Mayweather vs. Mosley 24/7 Episode 3 Recap

Mayweather vs Mosley
Published: Apr 24 2010 by: Jake Emen

Third Episode of Mayweather vs. Mosley 24/7 HBO Reality Series: Recap & Highlights

Episode 3 of Mayweather-Mosley 24/7 aired on Saturday evening for the first time, right before all of the great fights that were to follow on both HBO and Showtime. All of them are of course a great appetizer to next week’s main event, the stellar welterweight battle between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley. Check out what happened in Mayweather vs. Mosley 24 7 episode 3 right here.

As the third episode of Mayweather vs. Mosley 24/7 begins, Mayweather talks about how Vernon Forrest, Winky Wright and Miguel Cotto all “fucked you up”, of course Mayweather wants to do the same. He then goes on to say that Shane disrespected his father Jack last week, but now he is closer than ever with his uncle and father. Floyd goes on some spending sprees, while we instead see Shane at his camp doing some road work and focusing on nothing but the fight.

We see Shane, Naazim Richardson, Rock Allen and the rest of the camp going to work in the gym. Everybody is talking about how Shane is the guy to talk down to Mayweather. Then some Gang Starr comes on – rest in peace to the fallen rap icon – as he sings the lyrics that no man is invincible. We go back to Mayweather’s camp on Monday, and now he’s all business, hard at work and in his element. He says Shane is good at what he does, but Mayweather is great at everything he does.

Floyd’s dad Floyd Sr. is now around camp all of the time now, and while he realizes Roger is the trainer he of course still wants to be involved and provide his input. Needless to say, he’s extremely confident in Floyd’s chances next week. Floyd Sr. says that Shane will be ready, but Floyd Jr. is too fast, too smart and too quick for Shane to beat him. At 6pm Mayweather leaves the gym, and he’s surrounded by his massive security crew. He mentions what happened to Arturo Gatti and Vernon Forrest as reasons why he opts for the protection, because you never know.

Back in Big Bear, we see Shane’s “1 man army”, from the streets of Harlem, who has been shot and stabbed and is now a reformed Muslim. He’s been with Shane for 10 years and he says that everybody knows that you cannot mess with him as a result. Shane has his personal chef around, and she talks about the meals she prepares, red meat, fish, starches, a couple of vegetables per night and so forth. Shane’s camp talks about Manny Pacquiao and Freddie Roach, and Naazim says that people hate on them because of how well they are doing their job. He then makes a quick joke about Pacquiao and how badly he sings, but to further his point that he has to be a bad man to be able to get away with that. The camp in Big Bear with Mosley is very close, and it’s all family between Richardson and his crew, and Mosley and his son as well.

Back in Vegas during Mayweather Mosley 24 7 episode 3, we’re hanging with Uncle Roger. He’s tending to his garden, and we hear how he’s been struggling with diabetes for 2 years. Prior to his diagnosis, he didn’t know anything about it, and he was shocked at what the disease could do. He sees his nurse for shots twice per day. He says that he accepts going through all of that because he wants to see his kids grow up. Roger says his greatest contribution in life is having his child, and raising him.

Floyd says he’s proud to have Roger on his uncle, but he’s worried about him as he gets older and can’t move quite as fast. But still, Floyd says he’s a great trainer and one of the best out there. In addition to Roger’s illness, Floyd Sr. has been sick for the past 8 years with sarcoidosis, but Floyd says it’s all about living life to the fullest and making a positive out of the negative.

Back at Camp Mosley in Mayweather vs. Mosley 24/7 episode 3, we take a look at Naazim Richardson and his spirituality and his beliefs. After coming back from the stroke, he says there is nothing that could not convince him about the power of God and his beliefs as well. A large snow storm moves in, and the camp relaxes together. Mosley talks about how important everybody is to him at the camp, and thanks everyone for being there. In turn they say thanks for having him, and they read some prayers and chapters, including one talking about the problems with those who insult other people. Naazim says Shane Mosley is a really good person who just happens to know how to fight. Richardson says Mayweather is embarrassing and shameful to everybody, from the way he acts and represents himself.

Right on cue, Mayweather is talking about how he fights for Mayweather. “I’m in the check cashing business,” Mayweather says, and he says he doesn’t fight for his legacy or anything else, he fights for money. He says he doesn’t care what Shane is talking about, “he’s broke, Fuck Shane”. “Shane wants to be me… wants to be fly like me…” Mayweather goes on and on. Shane says, just tune in May 1st and the world can see who the best fighter is… it will be him.

Thanks for checking out the Mayweather vs. Mosley 24 7 episode 3 recap. The fourth and final episode is next Friday evening at 8:30 pm, the night before the fight. It’s just a week away from fight night, and then we can finally see for ourselves how the big fight plays out. Next Saturday night come right back here to ProBoxing-Fans.com for Mayweather vs. Mosley results, presented with a live round by round blog.

Source: proboxing-fans.com

Mayweather and Mosley both looking for a knockout, can either deliver?

Mayweather vs Mosley
Pittsburgh Fight Sports Examiner | Scott Heritage

Amongst all the usual pre fight talk, both Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley have mentioned that they will both be looking for a stoppage on May 1st.

The bookmakers and most fans believe a decision is a much more likely outcome, regardless of the winner.

For someone usually regarded as being a safety first fighter though, Mayweather has a decent amount of finishes to his name.

While his lack of aggression has held this back somewhat, he does have heavier hands that you might think from the way he fights. Floyd also has the speed and skill to make his opponents momentum work against them as they try to close the distance. For a perfect example of this, just watch the Hatton fight.

Speaking on a conference call yesterday, Mayweather said of himself and Shane:

"I think that he's a fighter that always worries about landing one big shot. He's worried about who is extremely strong and I worry about being smart and winning. So we approach fighting in two total different ways, always"

In the past Mayweather was known to suffer from brittle hands, although Leonard Ellerbe has said that since his return from retirement, these problems no longer affect him. How much the problem hindered his ability to finish fights in the past isn't clear, and the Mayweather camp is eager to play down any problem he might have had.

A lot of people tend to think that Mayweather won't have the power to finish a genuine welterweight like Mosley, and in this case I tend to agree. Despite his 5 losses Mosley has never been stopped yet, and he's been in against more dangerous punchers than Mayweather. More skilled fighters is another matter, but in terms of power alone, Mosley's chin is top notch and he shouldn't have too much to worry about from Floyd.

Mayweather himself possesses a decent chin at the very least, although he very rarely gets caught cleanly anyway. At times he has appeared to show flashes of vulnerability, although at least some of these were merely ruses to lure his opponents in. How well he handles Mosley's power is one of the intriguing unknowns of the fight.

Of the pair Mosley has taken a lot more abuse over the years, and is also coming into the fight having been inactive for over a year. Whether either of these factors will play a part is not too likely, Mosley is about as durable as they come. I wouldn't be surprised if Mayweather scored a knockdown or two, but the chances are that both fighters will make the final bell regardless of who gets the decision.

Jean, Pittsburgh: "Why is Mayweather talking about a knockout when he never finishes anyone?"

Part of it might be just to sell the fight, although if Mayweather is letting his punches go more these days and is willing to take some more chances it could happen.

Craig, Philly: "Neither is getting a knockout, Mosley is too tough and Floyd is too fast. Whoever wins, they're winning a decision"

Source: Examiner.com

Mosley, Mayweather being opposites is big part of draw

Mayweather vs Mosley
By Bob Velin, USA TODAY

Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather, who finally meet in the ring May 1 in Las Vegas, are as different as night and day or salt and pepper.

Their welterweight mega-showdown (9 p.m. ET, HBO pay-per-view) at the MGM Grand Garden Arena promises to be a contrast of styles and personalities.

A look at a few points of difference between 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) and 33-year-old Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs).

•Offense vs. defense: Mosley is an offensive fighter, a skilled power puncher who comes to fight. He has been involved in several all-out brawls, most recently his welterweight title victory against Antonio Margarito, in which he pounded Margarito into submission in the ninth round. He also brawled in his fights against Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas. Mosley's defensive shortcomings can leave him vulnerable to counterpunching, which is one of Mayweather's strengths.

Mayweather is skilled at avoiding getting hit. His only stoppage since 2006 was a devastating 10th-round knockout of Ricky Hatton in December 2007. His quickness is hard to match, though Mosley says Mayweather will meet his match on May 1.

Mayweather admits his fighting style is 180 degrees opposite of Mosley's.

"We're totally different," Mayweather said Thursday during a conference call with news reporters. "He's a fighter that always worries about landing one big shot. He worries about who's extremely strong. And I worry about being smart and winning.

"Shane maintains a low level with wide shots and not using a full jab. I use a full jab. When I shoot my shots, I look at my opponent, look where I'm punching. When Shane punches, a lot of times he closes his eyes. We're two totally different fighters."

Any similarities? "Yeah, we're both fighting May 1st," Mayweather says with a chuckle.

