Mayweather’s action, a slur on all freedom-loving people

Mayweather vs Mosley
By Eddie Alinea
PhilBoxing.com
Sun, 07 Mar 2010

If heroes are measure of society, then the events of the past months should tell us of the present moral degeneration. Five decades ago, a boxer named Sonny Liston ruled the sport and everyone feared and disliked him.
Boxing writers wrote then that he was a leg-breaker for the Mob when not breaking heads atop the ring.

Some decades later came a new Sonny Liston, a leg-breaker fighting out of New York named Mike Tyson, who took joy from the sport and replaced it with vile epithets on worldwide television, fearsome punches in the ring and utter disrespect for the people who helped him and the opponents who stood before him.
Now comes Floyd Mayweather Jr., who like Liston and Tyson was a product of environment that made him a fighting machine, unchallengeable by men. Sadly though, like the duo before him, it made him an American celebrity, a station that replaced heroism as the goal of a money-infatuated society.
Like Liston and Tyson, Mayweather, he who protects his unbeaten records by choosing his opponents while ducking those who he thinks are capable of beating him, has that flare to berate people, the last of whom was Filipino ring idol Manny Pacquiao, the only man to win seven world championships in as many weight divisions who made the mistake of negotiating with the Mayweather camp for a fight designed to become the greatest in the modern era.
From the time the matchup fell out of the sideline on the strength of Mayweather’s preposterous demand for an Olympic-style blood-testing, this blubber-mouthed pug continued issuing statements in utter disrespect of the reigning World Boxing Organization welterweight belt-holder, all of which he never substantiated.
Why, he and his father, Mayweather Sr., uncles in obvious approval of his promoters and handlers, even came out with a stupendous pronouncement that Filipino soldiers are taking performance enhancing drugs to prevent them from feeling the effect of bullets. They even added that the Philippines is a center in the production of illegal substance.
An insult, not only to Pacquiao as a Filipino, but to the entire Filipino nation as well.
The Mayweather family did not stop from there. Out of their hatred, or, as many would have it, envy, they banned a pair of Filipino journalists, including Chino Trinidad of GMA-7, from covering the press conference held in Los Angeles to hype Mayweather Jr.’s fight with Shane Mosley
If Mayweather’s camp resorted to that dirty tactic as part of selling that May 1 fight, then that tantamount to violating the journalists’ basic freedom of the press guaranteed by the constitution of all democratic countries, including the United States where such freedom originated.
A slur on the entire freedom-loving people.
It took Top Rank top honcho Bob Arum to take the cudgels not only for Trinidad and the Philippine press, but for the entire lovers of freedom in the entire universe when he was quoted as saying that this crap of making up things must be put to a stop.
Arum, a Harvard law graduate, demanded that the Mayweathers, including the Golden Boy Promotions top brass Oscar De La Hoya, Richard Schaefer et al, should apologize to the entire (Filipino (nation) and the Americans for having “treated people from another country this badly.”

"I really believe that somebody has to educate these people, and to teach them what it is to be a responsible promoter toward journalists. For Schaefer and De La Hoya to have permitted this to happen, they have to call a press conference and apologize for the entire Filipino and to the Americans for having treated people from another country this badly," Arum said.
We say amen to that.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Pacquiao- Mayweather: The $25,000,000 Question

Mayweather vs Mosley
“I never saw a man who didn’t want to take a $25 million drug test.”
- Floyd Mayweather, Jr. on Manny Pacquiao

Manny Pacquiao’s refusal to submit himself to Floyd Mayweather, Jr’s demand to undergo an Olympic- style drug test for their supposed mega fight, an unprecedented and unparalleled demand in the sport that eventually led to its demise, further polarized the fans of both fighters.

There are actually varying opinions and schools of thought on the merits and demerits with regards to the said drug- testing protocol that the writer decided to forego discussing them for now (but will delve into the issue in a future article) and instead will focus on the other side of the coin, which in this case, is the money question.

Mayweather’s brass character and arrogance wherein he loves to portray himself to be awash in cold cash (hence, the moniker, Money) and a shrewd businessman at the same time (he was on record saying that he “only fights for the money.”) is anathema to blue- collar Michiganders who are modest, do things without much fanfare and quietly take pride in their accomplishments.

"I'm a businessman, with or without him, I'm gonna make $100 million for two or three fights."

Time and time again, he would proclaim that he is very smart, especially when it comes to money matters, and is filthy rich and not ashamed to flaunt his wealth in public. Or is he really?

Let us just dig deeper into his past and current financial situations. In other words, let us pick his pocket apart literally and figuratively-

Recently, right after the New York press con of his upcoming fight with Shane Mosley, Money May was once again seen showing off, counting and stacking some greens inside the tour bus. The celebrity website TMZ obtained a video of the said incident-

Now who are we to say that those dollar bills are not real money?

Unfortunately for Mayweather, a lot of people were skeptical about the cold cash that he was showing off to the public, since there were allegations in the past that he used to shower the crowds with fake $100 bills in various clubs that he frequented in Vegas, which is just one example of his many shenanigans.

In a recent interview with ESPN's Sports Center, he was needled by the two anchors when he refused and did not acknowledge the questions thrown at him about Manny Pacquiao and the so-called "fake money" that Mayweather had been "raining" on people in Vegas night clubs.

There were also cases filed by various banks in the state of Nevada against Mayweather due to him defaulting on some car loans like the one on his prized Mercedes Maybach. There were also reports that he was remiss on paying his homeowners association dues as well as a laughable $300+ bill from his garbage collector. All these things were nothing compared to the millions that he allegedly owes the IRS, which he claims to have already settled.

Money May’s history of money problems is a strong indictment against the persona that he wants the public to believe of him. It is contrary to the picture he is trying to paint that he is really swimming in a sea of greens.

AP PhotoOn the other hand, Manny Pacquiao, the target of Mayweather’s never-ending diatribes, is not in financial straits whatsoever. He invests his money wisely and earns as much money from his commercial endorsements as his purses for the times he spends inside the ring.

While $25 million is really a big amount of money, especially for a person coming from a third world country like the Philippines, we should bear in mind that Pacquiao is now a billionaire in his homeland and can live off his earnings for the rest of his life.

Thus, he can easily afford to walk away from a fight with a person that he deems is not worthy of his time and the money that goes with it. Westerners may have a hard time understanding this, but to most Filipinos like Manny Pacquiao, a person’s good name and principle is far more valuable than a mountain of cold cash.

Source: Examiner.com

Mayweather-Mosley bout can jump-start race to new market

Mayweather vs Mosley
The question came up during the Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley press conference earlier this week: Name the last time a non-heavyweight fight this big featured two African-Americans?

Toss out bouts involving Mike Tyson and Evander Holyfield, and you probably have to go back to Sugar Ray Leonard’s epic bout against Marvin Hagler way back in 1987.

You could get into all kinds of socio-economic reasons for the 23-year drought, and there are some in the boxing industry who suggest bouts between black fighters don’t sell. But Mayweather-Mosley offers a chance to re-engage fans that need to root for their own, and promoters of the bout are poised to react.

“We’re going to focus most of our marketing on the urban markets,” said Richard Schaefer, the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. “The urban market, the African-American market and the Hispanic market, are two very important markets in boxing. Some of the greatest fighters come out of these markets. To deliver a fight of this magnitude between two of the best fighters, period, is great for the sport.”

Mayweather-Mosley is an easy sell. Both are multi-division champions who have appeared two dozen times each on HBO and are headed for boxing’s Hall of Fame when their careers are done.

But fighters such as Devon Alexander are battling for their piece of the spotlight. Alexander, the WBC super lightweight champion, challenges IBF junior welterweight champ Juan Urango of Colombia tonight on HBO from the Mohegan Sun. Alexander, an African-American, is unbeaten in 19 fights with

12 KOs, but largely is unknown despite his inspirational story.

He grew up in the rough streets of North St. Louis, but found boxing at age 7

and stayed in the gym, escaping the gangs and drugs that consumed other youths.

