jab failing him. The last seven rounds were a clinic in now you see me, now you don't.

If 2010 was 2007 or 2006, then I'd look at Mayweather-Mosley quite differently. And so would you if you know a left hook from a darn fish hook.

I am afraid that Mosley might find himself pawing at the air and falling for all those shoulder rolls come the merry month of Mayweather.

It is a quantum leap going from inexperienced Andre Berto to the oh so polished Mayweather. This long layoff since he dazzled Margocheato doesn't help the Mosley cause, either.

In the old days, a fighter of Mosley's considerable stature would have adhered to the old Ray Arcel warning “to rest is to rust” and taken a 10-round stay sharp bout for mere peanuts or arranged a private gymnasium bout (the old Cus D'Amato routine).

But, no, Mosley has not thrown a competitive punch since the final round against Margarito on Jan. 24, 2009.

If it takes him a few rounds to shake off the rust against Mayweather, Shane will have to play catchup and his pursuit may become more futile with each passing round.

The end result?

Thought you would never ask, shy one.

A comfortable if not wide unanimous decision for the villainous one.

Yes, The Man We Love To Hate takes the victory.

And then it will fall to one man to save civilization as we know it.

Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao, I hope you're up for the task.

Maybe you can get “Wapakman” to help you.

Source: Examiner.com

Zab Judah on Manny Pacquiao, Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather, Amir Khan

2/04/2010 4:05 PM ET By Elie Seckbach

Elie Seckbach, the Embedded Correspondent, brings his exclusive video reporting to FanHouse. Check back regularly for more videos.

Zab Judah (38-6, 26 knockouts) has been a world champion twice as a junior welterweight (140 pounds) and once as a welterweight (147 pounds), and has dreams of fighting present 140-pound world champs, Amir Khan, Juan Urango, or Devon Alexander, of the WBA, WBC and IBF, respectively.

The 32-year-old Judah had some encouraging words for 140-pound contender, Dmitriy Salita, who was recently knocked out by Khan, as well as WBA junior middleweight (154 pounds) king, Yuri Foreman, who is expected to face Miguel Cotto on June 12 in Madison Square Garden.

Judah also expressed his thoughts on the Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Shane Mosley v Floyd Mayweather: a fight to watch

Posted: February 4th, 2010 | By David Isaacson

At last, a welterweight fight to look forward to.

Sugar Shane Mosley will face Floyd Mayweather jnr on May 1 in a bout that will surely attract more world attention (outside the Philippines, that is) than Manny Pacquiao versus Joshua Clottey on March 13.

Mosley-Mayweather has been talked about for a long while and it’s about time it got signed.

But I do wonder about the drug-testing requirements. Did Mayweather again insist on following the Wada rules, or not?

It’s an intriguing match-up although I reckon Mayweather has the edge (having said that, I’m not writing Mosley off). I don’t expect it to be an all-action thriller, but it’ll be scientific, perhaps like watching Stephen Hawking against Albert Einstein, if you know what I mean.

Source: blogs.timeslive.co.za

Golden Boy CEO: Mayweather-Mosley 'one of the most anticipated fights of this generation'

By David Mayo | The Grand Rapids Press

For weeks, Richard Schaefer honored a self-imposed gag order and refused to talk in depth about the failed Floyd Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao negotiations.

In a matter of days, the boxing promoter struck a compromise plan for a Mayweather-Shane Mosley megafight in a negotiation he called “an absolute pleasure” with Mayweather’s advisers, Al Haymon and Leonard Ellerbe.

"We know each other well, we respect each other, and that is a great start for any negotiation,” Schaefer, chief executive of Golden Boy Promotions, said Wednesday. “It is a fight Floyd really wanted and it is a fight Shane really wanted. That provided the necessary ingredients to get this negotiation going and signed.

"It's exciting to be part of a historic event where you have two of the best fighters of this generation, two of the best pound-for-pound fighters, two Americans, fighting each other -- and two guys who are at the top of their craft. We have seen what Shane did to Antonio Margarito and what Floyd did to Juan Manuel Marquez."

The May 1 fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas became official after Mayweather’s signed contract arrived at Golden Boy’s Los Angeles office Wednesday, five days after Mosley signed.

Mosley agreed to the Olympic-style random blood and urine testing at which Pacquiao balked during the failed Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations.

Mayweather also will be subject to random testing.

Ellerbe has said Olympic-style random testing will be a negotiating mandate for any future Mayweather fight, which means a future matchup against Pacquiao is anything but a certainty, even if both fighters win their upcoming bouts.

Pacquiao scheduled a March 13 fight against Joshua Clottey after Mayweather talks fell apart.

"I don't really know if it’s possible and I don't really want to think about it because, the fact is, both parties felt rather strongly about their position, as it relates to Olympic-style drug testing,” Schaefer said. “I can not speak for Pacquiao because I'm not his promoter. But I can tell you that I would be surprised if Floyd was going to change his position as it relates to that. For this fight, he obviously hasn't.

“Floyd feels strongly that the time has come for boxing to introduce Olympic-style blood testing. Given the fact that I don't think Floyd is going to change course, and I think, with regret, that Pacquiao may not change his position, it basically just is what it is."

Schaefer confirmed that Mayweather-Mosley will be conducted at the 147-pound welterweight limit but said it is uncertain whether Mosley’s World Boxing Association title will be at stake.

That could hinge on what percentage of each fighter’s purse the WBA is willing to accept to sanction the fight. Sanctioning fees typically run about 2-3 percent of each fighter’s purse, although WBA by-laws allow for that amount to be “modified to the discretion” of its Board of Directors, and such downward negotiation is common practice when fighters earn enormous purses for a title fight.

Ellerbe said in December that Mosley was Mayweather’s backup plan if Pacquiao negotiations failed.

At that time, Mosley was scheduled for a Jan. 30 fight against Andre Berto.

But Berto withdrew from that bout two weeks ago -- only days after the Mayweather-Pacquiao talks officially ended after a failed mediation attempt -- which paved the way for Mayweather-Mosley.

“In a way, the promotion for Mayweather and Mosley started right in the ring after Mayweather's victory against Juan Manuel Marquez, when Shane Mosley grabbed the microphone and started things going,” Schaefer said, referring to Mosley’s forced interference with Mayweather’s post-fight interview following his comeback fight after a 21 1/2-month layoff. “Then, of course, the Pacquiao discussions started and Shane's position was that he didn't want to sit around and wait, so he moved on to fight another undefeated fighter in Andre Berto.

“Then, when the Pacquiao talks collapsed and the fight didn't happen, we didn't really think Mosley, because Shane had a very tough fight against Andre Berto, who is a great champion, he's undefeated. He had a very tough fight ahead of him. I think it would have been a very big mistake to underestimate Andre Berto and start thinking about, or even discussing, a later fight between Mayweather and Mosley."

Other potential fights were discussed for Mayweather, but when Mosley became available, those were dropped.

"With these megafights, they sort of have dynamics of their own in place,” Schaefer said. “Sometimes, they fall apart. And sometimes, they come together unexpectedly.

"The fact is, at the end of the day, it is up to the fighters if they want to fight. Floyd Mayweather made it clear to me he wanted the big fight. After the Pacquiao negotiations fell out, there weren't that many big names out there that warranted a super fight. When Andre Berto had to withdraw because of the Haiti situation, that opened the window, opened the door, and Floyd was immediately interested in that. And Shane was very much on the same page."

Schaefer said he did not view Mayweather-Mosley as a method of trumping Pacquiao-Clottey with pay-per-view buyers who might not be inclined to spend $50 or more for both fights, saying his philosophy is strictly to focus on his own business and his own fight.

He acknowledged, however, that some customers in a depressed economy might have to choose.

"If you are a consumer like that, and you have to pick which one is the bigger show, and which one is the more historic event, and which one has all the ingredients, then you're going to have to pick,” he said.

It was clear Schaefer is enamored of the Mayweather-Mosley fight, as are many boxing fans.

