Collapse of megafight clears way for Mayweather, Mosley

Mayweather vs Mosley


It began with a pro wrestling moment. Boxing fans hope it ends with one of the sport's best moments in years.

Shane Mosley has waited years for a chance to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. He tried goading Mayweather into fighting him in September, crashing Mayweather's victory interview with HBO after his return to the ring against Juan Manuel Marquez.

But the reality is, it took many unforeseen circumstances to set up tonight's welterweight showdown at the MGM Grand Garden.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts) was set to face Manny Pacquiao in a March 13 megafight at the MGM Grand. Each fighter stood to make a reported $40 million. But when Pacquiao refused Mayweather's demand to submit to Olympic-style random drug testing, the fight fell through.

Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), meanwhile, had plans of his own to fight in Las Vegas. He was to face WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto on Jan. 30 at Mandalay Bay. But Berto pulled out three weeks before the fight when a devastating earthquake struck Haiti, where he has family.

That left Mosley and Mayweather with an opportunity to finally meet, and both fighters were available. Both were in the gym. The coveted Cinco De Mayo date at the MGM Grand was open. Mosley, who had admitted to using steroids in 2003, was willing to do what Pacquiao wouldn't, agreeing to random drug testing.

HBO quickly got on board. The money got worked out, with Mayweather to make $22.5 million and Mosley $7 million. Their long-awaited confrontation was realized.

Now, the question is, can Mayweather remain perfect? Or does Mosley cap his Hall of Fame career by being the first pro to defeat Mayweather?

Both fighters made the 147-pound limit at Friday's weigh-in, with Mayweather weighing 146 and Mosley 147. Mosley's WBA welterweight title is not at stake, but he's out to prove he can still fight at age 38.

"I will knock (Mayweather) out," Mosley said. "I can see he's getting a little more nervous, a little more scared. I noticed it at the press conference (Wednesday) when we faced each other."

Mosley usually doesn't get caught up in that kind of hype. But this is a big-money fight with bigger implications to both fighters' legacies. It was also out of character for Mosley to climb into the Grand Garden ring Sept. 19 to challenge Mayweather, who had just returned from a 21-month absence to rout Marquez.

It was a WWE moment. And Mayweather, who has done work in pro wrestling, was not amused by Mosley crowding the spotlight.

"Don't go disrespecting me!" he yelled at Mosley while trying to conduct his postfight interview.

Mosley has his version of what happened.

"People forget I work for Golden Boy (Promotions), and I had a right to be inside the ring after the (Marquez) fight," he said. "I came over to Floyd because he called me over to the conversation."

Mayweather insists the incident is not fueling his fire for this fight. But it's hard to imagine he's not using Mosley's supposed disrespect as motivation.

"The ultimate goal was for him to be disrespectful," Mayweather said. "I'm not trippin', but a riot could have broken out over something that small."

No skirmishes came about, but the seed was planted for tonight. Now that Mosley finally has what he wants, can he take advantage of the opportunity?

"We've got a Plan A, a Plan B and a Plan C," he said. "If Plan A works, we won't need to go to B or C."

Mosley obviously declines to divulge that plan. But he has the speed, power and experience to make Mayweather fight. He also has Naazim Richardson in his corner, a trainer who knows how to plan for an opponent.

Richardson said the key to beating Mayweather is to force him to fight.

"You hit (Mayweather) the first time in the face and he's going to turn into a dragon," Richardson said. "He's going to be breathing fire. So what you do is step on his tail and hit him in the stomach."

But will Mosley be able to get through Mayweather's defense often enough to hurt him? Mayweather, who appears to have gained some upper body strength to offset one of Mosley's assets, said each fight brings its own set of challenges.

"You prepare different ways physically depending on who you're fighting," Mayweather said. "Mentally, it's always the same -- you want to be focused on what you're supposed to be doing. I always want to look better than the time before.

"Whatever Shane tries to do, I'll be ready. It could end in a knockout. If he comes in, it could end in a knockout. The key is for me to be smart, use my jab and do what I've always done."

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.

Source: lvrj.com

Long-awaited showdown Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Shane Mosley tonight

Mayweather vs Mosley
By Matthew Aguilar

LAS VEGAS -- For the first time in his career, Floyd Mayweather Jr. may be going into a fight where he does not have supreme physical advantages.

Mayweather, who will meet WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley tonight at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is smaller, shorter, and probably not as physically strong as his opponent. And some think the psychological implications of that quandary could result in the first loss of Mayweather's unblemished pro log.

As the two stood eyeball-to-eyeball after Friday's tension-filled weigh-in, there is little doubt that Mosley plans to utilize every asset available -- physical, psychological or otherwise.

In a fight dubbed, "Who R U Picking?" Mosley is forcing the boxing world to think before answering "Mayweather" automatically.

Sugar Shane came in at a ready 147 pounds, a pound heavier than Mayweather's 146 -- pounding home the point that he is the natural welterweight in this fight.