“I want to encourage and show young kids that they can do it, no matter what the situation,” Alexander said. “I definitely wasn’t born with a silver spoon in my mouth. If I can show them that they can do it, that’s what I want to do.”

Maybe the hype around Mayweather-Mosley will get people to look at fighters such as Alexander, who aren’t necessarily bangers, but epitomize the art of the Sweet Science. That’s Mayweather’s style.

“The reason why Hispanic

fighters have gotten the nod lately is they will sit there and punch and go toe-to-toe,” Mosley said. “That’s what a lot of people want to see: a blood bath. A lot of African-America fighters like to move around and box which is good. That’s what you’re supposed to do because the nature of the game is to hit and not get hit. But I’m not sure how well that sells tickets.”

Mayweather-Mosley figures to be a sellout at the MGM in Las Vegas, but to reach the goal of 3 million pay-per-view buys that Schaefer predicted, it will need a strong following from all nationalities and ethnic backgrounds, but particularly in the urban market.

“Over the last three years, the increase in interest measured by pay-per-view buys, measured by media activity, measured by hits on the internet, in the urban communities has been astronomical,” HBO PPV boss Mark Taffet said. “A lot of credit goes to Floyd Mayweather. His star has risen to meteoric heights, and the African-American community has come with him. It literally has added another leg to the stool as far as the boxing audience.”

Source: nypost.com

Quijano: Who R U picking?

Pacquiao vs Clottey
By Jingo Quijano

IT’S only a week away from Manny’s bout with Joshua Clottey but in the meantime, Golden Boy Promotions is really revving up its hype machine in pushing the Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Shane Mosley match on May 1.

The press conferences have featured the usual hoopla, eponymous verbal tussles and even some physicality between the protagonists.

One video showed the two future Hall-of-Famers jawing and trash-talking before Floyd shoved the “Sugar” man and the latter reacted by grabbing his hands and holding on tight for a few seconds before Floyd managed to extricate himself.

"The Manny Pacquiao Blog". Click here for stories and updates on the Filipino boxing champ.

That’s an old school bullying tactic for intimidating your opponent as if to say: “I’m stronger than you, look. You can’t get away.”

I scored that round for Shane Mosley, 10-9.

NEXT BEST. For all the criticism this match has been heaped upon by the Pacquiao faithful, this is actually a very good match up for boxing.

Of course, we all know it’s just the next best thing to a Mayweather vs. Pacquiao tussle, but hey that fight could still materialize later this year.

I’m sure none of you will mind some scrumptious appetizers before the main course. Plus, we are getting two good fights instead of one.

This match has been billed as “WHO RU PICKING?” but this message could also apply to your preference between the two match-ups.

LIMELIGHT. Floyd and Shane have been circling each other like tigers for a few years now. To me, it seems like Oscar de la Hoya’s retirement from the sport has provided his buddy the opportunity to step in and grab the limelight.

Of course, it could be a couple of years too late, but we never know with Sugar Shane.

On the other hand, we all know why Pacquiao vs. Clottey is being made. After both the Pacquiao and Mayweather camps failed to agree on the drug-testing procedures, Manny was scrambling to look for a name opponent for a March date--someone who would be a good credible match up for the world’s best pound-for-pound fighter.

Apparently, Joshua Clottey satisfied that criterion.

COMPARISON. Action-wise, the Mosley vs. Mayweather fight is probably a dud and it doesn’t hooch me up as much as the Pacquiao-Clottey bout.

But style-wise, this is the more intriguing fight because this appears to be more evenly matched and promises to be a cerebral match up between two calculating veterans.

As opposed to the Pacquiao-Clottey bout which figures to be action packed from the opening bell, these fighters will predictably feel each other out for the first few stanzas before one of them takes over around the middle rounds.

So if it’s a slam-bang fight you are partial to, this fight will probably bore you, but if you like chess matches played out with gloves, then don’t’ miss this one.

CHAVEZ JR. Julio Cesar Chavez Jr. visited the Wild Card Gym on the same day that Freddie Roach turned 50. Check out the photo featured at fightnews.com, and you will observe that Chavez looks like a giant standing next to Pacquiao and Roach.

Incidentally, Chavez was found positive for taking a banned diuretic and is serving a six month suspension imposed by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.

PUNCHLINE. “This fight is on May 1. May 1 is going to be ‘May’s first (loss). I will make sure of that.” --Shane Mosely on fightnews.com

LAST ROUNDS. Are on two outstanding Pisceans- kidney transplant surgeon, Dr. Oliver Baclig and my SAC teammate with the sweet stroke from rainbow territory—Jonas Panerio. Cheers!

Source: sunstar.com.ph

De La Hoya: Mosley Can't Get Mad at Mayweather

Mayweather vs Mosley
By Mark Vester

Golden Boy Promotions president Oscar De La Hoya made a mistake that Shane Mosley has to stay away from. He got mad at Floyd Mayweather Jr. prior to their 2007 fight and then went in the ring fighting mad instead of fighting smart. De La Hoya used up most of his energy in the early rounds and faded down the stretch. He says Mosley has to ignore Mayweather's taunts and avoid fighting mad on May 1.

"I was so angry with him, I wanted to knock him out so bad," De La Hoya told the Orange County Register. "He wants you to go into the ring like that. Then you fall into his trap and he makes you pay."

Mayweather claims Mosley is no longer using the jab in his fights. De La Hoya says the jab is key to beating Mayweather. The fight will be very tough because of Mayweather's style. De La Hoya won't reveal Mosley's strategy but said the outline is very strong.

"You have to throw the jab, and I quit throwing the jab," De La Hoya said. "It was easy. I thought it was easy, for half the fight. The key is that you can't go in there thinking it's going to be easy. Because it looks easy on TV. He can offset your punches, he's a master at that. He's a master at the roll-shoulder defense. But the great thing is that Mosley can match all that. They have a perfect game plan but they have to stick with it."

Source: boxingscene.com

David Avila speaks on Floyd’s bad guy image and eyes a Mayweather-Mosley showdown

Mayweather vs Mosley
Las Vegas Boxing Examiner | Chris Robinson

n the first part of my interview with Riverside’s David Avila I touched on the boxing scribe’s early memories of Shane Mosley as he was just beginning his professional career. Avila recounted the intense gym wars that the Pomona fighter had with the likes of Genero Hernandez and Zack Padilla and also spoke about the incredible hype surrounding Mosley’s first bout with Oscar De La Hoy at the Staples Center in June of 2000.

Towards the end of the interview Avila was brutally honest in stating how surprised he was when Mosley bludgeoned Antonio Margarito in January of last year. That performance showed just how much fluidity and power Shane still has left at this point of his career and that exact display is what Mosley’s supporters are pointing to when looking to his chances against Floyd Mayweather this coming May 1st.

The Mayweather-Mosley showdown takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and it’s hard to think of many fights on the horizon that will shape the sport’s landscape like the bout will. Interestingly enough, Avila has also gotten to know Mayweather well throughout the years and spoke of watching him train first hand.

“The one thing about Floyd is that he is such a natural athlete,” Avila stated. “I never really used to watch him train in Las Vegas but there were times when he trained in Big Bear and he was just an incredible athlete. He could do all these things, from one-armed chin ups and crazy, athletic feats. Even though he was smaller he was just a natural athlete, even better than Shane.”

Discussing Floyd further, Avila recalls one telling night in Las Vegas where he crossed paths with Shane. Mosley was fresh into his stint as a Welterweight contender and had yet to square off with De La Hoya. Shane was headlining a ‘Boxing After Dark’ twin bill with Vernon Forrest and Mayweather’s presence served as one of the evening’s key subplots.