"It's certainly one of the most anticipated fights of this generation,” he said.

Source: mlive.com

Shane Mosley Q&A: 'No Excuses'

2/04/2010 1:19 AM ET By Lem Satterfield

A little more than a year ago, it seemed that boxer Shane Mosley's world was coming apart.

His marriage to the mother of three of his four children, was in tatters. The former world titlist was under scrutiny after having admitted during leaked grand jury testimony that he had used designer steroids before defeating Oscar De La Hoya in September, 2003.

But after stopping Antonio Margarito in the ninth round on Jan. 24 of last year, the 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts) is on the verge of earning his largest career payday against five-time champion, Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) on May 1, but only after having to agree that each fighter will be randomly blood- and urine-tested for steroids -- Olympic-style.

"They can test me every day, twice a day, if they want. I'm a clean athlete and I've been a clean athlete. I'm willing to do this for every fight I have for the rest of my career," Mosley told Kevin Iole of Yahoo! Sports. "I want it so you guys [in the media] know, so the public knows, so everybody knows. I'm clean, I've been clean and I have nothing to hide."

Mosley spoke to FanHouse about all of the above in this Q&A.

FanHouse: If you were to explain to your fans, who have stuck with you, what it was like to perform against Antonio Margarito while being under the microscope, and what it's been like to be in your position of scrutiny over the last year, what would you say to them?

Mosley: To my fans, this is what I do. I've been a fighter from Day One. I've been boxing since I was eight years old -- that's 30 years of fighting. This is what I do, and this is what I know how to do.

You will always get the best out of me, regardless of what's going on in my life. I would never put, or, have something in my way and use that as an excuse to say, 'Well, I had this going on, that going on, and that going on, and that's why I can't perform like I'm supposed to.'

I'm a professional, and it's my job to be mentally strong in the ring, out of the ring, whatever. It's my job to be mentally strong when I get into the ring and to do my best. You're always going to get the best out of me, that's all.

No excuses.


FH: Are you pinching yourself concerning how fortunate you are to be getting this fight after the long layoff, or are you still in disbelief until you actually get into the ring with Floyd Mayweather?

Mosley: You never know if the fight is there until you get into the ring. But I'm pretty sure that Mayweather needs and wants this fight as much as I do.



FH: After what you've been through over the last year, were you wondering if you would ever get an opportunity such as this after defeating Antonio Margarito?

Mosley: I love to fight, I love to box, and it doesn't matter who I get into the ring with. So, I'm happy that it's a big fight, and I'm happy that the fans will get a chance to see a good fight.

And maybe they won't be so quick to want to go to the MMA and watch them fight. They'll be able to watch a big fight, and a very good fight.


FH: With this being two American welterweights, you and Floyd (pictured at right), there are some people who are comparing this fight to the Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns fight. Do you see any elements of that, and if so, who do you cast yourself as?

Mosley: It's going to be a great fight. I do see myself and Floyd as being in the type of fight that is a Sugar RayLeonard-Tommy Hearns type of fight. Tommy was no joke as well. But my name is 'Sugar' for a reason. I liked Tommy, and I liked Sugar Ray Leonard.


FH: Can you break down the skills that each of you bring to the table?

Mosley: With Mayweather, Mayweather is an excellent boxer and counter-puncher, and his timing is very good. He has very good hand speed.

I think what makes me different and difficult is that all of the years that I've fought, that I'm a total fighter. I can box, punch, move, slip-slide, I can do everything. I can imitate fighters really well.

I'm well-rounded, so it's hard to train for somebody like myself, because you don't know if I'm going to bring my fighting style out, my boxing style out, the counter-punching, or whatever.

I have different things to my arsenal that I can bring to the ring.


FH: Will you be bring back the body-punching that made you so good as a lightweight (135 pounds) champion, considering it's been virtually impossible for someone to hit Floyd's head, let alone, his body, consistently?

Mosley: It could be a good tactic to bring the body shots. Against Margarito, I went to the body as well, which is what basically broke him down, was the body shots.

But yeah, the body attack will definitely be a good tactic to use. I mean, there are so many different things that I'd like to use against Mayweather.

I can't just go, 'Okay, I'm just going to the body.' Or, 'I'm going to throw right hands,' or, 'I'm going to throw a lot of jabs,' or, 'I'm going to try to get past his defense with the leads.'

There are so many things that I can do and that I'll need to do to confuse Mayweather.


FH: At the age of 38, Shane, are you more mature, a better fighter, how has the age manifested itself in you?

Mosley: It's wierd, because I thought that I'm getting better and better. When I'm moving around, and I'm working out, and I'm fighting, and I'm training, I just felt better.

But, you know, maybe, I don't know, I might not be able to be rejuvenated as fast, or recover as fast, but I feel good. I think I'm a lot better, but I really don't know, but I feel good.


FH: Mentally, are you a better fighter than you've been in the past?

Mosley: Mentally, yeah, I'm better. I understand the boxing game a lot better and a lot more. I know when I'm making different mistakes, and I know when I'm doing different things, I know why they're happening and why they're not.

But as a younger fighter, you just kind of do things spontaneously, and you don't always know what you're doing. You're succeeding, but you don't understand or know why you're succeeding at what you're doing.

Once I sat down and watch tapes of myself, and of different people and different fighters, and why they are successful at doing what they do, that made me more of a better fighter, mentally, in the ring.

I became better at understanding the moves that I'm making and why they're working.


FH: This is the largest payday that you're going to get, and there's a rematch clause in the event that Floyd Mayweather loses, correct?

Mosley: Yes.


FH: If you were able to map out the end of your career, what would your dream closure be?

Mosley: I guess that it would be fighting Mayweather twice, and then, fighting Manny Pacquiao. I could fight Pacquiao twice too, if I need to.

And then, I think, by then, there should be nothing else for me to do. Other than that, that would be it, probably, pretty much. Unless I went back and fought Winky Wright or somebody at 154. But other than that, there's no one else to fight.


FH: So you want to get some payback against Winky Wright for the two losses on your record?

Mosley: Either that, or give Andre Berto (pictured at right) a shot at the title, because he's been waiting for a long time as well. He's a world champion, and if he's still on top, maybe I could give him a shot.

Berto's a young warrior, and he wants to fight as well, so maybe I would do that. Other than that, I'm not sure what else is out there.


FH: Speaking of Andre Berto, is there anything that you would like to say to him?

Mosley: Yeah, I would really just like to send my condolences out to him and his family. I know that some of the people in Haiti, and some of his family members might have been hurt out there.

Hopefully, he and his family are together. Hopefully, mentally, he can get back into the boxing game and get back on top.

He's a great, young fighter, and I'm just wishing him all of the best for him.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

If Mayweather Jr ‘asked to fight Shane immediately’ then why did he wait so long to sign?

Sacramento Fight Sports Examiner | Rick Rockwell

For some Mayweather critics, hell has officially frozen over. Floyd Mayweather Jr has signed the contract to fight Shane Mosley on May 1st. A day that many people thought would never happen, has finally come. But, what took so long? For a fight that was a decade in the making, the contract signing felt like it almost took just as long. Why did it take Floyd so long to sign the contract?


Just 24 hours ago, Mosley and his attorney were threatening a lawsuit against Mayweather because he hadn’t signed the contract yet even though Mosley signed it last week and Floyd’s people were assuring it would be signed the very next day. This delay got so bad that even Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer publicly aired his frustrations and questioned Mayweather’s actions.


Fast forward to today and Mayweather signs the fight and then releases the following statement:

* “This one is definitely for the fans as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tune-up bout and asked to fight Shane immediately. I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."


Sarah Daniels Sacramento, CA “If Mayweather truly wanted to fight Mosley immediately then why the delay?” Simply put, Mayweather didn’t truly want to fight Mosley. Like Shane Mosley said in a recent interview, Mayweather was forced into the fight. When Manny Pacquiao moved on to face Clottey, Mayweather was forced to move on to Mosley.