•Trash talking vs. quiet confidence: Mayweather's bombastic, braggadocio style has made him a favorite on HBO's reality series 24/7, which debuts its third of four episodes Saturday at 8:30 p.m. ET. On episode 2, Mayweather said he's better than Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson.

Mosley says he thinks Robinson was the best, but it's not his call. "It's not for myself to tell everyone that I'm the greatest," he says. "When people start deciding that Sugar Ray Robinson is the greatest, or Muhammad Ali, the people have spoken.

"You're not just tooting your own horn and saying, 'Oh, I'm the greatest.' "

Source: usatoday.com

SUGAR SHANE MOSLEY CONFERENCE CALL TRANSCRIPT

Mayweather vs Mosley
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 23 Apr 2010

An MP3 of this call is available. Please click HERE to listen and download.

Kelly Swanson
Joining us on the call today, we have the WBA Welterweight World Champion. He has compiled six World titles and has ruled three different divisions, that's Sugar Shane Mosley himself. Also joining us is Judd Berstein, representative of Shane Mosley, and Richard Schaefer, Chief Executive Officer of Golden Boy Promotions. So without further ado, I'm going to turn it over to Richard to get started.

Richard Schaefer
Thank you, Kelly and before I'm going to introduce Shane I'd just like to give a few updates and comments as it relates to the promotion.

We have 11 days, 6 hours, 54 minutes to go for the fight. The Who Are You Picking? Campaign is in full swing. You will see in the coming days the major websites here in the United States up with banners on their sites where people can vote. CNN, USA Today, ESPN, Spike, People Magazine, Entertainment Weekly, Univision, Yahoo! and The New York Times will all have polls, most of them on their front pages, where people will be able to vote. Some of those sites actually are up already and I just wanted to give you a very quick update.

For those of you who were on the call last week, remember on the whoareyoupicking.com site, which is the Micro site for the fight, last week we had Floyd Mayweather ahead, with 47% of the people voting for him to win the fight and 43% for Sugar Shane Mosley. Well, it's interesting, that tightened considerably. Mayweather now is only leading 51% to 49% against Shane Mosley.

Interesting as well, on the ESPN site, which just went up yesterday with the poll, it's reversed; 51.4% are picking Shane Mosley to win the fight against 48.6% with Mayweather. I think the general sports fans are clearly favoring Shane Mosley.

On Spike, a very urban site, an interesting picture there as well. Sixty-seven percent of the people think that Floyd Mayweather is going to win the fight versus 33% for Mosley. So, we actually are going to give daily updates on those polls so you guys, media members, you don't have to go and log on all of these sites, but we will send out daily updates because I think it's really fascinating to see on how the various segments of the population here in the United States are picking their guys, so we're really excited about that.

The fight is virtually sold out. A few tickets left, only $600 and $1,250 tickets are left. The $1,000 are sold out and all other categories as well. As a result, we are now going into closed circuit. We are starting with the closed circuit seats tomorrow at $50. We will initially make about 25,000 seats available in the various MGM Mirage properties. So if you do plan to go to Vegas and spend the Cinco de Mayo weekend in Las Vegas, a great fight weekend here, then go, tickets are available for $50.

Other than that, the movie theaters are tracking tremendously well as well and getting a lot of calls from people who have actually seen the spots and the promotions in the movie theaters. They think that they will have a tremendous, tremendous turnout. On about 12,000 screens across the United States the fight is being promoted and it will be in about 600 screens where the fight will actually be shown. They're going to be movie theaters in all states.

That's that and now I'd like to acknowledge and see if he would like to say a few words, Shane Mosley's advisor and attorney as well, Judd Burstein. Judd, would you like to say a few comments?

Judd Burstein
I have nothing to say. Shane can say it all.

Schaefer
Great. It is a pleasure then for me to introduce to you truly one of the greatest fighters of our generation. With a record of 46 and 5, 39 KO's, he's the current WBA Welterweight Champion and has during his 16 year career, compiled six world titles, has ruled the Lightweight, Welterweight and Junior Middleweight division, and is really a man who knows how to perform in the big events. He lives for those big events. Many of those big events, many of those big victories were coming from the MGM Grand, which some people call Mosley's Greatest Moments, MGM. And it really is a pleasure and an honor for me to introduce to you my good friend and partner in Golden Boy, Sugar Shane Mosley.

Sugar Shane Mosley
Thank you. Thank you, Richard. I just want to say that I'm happy that the fight is taking place and I'm happy with the training camp that we've been doing with Naazim Jameson and all the sparring partners, Karl Dargan, Rock, Mike Sharp and Eloy Perez and a few others. I'm just happy and excited to show my stuff May 1. It's going to be very exciting. I'm in great shape. I'm in tremendous shape and I'm ready to take on Mayweather.

Schaefer
Thank you, Shane. We are going to open it up now for the media members for any questions. Operator, please?

Q:
You mentioned that Karl Dargan and Rock, that you're sparring with them. They've been a little bit inactive lately, but I was just curious of your impressions of them as they're both Naazimm's relatives obviously, son and nephew.

Mosley
This camp has been like a family and I'm happy to have all of them contributing. They have great backgrounds, and Naazim Richardson trains them. Karl Dargan is very fast, a little taller than Mayweather, but has very fast hands. I think that a lot of it is the reaction time that I'm dealing with when I work with Karl Dargan to emulate Mayweather. We try to figure out different ways and different strategies of attacking.

Q:
One other question is, is all the stuff that's popping up now that Victor Conte is sending out, is that any kind of a distraction to you?

Mosley
haven't really heard anything about it and I don't choose to even talk about it. That's been 2003 when that type of stuff happened, so.

Q:
Shane, what would a victory over Floyd Mayweather, Jr. do for your legacy?

Mosley
I think a victory would do very good. It gives the people a chance to see that Sugar Shane really means business when he gets in that ring and fights. I rise to the occasion at every big fight. It's going to be great.

Q:
One other thing. On the second 24/7, and I don't know if you watched it or not because you said you didn't watch the first one, Floyd is saying he thinks he is better than Ali, better than Sugar Ray Robinson. Do you think he is perhaps overstating that a little bit?

Mosley
I think that you can't say who was the best fighter. I think Sugar Robinson was the greatest. Everybody has their own opinions about different fighters and what they can do and their ability. I think that it's important that it's not for you; it's not for myself to tell everybody that I'm the greatest, it's for your guys to decide that. So when the people start deciding that Sugar Robinson is the greatest or Muhammad Ali is the greatest, it's the people that have spoken. You're not just tooting your own horn and saying, oh I'm the greatest. A lot of the people believe that Sugar Robinson was one of the greatest so I guess he's one of the greatest, him and Ali.

Q:
Judd, obviously we've all, and I'm sure you've seen the YouTube stuff, I just want to ask you just a basic question, if I may. I know I can hear you in the background objecting to the form of the question. I believe that was you. It did seem like the person asking the questions had some difficulty forming his questions. Do you think that that defamation video made Shane look bad or do you think it made the questioner look bad because he didn't know how to form his questions?

Burstein
Well, first of all, I'm going to answer it quickly, but the real answer is there's no point in talking about this. This was 2003. Shane will be victorious in court and that will answer all the questions. The whole thing about the Conte video was not more a) it was he couldn't ask questions; but b) that Conte edited it and took it out of context. But there's nothing more to say about this.

Q:
Do you feel at all like you're disrespected by fans and the media or do you feel like people put you on an even footing with Floyd?

Mosley
I don't know. I mean I really don't get that stuff anymore. I haven't really been looking into the media and seeing what they've been saying. I don't know really what's going on. I try to keep myself away from it so I can be focused on the fight and that's my main importance right now is just being focused on the fight and being the best I can be when I get to the ring.

Q:
Do you feel Floyd is with all the trash talking that he's doing is trying to goad you into distraction before the fight and maybe anger? Does that stuff anger you or do you not even pay attention to it?

Mosley
At this point, I'm not angered by it. I'm just trying to go to the fight and be the best I can be in the fight. Right now at this point, we're getting ready to fight now.

Q:
Floyd, Sr. has said that he had heard you've been getting beat up by your sparring partner. How do you respond to something like that?

Mosley
I don't know how he can hear that unless he has some kind of spy inside the gym which I don't know of. No, I've been working good. I'm working diligently and I'm working real good and the sparring partners have been giving me good work. It's great.

Q:
One last question. Do you feel 100% healthy and ready to go for this fight?

Mosley
I'm 100% healthy. I'm ready to go. I'm ready to fight and show the world I'm the best fighter.

Q:
Obviously they're saying you don't want to talk about any of this with Conte which is fine, but drug testing is a huge part of this fight. That's one of the reasons you guys made it such a big deal when you all agreed to Olympic drug testing for it. Two thousand three is a long time ago, but can you say since then how you have felt differently in fights? Can you tell a difference from that night to how you fight now or recent fights from when you didn't take that stuff? I mean what did it do to you as a fighter to come off it and then try to get back to just 100% of yourself and how you feel now when your in the ring compared to then.