“It was about ten years ago and Shane was fighting Willy Wise, who had just upset Julio Cesar Chavez, at the Hard Rock.” Avila recounts. “Shane just dominated Willy Wise, he just blew him away and on the same card Vernon Forrest beat Vince Phillips. Shane’s people had a party afterwards and they invited me to the party. I went over there and I noticed Floyd Mayweather. They were at the party and Shane was signing autographs and Floyd walked up to Shane and said ‘Shane when are you going to fight me?’. Shane looked up at him and said ‘Just sign the contract and we’ll fight’. Floyd said ‘Ok’ and that he would take him up on that. I actually thought the fight would happen a lot sooner than eleven years later but here we are and the fight is here.”

Heading into the contest it is hard to think of a figure in the sport that is portrayed as much of a villain these days than Mayweather. The Las Vegas resident’s recent fallout with Manny Pacquiao further fueled his controversial public image and legions of fans these days have seemed to be calling for his head. Elaborating on Mayweather’s image further, Avila feels that Floyd is simply making the most out of an opportunity.

“It’s funny because I remember one time I was going to interview him at some fight,” Avila said of Mayweather. “I was just sitting down with somebody else at some sold out fight card, I think at the MGM Grand. It was a Mexican fight card and the place was just packed with people screaming and Floyd told a guy there ‘Man I wish I was a Mexican’. Floyd has always been a champion but he hasn’t been able to attract a crowd. I remember what he said because he just wanted to draw that kind of crowd.”

When looking at the early championship years of Mayweather Avila points out that while the fighter may have had the look of greatness about him he was also lacking the rabid support and fan base that aspiring superstars need in order to make it to the next level. It wasn’t until Floyd crossed paths with the sport’s biggest mainstream star at the time that he was really able to let the world see him in a different light.

“For years he fought and he would get some people but not as many as now,” Avila claimed. “It wasn’t until he fought Oscar that he realized he could be the bad guy and it’s like he just exploded. I’ve noticed that he can be very, very funny and people seem to think he’s a serious villain but he’s not. From what I have known of him he has always been a very nice guy and very smart and very intelligent. I think when he did that with Oscar, it was the smartest thing he could have done.”

That decision by Mayweather to put on the black hat and embrace his role as the enemy has seen him stamp himself as one of the sport’s most marketable figures and it is another reason why his clash with Mosley could be one of the biggest Pay-per-view attractions in recent years. When looking at the matchup of styles between the two fighters Avila feels that Mosley will be looking to make an imprint on the fight early.

“I know that Shane is a very smart guy and he is probably going to test Floyd in the first round,” Avila believed. “He always tests everybody to see if they can take what he gives them. Then he will settle into a groove. I think with Floyd, I think he is a master fighter but he doesn’t throw a lot of punches. I think it’s all up to Shane and his conditioning. Shane has to be able to do what he does for all of twelve rounds. He has to be exactly how he was against Margarito. He has to be able to use that speed and throw as many punches. If you don’t throw a lot of punches Floyd will pick you apart.”

In closing Avila believes that both men know what they are getting into on May 1st. Over the year the two men have shown tremendous gifts inside of the ring but Avila believes more than anything the contest will come down to conditioning and pace.

“I know that Mosley had followed Floyd for a long time so he knows what he is going to get. He knows what Floyd likes to do and vice versa, Floyd knows what Shane likes to do. I think that the first round will be kind of fast paced and the fight will settle down after that. It will be all about who can adapt better, who is in better shape, and I think the main thing is going to be about conditioning. Can Shane contain his pace and not let Floyd get into his pace.”

Source: Examiner.com

Floyd Mayweather looking to undermine Pacquiao and Mosley's reputations

Mayweather vs Mosley
True to recent form, Floyd Mayweather has again made some puzzling comments about an opponent. This time it's Shane Mosley he's trying to take down a peg or two.

This time it isn't Mosley's recent divorce or his finances he's taking aim at, but his record.

The ironic thing is of course that the worse Floyd makes Mosley sound, the less a victory will mean against him. Rather than trying to make Shane sound like a bum he should be building him up to the media at least, making a win over him all the more impressive. His latest comments are making it sound like Shane got all of his wins while under the influence of steroids, implying that the Mosley he will face in May is an unknown quantity.

Coming out with this though only serves to make the fight less than what it is, a showdown between the current number two and three welterweights in the world. Making Mosley sound like a desperate, broke old man who needs steroids to win isn't going to get that message across to the casual fans. Sure he might have been on steroids, unwittingly or not for some of his fights, but he was caught back in 2003, and he has had plenty of top quality wins since then.

Shane does his talking in the ring (AP Photo)

Speaking to Fanhouse, Mayweather said:

"The thing is this, you've got people who, even in Mosley's career, they talk about how Mosley beat all of these guys. You know, we don't know, when he got all of these knockouts at lightweight, we don't know what he was taking,"

"Okay, like I said before. They need to make the changes. I'd change everything in the sport of boxing. They need to make the changes. All that I'm trying to do is show the world that my sport is clean. I'm trying to separate the ordinary from the good, from the great,"

He still found the time to take a quick swipe at Manny Pacquiao as usual, and then claims that he hasn't been saying anything about him. This seems odd, because it sounds like Floyd is saying something in the very next sentence. You can be the judge on this one.

"I never said nothing about Manny Paquiao, but I've never known a man who didn't want to take a drug test and risk losing $25 million. And now, he's making $6 million."

Derren Hansen, Pittsburgh PA: "Does anyone expect any different from Floyd by now, he never makes any sense whatever he says, and whenever he opens his mouth, he always says thinks which go against his best interests"

Gregory Hoddle, Pittsburgh PA: "Making Pacquiao look bad as his rival I can understand, but he should be playing up Mosley and his place in the hall of fame instead f making him look bad. If fans think he can only win on steroids, and he now cant take them, some of them might not think the fight is worth watching."\

Source: Examiner.com

On TV: Floyd implies Manny and Mosley are cheaters (video)

Mayweather vs Mosley
International Civics 101:

Lesson #1: In the Philippines, nice guys finish first.

Lesson #2: In America, nice guys finish last. Now repeat until your dying days.

Lesson #3: Life isn't fair. This law is inviolable - to gods and devils alike.

videos below

Over 2,000 years ago, Roman orator and politician Cicero said:

All action is of the mind, and the mirror of the mind is the face, its index, the eyes.

At the Wild Card Gym, Pacquiao's face and eyes were filled with focus and smiles. His rival, however, did not let up.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr (40-0) stepped on the gas pedal to increase his assault on Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2) - outside of the ring that is, despite the latter's legal suit against the former pound-for-pound king.

This time, the poison-tipped bullets were spewed from ESPN's Los Angeles studio for a nationwide audience today - Friday, March 5th.

CLICK: Floyd in Los Angeles (Pound4Pound.com)

"How do you call yourself an all-time great if you're cheating?"

Shotgun blast from a true gentleman. Floyd Mayweather posed this piercing query for viewers.

ESPN's television host, with smirk in tow, proceeded to provide a free plug of "Money's" fight with Mosley on May 1st in Las Vegas. The host veered away.

Reality television and real life drama.

The poison now has time to ferment inside the pugilistic veins of divided fight fans over the weekend, and the week of the Filipino's anticipated showdown with Ghanaian Joshua Clottey (35-3) on March 13th.

SEE > PR Blunder: Mayweather Winning Anti-Pacquiao Campaign in U.S.
The Black Arts of Negative Publicity >

Judging from Floyd's negative campaigns throughout the country, it seems that he is the one running for office. And not Pacquiao. Electoral campaigning in the U.S. is of course replete with negative attack ads, which are highly effective on the local, state, and national fronts.

Good image boys are cut down because the American public has evolved into a skeptical, cynical, impatient consumerist sheep-herd.

This contrasts with political campaigns in Pacquiao's Philippines, where ads and posters have a populist bent designed to tug at the masses. Different demographics and cultural characteristics. Pacquiao's voter land requires electoral songs and "jingles" and populist slogans and photos. American politics revolve around scandals, rumors, mud-slinging, and negative insinuations. Twisted psychology. Comics and entertainers are the only breed that evoke any semblance of populist treat.