In my opinion, I believe Mayweather was just playing his selfish games in making every one wait. However, I think he signed today because Mosley’s people were ready to go to court. Floyd couldn’t risk going to court after already losing in the “court of public opinion” over who was at fault for the failed Mega fight.


This delay was just another way for everyone to be subject to Floyd’s egotistical desires and grandiose delusions of his self worth. That’s the only logical reason why Floyd took so long to sign since Mosley already agreed to every demand that Mayweather made. In the end, Mosley’s attorney Judd Burnstein said it best “he chooses to act like a 7-year-old.”

Source: Examiner.com

Floyd Mayweather will fight Shane Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas

By David Mayo | The Grand Rapids Press
February 03, 2010, 5:35PM

Floyd Mayweather has signed to fight Shane Mosley in a blockbuster May 1 fight, Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer announced Wednesday, although a couple days of open consternation about the negotiations didn’t sit well with the Grand Rapids boxer’s adviser.

Mayweather signed Wednesday, according to Schaefer, who one day earlier expressed to ESPN.com his concern about why the fighter hadn’t signed, as did Judd Burstein, Mosley’s attorney.

Those concerns came despite Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s adviser, insisting Friday -- the same day Mosley signed his own contract -- that the fight would be finalized this week.

“Their business is to worry about Shane Mosley,” Ellerbe said. “Like I told you last week, there were no hang-ups to making this fight. All the deal points had been finalized and we were prepared to make an announcement this week.

“Floyd Mayweather is very meticulous in the way he handles his business and he does it in his time. As for the rest of it, that’s on them.”

The fight will take place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It matches two rivals who have talked off and on for more than a decade about fighting each other.

The 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), of Pomona, Calif., has claimed world titles in three weight divisions.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), 32, is a former five-division champion and pound-for-pound claimant.


“It is a fight Floyd Mayweather has wanted for years and a fight Shane Mosley has wanted for years,” Schaefer said. “For whatever reason, fights don’t always come together because of different dynamics.

“But Shane Mosley has never ducked anyone and, to anyone who has ever said Floyd Mayweather has ducked opponents, he is stepping up to the plate to fight the most dangerous welterweight in the world. I can’t wait.”

Schaefer said is has not been determined whether Mosley’s World Boxing Association welterweight title will be at stake.

One reason could be the 3-percent fee the organization typically levies on each fighter’s purse to sanction a championship fight. Schaefer said it is his intent to negotiate with the WBA for a reduction in that fee.

Plans for a press tour are pending.

Source: mlive.com

Mosley-Mayweather fight finalized

By Dan Rafael
ESPN.com
Archive

After several days of concern over whether Floyd Mayweather Jr. would sign the contract for an agreed-upon showdown with welterweight titleholder Shane Mosley, he put pen to paper on Wednesday and signed the contract, Mosley attorney Judd Burstein told ESPN.com.

That was the last hurdle to finalizing the super fight. Mosley signed on Friday.

Mosley will defend his title against Mayweather on May 1 (HBO PPV) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

"He signed. It's going to be a great fight," Burstein said.

Burstein said he received the news on Wednesday afternoon from Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who had been told by Al Haymon, a Mayweather adviser. Burstein said he then spoke to Haymon.

"Al Haymon's word is gold to me. He told me personally," Burstein said. "We spoke and he said Floyd signed. It was a short but happy conversation. Shane is excited. We all know it's going to be a great fight."

Later Wednesday, the fighters issued statements.

"This one is definitely for the fans as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tune-up bout and asked to fight Shane immediately," Mayweather said. "I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."

Said Mosley, "I have always wanted to fight Floyd and now it is finally coming true. I am already in great shape and ready to show everyone on May 1 that I am stronger, faster and better than he is. I will have no problem beating him."

Schaefer and Burstein had voiced concern on Tuesday when Mayweather had still not yet signed several days after Mosley had signed and the Mayweather side said it had agreed to the terms.

Getting the contract signed this week was pivotal because Schaefer planned for the fighters to go to Miami this weekend to kick off the promotion with a variety of media appearances at the Super Bowl.

That was the blueprint Schaefer followed before the Mayweather-Oscar De La Hoya fight in May 2007. They also went to the Super Bowl to kick off the promotion and the result was the highest grossing pay-per-view in history.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), a five-division champion, and Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), a three-division champion, have seemingly been on a collision course since the late 1990s, when Mosley was lightweight champion and Mayweather was junior lightweight champion.

Now, the fight is on, having come together under unusual circumstances.

Mayweather had been close to a deal with Manny Pacquiao for a March 13 fight, but that fell apart in early January after the camps had worked out everything except for the drug testing protocol, which they could not agree upon.

Not long after that, Mosley's Jan. 30 unification bout with Andre Berto was canceled when Berto, a Haitian-American, withdrew from the fight after eight members of his family were killed in the earthquake that ravaged the Caribbean nation.

At Mayweather's insistence, both fighters have agreed to undergo Olympic-style drug testing for the fight.

"Floyd has been trying to make this fight for the last 10 years, so he is extremely excited about the opportunity to face Shane," said Leonard Ellerbe, a Mayweather adviser. "He can't wait to extend his undefeated record and perform at the highest level. More importantly, he is also happy to set the precedent for random blood testing in order to ensure fair and safe contests for all fighters."

Mosley was linked to the BALCO scandal, admitting during grand jury testimony, which was later released, that he had used designer steroids "the clear" and "the cream" and injected himself with EPO, a blood oxygen enhancer, during the lead-up to his 2003 rematch with Oscar De La Hoya. Mosley said he took the steroids unknowingly.

"When two champions of this caliber meet in the ring, you can expect nothing but excellence and that is what we are going to see on May 1," Schaefer said. "Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and I commend him for not only agreeing to the fight against Mayweather, but also agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport."

Mayweather came out of an 18-month retirement in September to easily outpoint lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez.

Mosley hasn't fought in 13 months, when he upset Antonio Margarito, knocking him out in the ninth round to win a welterweight title for the second time.

Dan Rafael is ESPN.com's boxing writer.

Source: sports.espn.go.com

Opinion: The Probable Repercussions of the Mayweather-Mosley Match

If anything came out good for Floyd Mayweather Jr. after the failed negotiation with Filipino pound-for-pound king Manny “Pacman” Pacquiao, he finally agrees to fight a true welterweight in Pomona, California native Sugar Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO).
Yes boxing folks, it’s true. A couple hours ago, Lem Satterfield of Boxing FanHouse reported the news straight from Judd Burstein, Mosley’s attorney, that Mayweather had signed the dotted line to face Mosley for a May 1 title bout.

Indeed, to “confirm” is to believe, and the contract will enable Golden Boy Promotions to push its promotional campaign to the hilt --- and unless a lower back pain, a severe diarrhea or a terrible toothache afflicts “Pretty Boy” in the next few days or weeks, this fight is definitely a go.

Two interesting details of their fight contract caught every boxing fan’s eye and rightfully so.

First is the stipulation of a provision emphasizing the need for random blood testing -- the grey area of the supposed Pacquiao-Mayweather tiff.

To recall, Pacquiao and Top Rank had suggested a 24-day window before the day of the fight but was rejected by Mayweather through his Golden Boy Promotions reps. In essence, Pacquiao has agreed to undergo three separate blood tests – the first around the time of the kick-off presscon to announce the fight, the second a month before the fight date and the third right after the bout.

There is no iota of doubt as to Pacquiao submitting to the three blood tests as he and promoter Bob Arum counter-offered but was turned down anyway by Team Mayweather.
So fans and writers are now wondering --- what are the specifics of the random blood testing proviso for this Mosley fight? Will the Nevada State Athletic Commission (NSAC) administer it since it will take place in Las Vegas? Is it appropriate to finalize and sign the fight contract without consulting or requesting the permission of NSAC who will have over-all supervision of all laboratory (urine and blood) tests?
Assuming Manny hurdles Joshua Clottey in Texas this March, the winner in May 1 instantly attracts a potential mega-fight with the “PacMan”, of course depending on the level of negotiations and personalities involved.