"The key to the fight is my speed and power," said Mosley, a native of Pomona, Calif., who has a won world titles in three weight divisions in a 46-5 (39 knockouts) career. "I've always had power, even when I was a lightweight. But I can also knock people out in this weight class."

Not that Mayweather, 40-0 (25 KOs), appeared anything less than his ultra-confident, brash, cocky self. He got in Mosley's face after stepping off the scale, staring directly into Mosley's eyes as if to say, "don't think this undefeated record is a fluke."

Mayweather

-- abs glistening -- looked ripped, exciting the 6,000 fans on hand at a raucous weigh-in. "Money" has won world titles in four weight divisions and is arguably the best pound-for-pound fighter in boxing.

Boxing insiders who think this will be one great fight found that the weigh-in only reinforced that belief.

"I had a great camp and I put in a lot of hard work," Mayweather said. "My (trainer) uncle Roger (Mayweather) and my dad (Floyd Mayweather Sr.) did a great job. The key to this fight is the jab. I've got to do what I've always done -- establish the jab and fight a smart fight."

When asked whether there is a chance he could reverse roles and turn aggressor, Mayweather said, "this fight could end in a KO if he comes in."

Adding to the weigh-in tension, Mayweather manager Leonard Ellerbe and Mosley began to shove each other while the fighters were staring each other down.

It's proof that -- after a whirlwind media tour and 11 years of familiarity -- these guys really don't like each other.

Although "Who R U Picking?" is one of the best fights in the game, boxing fans still have an eye on Manny Pacquiao, the man who many consider the best fighter in boxing. Mayweather-Mosley became a reality only after Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations broke down in January.

If Mosley wins, he will almost certainly fight Pacquiao this fall. If Mayweather wins, boxing fans hope the two camps reopen negotiations for what likely would be one of the biggest fights in boxing history.

Source: elpasotimes.com

Bold Predictions in Breaking That Timex of Silence: Can Mosley Really Beat Mayweather, Jr.?

Mayweather vs Mosley

By Granville Ampong
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 01 May 2010

Unless Mayweather plays dirty that which he would not and unless Mayweather chooses to engage a toe-to-toe battle that which he would not, the best decision Mosley could get over the "boxing scientist" from the board of judges and from referee Kenny Bayless would be a DRAW or a DISQUALIFICATION, which borders to almost zero probability.

SIDE BAR EXCLUSIVE FOR PHILBOXING.COM: LAS VEGAS, Nevada - Sugar Shane Mosley (46-5-0) will try to debunk, if not nullify, Floyd Mayweather ,Jr.'s story of a "boxing scientist" and put an end to his undefeated professional record of 40 wins, inclusive of 25 knockouts, this Saturday, May 1, at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, live on HBO Pay-per-View telecast, beginning at 9:00 p.m. Eastern Time/6:00 p.m. Pacific Time.

But, it's not going to be easy for Mosley. Mayweather, 33, has transformed himself into a ring master whose schemes and bad intentions, each chance he timely counter-attacks and surgically targets his foe, whisper of infinite possibilities to win, at least against retirable Mosley, 38, whose battery-operated Timex quartz may have just been low at reading.

Nevertheless,the best of Mosley may not be seen anymore in the ring of madness than just unwarranted aggression to force Mayweather, Jr. on a toe-to-toe combat. His stinging left hand, though unorthodox contrary to what he claims himself to be, that stunned Fernando Vargas twice by knockout in a devastating fashion in 2006, has diminished its tonicity and may need something more than just training and unlimited salad refills at the Olive Garden- guaranteed as chlorophyll-rich to boost oxygen transport for power, almost of equal potency as with Procrit(Epoetin alfa), that man-made form of a protein that helps one's body produce red blood cells, that he once had - all to compete the speed of Mayweather, Jr. and the latter's "DANCING WITH THE STARS" antics.

For therapeutic and experimental purposes, Mosley might need Mestinon, a prescription medicine for an auto-immune neuro-muscular disease called Myasthenia Gravis, which may help improve his voluntary muscles to quickly respond during his fight or flight encounters in the ring, only if well-managed at a series of controlled dosages, according to a neurologist who discloses this golden tip on the condition of anonymity. He said Mosley's reflexes can become faster and may be faster enough to equal the speed of Mayweather, Jr., intimating that he is slower than the latter by two seconds or more. Mestinon, he said, also gives one a momentary freedom from fatigue. But, the problem is that such agent can be classified as a stimulant, for this purpose, and should be listed as one of the prohibited performance enhancement drugs, if it is still unrecognized by the Athletic Commissions across the U.S. and so as by the U.S. Anti-doping Agency.

ADVISE FOR MOSLEY: Find the #1 food you should eat to boost your reflexes and enjoy it before you break your Timex on an impending crash on fight night, and maybe, just maybe, Laura Bush can help you break that Timex from silence, which she did on her latest book "Spoken From The Heart", of frustration as you chase Mayweather around, hopelessly, within that 20 x 20 feet canvas of madness.

Hm...enough for that! Mosley can do better, for sure, on Mother's day.