And Mayweather is one big comic-clown in the wrestling-boxing sphere of influence.

Is there a political PR firm behind this strategic and tactical design?

Mayweather's verbal offensive now encompasses opponent Shane Mosley (46-5). They scrap on May 1st at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada.

A day after Mayweather hurled punch combinations at a Pacquiao t-shirt in New York, Mayweather made bold assertions in a Los Angeles press conference on Thursday:

1. "I never dodged and ducked nobody," after fielding these questions the past few weeks including on ESPN. Comic relief.

2. "I got here by hard work and dedication - no HGH, no steroids," implying Shane Mosley's and Manny Pacquiao's use of the banned substances in the ring. Cheers and boos emanated from the crowd. Mayweather, feeling encouraged, smiled and looked over to Mosley's side of the table. Body language experts would affirm the suggestive statement as to among whom was implied.

3. "I gotta fight the media. I gotta fight the writers. And then I gotta fight the fighters . . . . The proof is in the pudding. Men lie, women lie, numbers don't lie." Referring to his perfect record.



Source: Examiner.com

Mayweather: "I'm the best fighter to ever live"

Mayweather vs Mosley
No one can deny that Floyd Mayweather Jr. is as gifted a boxer as we've seen in recent memory but "Greatest of All Time"? Despite being 40-0, that might be a stretch even at this point in his career. Not so, says Mayweather who recently said he was just that on ESPN Radio. He repeated that sentiment in a sit down interview on ESPN.com.

Mayweather spoke on SPORTSCENTER this week about his upcoming fight with Shane Mosley. He explained that he took the fight because Mosley is one of the best welterweights of this era, along with himself before following it up by saying "I'm one of the best fighters to ever live."

"I take my hat off to Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Leonard and all those legendary champions but I gave the sport of boxing my whole life to be the best and I think I've earned the right to say that I'm the best fighter to ever live," explained Mayweather.

Bold statements that's for sure.

As for the fight, Floyd said that Mosley has been out of character during their press tour by talking trash; something he's not known for. He also said that with five losses on Mosley's resume, he feels there's an obvious blueprint for beating him while one doesn't exist for him.

Asked about Manny Pacquiao, Mayweather refused to answer the question as to whether or not he'll watch his fight with Joshua Clottey next weekend and also reiterated that he wants to help clean up the sport.

"I'm here to clean up the sport of boxing. My sport isn't like any other sport. We're not cheating over here. We want to separate the ordinary from the good from the great. I'm a great one because I ain't ever used any performance enhancing drugs. All these fighters in today's time and all these athletes are cheating. If you gotta cheat to win, I don't think that's cool at all. How you gonna call yourself an all-time great if you're cheating?"

Your thoughts?

Source: Examiner.com

Mayweather's zany antics carefully scripted, Arum says

Mayweather vs Mosley
HOLLYWOOD—It's a bridge too far to label Floyd Mayweather a racist. He may be jealous, may be envious of the widening popularity gap between he and Manny Pacquiao, but he doesn't harbor any hatred for any or all Filipinos including Pacman.

The “60 Minutes” crew from CBS has been following Manny for a profile to air in September. Jay Leno's Tonight Show (NBC) is sending a crew to Dallas to shoot in and around Pacman's March 13 title defense against Joshua Clottey and, so as not to be left out, ABC will air a “Good Morning America” piece on the Pinoy Idol on the fight date.

Not to mention how Crooner Manny is becoming a regular on the Jimmy Kimmel late night talkfest.

The media interest goes beyond boxing, as Pacman is the only active athlete I know of right now who is running for a high political office in his homeland.

I don't think there was any discriminatory intent regarding the Pinoy reporters who went to Thursday's thiird and final leg of the Mayweather-Mosley media tour. It does not seem crystal clear that Mayweather spurned all Filipino media as a group.

See Brother Guillermo on Arum exploding on "xenophobia" and blaming rejection of questions from Filipino press at feet of Golden Guys de la Hoya and Schaefer.

Maybe he just didn't feel like speaking on Pacquiao because ESPN's Mike Wilbon, at his prosecutorial best, could not get a single word about Manny to fall from Floyd's lips on Wednesday, either.

The odd thing about Mayweather's churlish behavior is that he started babbling to AOL Fanhouse's Lem Satterfiield when Lem The Gem did not even ask him anything about Manny at the media event in Washington.

What does seem clear is that everything Mayweather does outside the ring is like WWE, professional wrestling as entertainment and not an actual sport.

No less than his former promoter, Bob Arum, thinks Mayweather's antics are scripted carefully.

“I think they are,” Arum said. “Mayweather is not exciting in the ring so I think Al Haymon (Mayweather's boss) made the decision to seek out controversy outside the boxing ring. I think all these crazy things that Floyd does, including throwing out $100 bills in nightclubs, are designed for public attention.

"He makes for boring fights but tries to be exciting away from the ring."

Switching gears, happy 50th birthday to Coach Freddie Roach. Manny, Arum and friends are hosting a private shindig for the occasion.

Roach is a complete boxaholic, toiling 10-12 hours every day but Sunday at his thriving Wild Card Gym.

I asked him what he does on Sundays.

“I go to a movie, get a box of popcorn and enjoy that. I just saw Avatar.”

As far as his health, Roach said the prestigious Cleveland Clinic just gave him high grades despite his Parkinson's Disease

Many happy returns, Coach.

And Manny happy returns, Coach.

Source: Examiner.com

Sound & Fury: Mayweather-Mosley Nastiness, Tavoris Cloud Befuddles Yet Again, Nevada State Athletic Commission Shenanigans, & How Much $$$ Would It Ta

Mayweather vs Mosley
The Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley mini-media tour has already dipped its toe into boorishness and it is a shame that Mosley, one of the classiest fighters to step into the ring over the last 20 years, has to be stained by its muck. Aside from his BALCO folly, admittedly a big folly, Mosley has never been anything but a credit to the sport. Now, perhaps for the first time in his career, Mosley is engaged in WWE shenanigans for a fight that needs no selling. As it is, Mosley seems uncomfortable in his new role as straight man. And why should he feel at ease? For years he has been magnanimous, respectful, and easygoing. Now he is forced into a mudslinging contest with the master of the cow chip toss. Interestingly enough, Mayweather pulled no such stunts with Juan Manuel Marquez last year, preferring a more low-key approach. Something is, surprise, surprise, askew here. Mosley is a far bigger name in America than Marquez is and as such needs fewer woof tickets sold on his behalf. In other words, if any event needed to be hyped up, it was the Marquez fight. Was Mayweather so subdued last September because he knew that Marquez was a pushover? And is Mayweather trying to psych Mosley out or psych himself up with his misbehavior?

*****

Someone ought to go out and buy a Ouija board or a Magic 8-Ball for Tavoris Cloud. Maybe then some of his business decisions will start making sense. The perplexing MS-DOS light heavyweight champion recently pulled out of a fight against Glen Johnson and signed a promotional contract with boxing fossil Don King. Cloud claims, to the skepticism of most, that a pulled hamstring forced him to withdraw from the Johnson bout. This apparent mishap has caused no small amount of collateral damage. Lou DiBella is outraged and had to scramble for a replacement, Glen Johnson loses a payday, HBO sees a rare competitive fight evaporate, and Cloud, whose previous team earned one of the more dependable reputations in boxing—for foolishness, takes two steps back into the swampwater of anonymity from which he came. Skipping out on your first HBO appearance is not the wisest business move, and it will certainly hurt Cloud in the long run. As it is, it will be another few months before Cloud gets back in the ring. In that case, he will have fought only three times in the last two years.