Looking at the bigger picture however, the Mayweather-Mosley match-up may augur well for the Filipino WBO welterweight champion. The fight itself will afford Team Pacquiao, led by indefatigable head trainer Freddie Roach, to identify and assess the strengths and weaknesses of both fighters (especially the boxer now based in Las Vegas).

Mayweather’s ring tendencies have been gradually studied by Roach while speed and power are Mosley’s main arsenals in the business, not so different from Pacquiao’s style which has bulldozed his opponents the last five years.

In the end, it lays a wonderful blueprint for Roach to dissect all angles to defeat either fighter.

The Mayweather-Mosley match-up sets up a precedent as a result, and how the different parties act throughout the entire random blood testing process until the day of the fight will be duly-observed by boxing fans and the like.
By having them undergo such random testing, it will enlighten all followers of the sport if these tests will be truly effective, and whether or not such procedure becomes an advantage in the long run.
Shall boxing need this kind of testing, or just adopt a simple blood test before and right after the fight aside from urine tests, or throw these out altogether? Public and expert opinions abound.

Allow Mayweather to inject this type of additional testing for “sweet science” (if he could) but it also raises eyebrows as there have been none of it from the start to totally justify his immaculate 40-0 win-loss record.

Secondly, leaving no stone unturned and cognizant of this dangerous fight to Mayweather, Golden Boy Promotions included a rematch provision in the contract in case “Pretty Boy” loses. It boggles the mind that the Mayweathers are actually open to the idea of defeat this time [Jr. has an immaculate 40-0, 25 KO) record].
In the event Mayweather wins and when the stars finally align for a bout versus Pacquiao, will there also be a similar rematch proviso? The lingering question is, who will demand for such? Pacquiao is so popular in the sport and the widely-regarded pound-for-pound # 1 so he also has the privilege to ask for it.

But knowing the “bad blood” that has brewed between the opposing camps, affording the loser in the first fight the opportunity for a revenge in the second (or the winner clinically beating up the other, again) would still be fun and exciting to watch.

But then again, this is about Mayweather vs Mosley

Assuming the formal media presser shall be staged in New York this week, Shane Mosley would have a big smile on his face and is glad to finally face Floyd Jr. after all these years.
It is time.

Source: digitaljournal.com

Floyd Mayweather - Shane Mosley, The Best Consolation Prize In Boxing

Written by Tim Starks
Wednesday, 03 February 2010 16:41

mayweather_mosley_koIt's a fight a decade in the making, and it's here: Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Shane Mosley have both signed to fight one another May 1, giving 2010 the best and most important boxing match on its calendar so far.

The welterweight showdown won't heal all the wounds left by the abandonment of Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao, but as consolation prizes go, it's hard to get much better. The top fight that can be made in boxing is Mayweather-Pacquiao, and the next best fight that can be made after that is Mayweather-Mosley or Pacquiao-Mosley. And at long last, Mayweather will be ending a seven-year run of not fighting someone who could arguably be considered the best opponent in his division; Mosley's achieved a lot at welterweight, and some would rank him above both Mayweather and Pacquiao. Even with the general public and hardcore fans angered by the Mayweather-Pacquiao fallout, Mayweather-Mosley is a fight everyone can get at least pretty excited about -- it's a big enough fight that the UFC moved one of its events off the May 1 date to get out of the way, even.

You can say a lot about who has come out looking prettier from the failed Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations. I think both men came out with battered mugs. But with this move, Mayweather definitely has seized the upper hand going forward. Pacquiao took a nice fight for March 13 against Joshua Clottey, but Mosley's better than Clottey, and a considerably bigger star. As big an attraction as Pacquiao has become, it's really been neck-and-neck who's been the bigger star between Pacquiao and Mayweather, with Pacquiao getting the edge because he's a more exciting fighter and he's been taking the harder challenges. Maybe Pacquiao-Clottey ends up being a more exciting fight than Mayweather-Mosley, but Mosley is out-Pacquiaoing Pacquiao in the "harder challenges" category, for once. Mayweather-Mosley almost assuredly will out-sell Pacquiao-Clottey on pay-per-view. Of course, if Mayweather loses, the Pacquiao fight assuredly doesn't happen next, and Mayweather will certainly make less fighting Mosley than he would have fighting Pacquiao.

Will Mayweather-Mosley be a good fight? I suspect it will, actually. It might be a little tactical, but I don't think Mayweather's going to be able to get too defensive with Mosley coming at him. Mosley has the speed, strength, chin and skill to force Mayweather to fight. There are many who have long thought Mosley's physical traits and skill set combine to make him the most dangerous foe Mayweather could pick.

That should make it a competitive fight, too, although there are legitimate questions about Mosley's age and his long layoff. Mosley is 38 to Mayweather's 32. Mosley hasn't fought since Jan. 2009. Long layoffs like that are no good for any boxer, let alone 38-year-olds. Bernard Hopkins, an ageless wonder who is still a top fighter at 45, had a more than year-long layoff recently, and when he came back, he looked out of rhythm for the first four rounds or so. Mosley has looked good every other fight or so for the last few years, and he's coming off a good one, his route of Antonio Margarito, but there are some who think that was just a favorable match-up, as Margarito's slow-handed brawling style was made for Mosley's. Some even believe that Mosley's been over the hill for a while.

I wouldn't be surprised if age and rust came into play in the fight, and truth be told I wish this fight would have happened before now. If you watch Mosley at welterweight toward the beginning of the last decade compare to near the end of it, it's clear Mosley's had a drop-off in speed. But Mayweather is the #2 pound-for-pound man in the sport right now, and Mosley is #3 in my book -- even at his age. I think there's a case to be made that Mosley might be better in some ways now, having finally picked up a trainer, Nazim Richardson, who is one of the best in the biz and can help him make adjustments mid-fight, something he's not done much of before. And I think Mosley, even at this advanced stage of his career, has to count as the best opponent Mayweather will ever have fought. So it's a legit fight, even with a potential asterisk.

Oh, and Mosley is going to be hun-gry for this one. These two have history, having been constantly mentioned in the same sentence for forever -- the magazine cover at the top of the entry is from 1999 -- with the most recent run-in being the picture above, when Mosley challenged Mayweather following Mayweather's September win against Juan Manuel Marquez. Mayweather has taunted Mosley for his steroid use (unwitting, says Mosley) and the two have accused one another of running from the other for years. Mosley's been wanting a megafight for a while, and now he has it. He willingly submitted to random blood tests to make the fight, something he'd refused to do for Zab Judah a couple years ago, so that ought to show how much he wants this. Mayweather has plenty to prove himself. We all know about his gifts. His critics have been asking for him to maximize those gifts for a long, long time, and if he wins this fight he can answer those critics. Hell, he's already answered me. Just fighting a top challenge is all I've ever wanted. If Mosley beats Mayweather, well, that's what happens sometimes when top fighters take on challenges. I will respect Mayweather more in defeat to Mosley than I would had he taken on the likes of Nate Campbell -- a lightweight in 2009, and an opponent considered for Mayweather until recently -- and beaten him. I'd love it if he made a habit out of this kind of behavior, win or lose.

In an ideal world, Mayweather or Pacquiao would be fighting Mosley after fighting one another; it wouldn't be one of a couple smaller meals, but the dessert. This, though, is what we've got now. And I'll be looking forward to it all the way to May 1.

[UPDATE: Here's the Golden Boy news release, if you want to know what everyone's saying.]

MAYWEATHER'S SIGNATURE SEALS THE DEAL
FIGHT WITH MOSLEY FINALIZED AS BOXING SUPERSTARS AGREE

TO MEET IN ELECTRIFYING WELTERWEIGHT MEGA-FIGHT

ON SATURDAY, MAY 1 AT MGM GRAND IN LAS VEGAS

LIVE ON HBO PAY-PER-VIEW

FIGHTERS AGREE TO PARTICIPATE IN OLYMPIC-STYLE DRUG TESTING



LAS VEGAS (February 3, 2010) - It's official. Boxing's biggest superstar and six-time world champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather made his upcoming fight with welterweight mega-star and five-time world champion Sugar Shane Mosley, official today when he signed the contract that pits the two fighters against each other on Saturday, May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a mega-bout which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View®.