Mosley
That's just a stupid question that you asked me because I never did that stuff. I never was on it really like that. I've always been a clean fighter. Actually, I feel good and I've been feeling good. I've been knocking around everybody since 2003 and before 2003. I don't feel that I should be condemned for something that I never tested positive for and I just told the truth of what happened, because the truth was brought to me by the Federal people that took me court that brought me in as a witness. They brought me in as a witness and the truth was revealed to me there, that this man that I'd seen one time in my whole entire life, before going to deposition and that's the second time I've seen him. It's ridiculous. It's ridiculous now that the media wants to make me the poster boy of steroids when I don't even .... Whatever, if you guys want to continue to think that or put that out there, so be it. So be it. You guys know the truth.

Q:
How are you doing guys? I appreciate your taking the time. This is for Shane. I'm doing a story to tell the people of Philadelphia a little bit more about your trainer and brother, Naazim. I just wanted to get a sense. Someone's who's been in this sport for so long, what can a guy like him come in and what has he been able to do for you either in the gym or in the corner and what's it like working with him? What's his personality like? Is he a hard ass? Does he make you laugh? Just kind of an insight to his personality as a trainer.

Mosley
Naazim is all of the above. He's hard on me and makes sure that I'm prepared physically, mentally and especially, all different ways to be prepared to enter the fight. I think that's the difference, is being prepared. He's 100% in the game. I'm fighting and he's fighting as well. He's not fighting with his fist and hands, but he's fighting with his mind which is a good thing. I'm happy and pleased with everything that's going on in my camp.

Q:
Anything specifically different or are you doing anything differently?

Mosley
I'm not sure I'm doing anything differently. I think that he brings me back to all the movement and keep myself sharp and mentally sharp and sound. The punches that he's having me do, I'm throwing very well and sharp. I'm ready to go.

Q:
What's he like to work with?

Mosley
He's a great trainer. I think he's one of the best if not the best trainer right now today in this era. I couldn't ask for a better person, a better friend and a better trainer in my camp right now.

Q:
I wanted you to recount that little incident. I think you talked about it when you guys were sitting down on that faceoff about the time Floyd came to you and said something like, "I want to be just like you one day," something like that.

Mosley
Yes, it was something at, I think he was just out of the Olympics and he was maybe 2-0, 3-0, something like that. I came to his dressing room and I was telling him that he's a great fighter. He looks good and he was going to be a world champion one day. I said you're going to be World Champion one day. You look real good. And he's was like "Oh man, thank you." Basically he was just saying, "You're doing good, too." I think I was the Champion then or I was getting ready to be the Champion. He said, "Hopefully if I can be just like you, it will be great if I can win a title and all that stuff." So we were both giving each other props and stuff about how good we were. That was it. He just wanted to have the accomplishments that I had accomplished in my professional career. He said if I can have those accomplishments then I'd be happy too, if I can be like you and have all the accomplishments that I have. I don't know if was like being exactly like me per se, but just the accomplishments and everything I've done in my boxing career at that time, he was impressed with and he let me know that then.

Q:
How much do you think that his intimidation tactics are part of his getting to another opponent and how much do you think you have frustrated him by not reacting to any of that?
Mosley
I'm not really sure. I know me not reacting to his antics or whatever, that's just me blocking all that stuff out and wanting to fight. I don't really care about the different things that are being said. That doesn't really matter. What matters is the fight and what happens in the fight. So that's my whole interest and I kind of block all that other stuff out.

Q:
And one last question. You had a series of fights at 154. How do you think having fought heavier opponents, bigger opponents, how do you think that will translate into a fight where you're fighting a guy that's mostly a speed and defensive guy?

Mosley
Well, I think it might be a little different. I know it helps with the power aspect. I should be able to walk him down, a little stronger or better and do different things. I feel good about being in a ring with bigger guys. Both bigger and smaller; I've been in the ring with both sizes.

Q:
Okay. And what's up with the tattoo on your shoulder?

Mosley
I've had it for about eight or nine months now. I was going to have it before the Berto fight. It's a warrior, you know. It's a Maori warrior tattoo that shows what type of fighter I am. When I get in the ring, I'm a warrior and I want the people to see that.

Q:
Shane, obviously this has a chance to be the biggest fight of the year in 2010 and a lots being made of it. There's a lot of coverage. Is it the biggest fight at this stage can you say that you've ever been involved in and if not, what was?

Mosley
Well, I think at this point it will be the biggest fight. You have a lot of viewers watching it. It's a fight that the world wanted to see. So it's a big fight. It's a very big fight and I'm excited to have this fight.

Q:
It's bigger than fighting Oscar the first time?

Mosley
The first time I fought Oscar it had its own significance and it took me where I am today right now to be able to fight this type of mega fight. But it is definitely a big fight. Fighting De la Hoya the first time was a real big fight. There was a lot of people there at the fight and there was a lot of big expectations, but this is probably I can say right now, one of the biggest fights.

Q:
And to follow up real quickly on a question from earlier about Mayweather's intimidation tactics. Obviously, you've had your fair share of things to say about your going to knock Mayweather out and some of his rhetoric and his talk really ramps up when it gets to fight week and he gets to see you face to face. How do you deal with that? Do you address it? Do you let it drop? Do you pick your spots? What do you do?

Mosley
Well, I guess it depends. As it comes, you pick your spots and maybe check them a little bit here and there and get him back to thinking. But at this point, it's time to fight now. At this point, we've done a little talking and this and that, but now it's fight time now and now we're getting ready to show what we can do.

Q:
As you've been on the outside watching that over the years, do you think it has worked against certain guys?

Mosley
I think so. I think a lot of the press and media and just the whole event of all that can kind of distract a fighter but at this time, I just try to be; like I said, I just try to just think about focusing on the fight. Now it's getting close to the fight and we need to worry about the fight instead of worrying about what people are saying about us.

Q:
Shane, just a couple things. First of all, I want to clarify are you defending your WBA title in this fight? Is that up for grabs?

Mosley
I don't think so.

Schaefer
No, actually I can answer that for you. It looks like the fight will not be for Shane's WBA title, however Shane will be; I mean Floyd is not fighting for the WBA title, but Shane is.

Q:
Okay, that's kind of what I thought. I wonder Shane, I know this is a business, but the guys that get in the ring and do the fighting like to have belt fight to win titles and certainly in the instance of you against Floyd, arguably the two best welterweights in the world fighting for a lot of money, but pride as well as for maybe the championship of the world and you seem willing to do and I've heard a lot of comments from Floyd where he talks about well, the belts just collect dust and this and that. What is your take on that sort of attitude where I know you're a guy that likes to fight the best guys and obviously wants to earn a lot of money doing it, but also I know takes certain pride in being champion. What do you think that says about Floyd where he has just this cavalier attitude where he at least publically says he doesn't really give a darn about it?

Schaefer
No, you know my opinion about the subject. I think at that level, it really depends on the fighters. I think boxing is a sport of champions and it is the belt and it signifies the champion and so I think really at that level it is up to the fighters. Some fighters want to fight for a belt, others don't. I think it depends on the fight and it depends on the circumstances. But let's see what Shane has to say.

Mosley
I don't know what to think about that. I think he should want; I mean everybody grows up wanting to fight for a belt and want to be world champion and for them to just dismiss it like oh, I'm bigger than the belt, I don't know. That just doesn't seem like he's in the sport for the sport. He's in it just for the money, which is good if he wants to do that. If he wants to fight for money, to each his own, but I love the glory, the legendary status of being a champion and winning belts and being the best guys out there. If he did that, the money is going to come regardless.

Q:
One other question for you about Floyd. He has stated, as has been discussed in this call, he's the greatest fighter of all time, better than all the Ali's and Sugar Robinson's as we've covered. And then you look at his resume and he was the welterweight champ of the world when he beat some guys that he beat and then of course gave that up when he retired. But there are a lot of people, myself included, who have criticized the level of his competition particularly since he's come out of the Lightweight division. When you look at his resume, do you think he has any real resume as a welterweight that by beating you, that would be clearly by far and away his best welterweight victory to do that?

Mosley
I always say that the best fighters, you have to let the people decide that. You can't be the one to say oh, I'm the best, I'm the best.

Q:
But what do you think of his resume as a welterweight so far?

Mosley
As a welterweight, he hasn't fought another top welterweight and I'm the first one that's he fought that's world champion so it makes the fight a big fight. All the other guys have not really been the best, if you will. There are a lot of great welterweights out there that he could have chosen to fight instead of fighting the ones that he fought. The guys coming from ...-47, 35-47, so like I said we'll see what happens in the fight.

Q:
Hey, Shane. I appreciate your taking my call. I just had one question. I image you're going to want to put a lot of pressure on Mayweather and I was just wondering how you plan to deal with that ... right hand of his?

Mosley
Well, that's what's being worked on, different things like that. So, hopefully, we'll implement that into the fight when we fight him.

Q:
Okay, so you're keeping it a secret?

Mosley:
I'm supposed to.

Q:
Strategy wise, you guys are both incredibly fast fighters and I'm curious of your perception of Floyd's speed. Do you think you're as fast as Floyd at this point in your career and how are you going to counter that speed?

