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Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Gearing Up For HBO's Mayweather/Mosley 24/7


We are a little over a week away from HBO's Mayweather/Mosley 24/7. I'm a huge fan of the show, and it deserves all of its accolades and Emmy awards. I was thinking of ways to make the series better, whether it be changing the narrator or altering the length. But I couldn't come up with any necessary changes based on those factors. The lengths of the episodes and series duration are all fine. Narrator, Liev Schreiber, is smooth, and really, just perfect. I haven't seen Schreiber in a film since the totally unnecessary Manchurian Candidate remake, so I don't know how his acting career is going, but he's doing great work with HBO. The show is excellent, but I'm not as stoked as I should be for this next installment. It's Mayweather. I need a new angle on him.



This is Floyd's fourth go around, and I feel like we've covered just about all of the areas. We know about his wealth and love for money. The relationship between he, his father, and his uncle have been beaten to death. Although, if they want to add something new to this topic area, subtitles for Floyd Sr. and Roger would help viewers immensely.

They've shown Floyd's children. Oh yes, the children. Um, where did these children come from? Who did he sire them with? This is the one angle in Mayweather's life that's completely lacking. Who is he banging?

I'm sorry, I know many of you may think I need to Wikipedia him, or look up old issues of US or People, but why should I, when HBO's 24/7 should be touching on this for me. I remember seeing the "significant others" for De La Hoya, Hatton, Pacquiao, Juan Manuel Marquez and Cotto, but never Mayweather. Sex and intimacy are a part of a person's life, and I would like to get a look at who the fighter is sharing his time with. Why is this aspect so absent from Floyd's life?

It would be awesome if he was gay.



I'm not making an allegation, so I hope Floyd doesn't find out about this column, and I wind up getting shot at next time I go skating in Vegas. Nor am I making an insult. Those who know me, understand that I'm the most pro-gay/lesbian person you'll find. I'm in favor of homosexual marriage, adoption, right to serve openly in the military–the whole nine. Also, I think it's juvenile and insulting when others try to slur Floyd with terms like "Gayweather" and the such.

I actually think that an openly gay Floyd Mayweather Jr. could do enormous good for the gay cause-more than Ricky Martin for instance. Imagine one of the greatest boxers of the past 20 years, and a first ballot Hall-of-Fame legend, as an openly gay fighter. It would be huge. I know the great Emile Griffith was rumored and understood by many to be gay in the 60's and 70's, but that's not the same at out and proud.

It would be one of the most talked about moments in television history, if one of the 24/7 episodes ended with Mayweather Jr jumping into the arms of some muscle-head for a full on hardcore make-session. People would be dropping their drinks in slow motion, with their mouths agape, all across the world.

Don't start berating me with the "evidence" that Mayweather's children are proof of his heterosexuality. We've all heard of "down-low". Plus, plenty of gay men have had intercourse with women, and have sired children-it means nothing. Again, I have no idea if Pretty Boy Floyd is gay, but if he is, 24/7 would be a great opportunity to kick the closet doors open.

If Floyd is straight, can I at least see a segment or two showing who he's dating, or having "relations" with? Does Floyd date outside of his race? Is he into skinny super models, or full-figured "more to love" types? Does he spend his time with ghetto "chickenheads", or do preppie sophisticated types appeal to Floyd?

Look, every part of Mayweather's life has been turned inside out on 24/7, and it's getting a tad tired. I simply want this one last, unknown, angle placed on display. Any man or woman who shares a special intimate place in Floyd's life is a compelling figure. Floyd has a fascinating personality. Who puts up with him on an intimate basis? I want to know. And so do you.

Mosley on 24/7



I'm so glad that Shane Mosley is going to be featured on 24/7. His career has fascinated me. He's been an elite fighter for almost 15 years in three different weight classes. Mosley has been compared to Sugar Ray Robinson because of his flashy, fighting spirit and hand-speed. Mosley has good looks, and is extremely well spoken-long thought of as one of the nice guys in the sport.