As for signing with King as his promoter, this must certainly be an act of nostalgia on the part of Cloud, who probably remembers King being at the side of Mike Tyson, Terry Norris, Julio Cesar Chavez and Felix Trinidad when Cloud was still in junior high school. Or maybe King dusted off his trusty old duffel bag, the one he often filled up with large denominations and used as potent bait for a generation of fighters from the early 1980s until he started running out of steam–and large denominations, perhaps–around 2003. (Rumors that he lent it to Oscar De LA Hoya a few years ago, when “The Golden Boy” wanted to impress Manny Pacquiao at LAX, are unconfirmed). According to Boxrec.com, King staged half a dozen shows in the United States in 2009. Even a Deep South promoter like Shela McMurray staged more fights last year. If Cloud wanted to be a little more active, maybe he should have headed over to Texarkana for a spell. That might have been more logical than anything Cloud has done over the last two years.

*****

It sure is nice to see the Super Six taking place in Detroit, a city with an unemployment rate of nearly 25% (Metro Detroit has an unemployment rate of about 15%) and with roughly 35% of its residential lots vacant. Among the figures not revealed by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, however, are those regarding the number of unlicensed matchmakers and crooked promoters operating under fronts and screwing boxers over every which way but loose. You might catch a glimpse of some of them on the Showtime telecast on March 26. Look for the fellows with slime dripping all over their faces.

*****

About a week or so ago it was reported that Manuel Vargas, unmercifully flogged by junior bantamweight titleholder Nonito Donaire in a grievous mismatch on February 13, failed a post-fight drug test. Apparently, Vargas had taken painkillers at some point before the bout. This does not come as a shock at all; Vargas knew he was in for a beating and prepared accordingly. Seriously, though, Vargas was just living his life, going about his business, when he got the call to fight Donaire only three days before the bout and so did not have time to think about what he had recently ingested. What is shocking is the fact that Vargas, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, only pulled down a $10,000 paycheck to play sacrificial lamb. Ten grand to fight on short notice – -and far beyond his weight class—against a bad hombre with KO power. For Vargas to jump at $10,000 under those circumstances tells you what kind of money he usually makes as a professional prizefighter. After all is said and done, after the IRS, the manager, the trainer, and the cutman get their share, Vargas will be lucky to return to Jalisco with $4,000. If someone offered you $4,000 to get your ass kicked by a world-class professional boxer, would you take it? To make matters worse, the Nevada State Athletic Commission will no doubt be fining Vargas for failing his drug test despite the fact that Vargas agreed to the fight only three days before the opening bell. Maybe the NSAC ought to slap themselves with fines for allowing such a blatant mismatch to happen in the first place. Vargas, after all, was coming off of a loss at strawweight before entering the ring against Donaire.

****

Like much in boxing, the Nevada State Athletic Commission has a vaunted reputation earned via osmosis. In a recent post on SecondsOut.com, Dr. Margaret Goodman, former Chief Ringside Physician and Medical Advisory Board Chairman for the NSAC, points out the shortcomings of a commission that recently cleared 47-year old Evander Holyfield and 41 year-old walking time bomb Roy Jones Jr. to fight in Las Vegas. “Nevada,” writes Dr. Goodman, “who claims to be the best U.S. commission, has long since forfeited this title.” But what can you expect? These are the same folks who nearly abetted manslaughter when they allowed a prime William Joppy to brutalize 47-year-old Roberto Duran. Like many other commissions, the NSAC has its share of flunkies and political appointees and is not averse to oiling the wheels of the often shady boxing machine. It is high time they matched their smug talk with plain actions once in a while.

Source: thecruelestsport.com

Caught on tape: Mayweather punches Pacquiao t-shirt (video)

Mayweather vs Mosley




Beatdown alert.

The verbal tussle has gone on for a few months now, and has since intensified since December.

With Floyd Mayweather, Jr's (40-0) hostile and light scuffle with Shane Mosley (46-5) in New York earlier this week, "Money" took his offensive combinations to Manny Pacquiao today at a Los Angeles press conference.

Courtesy of ESNews, and on the video's 1:17 mark, Mayweather was shown throwing several punches at a defenseless Pacquiao t-shirt for several seconds.

The Filipino Pacquiao (50-3-2), who is preparing for a tough fight against Ghanaian Joshua Clottey (35-3) may perhaps answer Floyd inside the ring later this year.

For now, Pacquiao is training hard for his March 13th bout with Clottey in Cowboys Stadium.

PHOTOS: Pacquiao Training, March 3 at Wild Card Gym

Ahh, but for now, talk is now mixed with physical action. At least on Mayweather's side.


The pre-fight contrast between the two could not be more starker. Last night, Pacquiao sang George Benson's "Nothing's Gonna Change My Love For You" on 'Jimmy Kimmel Live.'

Popular celebrity site TMZ recently snapped a video of "Money May" in New York amassing a pile of cash inside his tour bus in front of loud fans.

Continuing the theme of contrasts, Ghana-native was recently quoted that he liked Pacquiao because he was a nice person.

While this appears to be a genuine expression of mutual and friendly affection by the African, the principles of warfare mandate that you do not infuriate the

enemy prior to battle. Why make an opponent angry?

From his actions, Floyd Mayweather does not believe in Sun Tzu's lesson. Should Pacquiao and Mayweather get inside the squared circle, one can only wonder how the Filipino boxer would attack his loud pugilistic opponent.

Floyd Mayweather, Jr. was caught on tape punching a Pacquiao t-shirt.

Back to contrast.

On Wednesday's taping of 'Jimmy Kimmel Live,' Pacquiao sang a George Benson song with the following lyrics. (Contrasts, contrasts)

If I had to live without you near me
The days would all be empty
The nights would seem so long
With you I see forever oh, so clearly
I might have been in love before
But it never felt this strong

Our dreams are young and we both know
They'll take us where we want to go
Hold me now, touch me now
I dont want to live without you.

Nothings gonna change my love for you
You oughta know by now how much I love you
One thing you can be sure of
I'll never ask for more than your love.

Source: Examiner.com

Mayweather, Mosley tout May Day bout

Mayweather vs Mosley
LOS ANGELES — Shane Mosley vowed to hand Floyd Mayweather jnr his first professional defeat as the two fighters touted their May 1 welterweight showdown in Hollywood style.

"This fight is going to be on May 1st, but it's also going to be May's first (defeat)," said Mosley as the fighters wrapped up their cross-country publicity tour in the sunshine of downtown Los Angeles on Thursday.

After the obligatory nose-to-nose stare-down, each fighter reiterated his respect for the other - a contrast to some of the trash-talking that marked their earlier press conferences.

"Shane is out of character in this whole thing," Mayweather said of their previous acrimonious exchanges, including a shoving match in New York.

"He doesn't talk trash. That's not like him to call out somebody. I think Bernard Hopkins (Mosley's business partner) put a battery in his back and pumped him up to say those things."

Mawyeather, who returned from near two-year layoff with a dominant victory over Juan Manuel Marquez last September, brings a record of 40-0 with 25 knockouts to the bout.

He had been expected to take on Filipino hero Manny Pacquiao on March 13, but negotiations unravelled over the American's demands for unprecedented pre-fight blood testing for performance enhancing drugs.

Enter Mosley, who owns a record of 46-5 with 39 knockouts and was supposed to face Andre Berto in a unification bout in January before Berto withdrew to focus on family in Haiti in the wake of the earthquake there.

Golden Boy promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer insists Mayweather-Mosley can sell three million pay-per-view buys, which would make it the biggest pay-per-view fight in history.

Mayweather has sold about 4.5 million buys for his last three fights against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Marquez, making him the sport's top pay-per-view draw.

Mosley's trainer Naazim Richardson said Mosley has the ability to stop Mayweather.

"Shane Mosley can knock out anything that weighs 147 pounds," said Richardson. "If a farm animal weighed that, Shane could knock him out. We're going to have to convince this man that he has to learn how to lose. He can forget it after us, but he's going to have to learn."

Source: Google.com

Is Mayweather vs Mosley a ‘once in a lifetime fight’? Golden Boy Promotions thinks so.