Mosley
Well, I think I'm as fast as any fighter out there and especially Floyd. I'm one of the fastest. I've always been quick. We'll see when we get in there. I've never been in the ring with Floyd so I don't know how to answer that, how I'm going to counter. I'm just going to do what I do best as Sugar Shane Mosley.

Q:
I mean when you watch the tapes, what's your perception of his speed?

Mosley
I think he has good hand speed, but I think my hand speed is good, too. I don't know if I'm going to be faster or I'm going to be slower. I have to get in the ring and see. I believe I'm faster. I believe that I'm going to have the advantage in the speed, but we'll see.

Q:
It seems like you and Naazim have two have very different personalities, but you both have the same understanding of the sport. I just wanted to know like how it was when you two first started training together, like how long it took for you two to gel and what your thoughts are of him as a trainer compared to everyone else you've been with in your career.

Mosley
I think he's a great trainer. I think he's the best trainer, one of the best trainers that I've worked with.

Q:
You had it right the first time. He is the best trainer in the sport.

Mosley
Yes. It's been great working with him. Right from day one, we gelled perfectly because we had the same philosophies about boxing and different things. We worked great. Right from day one it was a great match.

Q:
To me, from my own experience with Naazim, he seems to be the most honest guy out there. He'll always tell you what's on his mind, never in a disrespectful manner, but he's not going to sugarcoat anything. Has that caused any problems in training? I know some guys they tell you what you want to hear and Naazim tells you what you need to hear. Do you feel like his take is more refreshing than what most others are willing to tell you?

Mosley
I think so. I think him giving me his honest opinion on what he believes and what he feels makes it that much better when we get into the fight. We understand each other. I know what he's telling me is the truth and it's not I just can't just guess and say okay, well can you sugarcoat it a little bit for me? I know that he's telling me the truth when I get into the fight or when I'm sparring or whatever. Whatever it is, he's going to give me his honest opinion and I'm happy with that.

Q:
Does that give you more confidence once you step into the ring? I mean I know it's only the one fight with him, but this will be your second.

Mosley
It'll definitely gives me more confidence definitely since I've been to the ring. I know that I definitely need to do the work. All the good work for this fight I've done, the training and different strategies and moves we did, I know that I'm ready and prepared for the fight. All I've got to do is just execute.

Q:
Good, good, good. I'm not sure exactly how to ask this, but the fight is being portrayed by some people as sort of a good versus evil, although I think evil is a little bit strong. Does that seem appropriate to you? That would be my first question.

Mosley
Good versus evil? I don't know. I don't really think so. I think that Floyd just acts out because of that's just being himself. But you know, probably outside of the fight, you probably could see some good qualities Floyd has. He can charm up a little bit and be more friendly or whatever. It's just when the fight happens, he just starts getting a little crazy and starts going back to the things that he's used to doing. But, I don't know if you'd say good versus evil. But it's just going to be a great fight.

Q:
You sort of answered my follow-up. I believe you told me that you don't really think he's such a bad guy. It's just sort of stuff that he says.

Mosley
Yes, some of the things that he says, it's bad and it reflects and looks bad on him when he says the different things. Some of the things he says I don't really think he means. He just kind of says it to get a reaction out of you to see what happens and see what you do and that's probably part of his plan or his strategy before the fight. It's like fighting before the fight. He'll just say what's on the top of his head and just get a reaction out of you. If he gets a reaction out of you, then he's done a good job, he's won. So, I don't perceive him as being a real, like an evil person. That's just sometimes his nature.

Q:
Okay. So last thing. So one on one, when you've run into him over the years, you guys have been fine with each other?

Mosley
Yes, we see each other like I said on the basketball courts or I might see him out and about. We're fine. There's no problems. I see like his family members, Roger and Floyd, Sr. and a few other guys. I don't hate any of those guys. We have a job to do right now and it's competitive. It's a competitive sport. We want to know who is the best and I'm here to get in there and show that I'm the best.

Q:
I just wanted to ask and sort of follow-up on that last question and then I have another question. Do you think after this that you and Floyd will have any kind of relationship? I don't know if you guys had any kind of relationship previous to this, but can you see yourself maybe having any kind of relationship with him whether it's a professional relationship or whether it's a personal relationship or being friends or hanging out or anything like that?

Mosley
Yes, of course. It's nothing personal. I know for me, it's all business. This is business and this is a competitive sport. This is our legacy on who's the best fighter. It's a challenge. So it's a challenge that I'm ready to take and I'm ready to go into the history books as being the guy to beat Floyd Mayweather and the guy that beats everybody out there, the last man standing. I'm into that. So, when I say that, I mean yes definitely I'll be there. We can be friends. We can go to dinner, whatever after the fight. It's all good. The families can get together, all that. But for now, I guess we're enemies.

Q:
Okay. And the second question, how disruptive has just the Olympic style training and having to let these guys know where you are 24 hours a day and just sort of opening up your camp to the testing, has that been a disruption for you or has it thrown off what you normally would be doing in preparation?

Mosley
Actually, no. Actually, I like the fact that they come all the time and I learned a lot of different things about different things to do. Different things that, if you will, just eating natural and normal foods without taking any of the vitamins. Taking a bunch of vitamins is a good thing for your body. I feel good. I feel great. This has actually been a breakthrough. I like it.

Q:
Okay. You mean say like if you had the sniffles or you have a cold, most people would just like reach for the Tylenol Sinus or whatever. You can't just reach for that. You have to sort of find out whether it's okay to take something for the sniffles or sinus infection or cold or whatever, right?

Mosley
Yes it's been educational, but you can take Tylenol or some other things if you get the sniffles. But there's other things to take that's natural that you can use that you can take too as well. It hasn't bothered me at all. Everything has been great. I love the fact, like I said, it's been like a breakthrough for me with this USADA thing. It's actually a good thing.

Q:
Now have they said how far up to the fight that they're going to keep testing?

Mosley
I don't know. I'm fine with it. All my testing has been real quick. I did like five of them already and everything is good.

Q:
Okay, five tests. How many for blood?

Mosley
I did three for blood and five for blood and urine.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Mosley's win win situation

Mayweather vs Mosley
Mississippi Fight Sports Examiner | Brad Cooney

Shane Mosley will take on the former pound for pound king, Floyd Mayweather Jr on May 1st, 2010. Words cant describe how huge this fight is for Mosley, a fight that he's been waiting for a long time. Firstly, Mosley will earn a very respectable purse. Shane has been patiently waiting for a mega fight to come his way, and on May 1st he gets his shot. Yes he has been in some big fights in his day, but not this big. READ Michael Marley's take on Mosley vs. Mayweather here - http://www.examiner.com/x-5699-Boxing-Examiner~y2010m4d18-Floyd-Mayweather-brays-like-donkey-Shane-Mosleys-plan-is-payday

Shane Mosley is in a very nice position right now. He has a rematch clause that mandates a rematch against Floyd. If Shane defeats Floyd Mayweather he can rematch him and up the pot to an even bigger purse. If Shane loses to Floyd, he can demand that the rematch take place and double up a nice payday, or he can take a step aside payment in order for Floyd and Manny Pacquiao to do their thing. If he elects to step aside, he can bank that money and then challenge the winner of Pacquiao vs. Mayweather.

The fans are split on who will win between Mosley and Mayweather. I was recently in Memphis, TN where Mississippi based promoter Prize Fight Promotions, and CES entertainment put on the ESPN FNF card. I spoke with a lot of the boxing fans in attendance about the Maweather vs. Mosley fight. The results are pretty equal. About half of those I spoke to think Mayweather will win, and the other half think that Mosley will win.

Shane Mosley is sitting pretty right now. He is approaching the later part of his career, and he is in position to make the most money of his entire career at that. This fight is good for boxing. Shane Mosley vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. Two of the best fighting the best, as boxing should be. Hopefully in the future the fight that everybody wants to see will come to fruition as well. Floyd knows that a fight against the current pound for pound king, Pacquiao equals up to 40 million dollars. Floyd has made it no surprise that he is all about money.

Until Mayweather vs. Pacquiao happens, we got Shane Mosley vs Floyd Mayweather next. A great fight between two of the best at their craft. Many of Manny Pacquiao's fans are calling for a boycott of this fight. That is their right and they certainly do not have to watch it. I for one do want to see this fight because it can possibly be a classic match. No matter what the outcome is, it will create anticipation. If Floyd wins he will silence some of his critics. And if Shane wins, it will perhaps silence Floyd Mayweather, for the time being anyway. Floyd would then be afforded his opportunity to get the rematch and we would have another great fight at hand.

Mosley has had a great career. His career is not over with but it is definitely getting closer and closer to being over with. He is in the best spot of his career right now, and it's a good thing for boxing as well.

Read more on Mosley vs. Mayweather here - http://www.8countnews.com

Source: Examiner.com

Shane Mosley questions Floyd Mayweather's sexuality, a wise move?