Well, unlike the 2010 Kentucky Derby favorite, Eskendereya, who is out with leg issue, Mosley can chase Mayweather, Jr. all night long, knowing the availability of 'Iron Man 2' toys at Burger King. Yes,it's going to be a long night chasing for nothing, except that he'll just get hit a lot at almost every opening he makes when he throws his punches.

If one were to assess Mosley's power when he fought against Antonio Margarito, an impressive trail would be seen.

But, Margarito was simply out of focus during which time he got caught of using illegal wraps just before he first attempted to enter the ring on that fight night with Mosley. Margarito blew up his mind trying to compensate what was lost: the power of such illegal wraps.

On the other hand, not to undercut his determination, Mosley's knockout win over Mayorga in the twelfth was not that impressive either. Judge Pat Russell scored 104-105 in favor of Mayorga even at the time of the stoppage, and Judge Nelson Vazquez scored it close, 105-104, to his favor. Ironically, a less popular judge, Tony Crebs, had it, in fact, wildly to his favor, 107-102.

So what is more of Mosley?

Margarito and Mayorga are only at B minus level compared to Mayweather,Jr.'s power, speed and ring intelligence.

Unless Mayweather plays dirty that which he would not and unless Mayweather chooses to engage a toe-to-toe battle that which he would not, the best decision Mosley could get over the "boxing scientist" from the board of judges and from referee Kenny Bayless would be a DRAW or a DISQUALIFICATION, which borders to almost zero probability.

Meanwhile, among the prospects of the welterweight division, Mosley, Mayweather, Marquez, Margarito, Mayorga, Malinaggi and Morales (whose comeback fight is at welterweight) - all these M's, only one smaller man, the new "AMERICAN IDOL" who has the eyes of Bruce Lee, could bolt upon their might as their common exponential denominator, that is Pound-for-Pound King Manny Pacquiao, whose new light in the realm of Philippine politics has bought him a promising brand to his name: Congressman Emmanuel D. Pacquiao.

Conversely, Mosley definitely wants a shot against Pacquiao more than what he dreams of against Mayweather, Jr. Nonetheless, that chance may happen only after a Pacquiao-Margarito Fight at the Dallas Cowboy Stadium before the close of this year, regardless as to whether he wins over Mayweather, Jr. tomorrow night.

But, as for this sundown of Black Sabbath, who are you picking?

Source: PhilBoxing.com

MAYWEATHER-MOSLEY WEIGH-IN RESULTS AND PHOTOS

Mayweather vs Mosley

By Ed de la Vega, DDS
PhilBoxing.com
Sat, 01 May 2010

The official weigh-in for the Mosley-Mayweather fight was held early this afternoon at the MGM Grand Garden Arena with the members of the public as witnesses to the event.

The weigh-in was supervised by the Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, Mr.Keith Kizer.

The results are as follows:

Sugar Shane Mosley - 147lbs. vs Floyd Mayweather Jr. - 146lbs

Saul Alvarez - 150lbs vs Jose Miguel Cotto - 149lbs

Daniel Ponce de Leon - 125lbs vs Cornelius Lock - 125lbs

Source: PhilBoxing.com

Email this article Mayweather Weighs 146, Mosley Is 147

Mayweather vs Mosley
By Michael Woods

No surprises at the weigh in for Saturday night's welterweight clash between undefeated Floyd Mayweather, who's seeking to grab pound for pound top billing and wider acclaim as an all-time great, and Shane Mosley, seeking the signature win as his career winds down.

The 33-year-old Mayweather weighed 146 pounds. Mosley, age 38, was 147 pounds in the weigh in held at the MGM in Las Vegas, the site of tomorrow night's tussle. Some will recall Mayweather spurred some drama when he came in heavy for his fight with Juan Manuel Marquez last May. The contract called for the fighters to weigh 144 or less, and Mayweather weighed 146 pounds, and had to pay off JMM for the extra poundage.

Tommy Hearns appeared, and greeted the crowd. He said every time he sees Ray Leonard he flashes back to 1989, and asks Ray if he wants to fight one more time. Joe Calzaghe, Marco Antonio Barrera, Joe Calzaghe, Andre Berto, Sergio Mora, Juan Manuel Marquez and Ricky Hatton were also in the house, according to Michael Buffer, who emceed with comedian George Wallace. Berto said he thinks Mayweather will take it, and said he'd like to fight whoever wins.

The main undercard for the big bout is a Saul Canelo Alvarez-Jose Miguel Cotto clash, Alvarez scaled in at 150 pounds, while Cotto weighed 149 pounds. Regular readers know I'm not a fan of the less than stacked undercards that we are given. This one might be a barn burner, but call me greedy, what about another title fight, or even two, for the premium price people will be paying? Go the UFC route, and give people a bunch of compelling bouts, instead of using PPV undercards as resume builders/infomercials for the rest of your stable. It's a no brainer, from my perspective, but from a short-term cost perspective, this makes sense to the promoters. You will never, ever, convince me of the validity and soundness of this practice.

Source: thesweetscience.com