Mayweather vs Mosley
With all of the hype going into the Mayweather and Mosley fight, one might think that this is a “once in a lifetime” fight. Well, that one person happens to be Richard Schaefer the CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. During the Los Angeles Press Conference, Schaefer made the following comments:

"These kind of fights come along once in a lifetime and this is going to be one of the most promoted fights in the history of the sport.”Schaefer

Now, correct me if I’m wrong but didn’t Schaefer say something along the lines that Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather was a once in a lifetime fight, one of the greatest fights of all time, and fight of the century. So, are we to believe that Mosley vs. Mayweather is on par with Mayweather vs. Pacquiao?

I’m sorry but this fight is not even close to being a “once in a lifetime”. This fight is more like once in a decade considering that’s how long it took to put it together. Oscar De La Hoya vs. Mayweather Jr was much bigger than this fight. In my lifetime, I got to see fights with the combination of Sugar Ray Leonard, Marvin Hagler, Thomas Hearns, and Roberto Duran. Now, those fights were closer to a “once in a lifetime”.

"We are here to set new records and set new standards. We have NASCAR-like sponsors. This is going to be the most promoted fight in the history of the sport." Schaefer

Now I can agree with Schaefer on this comment. I do think this has the potential to be the most promoted fight in the history of boxing. Think about it, they’ve already hit-up the Super Bowl and the All-Star game. All this was done even before they officially kicked off the press tour.

Andy Lavine Sacramento, CA “What do you think of the promotional strategy for this fight?”

I think GBP did a great job with their strategy here. They announce the fight will happen during the hype for Manny Pacquiao vs. Joshua Clottey. Then, they send their fighters to the Super Bowl and the NBA All-Star game. All along they wait until after the Olympics to kick off their official Press Tour. I think it’s brilliant.

Barry Henderson Elk Grove, CA “Is Mayweather Jr the ultimate salesman?”

I’ll tell you what; Floyd is the ultimate salesman in the current world of Boxing. He can sell a fight between his shadow and a punching bag. Floyd knows how to bring attention to a fight. But, I wouldn’t say he’s the ultimate salesman of all-time. That my friends, belongs to Muhammad Ali. However, I think this is another reason why this fight will probably be the most promoted fight in the history of the sport. Mayweather is motivated to make as much money as possible.

Source: Examiner.com

Mayweather vs. Mosley - the best America has to offer?

Mayweather vs Mosley
Los Angeles - Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather continued their media tour in Los Angeles today as they promote a May 1st boxing match in Las Vegas, Nevada and broadcast in the United States by HBO Pay Per View.

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The main stream media outlets have covered Mosley and Mayweather's tour due to the familiar names both men provide to the average sports consumer.

Mayweather and Mosley have both defeated Oscar De La Hoya - boxing's ex-top American pay per view seller - and appeared numerous on America's largest boxing outlet HBO.

So while casual fans might think that a clash between two former American pound for pound greats might produce a great fight, I openly ponder, "Is this the best American boxing can produce?"

Mayweather and Mosley are the two most well known active American boxers in the world, but in terms of action, both men have been lacking, for years.

Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy Promotions top dog and lead man in putting together this pay per view fight, has gone out on a limb by stating that the Mosley - Mayweather fight would rake in three million pay per views - breaking the all-time record for boxing pay per views, in a recessed economy.

Oscar De La Hoya's fight with Mayweather clocked in approximately two million plus buys in 2005 when many Americans were riding high on the hog with fat pockets lined from refinanced mortgages and record high prices for home sales.

My assumption is that Mayweather- Mosley will fall short of the Schaefer predicted three million buys and probably sell closer to two million pay per views - a grand feat in the current American economic landscape.

So with two million average sports fans tuning in, will they be thrilled by the in the ring action produced?

Unlikely. My prediction is that the fans who buy into Golden Boy and HBO's marketing campaign - which will promise an all-time great, must see fight - will turn off the television disappointed on May 1st.

Much like the two million fans that tuned into watch De La Hoya and Mayweather felt cheated of their forty or so dollars due to the cautious and dull nature of the encounter.

Mayweather and Mosley epitomize the current characteristics of American fighters - holding and defense. Shane Mosley has been allowed to hold and hit his way into an extended career after two defeats by Ronald Winky Wright in 2004. Mosley's ability to stop any fighters offense with questionable defensive holding kills the momentum necessary for any fight to be a true fan pleasing barn burner.

As for Mayweather, his cautious defensive style where hitting and not being being hit is the main mission objective can be a hardcore boxing fan's ecstasy and a casual fan's NyQuil. Respect his boxing wizardry we must, but Mayweather does not bring a quarter of the action Manny Pacquiao can conjure with his search and destroy style.

The combination of Mosley and Mayweather is the best America has to offer, but may be the last bitter sip from the drink that killed boxing with casual sport fans.

So when less then three million fans tune into Mayweather and Mosley, Schaefer should be thankful, he might have salvaged some from turning away from the sport for good.

Weights are in for Friday Night Fights at the Pechanga Resort and Casino

ESPN will broadcast Friday Night Fights from the Pechanga Resort and Casino in Temecula, California with the main event featuring lightweights Martin Honorio (27-4-1, Mexico City, Mexico) facing Wilton Hilario (12-0-1, Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) in a schedule 12 round fight.

Super bantamweight prospect Rico Ramos (14-0, Los Angeles, California) returns in an eight round fight against Cecilio Santos (24-12-3, Mexico City).

Looking to rebound from his first career defeat, John Molina (18-1, Covina, California) will face Ricardo Median (31-35-5, Mazatlan, Mexico).

Source: Examiner.com

MAYWEATHER VS. MOSLEY LOS ANGELES PRESS CONFERENCE QUOTES

Mayweather vs Mosley
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 05 Mar 2010

Los Angeles (Thursday, March 4)...The whirlwind three-city press tour that officially announced the May 1 welterweight showdown between superstar Floyd "Money" Mayweather and WBA Welterweight World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley ended today as throngs of fans and media gathered at a unique outdoor press event in NOKIA Plaza at L.A. LIVE to see two of boxing's best fighters kick-off the promotion leading up to this highly competitive mega-fight. With stops that rumbled through New York City, Washington, DC and Los Angeles, fans came out in droves to support their favorite fighter as they answer the question "Who R U Picking?".

FLOYD "MONEY" MAYWEATHER


"I have been here before so I know what it takes. I have fought the best. Shane is a future Hall of Famer, and I am a future Hall of Famer.

"I have a great trainer, but our trainers can't fight for us.

"I want to change this sport. I want to make sure it is clean that is why Shane and I are both taking random urine and blood tests leading up to the fight.

"I just want to work hard and be the best I can be. May 1 is going to be a blockbuster event."

SUGAR SHANE MOSLEY

"This fight is on May 1. May 1 is going to be 'May's first [loss]. I will make sure of that.

"I want to thank Money Mayweather for accepting the fight. Before he was fighting everyone else, but he wasn't fighting me. He has officially accepted the challenge.

"I want to thank the fans. I fought at Staples Center a couple of times and they were sell outs, so I appreciate that you guys (to the fans) always bring the love."

ROGER MAYWEATHER, Mayeather's Trainer

"This is going to be a tremendous fight. You have two tremendous fighters. This is what makes history. You have to challenge someone people think you can't beat.

"This is how the world of boxing works. You have two very talented fighters and you will see what it means to be the best in the world. On May 1, you will pass down the judgment for who is the best of them all."

NAAZIM RICHARDSON, Mosley's Trainer

"You have people who are champions, you have people who are elite and you have people who are special. On May 1, you have two of the most special guys in the history of the sport facing off.

"My job is to dissect Floyd Mayweather and to implement an attack. Nothing is impenetrable, not even Floyd Mayweather.

"On May 1, we are going to convince this man to learn something new...how to lose!"

LEONARD ELLERBE, CEO of Mayweather Promotions

"I'll tell you what; I am picking the guy with the undefeated record. Forty have come and forty have gone, and it will be no different on May 1.

"On May 1, Shane is going to bring his best, but his best won't be enough."