Mayweather vs Mosley
Pittsburgh Fight Sports Examiner | Scott Heritage

Shane Mosley fired back at Floyd Mayweather's recent criticisms of him today and made some interesting remarks of his own regarding the upcoming fight and the 24/7 episodes.

Not long ago Mosley seemed to be winning the psychological battle between the two, largely ignoring Mayweather's rather toothless remarks about him.

By starting a war of words with Mayweather though, Mosley might be playing right into his hands.

After all most of Mayweather's comments have been aimed towards getting a rise out of Mosley, and examining his latest comments they now seem to be working.

Speaking to ESPN radio, Mosley said:

"He wants to talk about my suit. You know? He's talking about the curls in my hair, and if I'm getting a nose job, I mean, is he funny? Is he gay or something? You know, all of these different things about my personal stuff, and I'm like, 'Wow, he's reading into it that much?' So, I mean, you've got to watch out. There's different things that don't sound right. You know?"

Mayweather previously said that Mosley looked like a character from the movie Avatar, and that he had borrowed money from Oscar De La Hoya recently. He also accused Mosley of having had a nose job and commented on his recent divorce.

"What's weird to me is that everybody on his whole team, all of his security guards, they look like they're on steroids. They all look like they're on 'roids, and I don't understand it. I mean, why does he keep saying, 'Steroids, steroids, steroids,'"

Judging from their appearance on the latest episode of 24/7, Mayweather's posse of bodyguards did look a little 'enhanced' with something other than just hard work and protein shakes. Given that Mayweather didn't appear to even speak to them much, let alone train with them though it's a bit of a stretch to assume Mayweather is taking the same kind of 'supplements' that they are.

If anything they seemed unnecessary also, there didn't appear to be hordes of fans trying to break into Floyd's training sessions.

"And, you know, I notice that Floyd always shaves his head, all of the time. His head is shaved. His head is starting to look a little bigger. You know? Maybe, I mean, he has all of these people around him that's on steroids, maybe he dibbles and dabbles a little bit."

"Like I said, the guys are going in the gym, and they're doing weights and all of that, they look like they're on roids, for real. You've got that type of company around you all the time, then nine times out of 10, you're doing something."

This will no doubt come as music to Mayweather's ears despite the fact he was insulted. Floyd loves to trash talk his opponents, and he knows the more he can Mosley verbally spar, the more pay per views they will sell. Whether he really believes what comes out of his mouth, or will get bothered by what Mosley is saying is uncertain. If Shane really wants to get Mayweather angry, all the money he's lost through one thing or another would be a better topic of derision.

For Mosley, firing back at Mayweather might not be a good move on the whole though. So far Mosley has maintained that he doesn't care what Floyd says about him and that he is just focused on the fight. Mosley suddenly firing back might be a sign that Mayweather's talk is getting to Mosley, which only means Mayweather will step it up from here on in.

Just days ago on a radio interview Mosley said:

"I don't pay attention to the things he says, I just pay attention to the fight. It really doesn't bother me because I know its just a strategy he's trying to pull outside the ring and if I get involved and go back and forth with this then he'll win that battle"

Apparently that isn't the case anymore, and you can be sure Mayweather will be all to eager to fire back at Mosley's latest comments. Watch this space.

Harry, Pittsburgh: "Mosley just got himself way over his head"

Darren, Philly: "I don't think Mosley is really bothered about what Floyd says, him and Mayweather probably like each other when the cameras are off"

Source: Examiner.com

After his divorce Shane Mosley has to beat Mayweather to get Pacquiao to retire financially secure

Mayweather vs Mosley
Anaheim Boxing Examiner | Brent Alderson

There is an old saying, "It's cheaper to keep her," and that particular expression definitely applies to Sugar Shane Mosley. The Pomona raised boxer has always been a classy guy and an excellent fighter, winning legitimate world titles in three different weight classes while defeating such stars as Fernando Vargas and Oscar De La Hoya, but his marriage to Jin Mosley ended in divorce last year after seven years and the financial repercussions of their break-up have negatively impacted Mosley's net worth as well as his prospects of retiring financially secure.

And boxers' careers end while they are still young so they need to invest and save their money so they can live comfortable lives long after they hang up the gloves. Everybody wondered how and why Mosley looked so sharp against Margarito, maybe it was because he was in a financial bind and had to resurrect his career.

Shane married Jin, a Korean American from New York in 2002 and the couple had three children together and lived a lavish lifestyle with a minnie mansion, RV's, and nice cars. In all likelihood Mosley will be required to provide monetary support for Jin so that she can maintain that standard of living for herself as well as their three children. And child support isn't cheap, especially if you are an athlete making millions of dollars. Evander Holyfield was ordered to pay 250 thousand dollars a year in the nineties for one of the children that he fathered out of wedlock. It may not sound like a lot of money for someone like Holyfield who made a number of ten million dollar plus paydays, but it adds up. 250 thousand dollars a years times twenty years comes out to five million dollars. That's five million dollars cash. You know after a fighter pays the IRS, their trainers, their expenses, and their managers, they usually only receive between 28% to 42% of their actual purse. So if a fighter has to pay five million in child support, that would be the equivalent of a 15 million dollar purse.

Also Jin acted as Shane's manager during that period which further solidifies her claim to Mosley's estate. Now the details surrounding the divorce settlement have not been made public and Shane may have had a prenuptial agreement. Still, most of those agreements only protect assets which were attained prior to the marriage. Its very difficult to protect someone's earnings after the date of the union. And from 2002 through 2009, Mosley earned some of his biggest purses. In 2003 he fought De La Hoya the second time and in 2006 he had two pay per view fight with Fernando Vargas, and in 2004 he had two high profile fights with Winky Wright.

You really want to know why Shane Mosley looked so sharp against Antonio Margarito, it was because he needed a victory to prolong his career in order to set himself up financially after going through a costly divorce. Shane knew what he had to do. He ran that extra-mile, drank that extra-shake, and did that extra-hour of jumping roping and put forth what may have been the finest performance of his career.

Financial planners say that the financial impact of a divorce usually lasts a lifetime, but with a string of victories Shane Mosley is in a position where he can completely erradicate the financial hardships of his divorce. All he he has to do is beat Floyd Mayweather and then he will be in line for another big pay day against Manny Pacquiao. Even Bob Arum has stated that if Mosley beats Mayweather that Sugar Shane will be the Filipino legend's next opponent.

I know boxers are very competitive individuals and that Mosley wants to win every fight every time out, but with Arum dangling a fight with Manny Pacquiao along with a retirement package in the form of an eight figure pay day, Shane Mosley is more motivated than he has ever been to win a fight. So Floyd better be ready next Saturday because a desperate fighter is a dangerous one.

Source: Examiner.com

Shane Mosley: Maybe Floyd Mayweather 'Dibbles And Dabbles' In Steroids

Mayweather vs Mosley
Shane Mosley (pictured above) said the security guards for Floyd Mayweather "look like they're on steroids," adding that, "Maybe [Mayweather] dibbles and dabbles a little bit" during a recent podcast interview on ESPN Radio.

The 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts), who will face the 33-year-old Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, also asked, "Is he gay or something?" when addressing Mayweather's ongoing comments about Mosley's "jheri curl" hairstyle, his natty attire during press conferences, and, his "nose job" during the hype for their upcoming bout to be televised on HBO pay per view.

In 2003, Mosley admitted that he injected the steroids, "the cream," and, "the clear," which the WBA welterweight (147 pounds) champion said that he received from BALCO Founder, Victor Conte, through a relationship with his former strength trainer, Daryl Hudson. Mosley has insisted that he took the drugs without knowing that they were illegal steroids.

At Mayweather's insistence, both fighters are contractually bound to be randomly blood- and urine-tested for steroids by the United States Anti-Doping Agency leading up to their clash.

Mosley made his 90-second commentary as a result of the security guards' depiction on Episode II of HBO's 24/7 series, during which Mayweather's massively muscular protectors are shown lifting weights during their workout before reporting to the facility where Mayweather trains.

"What's weird to me is that everybody on his whole team, all of his security guards, they look like they're on steroids. They all look like they're on 'roids, and I don't understand it. I mean, why does he [Mayweather] keep saying, 'Steroids, steroids, steroids,'" said Mosley.

"And, you know, I notice that Floyd always shaves his head, all of the time. His head is shaved. His head is starting to look a little bigger," said Mosley.

"You know? Maybe, I mean, he has all of these people around him that's on steroids, maybe he dibbles and dabbles a little bit," said Mosley. "The guy that keeps talking. You know, the guys that usually talk about it all of the time, 'Oh, steroids, steroids, steroids, oh, oh.' They're usually the ones on it."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Floyd Mayweather continues his verbal assault on Shane Mosley

Mayweather vs Mosley
By Mark Leroy: Floyd Mayweather Jr has stepped up the verbal attack directed toward his May 1st opponent Shane Mosley. Knowing he was rattling Mosley’s cage Mayweather continuously mentioned Shanes past with the founder of “Balco” Victor Conte and his steroid use in 2003.