"This one is definitely for the fans as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tune-up bout and asked to fight Shane immediately," said Mayweather. "I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."

"I have always wanted to fight Floyd and now it is finally coming true," said Mosley, who signed his side of the deal last Friday in Las Vegas. "I am already in great shape and ready to show everyone on May 1 that I am stronger, faster and better than he is. I will have no problem beating him."

In addition to the fight being one of the most competitive and talked about contests in each of the fighters' careers, Mayweather and Mosley have agreed to Olympic-style drug testing for the fight.

"Floyd has been trying to make this fight for the last 10 years, so he is extremely excited about the opportunity to face Shane," said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. "He can't wait to extend his undefeated record and perform at the highest level. More importantly, he is also happy to set the precedent for random blood testing in order to ensure fair and safe contests for all fighters."

"When two champions of this caliber meet in the ring, you can expect nothing but excellence and that is what we are going to see on May 1," said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions. "Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and I commend him for not only agreeing to the fight against Mayweather, but also agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport."

"Mayweather-Mosley is a showdown of superstars that fans have been talking about for years", said Mark Taffet of HBO Pay-Per-View. "It has all the elements of a pay-per-view mega-fight."

A 1996 Olympic Bronze medalist for the United States, Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KO's) has since gone on to strike Gold in the professional ranks, winning six world titles in five weight classes to firmly establish himself as one of the most elite fighters of his era. With dominating wins over the likes of world champions Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton, Mayweather was on a meteoric rise to hall of fame greatness when he announced his retirement from the ring in 2008. But he left the door open for a return if the right challenge presented itself and after 18 months of a much needed physical and emotional break from the ring, he returned to boxing on September 19, 2009 with a dominating and spectacular victory over future Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez.

A future Hall of Famer with five world titles to his name, Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO's) has ruled the lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight divisions over his storied 16-year career and at 38 years old, the Pomona, Calif. native seems to be getting better and better as the years pass. Winner of seven of his last eight fights dating back to 2005, Mosley has defeated the likes of Fernando Vargas (twice), Luis Collazo and Ricardo Mayorga, but his most recent victory also was one of his most spectacular -- a ninth round stoppage of Antonio Margarito in January 2009 to win the welterweight world title for the third time.

The 12-round welterweight battle is a highly competitive match-up that already has sports fans across the world buzzing to see two of the sport's biggest names meet in the squared circle in the premier boxing match-up of 2010.

More information on Mayweather vs. Mosley, including ticket prices, HBO Pay- Per- View information and press tour dates and cities, will be announced shortly.

Source: queensberry-rules.com

Floyd Mayweather’s Criticisms: A Tribute To Pacquiao’s Greatness

By Oliver Suarez
PhilBoxing.com
Tue, 02 Feb 2010

Recently Floyd Mayweather Jr. once again talked about Pacquiao in his quest to tarnish Pacquiao’s legacy.

The more Floyd keeps talking about Pacquiao, the more I am starting to believe that he is indeed an undercover ‘Pacnuthugger.’ It seems that Pacquiao’s name is always at the tip of his tongue. He probably counts Pacquiao’s number of knockouts to help him go to sleep.

Now, he is questioning Pacquiao’s ability to accomplish what he has done recently without the need of performance enhancing drugs.

It only means that Pacquiao’s resume doesn’t take a backseat to those of the past boxing greats. As much as Pacquiao’s critics try to downplay his accomplishments; the truth always comes out when they bash Pacquiao. Every time people questions Pacquiao’s ability to accomplish what he has done naturally, it only proves that the magnitude of Pacquiao’s accomplishment places him among the upper echelon of the greats.

Floyd knows it and doubts his ability to match them. As much confidence that Mayweather try to show, it’s obvious that he’s insecure about his legacy when compared to Pacquiao.

When a person reeks of jealousy and insecurity, one must find a way to destroy the person that he envies. But instead of Floyd proving to the world and attempting to surpass Pacquiao’s accomplishments in the ring, he had to tarnish his rival’s reputation by linking him to one of the most controversial issues in sports.

Mayweather recently called Pacquiao an ‘ordinary fighter.’ If he is, then I hope more ‘ordinary fighters’ come for the betterment of the sport. If Pacquiao is truly an ‘ordinary fighter,’ then Mayweather must be ‘journeyman’ fighter since his resume certainly doesn’t stack up to Pacquiao’s.

If an ‘ordinary fighter’ can win 7 titles in 7 weight divisions and be bestowed as the best fighter multiple times, then Pacquiao’s story can be an inspiration and it validates the criticisms of Mayweather Jr. Mayweather call himself the ‘superior’ fighter yet his resume falls short when compared to Pacquiao, which means that he’s the embodiment of an ‘underachiever’. A fighter, whose accomplishments has yet to match his self proclamation of the best fighter ever. In fact he’s lucky that he lives in America, who has long been yearning for another great American champion; if he wasn’t then he would already been an afterthought.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Can Mayweather ever overtake Pacquiao in the rankings without beating him?

Pittsburgh Fight Sports Examiner | Scott Heritage

Not so long ago Floyd Mayweather was on the receiving end of a lot of criticism that even his most loyal fans were beginning to agree with.

There were accusations of ducking top opponents, the fallout from the Pacquiao fight that fell apart, and then the revelation that Floyd has been using Xylocane for years.

It was then rumored that while Pacquiao was taking on another decent opponent, Floyd was considering a fight against Matthew Hatton, a fighter not currently ranked in the top 30 at welterweight. The message was clear, Floyd Mayweather was looking for a few easy paydays before he retired for good and wasn't that interested in regaining his previous position as the sports top pound for pound fighter.

Having accepted a fight against top ranked Shane Mosley though, the future is suddenly looking a lot brighter for Mayweather and his long suffering fans. Should he beat Mosley he will effectively be one fight away from regaining his pound for pound status and being the biggest fighter in the world again.

That one fight will be against the universally top ranked Manny Pacquiao, that is if the fight can be made after the PR nightmare that was the first attempt fell flat.

If Mayweather and Pacquiao can't agree to terms though, is there any way that Mayweather can realistically be ranked above Pacquiao again assuming both continue to win?

David Weston, Pittsburgh PA: "Mayweather needs to clean out the entire division without Pacquiao taking any big fights for the next few years. If not then he has to beat Pacquiao"

Eduardo Alvarez, Pittsburgh PA: "Mayweather will be equal to Pacquiao after he beats Mosley, after that they both beat a champion of the same talent level"

While its hard to discount Pacquiao's achievements at numerous other weights, in terms of purely welterweight achievements, I have to agree with Eduardo that both will have achieved a similar amount at welterweight is Floyd beats Shane.

Sure Cotto beat Mosley, but Margarito is the factor that equals this out, having beaten Cotto and lost to Mosley.Most suspect that loaded gloves were what beat Cotto that night, but without proof the records stand at one win a piece for the three former welterweight kings.

Phil Spencer, Greensburg PA: Mayweather is older than Pacquiao, and he has to win more fights in a shorter space of time to get back on top, unless Pacquiao retires soon, Mayweather will always be below him"

This sounds pretty accurate to me Phil, and given that Mayweathr isn't particularly active (certainly no more so than Pacquiao anyway) he has a lot of ground to make up on the champion. The more interesting part of the statement is the idea of what will happen if Pacquiao retires soon.

Before the Cotto fight he intended to have two more fights and then walk away, not that looks like it might have been extended for another couple after that. What matches materialize and how Manny's political career pans out will likely determine this for the most part.