OSCAR DE LA HOYA, President of Golden Boy Promotions

"This is going to be one heck of a fight. I fought both guys and I lost to both guys. This isn't going to be about who wants it more. This is going to be about the whole package. Mayweather is the best, and Mosley will fight anybody and come out on top.

"On Cinco de Mayo, let's celebrate a great fight. Let's celebrate two great fighters and lets celebrate a historic event.

"The undercard is going to be absolutely incredible. Tune in May 1."

RICHARD SCHAEFER, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions

"These kind of fights come along once in a lifetime and this is going to be one of the most promoted fights in the history of the sport.

"We are here to set new records and set new standards. We have NASCAR-like sponsors. This is going to be the most promoted fight in the history of the sport."

BOB HALLORAN, Vice President of Sports for MGM MIRAGE

"We are very lucky to have these two individuals back in our building. There is no home field advantage at the MGM MIRAGE, because both have fought here many times.

"Save the date. The weekend of May 1, you will want to be in Vegas."

# # #

Mayweather vs. Mosley is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, Dewalt Tools and StubHub. The 12-round welterweight mega-bout will take place Saturday, May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View®.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

MONEY, SUGAR HIT L.A.

Mayweather vs Mosley
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 05 Mar 2010

Six-Time World Champion Floyd Mayweather and Five-Time World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley pose on March 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California at a press conference to officially announce their May 1, 2010 fight at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View. PHOTO CREDIT: Tom Hogan - Hoganphotos/Golden Boy Promotions.


Six-Time World Champion Floyd Mayweather poses while signing autographs for fans on March 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California at a press conference to officially announce his May 1, 2010 fight against Five-Time World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.


Five-Time World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley speaks with members of the media on March 4, 2010 in Los Angeles, California at a press conference to officially announce his May 1, 2010 fight against Six-Time World Champion Floyd Mayweather at The MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Mosley may do what Pacquiao never had the chance to do - beat Mayweather Jr

Mayweather vs Mosley
By Graeme Bradley

Shane Mosley will finally have the fight he has always wanted when he steps into the ring against Floyd Mayweather Jr on May 1 in Las Vegas and ‘Sugar’ Shane could steal Manny Pacquiao’s thunder if he overcomes the undefeated Mayweather.

Mayweather and Pacquiao’s proposed mega-fight fell through after both camps failed to agree on how the fighters would be tested for drugs. Pac-Man was confident he could be the first to defeat ‘Money’, but with Mayweather now fighting Mosley the Filipino has lost the chance to prove it, much to the delight of Mosley.

The 38-year-old WBA super world welterweight champion has been gunning for a fight with Mayweather for years – which included confronting him live on TV in the aftermath of Mayweather’s victory over Juan Manuel Marquez – and he has finally succeeded.

As expected, tensions have been high in the build-up to the fight with both fighters engaging in a scuffle during the latest press conference. If this is anything to go by it is likely to be a heated affair when they come face to face with their gloves laced.

Mosley is a noticeably big welterweight, at least compared to Mayweather’s most recent opponent Marquez who moved up weights to challenge the 33-year-old. Mosley’s strength and most recent performance against Antonio Margarito suggests he will be tough customer, but a lay-off of over a year may be decisive if the fight goes to the later rounds.

Meanwhile Pacquiao, who rejected calls for Olympic style blood tests, will face Joshua Clottey on March 13 in Dallas. The Filipino superstar will be kicking himself should Mosley win, but with a rematch clause in the contract he may be waiting some time on an opportunity to fight the winner.

Pacquiao has spoken of his intention to retire should a fight with Mayweather fail to materialise, but two wins for Mosley could see an interesting match-up and one worth forcing Pacquiao to put his music, acting and political careers on hold for.

This, of course, is all in the assumption that Mosley can take out Mayweather – something which 40 fighters have failed to do, and not all of them have been forced to move up weights.

However, when it boils down to it, Mosley has a great chance of victory and, should Pacquiao hang around for a little longer, we could yet see some great fights at welterweight in the near future.

Source: sport.stv.tv

Mosley, Mayweather bring out fans in force

Mayweather vs Mosley
WASHINGTON -- Your weekly random thoughts …

• Wednesday in the nation's capital was a nasty, rainy, cold day, so I wasn't sure what to expect in terms of turnout when I made the half-hour drive from my house in Northern Virginia into the District (that's what we locals call it) to attend the second of three Shane Mosley-Floyd Mayweather promotional tour stops ahead of their much-anticipated welterweight title showdown May 1 at the MGM in Las Vegas.

It was a nice surprise to see the weather sure didn't keep any of the fans away. The Lincoln Theatre was packed to capacity (about 1,000 people) with fans and media for what I'll refer to as more of a pep rally than a news conference. Even after the doors were closed, there must have been at least another 500-plus people standing around outside wanting to get inside. Washington is definitely a good fight town.

The folks who did make it inside were treated to video presentations about both fighters, music, and an endless loop of audio and video hyping the fight's promotional theme, "Who R U Picking?" (I'll disclose my pick the week of the fight.) Then the fighters were introduced, which included Mosley and Mayweather standing nose to nose and jawing at each other for the second consecutive day before they had to be separated.

Unlike the previous day in New York, however, they didn't put their hands on each other. You have buy the pay-per-view to see that. I just hope Mayweather is as aggressive during the fight as he was when he went right to Mosley's chest after his introduction.

The "news conference" was standard fare but I am sure quite exciting for fans who have never attended such an event.

Golden Boy's Richard Schaefer and Oscar De La Hoya and Mayweather adviser Leonard Ellerbe hyped the pay-per-view and their impressive array of sponsors. HBO's Mark Taffet said his piece. So did the MGM's Bob Halloran (including an unexpected but very kind shout-out to yours truly). Naazim Richardson, Mosley's trainer, spoke eloquently. And the fighters spoke amid cheering (and some booing) from the crowd. Everyone spoke about what a great match it was and what a great fight it will be.

What I thought was great was that both Mayweather and Mosley did their best to sign every autograph, pose for every photo and chat with the fans after the formal program. In what other sport can a regular Joe get so close to the stars?

This fight is going to be huge. Maybe not Manny Pacquiao-Mayweather huge, but huge. Like all promoters, Schaefer loves to predict big numbers for his PPV fights. He should. He's trying to sell as many units as he can. He predicted that Mayweather-De La Hoya would break the all-time PPV record in 2007, and it did. Last year, he predicted that Mayweather-Juan Manuel Marquez would crack a million buys, which few believed. It did. So when Schaefer predicted Wednesday that Mosley-Mayweather would break the Mayweather-De La Hoya record, I didn't laugh this time. It could.

• Whoever made the decision not to allow Roger Mayweather to talk during the formal program: Thank you. He adds nothing constructive whatsoever, unless you consider a stream of profanities and insults to other trainers who are not even there constructive.

• It was nice to see Paul Williams get such a rousing ovation from the fans who attended the Mosley-Mayweather tour stop in Washington. Williams lives part time in Washington, and I think if he would fight there he could become an attraction in a city that hasn't had a big fight since Mike Tyson's career ended against Kevin McBride.

• Not sure what to make of this, but I have been hearing rumors for a couple of months that Telefutura is going to get back into boxing with Golden Boy, which used to have dates on the network before it axed boxing at the end of 2008, getting most or all of the dates. I asked Schaefer about it and I got a very stern, "I'm not commenting." I pressed him. "I'm not commenting," he said. I later talked to De La Hoya and asked him about it well. He also gave me the stern no comment. Hmmmmmm.

• So, James Toney is going to the UFC to try his hand at mixed martial arts. Yeah, like that's going to work out well, right? At least if he's in UFC, we won't have to listen to him yammer on and on in indecipherable language about how he deserves a shot against Vitali or Wladimir Klitschko.