Why hasn't this guy ever become a crossover star?

I've never understood it. I guess the easy answer is that Oscar De La Hoya took on that role during the same era. However, Foreman was a talk-show and commercial staple during the Holyfield era. Mayweather and Pacquiao are both big stars right now. Why didn't Mosley make it big; particularly after his first victory over Oscar?

I hope the 24/7 series delves into this. Sure, Mosley headlined some high grossing pay-per-views, but only with Oscar as the marquee draw. Mosley has never been a humongous draw on his own. I'd like to know his thoughts about this. Mosley's career has had a lot of professional and personal ups and downs, and I'm very anxious to see it all on display-including his partnership with Golden Boy Promotions.



Of course one issue that 24/7 will have to focus on is Mosley's performance-enhancing drug (PED) use. You got to figure that PEDs will be a major aspect of the show because of the unprecedented Olympic-style blood-test program both fighters will be on. Also, the PED issue killed the proposed Pacquio/Mayweather showdown. Mosley is the poster-boy for PED usage in boxing. He doped up prior to his last victory over De La Hoya in 2003.

Mosley–who closely worked with PED manufacturer, BALCO–claims that he didn't know he was taking any banned substances. His claims are dubious and refuted by BALCO representatives. This needs to be touched on, but shouldn't be the focus. To Mosley's credit, he's agreed to Olympic-style blood-testing this time around, to prove that he's not cheating anymore.

Another major issue from Shane's past that needs to be featured, is his relationship with his father. By all accounts they're still close, but Shane Mosley's father was fired from being his son's trainer on two separate occasions. Mosley is currently trained by Nazim Richardson, who not only led Mosley to one of the best performances of his career last January versus Antonio Margarito, but also helped bring about the revelation that Antonio was a cheating glove loader prior to that bout. Nazim Richardson, who is also Bernard Hopkins' trainer, needs to be introduced to the broader sports public on the HBO 24/7 showcase. He deserves the notoriety, and he's a damn good trainer to boot.

It should be quite an interesting series this go around. Mosley v. Mayweather has been a decade in the making. Both have called each other out at various points in the past 10 years, but for some reason or another, the two have never gotten a chance to "get it on". After Pacquiao/Mayweather, this is the "biggest" bout that can be made. HBO always does these episodes well, but I hope that they touch on a few of the issues I've focused on in this column.



In a couple of weeks, I'll breakdown who will win and why. Honestly, I haven't decided yet. Initially, I favored Mosley by knockout, and then due to Mosley's layoff, I tended to favor Mayweather by decision. Now after spending lots of time watching some of both fighters' previous bouts on Youtube, I'm favoring Mosley again. I'll be breaking it all down soon enough. Till next time, enjoy this weekend's fights.

Source: 411mania.com

Mayweather vs Mosley 2010 Fight, Predictions, Tickets and Pacquiao Lawsuit Update

Mayweather vs Mosley 2010 Fight, Predictions, Tickets and Pacquiao Lawsuit Update. Last December, we were all hoping for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight. That didn’t transpire, and Pacquiao recently took on Joshua Clottey and Floyd Mayweather, Jr is set to take on Shane Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas.

The fight between the formerly retired fighter and Mosley is highly anticipated, and if Mayweather does defeat his opponent everyone will be crying that much harder for a fight against Mayweather and Pacquiao.

The Filipino fighter isn’t backing down from his lawsuit threats. There are some rumors floating around saying that if Mayweather drops his blood testing requirements, the Pac Man will drop his lawsuit and fight him. These rumors have been denied by representatives of the fighter, who claim that he has lost millions of dollars in potential endorsements and that his reputation has been irreparably tarnished.

Pro Boxing Fan predicts that Mayweather will win the fight, although Mosley will put on a strong offensive. They predict that the fight will end via unanimous decision instead of a knockout.