Source: Examiner.com

Mayweather finally steps up to the plate

Mississippi Fight Sports Examiner | Brad Cooney

Recently I was ringside for the Gary Russell fight in Tunica, MS and had a chance to ask a lot of fans about Mayweather vs. Mosley. In attendance for the fight was the former Jr middleweight world champ Jermain "Bad Intentions" Taylor. He was there to support two Little Rock Arkansas fighters that train out of his gym. The card was actually a very exciting one, there were several competitive fights, all of which had the fans standing on their feet.

After the fights concluded, I had a great opportunity to ask real hardcore boxing fans what their thoughts were on the Floyd Mayweather vs Shane Mosley fight. I received a lot of feedback from both Mayweather and Mosley fans. Mississippi boxing fans in attendance at the Fitz Casino in Tunica, for the most part are pulling for Shane Mosley to defeat Floyd. One Mosley fan, Kevin Manship from Tupelo, MS shot straight from the hip, "Mayweather finally stepped up to the plate and in doing so he will pay the price. My man Shane is going to expose him for the fraud that he really is."

After the fights, I was listening to a conversation that the Jermain Taylor people were having about the fight. To be honest, I am not sure who the guy was, more than likely one of the corner men for Jonathan Nelson. He was old school for sure, probably in his late 70's. The old timer was elated about finally getting to see Floyd Mayweather fight a worthy and dangerous opponent, " Man it's about time! This dude Floyd been whooping up on little fellas like the big bad boogie man. Now it looks like the neighborhood bully is going to finally pick on someone his own size."

Mayweather has certainly taken a whooping as of late. The lawsuit filed by Manny Pacquiao, and the demands of blood testing only made matters worse. His legacy has taken a public beating so it was imperative that Floyd step up to the plate and fight Shane Mosley. If Mayweather loses this fight to Shane Mosley, he will surely regret pulling out of the 30 million dollar mega fight with Pacquiao. A victory for Shane Mosley positions him nicely for a run at Pacquiao. There is an awful lot at stake in this fight. At the end of the day, Mayweather finally steps up and fights a dangerous opponent. Read more on Mayweather vs. Mosley here - http://www.examiner.com/x-10947-Filipino-Sports-Examiner~y2010m1d31-He-Mayweather-got-pushed-into-this-fight-He-really-didn't-want-it--Mosley

James Branch of Southaven, Mississippi was at the fights in Tunica to see the Olympian Gary Russell fight. He's a huge Floyd Mayweather fan, and is tired of the Floyd bashing. When James saw me talking to the fans about the fight, he was eager to speak his peace, " Floyd Mayweather is the greatest fighter alive. People can hate all day on Floyd, but you know what? He is undefeated, nobody has ever defeated him, and nobody ever will. Manny Pacquiao? Man look, Manny gets his tail whooped by Floyd all day. And the little man knows he is juicing. Nobody walks from that kind of money if they got nothing to hide."

Mayweather vs. Mosley is certainly worth watching. If Mayweather defeats Shane Mosley a lot of people (even though they hate to admit it) will have to respect him more. If Mosley beats Mayweather, oh boy, it's open season, and let the hate rain down. Read more on Floyd Mayweather here - http://www.examiner.com/x-5699-Boxing-Examiner~y2010m2d1-Floyd-Mayweathers-blueprint-to-restoring-himself-to-P4P-throne

Source: Examiner.com

Floyd Mayweather's blueprint to restoring himself to P4P throne

Boxing Examiner | Michael Marley

If President Obama can extend the olive branch to those Bolshevik-hating elephants, then why can't I do the same?

I'm calling a 24 moratorium on hate, a one day respite in the endless wars between the Pactoids and the Flomos, the boxing equivalent of those hillbilly rivals the Hatfields and the McCoys.

Many of the haters are exceedingly confused. One minute, I am on Bob Arum's payroll. Scroll down four comments and I am sucking up to the Golden Boys.

Truth is I am only on the Examiner payroll and why would I hate Floyd Mayweather, anyway? Besides his super skills, Mayweather is the salt to Manny Pacquiao's pepper, the milk to the Manny coffee.

I want to go back to my theme of yesterday and reassert, first, that Mayweather's voluntary retirement was ill advised and he suffers from it because he left the stage and the Pound for Pound emperor's throne empty, a vacuum which the Pinoy Idol quickly filled.

By contrast, look at the super middleweights with the Showtime tournament. When it started, the world's best super middleweight was the “retired” Joe Calzaghe. Like Mayweather, he too appeared on a TV dance show, the UK version known as “Strictly Come Dancing.”

Suffice to say, Cazlaghe and his Russian moll were not twinkletoes on the telly, neither one making anyone flash back to Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers.

Reminds me of the one dollar per week my mother used to make me drag my little brother to in the Allston Brighton section of Boston. Once we mastered “shuffle, ball, change,” I started taking little bro to the King of Pizza where two bucks was worth four freshly made slices as I recall. Not only that, you got a free show with the pizzaman kneading the dough and then trying to through it through the ceiling.

(See Ricardo Lois on Pacman training while Mayweather continues steroid chatter)

(See Ollie Suarez at Sportshype.com on a similar theme.)

But I disgress.

Point is, that no super middleweight has taken Welsh Dragon Calzaghe's place at the 168 poound pinnacle, all the more reason I see Joe returning to the ring when the Showtime winner is crowned.

Mikkel Kessler has stumbled, Jermain Taylor has retired and Andre Ward may continue to shine as a possible supernova. Perhaps King Artie Abraham punches his way to the tourney title.

None of them could beat Calzaghe today, tomorrow or next month. It's simple to deduce that Cazlaghe, even as a layabout, remains king of the super middles.

Mayweather's situation is vastly different because his throne was occupado when he deigned to come back to the sport.

In my helpful mode, and whislt extending the hand of hood, good, brotherhood to you Flomos, here's how Mayweather could regain the P4P throne:

1.By beating Pacman to a pulp! Doh!


2.If Joshua Clottey can shock the world by shocking Pacquiao on March 13 in Dallas.

3. By not just outpointing Shane Mosley May 1, but by beating him thoroughly in an entertaining fashion which, at age 32 and given his natural inclination, I do not know that Money May is capable of accomplishing.

4 .By saying the hell with it, and calling Tall Paul Williams out either at 147 or 154 pounds, L'il Floyd's choice of weights. Mayweather wouldn't even need his Golden Boys to make it, he could just tell adviser Al Haymon to call himself.

5. By dropping all the namecalling and the sarcasm and showing his likeable side to the media and thus to the public more often. Mayweather's villain role pays well, I know, but he could shut it off once in a while.

6. If Pacman looks pedestrian against Clottey but wins, it helps Mayweather's arguments but I think the public will cut Manny some slack if he has any sort of an “off night” after his recent sizzling showings.


7. By explaining what was scientific or magical about the 14 days before the fight random blood test for Manny. Oops, I forgot. That was a sham to begin with so it cannot be logically explained.

There's your blueprint, Floyd. Can you follow it or do you need a GPS?

Btw, Floyd you don't have to keep saying “thank you” to the lady on the GPS in your Maybach.

She is just like all those Pacquiao fans, she can't hear you.

Source: Examiner.com

Floyd Mayweather Jr ‘stacks the deck’ in his favor for fight with Shane Mosley

Sacramento Fight Sports Examiner | Rick Rockwell

Contractual details between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Shane Mosley are slowly trickling out into the media. And to nobody’s surprise, Mayweather Jr has made a lot of demands that have been met by the eager Mosley. Let’s examine further the contractual demands that Mayweather has made which have his critics saying that Mayweather Jr has stacked the deck in his favor.

Rematch Clause

* “There's supposed to be a rematch clause, if he wants the rematch. Yeah, he gets a rematch.”..Shane Mosley from interview with Boxingtalk.com


The contractual detail that stands out the most is an immediate rematch clause for Mayweather Jr. I’m still stunned by this demand from Mayweather’s camp. How does an undefeated fighter and the supposed “greatest fighter in the world” ask for an immediate rematch? Darius Johnson, Sacramento, CA “Mayweather Jr asking for an immediate rematch clause is a testament to his cowardly nature.”