Muhammad Ali used the same tactic before his fight with Joe Frazier, Ali, knowing Frazier was a real threat stepped up with his usual antics, but this time was unusually cruel. Ali taunted ‘Smokin’ Joe, calling him an “Uncle Tom”, Frazier never could compete with the quick witted and articulate Ali in a verbal war. Things boiled over, Frazier had enough and the two where on the verge of fisticuffs’ in front of a live studio audience.

Mayweather, the self proclaimed face of boxing says, “as the face of boxing it’s my responsibility to clean up the sport”. People question Floyd’s motives behind this stance, but the principles are to be applauded. No one will argue the ethics; anything that will lead to a cleaner and safer sport ought to be commended.

Once again, Mayweather provided his detractors with another rendition of “I am the man”. He again laid claim to be the greatest fighter of all time, again mentioning the names Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson. Just the kind of fuel required for the critics to stoke their fires.

While, Camp Mosley is quietly confident, head trainer Nazim Richardson says Shane will be the fighter to bring Floyd out of his defensive shell, against Shane he will need to stand and fight at some point in the bout. We’ve trained to break him down, with Mayweather there is nothing new, he is great at what he does, but it’s the same every time. When asked if he has been studding fights of Mayweather, Richardson replied, “every night, they are what sends me to sleep”. (Referring to Floyd’s safety first approach)

The two are set to meet at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV on Mat 1st. Mayweather who is undefeated with a record of (40-0, 25KO’s) will be challenging WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley (46-5, 39KO’s). With the winner almost guaranteed a fight with WBO welterweight champion and reigning pound for pound king Manny Pacquiao.

Source: theboxinghistorian.com

One on one with Naazim Richardson (2 of 2): The misleading ways of Mayweather, Mosley and Pacquiao

Mayweather vs Mosley
Las Vegas Boxing Examiner | Chris Robinson

With the upcoming Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley clash less than 10 days away things have begun to intensify in each man’s camp. Floyd Mayweather’s verbal threats have been coming at a fast clip and you can see a definite sense of urgency with Shane Mosley as he trains rigorously in Big Bear, California. There will be much at stake on May 1st at the MGM Grand and the atmosphere surrounding each fighter is a testament of such.

One man who has kept a cool head as the days draw closer is Mosley’s head trainer Naazim Richardson. The North Philadelphian is a pure strategist and seems to have an uncanny way of dissecting the opposition in front of him. Richardson could be seen in the latest episode of HBO’s 24/7 series staying up late at night and breaking down footage of Mayweather, looking for any possible weaknesses to exploit in the ultra-talented fighter.

During the lead up to the bout Richardson has had much to say about Mayweather but you can sense true objectivity in his voice whenever the Grand Rapids fighter is the center of discussion. Richardson respects Floyd but he certainly doesn’t praise him and when asked to elaborate on his thoughts he first points to Mayweather’s god-given abilities.

“Tremendous athlete,” Richardson states. “Every great athlete misleads you and that is kind of why they are great. When you have an athlete like that you can’t get the full picture on them. What I mean by that is this; when you look at Bernard [Hopkins], he talks so much like it is demolition and a gangster that he misleads you on how technical he is because you just think he is going to be a gorilla. Mayweather talks so much trash and where we come from when guys talk that much trash usually they can’t back it up that well but it’s misleading because he can. He can fight as good as he talks and you can get mislead because you think he won’t be on the level that he is talking but he does.”

Suddenly Richardson shifts his attention from one great fighter to another as Manny Pacquiao becomes the focus of the conversation. After starting his career as a junior flyweight, the Filipino icon has had a great run of success between 140 and 147 pounds in recent fights that has left many dumbfounded. While Richardson has certainly been impressed you won’t find him star stuck in the slightest.

“Pacquiao misleads you because he has the world believing he isn’t as big,” Richardson claims. “He used to be fighting at these lower weight classes but calling Pacquiao small at 147 is like calling Mike Tyson a small Heavyweight. Pacquiao has created a stardom that can only be compared to where Tyson was at his height and were Oscar De La Hoya was. It can only be compared to that.”

Mayweather returned from a lengthy layoff by decisively beating Juan Manuel Marquez this past September and two months later Pacquiao dismantled Miguel Cotto to up the ante. The buzz instantly turned towards a potential bout between the two superstars but the fight never came off as they butted heads at the negotiating table. Mayweather was adamant about both fighters going through a strict Olympic style drug testing process but Pacquiao wouldn’t agree to the exact specifics that Floyd was presenting and both men moved on in separate directions. Speaking on the situation further Richardson starts off by putting himself in Manny’s shoes.

“I hear his point, that Floyd doesn’t control boxing,” Richardson says. “He doesn’t dictate to us what we need to follow. At the same time I understand Floyd’s point in that he had a concern and here it is. He was willing to address it the same way Pacquiao would have had to. But like I said, where I come from, if you ask a girl to dance and she says ‘no’ then you go on to the next girl. You don’t ask her all kinds of questions, you just move on to the next person. After Floyd asked Pacquiao and he said ‘no’ I don’t understand what the holdup was to get to Shane. I don’t understand why we were talking about Matthew Hatton and Paulie Malignaggi. We should have already been here.”

Getting further into his personal opinion on the matter, Richardson seems to dismiss the notion that any guilt should be thrown Pacquiao’s way. All the trainer has to go off of is what he has seen in the ring and he leaves all speculation by the wayside when discussing whether or not Pacquiao is up to something illegal.

“I don’t have any proof that he is,” Richardson says. “From what I can see he is just a tremendous athlete. I hope he isn’t on anything because it gives a black eye to boxing and we are all on the same umbrella. When we found out about Margarito and those hand wraps it makes our whole sport look bad. Even in boxing I am so sick of people coming up to me saying ‘You don’t teach your guys to bite ears off do you?’ Oh my god I am so tired of the Mike Tyson ear-biting incidents. I am just tired of that.”

In hearing him speak it is obvious that Richardson doesn’t let any bias or emotions interfere with his thoughts. His view of Pacquiao is one that comes from a man who can both recognize and appreciate the talent in front of him, even if it is in the form of a possible future foe.

“Pacquiao is a beast,” Richardson continues. “He’s all action. All these things you hear about guys not taking chances and being afraid to engage doesn’t apply to him. There is an old saying that says ‘You gotta bring ass to get ass’ and Pacquiao brings his ass to get your ass. He puts his chin on the line. He will get hit and he sacrifices his defense to get his offense. He’s the Larry Merchant of fighters. Larry wants to see two guys step up there and fight and that’s what Pacquiao does.”

One of the keys to Pacquiao’s success over time has been his undeniably strong connection to his trainer Freddie Roach. The Massachusetts native has a strong bond with his fighter that hasn’t seemed to be affected by their fame and Richardson can completely relate.

“We are in the only sport were the trainers belittle the other trainers,” Richardson points out. “I am better than you and all that. I don’t think I need to stand on anybody to be seen. Listen man, Freddie has done a great job with Pacquiao and he has been good enough to just shut his damn mouth and let him go ahead and be what he is. Freddie knew how to not get in the way and to let him be who he is. And Pacquiao believes in Freddie, whether you believe he is good or not, Pacquiao believes in him and he is going to do what he says.”

One fight of Pacquiao’s that stands out in particular to Richardson is his December 2008 bout with Oscar De La Hoya. When the fight was announced many people following the sport felt it was a mismatch due to De La Hoya’s presumed advantage in size but over the course of eight one-sided rounds Pacquiao would bludgeon his elder foe before making him quit on his stool. It was a resounding win and one that Richardson feels Roach had a huge role in orchestrating.

“Pacquiao didn’t think he could beat Oscar but Freddie thought he could and he convinced him that he could,” Richardson states. “He just went in there and followed Freddie’s lead. He was apprehensive but he followed his lead and it worked out for him. He’s a threat in that sense because when you have a trainer that knows what he is talking about and this guy is going to do what this trainer says, and Pacquiao is a threat.”

With the conversation coming to a close Richardson comes full circle by bringing up his charge Mosley. Richardson has gotten to know the Pomona, California fighter as both a man and a pugilist and that has only enhanced his belief that he has on his hands the most lethal welterweight in the world.

“Shane misleads you because there is no fucking way in the world that a guy can be that nice and that likeable outside of the ring and be that ferocious and viscous inside of the ring. All of these guys mislead cats to a degree until you get in the ring with them and then you realize that there is more to this picture than I was lead on. That attributes to their greatness. But I really believe that at 147 pounds Shane Mosley is the best fighter.”

Source: Examiner.com

Floyd Mayweather: Call Me Champ... But I'm Not Paying For It

Mayweather vs Mosley
Written by Andrew Harrison


Floyd Mayweather must be awfully tired from all of the standing he’s doing of late. First of all, he took a stance against performance enhancing drugs within the sport, one which, to all intents and purposes, cost him his mega-fight with Manny Pacquiao. Now, he’s leaping into action against the alphabet bandits by refusing to pay the WBA a fee so that he can fight for their title. If he’s not careful, he’ll end up blowing his role as Vader to Shane Mosley’s Skywalker.