• I've enjoyed watching featherweight Antonio Escalante fight for years. Once again, he turned in an exciting fight last week on "Friday Night Fights" when he won a decision against childhood rival Miguel Roman in a terrific match. Escalante (22-2, 14 KOs) has won nine fights in a row against mostly solid opposition, and I believe he deserves a title fight. He's good. He's exciting. He's become a strong ticket seller in El Paso, Texas. And he comes across as a humble young man. "Miguel Roman gave me one of my toughest fights ever and it was an honor sharing the ring with him," Escalante said after the win. "This is the type of fight I always want to give my fans, and I think I showed that I'm willing to leave everything in the ring in order to get the victory. Now, bring on the best in the division, because I'm ready for them." How can you not root for a guy like that?

• Congratulations to Tavoris Cloud, this year's valedictorian at the Winky Wright School of Boxing Business.

• The WBC announced that it will begin offering "youth world titles" for women younger than 24 years old. Couple of thoughts: just what we need, more titles, and are there even enough quality female fighters to fill the actual world titles? Just another pathetic money grab by the WBC and its president Jose Sulaiman, who undoubtedly will be re-elected unanimously in the organization's next balloting.

• The hideous WBA is at it again. This time the worthless organization has approved a vacant interim welterweight title bout between Souleymane M'Baye and Antonin Decarie, who will meet April 10 in Paris. What an absolute disgrace. Mosley is the WBA's titleholder and he happens to be defending it against Mayweather in a huge fight May 1. There is absolutely no call for an interim title. But that has never stopped the WBA. Decarie at least is undefeated, although against average-at-best opponents. But for M'Baye to get a title shot is preposterous, especially considering he has never even had a welterweight fight. Excuse me, I'm going to be sick.

• How big of a month is April for the super middleweight division? Huge. All four titles will be up for grabs in a two-week period. On April 17 in Montreal, Lucian Bute defends against Edison Miranda while Robert Stieglitz defends his strap against Eduard Gutknecht in Germany. A week later, the other two belts will on the line in a pair of Super Six tournament fights on April 24 as Andre Ward defends against Allan Green and Carl Froch defends against Mikkel Kessler. If you're a fan of the '68 pounders, that's a tremendous two weeks.

• What does Timothy Bradley Jr. have to do to get a significant fight?

• Where in the world does Kendall Holt go from here?

• Former heavyweight champ Riddick Bowe is working as a trainer at a gym in Fairfax County, Va., where I live. When I heard about that, I found it ironic because Bowe never liked to train very much when he was fighting.

• Happy belated birthday to German promoter Wilfried Sauerland, who turned 70, or 17, if you ask him. Sauerland was born on Feb. 29, in a leap year, and jokes that he has celebrated only 17 "real" birthdays.

• Is it possible for Rodel Mayol to have a fight that simply ends in a decision or a knockout?

• DVD pick of the week: This one never gets old. In fact, before I made a DVD of this fight, my original VHS tape was specially marked so I could easily find it among my thousands of tapes because I watched it so often. Back to Las Vegas' Mandalay Bay on Feb. 19, 2000, for an all-time classic: the first battle between Erik Morales and Marco Antonio Barrera. The junior featherweight championship fight began an epic rivalry that produced an all-time great trilogy and ignited a golden era of action fights between 122 and 130 pounds. Morales won the split decision in one of the greatest slugfests ever, which includes the legendary fifth round. Whenever I watch the fight it takes me back to what was going on in my life at the time. I vividly remember watching the fight live on HBO while sitting on the floor in my upstate New York apartment packing boxes in anticipation of my move to Virginia a few weeks later. I had just been hired to become the boxing writer at USA Today. I was fortunate enough to be ringside for Barrera-Morales 2 and 3, but the first one was the best.

Source: espn.go.com

Sugar Shane Mosley: “Manny Pacquiao Ran from Me”

Mayweather vs Mosley
March 4, 2010 – 9:45 am by Paul Bessire

Sugar Shane Mosley wants to be heard. Somewhat lost in the public banter between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao, Mosely has his chance to make some real noise in the world of boxing.

The reigning WBA Welterweight Champion had been preparing for a fight with Haitian-American fighter Andre Berto that was scheduled for January 18, 2010. When that fight was called off due to the devastating earthquake in Haiti and everything fell through with Mayweather and Pacquiao, promoters rushed to put a Mayweather – Mosley fight together.

On May 1, 2010 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, the 38 year-old champion Mosley will face the undefeated, 33 year-old, Ring Magazine #2 pound-for-pound fighter in the world in Mayweather. If Mosley has his way, he will win that fight and take on Manny Pacquiao next. After all, that’s who he wanted first.

Shane Mosley joined the Stephen A. Smith Show on FoxSports Radio to talk about Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao, performance-enhancing drugs, his legacy and why he lost to Miguel Cotto.

Has he wanted to fight Floyd Mayweather for a long time:

“I want this fight because he was considered the best fighter out there. He came out of retirement and everybody considers him the best. You know I fought Margarito when he was the best and now I am fighting Mayweather because he’s the best and then Manny Pacquiao. We have to clean this division up and see who the real welterweight champion is – the welterweight king. Beating Floyd for me is different. I beat guys who can punch. I beat guys with good chin. I want to beat guys that’s the best pound-for-pound technician. That lets people know that I am well-versatile. I can beat guys boxing, punching, moving, whatever they want to do, I have an answer for it. What does it say for me if I beat the guy that’s pound-for-pound the best. It says that I am pound-for-pound the best. After I take care of him, then I go take care of the little buzzsaw Manny Pacquiao. That means that I am the best pound-for-pound of this era.”

What about Manny Pacquiao:

“I was trying to fight Manny Pacquaio before Mayweather was. And then Manny Pacquiao ran and fought Cotto, you know the #2 guy for the welterweight title. Manny Pacquiao ran from me. It’s on record. I told him I would fight him at 140 for his title. I said I’d bust him at 140. What happened? He turned around and fought Cotto and made him drain himself. So I thought, ‘well then, if he’s fighting Cotto, I’ll fight Mayweather then.’ When they made those discussions, I stepped aside and let them go ahead with their negotiations. Now, they couldn’t make things work so I said, ‘ok cool. Mayweather, let’s get it on.’”

Why would he want to fight Pacquiao (at 140 pounds):

“I have a burning desire to fight. I don’t just fight for money. I fight for the legacy of the sport. I love the sport. I have been doing this for a long time. This is all I know. I was raised a fighter. I want to be the best.”

How does link to performance-enhancing drugs affect legacy:

“After 2003, after the fights, they figured out that this was a banned substance. Before I fought Oscar (in 2003), it wasn’t a banned substance. And frankly, I have never been charged with being on any type of drug because it was never in my system. I never tested positive for anything. I just came forward to say that this is what this guy (Victor Conte) gave me because he was all over the TV and all over the news. It might add a little bit of doubt. They say, ‘how long has he been doing this or what’s been going on?’ The proof is in the pudding. I fought De La Hoya in 2000 and looked like 5-6 times better than I did in 2003. Things were a lot better than in 2000 than in 2003. So, evidently, whatever this guy was doing, it wasn’t doing any good.”

What happened in the Cotto fight:

“Maybe something happened in (my) lifestyle that drained (me) down mentally to where he couldn’t fight properly. And then after that was gone. Then you see what happens. (Was that your divorce?) Exactly. It was different problems going on in my life. Boxing is a mental game. You take away a guy’s mentality. That’s what Floyd likes to do. He gets guys riled up and takes that away. That happened to me in a different way.”

Source: sportsradiointerviews.com

Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s Huge Bag of Green

Mayweather vs Mosley
Floyd Mayweather Jr.'s Golden Gloves have nothing on his fistfuls o' dollars -- which the 6-time world champion whipped out Tuesday for a group of screaming fans ... just because he can.
Mayweather had just left a news conference in New York City -- in which he was promoting his upcoming bout with Shane Mosley -- when he decided to whip out the sack of cash and then spread it out in the front window of his tour bus.

Source: http://www.tmz.com/2010/03/04/floyd-mayweather-money-cash-bills-video-footage-boxer/