In a previous article, I wrote about how I think this is a sign of fear. But, I want to add to this rematch clause by asking the following questions. Does Mosley get an immediate rematch if he loses? Or is Mayweather Jr the only one to get the “security blanket” in case of a defeat? I think its clear as to what the answers to these questions are.

The Purse
Jeffery Allen, Shingle Springs, CA “Will Mosley get any real money from this fight or will Mayweather get it all?”Jeffery, this is a good question and I’d like to answer it with Mosley’s own words:

* “He's getting the champion's purse. I get a certain amount of money, and I get something too off of the back end. I keep probably about $15 million, it's pretty good. “..Shane Mosley, Boxingtalk.com


Now, I will never complain that $15 million dollars isn’t enough money. I think anyone who reads this article, including myself, would love to have $15 million dollars. However, if Mosley is going to make about $15 million, then how much will Mayweather Jr get since he will receive the champion's purse? I’m sure that he demanded the majority percentage of the earnings, which is just one more demand in his favor. Ed Capella, Carmichael, CA "Is there anyone out there who thinks that Floyd Mayweather Jr cares about anything other than money?" Ed, if there is anyone who thinks otherwise then I have some California real estate to sell them that's conveniently located near the fault line.

Source: Examiner.com

Floyd Mayweather to Sign Today for Shane Mosley

2/01/2010 1:20 PM ET By Lem Satterfield

FanHouse has learned that Floyd Mayweather is expected to sign his contract today for the May 1 bout against Shane Mosley, cementing their welterweight (147 pounds) clash at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, which is likely to be officially announced today, if not, this week.

The 32-year-old Mayweather is a five-time champion with a spotless record of 40-0, 25 knockouts, and the 38-year-old Mosley is the WBC welterweight super champion with a mark of 46-5, and 39 KOs.

Mayweather and Mosley already had agreed to the deal points, with Mosley signing for the bout to happen on Friday after a meeting with his attorney, Judd Burstein, in Las Vegas.

Among the points agreed to by both fighters is Olympic-style, random blood-testing and urinalisys for steroid and illegal drug detection, and an immediate rematch for Mayweather in the event he loses.

Mayweather is coming off of September's unanimous decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez. When the fighters enter the ring, Mosley will be ending a nearly 14-month layoff since a Jan. 24, 2009, ninth-round knockout victory over Antonio Margarito.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW: SHANE MOSLEY

GL: Congratulations, the fight is done. Give us some thoughts, and tell us what we can expect to see from you. The fight is on May 1st, right? "Yes May 1st, like I said, it's going to be explosive. I'm looking to knock people out, I'm going to do my thing."

GL: This is a fight that you made it crystal clear you want. Now that it's here, how do you feel about it happening?

Shane Mosley: I feel great for myself, and for the fans. They're going to come to see a man who came to fight. After I finish with Floyd Mayweather, then I can go ahead and get Pacquiao. I'm looking to get everybody in position.

GL: What was the hold up in getting the fight done? After Berto pulled out, the Mayweather fight was announced at almost the same time. What was the hold up that took so long for this fight to get done? It seemed like an easy close.

SM: I think they were trying to wait and see if Pacquiao was going to take that blood test, but he didn't want to take that blood test. I told him I would take a blood test, as long as he takes the same one.

GL: Pacquiao-Mayweather was already dead by the time that Berto pulled out of his fight with you. What was the delay, was it a money issue? Were they waiting for Berto to get his situation straight? Why did we wait an extra week or so?

SM: No, it wasn't a money issue at all. With Berto, the earthquake in Haiti really messed him up. He couldn't really function with the fight, he couldn't train or anything. I think it was a blessing in disguise for him, because he didn't have the right mentality before the earthquake happened. He was feeling nervous and scared, he was really in above his head with this. I thought he wasn't ready for it, and I could see it.

GL: Obviously, it might be viewed as a blessing in disguise with you, since not having the fight with Berto is leading to a mega-fight with you and Mayweather. With that being said, you haven't fought in a year...

SM: (interrupting) The difference with me is I that I keep training, and working out, and getting myself together. I've been training really for the Mayweather or the Pacquiao fight, I wasn't really training for Berto. Like I said, I was looking to get through him. I'm not worried about not fighting for a year, because I be in the gym working and training.

GL: So, you're not dissapointed at all that you lost a January 30th date? Do you think you should have been fighting on January 30th?

SM: No, I would have fought on January 30th, if Berto could have, but it didn't matter to me. I already did the work and everything. I don't need to get in the ring and show that I can fight, I had a year off with Margarito and look what happened. I just dusted him off.

GL: So, you have no doubt that a 16 month layoff is not going to prevent you from performing at your best.

SM: Absolutely not, I have no doubt that I'm going to be at my best and be sharp for the fight. I have no doubt about that. I've been fighting for years and years, I'll be good.

GL: You're already a Hall of Famer...

SM: I think that if anything Mayweather is going to be a little rusty, because he fought a smaller guy in Juan Manuel Marquez, a lighter guy. It's kind of like fools gold, you win a fight, and you feel like you did something. He fought a small guy, now he's going to fight somebody his size, and it's going to be a totally different story. I'm ready to go, I've been training for it for a while, for a long time.

GL: What's going to be the biggest difference in this fight, that leads to you getting your hand raised?

SM: The difference maker is going to be Floyd fighting a real fighter, a fighter he can't really get away from.

GL: Are you trying to say that he hasn't been fighting real fighters for quite some time now?

SM: He does fight guys that can box, just like he can. He doesn't fight guys that can fight him and can hit him. A gut that is just as fight as him, and that's going to be the difference, he doesn't like guys that are as fast as him.

GL: Is Mayweather going the distance?

SM: I'm trying to knock him out, so hopefully he doesn't. If he can weather the storm, then that's good. I go for knockouts.

GL: There is going to be random testing for this fight. How do you feel about that?

SM: I feel great, I'm happy about it. I love it. I'm happy about getting random testing, because I want the world to know. They keep bringing this stuff up since 2003, they can random test me anytime they want to, and that's it. I feel great about that, as long as he gets the same test, then we're great. I'm cool with that.

Gl: Is there any rematch clause?

SM: There's supposed to be a rematch clause, if he wants the rematch. That's cool.

GL: An immediate rematch?

SM: Yeah, he gets a rematch. He's getting the champion's purse.

GL: How has the deal been structured, is it a straight percentage across the board? Or is it a situation where you're getting a fee and something off of the back end?

SM: I get a certain amount of money, and I get something too off of the back end. I keep probably about $15 million, it's pretty good.

GL: What's your expectation for this fight on PPV?

SM: I think it's going to do really well, everybody is going to want to see it. It's a real fight, and after that I'm fighting Pacquiao. Mayweather didn't want to fight him without drug testing, or whatever. Pacquiao can do what he wants to do, and we can fight.

GL: Do you favor Pacquiao over Clottey?

SM: It's not for sure. I think Pacquiao, because he's more hungry, and he's going to do the right combinations and punches to win the fight. I would pick Pacquiao over Clottey because of that, but not because of his strength or anything like that. He's probably going to outwork Clottey. Clottey is going to block a lot of shots, and sit and wait, maybe. You never know.

GL: Where are you going to be training for the fight, Big Bear?

SM: Of course.

GL: Closing thoughts.

SM: It finally has come. In 2010, it's like I told you, it's going to be very explosive, it's going to be very nice. I can't wait to get my teeth in it, it's cool.

Source: boxingtalk.com

Comparing 'The Event' to Mayweather vs. Mosley

Pittsburgh Fight Sports Examiner | Scott Heritage

The recent announcement that Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley will meet in the ring on May 1st has the boxing world in a spin.

For the first time in a long while, Mayweather is fighting someone who has a good chance of beating him, and not someone much smaller or who he matches up especially well with.