Whilst the truth behind both of Floyd’s stands can be questioned, the principles are to be applauded. The removal of drugs from the sport is a good thing, of that there’s little doubt. There are many also who would welcome random testing to eradicate alphabet organisations, who charge fighters fortunes each year in sanctioning fees yet offer little in the way of good influence over the sport.

So, in light of Mayweather’s rebuttal, what exactly does that little black belt, the one Shane Mosley pays thousands of dollars to sling over his shoulder for the briefest of spells at the end of each contest, actually represent? Join me now on an odyssey of discovery… (warning: this may cause drowsiness, nausea and mild confusion).

Picture a time when clarity reigned, when times were that little bit simpler… and the IBF hadn’t yet come into existence. It’s 1981. Prince Charles has just wed Lady Diana Spencer, MTV has been launched over the airwaves, Bob Marley has been laid to rest alongside his trusty guitar and two titans of boxing hold welterweight world titles simultaneously.

Maryland’s Sugar Ray Leonard sported the little green WBC number whilst his nemesis Tommy Hearns donned the charcoal WBA version. The two met up in the September (folk weren’t as averse to finding out who was best back in those days) and Leonard was crowned the undisputed king of the welters. Then, after defending against Bruce Finch in Reno, he retired.

With his titles scattered to the four winds, it was decided that the winner of Milt McCrory and Colin Jones could have one of them (WBC), whilst Don Curry and Jun-Suk Hwang would take the other (WBA). Curry and McCrory were victorious and the pair followed the trail their predecessors set by duelling to determine superiority (by which time a WBA splinter group calling themselves the IBF had thrown another trouser-holding device at Curry for beating Marlon Starling).

Curry blitzed McCrory in chilling fashion and lucidity triumphed... for all of nine months. When “The Lonestar Cobra” fell to Bermondsey’s unheralded Lloyd Honeyghan the following annum, the championship fractured after Honeyghan found himself in bit of a pickle. The WBA, in their wisdom, chose Harold Volbrecht as their mandatory challenger; however, Volbrecht was South African, which meant if Honeyghan were to face him, he would receive a two-year banning order by the WBC (who’d have thought the alphabets would interact so incoherently?). Honeyghan withdrew, citing a protest against apartheid, and the WBA title meandered off on its own little journey, which we’ll ignore for now and come back to later.

Honeyghan was then forced to defend his remaining titles separately (IBF title fights were 15 rounds, WBC over 12… sigh…) before he was eventually upset by Mexican Jorge Vaca in London. “Honey” revenged the loss pretty sharpish, yet the IBF belt, which had not been on the line against Vaca first time around, was stripped from him and, like the WBA title (which remember, has veered off course at this point), was passed onto new and willing fee donors.

I think it's fair to stick with Honeyghan here and in a nice linear fashion, we’ll transport from 1988 to 1999 via Marlon Starling, Maurice Blocker, Simon Brown, Buddy McGirt, Pernell Whitaker, Oscar De La Hoya and finally, Felix Trinidad. At which point “Tito” breaks the chain again by moving up to 154 lbs. to ruin David Reid and Fernando Vargas.

Trinidad posted back the WBC bauble Honeyghan once carried, along with the IBF version which had somehow returned to the party via Simon Brown (the WBA title was still off doing its own thing).

As is usual, both organisations went their own merry way, with the IBF hosting a bout between Vernon Forrest and Raul Frank to find their champion, whilst the WBC plumped for the vanquished De La Hoya and former lightweight boss Shane Mosley as their contestants.

Mosley and Forrest would take the spoils and like Leonard & Hearns and Curry & McCrory, they met to consolidate matters. Forrest trumped Shane, twice, yet his IBF title would not survive the fracas ("The Viper" had to vacate to accommodate the showdown).

Yet again, a nice lineage ensues from 2002 to 2006 via Ricardo Mayorga, Cory Spinks, Zab Judah, Carlos Baldomir and finally, Floyd Mayweather. “Money” then embarked upon an extended sabbatical the following year, leaving the alphabet boys to take flight, again, inevitably, on diverging courses.

Oh I almost forgot, the WBA title had returned to the fold once more by now, only it had now transmogrified into a "super title" just prior to Mayorga trouncing Forrest, so three had become four... spooky… before returning back to three when the WBA decided that describing Baldomir as a "super" anything could invite a visit from the trade descriptions people.

I digress… oh yes, Shane Mosley whupped Luis Collazo for one of the remaining three trinkets (WBC), Kermit Cintron stopped Mark Suarez for another (IBF), whilst Miguel Cotto starched Carlos Quintana for the third (WBA).

Cintron would eventually lose to Antonio Margarito, who would gobble up Cotto, who’d bested Mosley, yet he’d emerge with just the one title, the WBA edition, although crucially, neither IBF nor WBC honours would be lost from any of the four in the ring.

So tentatively, and despite not having gained Ring Magazine approval, we could take a punt at Margarito having been a deserving welter champ. And of course, Mosley tore him a new one last year, so it can be argued that this is a legit welterweight championship fight, despite the actual "title" being anything but. When Mosley fought Margarito, the WBA strap the Mexican took from Cotto, mutated into a "super" version once again with the "normal" version winding up in the Ukraine, around the waist of Vyacheslav Senchenko.

It can be debated as to whether belts really do just gather dust, but you can’t gripe over Floyd’s logic. Why would you pay a fee to fight for something which may or may not relate to something Ray Leonard once held back when the Jheri curl was in vogue?

Source: queensberry-rules.com

Mayweather vs. Mosley - A Throwback to the Rich History of American Fights and the Welterweight Division

Mayweather vs Mosley
PhilBoxing.com
Thu, 22 Apr 2010

LOS ANGELES (April 21)...Check your almanac: On the night of September 16, 1981, time stopped for one hour while welterweight champions Sugar Ray Leonard and Thomas Hearns traded punches in Las Vegas. That's how big a fight it was. On May 1, welterweights Floyd "Money" Mayweather and Sugar Shane Mosley will clash in the biggest bout of 2010. The mega-matchup of multi-division champions, pound-for-pound kings and future Hall of Famers summons memories not only of Leonard-Hearns, but also of the rich history of American welterweights.

In recent years, boxing's headlines have been made largely by foreign-born fighters like Vitali and Wladimir Klitschko, Ricky Hatton, Manny Pacquiao, Joe Calzaghe and Juan Manuel Marquez. At welterweight or otherwise, there have been precious-few all-American matchups. In that sense, Mayweather-Mosley is a throwback fight.

In the boxing-rich 1980s, the majority of super-fights were contested between Americans. Among the memorable matchups were Leonard-Hearns, Leonard-Marvin Hagler, Hagler-Hearns, Larry Holmes-Gerry Cooney, Holmes-Muhammad Ali, Michael Spinks-Holmes and Mike Tyson-Spinks.

The same can be said for many of the major fights of the 1990s, including Evander Holyfield-Riddick Bowe, Holyfield-Tyson, Holyfield-George Foreman, Michael Moorer-George Foreman Roy Jones-Bernard Hopkins, Jones-James Toney and Pernell Whitaker-Oscar De La Hoya.

The first decade of the new century has seen a shift. There have been big fights involving Americans (De La Hoya-Mayweather, De La Hoya- Hopkins, Mosley-De La Hoya I and II), but nowhere near as many as in previous years. Perhaps Mayweather-Mosley represents the beginning of a shift back to the way it used to be.

No one is quite sure of the origin of the word "welterweight," but boxing historians are certain that the 147-pound division's first world champion was Boston's Paddy Duffy, who was crowned in 1888. In the 122 years since, the division has been dominated by Americans.

Consider the following:

*In 1939, St. Louis' Henry Armstrong, who is usually ranked below only Sugar Ray Robinson on all-time pound-for-pound lists, defended his welterweight title an incredible 11 times. This feat took place only a year after Armstrong defeated Chicago's Barney Ross, an all-time great himself, to win the title.

*New York City's Sugar Ray Robinson is remembered primarily as a middleweight, but was at his fighting best as a welterweight. He defended his title five times and was beaten only once, by a middleweight...Jake LaMotta.

*A handful of the fighters who have held the mythical pound-for-pound title did so as welterweights, including Whitaker (Norfolk, Virginia), Leonard (Palmer Park, Maryland), Mayweather (Grand Rapids, Michigan), Mosley (Pomona, California), De La Hoya (Los Angeles) and Donald Curry (Fort Worth, Texas).

*Other legends who held the welterweight title before jumping to middleweight include Mickey Walker (Elizabeth, New Jersey) and Carmen Basilio (Canastota, New York).

*Four of Ring Magazine's 10 best welterweight fights of all time were all-American affairs: Basilio-Tony DeMarco II, Leonard-Hearns I, Simon Brown-Maurice Blocker and De La Hoya-Mosley I.

American athletes have historically been bigger than their foreign counterparts. Scan boxing's various divisions and you'll see that while the vast majority of heavyweight champions have been American, the United States has produced very few notable flyweights and bantamweights.