Sure Mosley is old and probably not the fighter he was a few years ago. Also he's coming off a long layoff since beating Antonio Margarito last January. (In actual fact, Margarito, who was banned for one year after that fight will actually fight again before Mosley does, go figure). But records don't lie, and Mosley is one of the most accomplished welterweights out there, and an impressive scalp for anyone to add to their record.

Certainly by landing this fight Mayweather can claim that he has the bigger opponent for his next fight than Manny Pacquiao, his chief rival and pound for pound great. Floyd's claim to being the top fighter in the division was hanging by a thread, but a win over Mosley will at least keep him in the running against the runaway Filipino freight train that is Pacquiao.

The fight will also set the stage for one of the biggest pay per view battles in recent history, with the winner having extra leverage should the pair decide to try to hammer out an agreement to fight again. As clear as it can be, this fight represents the latest in the Golden Boy vs. Top Rank war that has been happening on and off for years. With this in mind I decided to ask a few local fight fans what they made of the situation, and which fight they took to be the more impressive:

David Sharma, Pittsburgh PA: "Pacquiao is the bigger fighter period. Mayweather needs to put up against Pacquiao or retire".

While Pacquiao might be the slightly bigger of the two Mayweather isn't far behind, and I have a feeling that the sales will be very close between the two events. Whoever sells more will undoubtedly have a little extra leverage at the negotiating table, but probably not enough to make a lot of difference to the fight terms. As for Mayweather retiring, after he gets his bank balance back the way he likes it, I'm sure he will be glad to leave all the critics behind him.

Brian Smith, Greensburg PA:"Clottey, who's Clottey? Mosley is the bigger fight"

While Clottey is a decent name, I have to agree that Mosley is a much bigger fight i terms of rankings and relevance. Taking a glance at Clottey's record, he looks to be something of a gatekeeper at welterweight, with the biggest names on his record all having beaten him. Clottey is a tough test, and has never been stopped, but he has enough holes in his game to keep him firmly outside of the title picture. Mosley on the other hand has the pedigree, record and title that Clottey doesn't.

Ben Jones, Pittsburgh PA: "I predict... Pacquiao Clottey does 800 thousand buys and Mayweather does 1.4 million, Pacquiao can't hype like Mayweather can"

While the numbers look a little off to me, the spirit of the predictions are probably spot on. The only thing that Pacquiao lacks in terms of being a big draw is having a mouth to match his fists. It might be the case that humble fighters are more respected, but no doubt about it, trash talkers have always historically tended to sell more fights.

Which is the bigger fight? Well the opinions were fairly divided about this one, but overall the slight edge went to Mayweather and Mosley, largely because of the fact that Mosley was a lot more well known and has the better record. Which will actually end up being the biggest we will have to wait and see.

Source: Examiner.com

How much influence did Pacquiao have in the making of Mayweather-Mosley?

Filipino Sports Examiner | Dennis "dSource" Guillermo

Though nothing is official yet as of press time, Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s announced agreement to fight Shane Mosley on May 1 has caught some of the even most hardcore boxing fans by surprise.- pleasantly surprised to be precise.

Perhaps trying to shake his doubters and critics off, Mayweather made the right move by picking Mosley as his next opponent. Quite frankly, there was no other choice unless it was either of his manager Leonard Ellerbe's other wards Paul Williams or Andre Berto.

After the proposed superfight against Manny Pacquiao fell through, boxing fans wondered whether Mayweather truly wanted to fight Pacquiao or was simply ducking top flight opponents again.

A lot of criticism surrounded his choice of opponents such as the smaller and older Juan Manuel Marquez whom he easily beat last September. So when talks that he was interested in fighting Matthew Hatton and the likes of Paulie Malignaggi and Nate Campbell surfaced, even his own fans were beginning to think he was indeed cherry-picking to remain undefeated.

What more with Pacquiao choosing the bigger and tougher Joshua Clottey to take Mayweather's place for his March 13 mega fight? Did Mayweather truly have a choice?

Think about it. There isn't a more beatable and bigger name out there than Mosley for Mayweather. And had he chosen another smaller or over matched opponent, it would surely mean career suicide for him.

It's funny if you think about it, that announcing to fight an older Mosley is news at all when talking about Mayweather. But it is a surprise for a reason. Mosley will be Mayweather's biggest challenge in almost half a decade.

So why the sudden change in Mayweather's actions? You can blame it on Pacquiao. Back then, Floyd had nobody questioning his legitimacy as the sport's best, but after exiting the sport, Pacquiao has captured boxing fans' imagination by beating bigger and tougher opponents each time out. His exciting and crowd-pleasing fighting style made Mayweather a thing of the past. So when 'Money' came back to try and reclaim his throne, fans weren't having any of the cherry-picked fights any longer. Beat the best or go back to retirement was the clear message fans sent to Mayweahter.

It's amusing if you think about it, how some Floyd-nuts are jumping in joy and celebrating the proposed bout against Mosley as if Floyd had won already. Mosley is more than capable of beating Mayweather and to be quite honest, I expect him to give Floyd the toughest fight of his career.

But before I go any further, I am interested to see the stipulations in the fight contract and whether both men will go through the WADA-style drug testing down to the day of the fight as Mayweather originally wanted Pacquiao to do. It is also interesting whether the public will be informed of the test results right away and how much media coverage it will get. Golden Boy Promotions and Team Mayweather have been real quiet as of late which usually means they're cooking something big similar to what happened when they came out with the whole Pacquiao steroids press release.

Make no mistake about it, this match-up would never have happened if it weren't for Pacquiao. It's only befitting that the winner of this bout gets the winner of Pacquiao-Clottey. Who said the falling out of Pacquiao-Mayweather was bad for boxing? Now we have a Final Four set-up of sorts before the real main event. Exciting times indeed to be a boxing fan.

Note: Get a chance to ask Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s adviser Leonard Ellerbe all the tough questions as he stops by The Boxing Truth Radio station tonight at 6PM Pacific. Log on to www.TheBoxingTruth.com or stay on this page and hit the play button on the syndicated TBT player below.

Source: Examiner.com

Mosley will lead Mayweather directly to Pacquiao

Dallas Boxing Examiner | Matt Stolow

I'm glad a fight involving Floyd Mayweather, Jr. and Shane Mosley is going to take place May 1st.

On paper this is a very difficult fight to pick a winner. But they don't fight on paper. These two are arguably two of the best American fighters in the past 10 years at any weight and any age.

After an exciting start in which both fighters will flash greatness, this fight will quickly settle down and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will win this fight in a route.

Floyd wants and really needs to make a statement to anyone who will listen and the 38-year-old Mosley will be the perfect fodder.

Floyd's strategic but simple game plan will make Mosley look all of his 38-years old. Mosley will have no answer for an in his prime Mayweather that has a chip on his shoulder.

This fight might even give Mayweather the upper hand in the next round of negotiating for a fight with Manny Pacquiao after Mosley is out of the way. At least Mayweather will think so.

Mosley will provide the serious tuneup and mental frame of mind Mayweather needs to prepare for Pacquiao that certainly Matthew Hatton couldn't.

Mosley has his pride. He'll attempt to make a good account of himself. But Mayweather is just at another level and in his prime pound-for-pound first or second best he can be.

I didn't particularly like the Mayweather manner of negotiation for Pacquiao. But Mayweather knows himself and he knew Juan Manual Marquez wasn't going to get him ready for Pacquiao and a March 13 fight with Pacquiao would have been to soon for him in his opinion.

So Mayweather waited until he got the tuneup (Mosley) and time needed (maybe six months) and wanted to prepare for Pacquiao the way he wants. In his mind Mayweather will feel the tables have turned and he now has the momentum going into the dangerous fight with Pacquiao.

This could be all that was needed to make the big fight happen. Maybe promoter Bob Arum didn't want to wait until after the elections in the Philippines and wanted to speed things up to March 13 and then take his chances.

If that is the case, then we will still have one hell of a promotion and fight on our hands and everyone is a winner as long as Pacquiao and Mayweather beat Clottey and Mosley respectively and maybe then an October Mayweather vs. Pacquiao fight.

Source: Examiner.com