With a limit of 147 pounds, the welterweight division lies somewhere near the middle of boxing's eight original weight classes. One might say it is the average or median of all weight classes and as a result, there have been great fighters from all over the world competing in the division. Pacquiao hails from the Philippines; Miguel Cotto, Felix Trinidad, and Wilfred Benitez from Puerto Rico; Ike Quartey from Ghana; Ted "Kid" Lewis from England; Joe Walcott from Barbados; Jimmy McLarnin from Ireland; Pipino Cuevas from Mexico; Roberto Duran from Panama and Jose Napoles and Kid Gavilan from Cuba.

Still, Ring Magazine lists Americans as the four best fighters in the history of the division (Armstrong, Robinson, Leonard, and Ross). Until the recent influx of titlists from the former Soviet Union and elsewhere, Americans dominated at heavyweight, and their excellence was best explained by genetics. Not so at welterweight, where the fighters have always battled on an even playing field.

Mayweather-Mosley serves as a reminder not only that Americans remain among the world's best fighters, but also that the welterweight division is still red, white and blue.

# # #

Mayweather vs. Mosley: Who R U Picking? is promoted by Mayweather Promotions and Golden Boy Promotions, and sponsored by Cerveza Tecate, AT&T, Dewalt Tools and StubHub. The 12-round welterweight battle is set for Saturday, May 1 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas and will be produced and distributed live on HBO Pay-Per-View® beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT.

Tickets, priced at $1,250, $1,000, $600, $300 and $150 not including applicable service charges, are on sale now and limited to 10 per person and ticket sales at $150 are limited to two (2) per person with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Seven of the MGM MIRAGE properties will host closed circuit viewing of Mayweather vs. Mosley. Tickets for the closed circuit telecasts at all venues are priced at $50, not including applicable service charges and handling fees are on sale now. All seats will be general admission and will be available at each individual property's box office outlets and at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith's Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000, or visit www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Ticket sales are limited to 20 per person.

An all new episode of HBO®'s all-access reality series "24/7 Mayweather/Mosley" debuts Saturday, Apr. 24 at 8:30 p.m. ET/PT. Episodes one and two are available on HBO ON DEMAND®. The four-part series chronicles the back stories of the two prizefighters as they prepare for their May 1 welterweight showdown in Las Vegas.

The Mayweather vs. Mosley pay-per-view telecast, beginning at 9 p.m. ET/6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $54.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View®, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Mayweather vs. Mosley fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Mayweather Jr cements legacy as being all about the 'Money'; Floyd doesn't pay WBA sanctioning fees

Mayweather vs Mosley
Sacramento Fight Sports Examiner | Rick Rockwell

Is it a surprise to anyone that Mayweather Jr only cares about the money? Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, announced today that Mayweather will not be fighting for the WBA welterweight title when he squares off with Shane Mosley on May 1st. Apparently, Mayweather Jr didn’t want to pay the WBA sanctioning fee.

“This is not a WBA championship fight. But on a separate side, we are currently discussing with the WBA, for Shane, that Shane would be defending his belt. But for the purpose of this call, it's basically a non-WBA fight. It's the two best fighters fighting each other, that's what's at stake here." Richard Schaefer, Fanhouse

Now, this should not come as a surprise to anyone especially since Mayweather has been saying that he doesn’t fight for belts he fights for the money.

“Belts only collect dust.”

"I am not only in the fight business; I am in the check cashing business.”

“Shane Mosley says Floyd Mayweather fights for money. You fu*kin dummy. I’m a prizefighters. That’s what I’m supposed to fight for, a prize, duh.” Mayweather Jr, HBO 24/7

Apparently Shane Mosley didn’t read these comments from Mayweather or didn’t truly believe that Mayweather was all about the money. Shane made the following comments:

"I don't know what to think about that. Everybody grows up wanting to fight for a belt and wanting to be a world champion. For him to dismiss it like, 'Oh, I'm bigger than this belt,' that just doesn't seem like he's in this sport for the sport, He's in it just for the money. Which is good, I mean, if he's in it for the money, to each his own. I love the glory and the legendary status of being a champion and winning belts, and beating the best guys out there. If you do that, then, the money's going to come regardless." Shane Mosley,Fanhouse

Billy O’Connors Sacramento, CA “What do you think about Mayweather Jr not fighting for the Shane’s WBA title?”

Honestly, it doesn’t really bother me. Floyd doesn’t pretend that he’s out for anything other than the money. How many interviews has he done where he’s said that he’s all about the money? I don’t understand why people are surprised or upset about it. Floyd wants the big payday not a title. What has Floyd done in his career that would make people think he truly cares about the sport of boxing? This is the same guy who says he’s better than the 2 greatest boxers ever Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson. This is also the same guy who says he doesn't care about the fans.

Shane Billings Sacramento, CA “Floyd is a disgrace to boxing when he refuses to fight for the WBA title.”

I can come up with a list of reasons why I think Floyd can be considered a disgrace to boxing, but not fighting for the WBA title isn’t one of them. Floyd wants the money and the undefeated record. Honestly, I think it’s a smart move for Mayweather. He won’t have to make any mandatory title defenses. He can still pick and choose whomever he wants to fight. He can continue to fight only those he thinks will give him a chance to make the money. For Mayweather, this makes sense.

For other fighters that actually care about the sport of boxing and boxing fans, they fight for a title. Like Shane Mosley said “Everybody grows up wanting to fight for a belt and wanting to be a world champion.” Well Shane, apparently everybody but Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Source: Examiner.com

Shane Mosley doing something other Floyd Mayweather foes haven't: Ignoring his rants

Mayweather vs Mosley
By David Mayo | The Grand Rapids Press

Mayo-column-mug.jpgThe biggest issue with Floyd Mayweather's inevitable tongue-wagging at Shane Mosley has taken the form of the older, more experienced fighter accepting it exactly how he should. If Mosley keeps it up 10 more days, he wins round one, even if the scorecards never reflect it.

This stretch run to the welterweight megafight coincides with the period when Mayweather believes his deflating debating often wins fights before opening bell.

And so it has, against some weak-minded opponents, most notably the late Diego Corrales and the late Arturo Gatti, both of whom withered under the verbal assault and mentally were beaten in huge fights long before absorbing the follow-up physical beatdowns.

As for Mosley, he takes the sticks-and-stones approach to Mayweather's schtick-and-drone strategy, blanching neither at the May 1 fight's magnitude, nor Mayweather's biting platitudes.

The sniping has taken a recognizable form, as in every big Mayweather fight.

Steroids, which Mosley used for a brief period in 2003 -- unwittingly, he claims -- are at the center of it.

Yet, Mosley dismisses that as the 7-year-old non-issue it is, which in turn provides him some immunity to the Grand Rapids native's rants, which he said are designed "to get a reaction out of you and see what happens, see what you do."

"That's probably part of his plan, or his strategy, before the fight -- the fighting before the fight," Mosley said. "He just says what's on top of his head to get a reaction out of you. If he gets a reaction out of you, he's done a good job. He's won."

No Mayweather opponent ever assessed the pre-fight tactic better.

Against the lesser opposition of his past, Mayweather limited the chatter to his own greatness.

Against better opponents, he brought out heavier weaponry by finding a painful truth and picking the scab like a playground bully.

When it works, he wins.

His constant harping about beating Corrales "on behalf of battered women everywhere," with the Californian facing a trial that sent him to prison for a year, had that fight won long before the five-knockdown virtuoso.

Mayweather's repeated claim that Gatti was a "straight-up bum" who earned their fight with wins against second-tier opponents and undue support from HBO led the promoter to demand separate pre-fight press conferences -- and when Mayweather crashed Gatti's, the fight effectively ended before the six-round assault began.

Against Zab Judah, Mayweather focused on how Don King was taking virtually the challenger's entire paycheck. When the fight soured, Judah sparked a foul-filled brouhaha, prompting an array of suspensions and fines.

Against Oscar De La Hoya, the focus was how Floyd Mayweather Sr., who trained De La Hoya for six years, jumped camps when the big fight materialized.

Mosley has interacted with Mayweather enough outside the ring to know that his opponent isn't the same with cameras off and a big fight not forthcoming.

"You probably can see some good qualities that Floyd has," he said. "He can charm up a little bit and be more friendly, whatever. It's just that when the fight happens, he just starts getting a little crazy and goes back to the things he's used to doing."

Mosley has taken minor shots of his own, confined to the fight's outcome, particularly his oft-repeated vow of a knockout victory, as part of a pick-his-spots strategy on countering Mayweather's mouth, which he described as "check him here or there, get him back to thinking."

Mostly, his approach is to treat the steroid rant dismissively, ignore the rest and wait for fight night to respond -- something many other Mayweather foes should have done.

"I know that me not reacting to his antics, that's just me blocking all that stuff out and wanting to fight," Mosley said. "I don't really care about the different things that are being said, because that doesn't matter. What matters is the fight and what happens in the fight. So that's my whole interest and I kind of block all that other stuff out."

Source: mlive.com