Mayweather has a lot on the line – a lot more than Mosley. If Mayweather defeats Mosley, he’s just adding himself to a laundry list of top-knotch fighters that have fallen to Floyd’s tactics. Mayweather has scored wins against some of the biggest names in boxing, such as Oscar de la Hoya.

If Mayweather loses, then a fight with Pacquiao loses its luster. Despite their strong rivalry, the Pac Man wants to be the one to de-throne Mayweather from his undefeated status.

What do you think the odds are that Mosley will beat Mayweather or vice versa? Do you think we will still get to see a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight?

Source: cnmnewsnetwork.com

Monday, March 29, 2010

Preliminary Perspective

Back in 2006, I wrote that Sugar Shane Mosley's savage KO of Fernando Vargas II was evidence that like a perfect storm, everything was coming together......just the right things in the mix and with just the right timing for him to fight Floyd Mayweather. Team Mosley was running on all cylinders and it seemed unlikely for anyone to slow it down. But that was then and this is now.

Since then, Floyd (now 40-0) has vanquished Carlos Manuel Baldomir, decisioned Oscar De La Hoya, waxed Ricky Hatton, and dominated Juan Manuel Marquez. Mosley has beaten Luis Collazo in a fight where Collazo suffered a fractured left thumb during the second round. He then lost to Miguel Cotto, but came back to beat clownish Ricardo Mayorga in a fight that was extremely close on the score cards until Mosley's spectacular left hook knock out at the very end which sent Mayorga to Matador Dreamland.

Sure, against Collazo, Sugar Shane (46-5) showed a display of effective jabs and great hand speed, once again using feints, quickness, and crafty head and body movement that served him so well in his wins against Oscar De La Hoya and especially Fernando Vargas. But Collazo is not Mayweather, and Vargas had taken brutal beatings at the hands of De La Hoya and Trinidad by the time he met Mosley.

Curiously, Mosley lost two to the "Viper" getting beat up in one, while Mayorga beat Forrest twice. But then Mayorga, an "old" 34, got starched convincingly by De La Hoya who Mosley "beat" twice. Of course, that was then and this is now and a lot has changed.

Shane's demolition of Antonio Margarito in January 2009 raised everyone's eyebrows. However, one theory that has not been given much traction (and one to which I partially subscribe) is that Tony may have been so discombobulated by pre-fight events, that he simply was there for the taking. Whatever the case, Mosley made the most of it and destroyed the disgraced "Tijuana Tornado." Interestingly. Mosley likely did not even get hit flush in that fight, but then, neither did Mayweather against Marquez.

The Age Factor

However, Sugar Shane is getting a bit long in the tooth and his considerable skills are in jeopardy of eroding. Age has a way of impacting speed, quickness, hand-eye coordination, movement, and putting punches together. Moreover, the fact he has fought tougher opponents than Mayweather (Vargas twice, Winky Wright twice, De La Hoya twice, Vernon Forrest twice, Jesse James Leija, John John Molina, Philip Holiday, Collazo, Mayorga, Margarito, among others), is not necessarily an advantage at this point. The reputation for never having ducked an opponent can back fire and render a boxer's body old overnight. That said and notwithstanding the Margorito beat down, I no longer believe Mosley is at the top of his game and I'm betting the ingredients for the perfect storm that once existed have now dissipated to the point where the momentum is clearly in favor of the man with the heavyweight ego.

Fighters like "Pretty Boy," don't come around very often. He uses old school stuff, but he does it so subtly, he is seldom given proper credit for it. As I have said before, he just might be too good for his own good. His use of shoulder rolls, feints, parrying, upward jabbing, giving angles, counter punching, crossover defense, strategic lateral movement, and deflecting punches is all part of the old school mix. So is his mastery of the basics...the three levels of defense, slipping punches, and fighting off the jab. If a purist is one who appreciates the technical aspects of the Sweet Science, Floyd Mayweather Junior is a purist's delight. His fights with Phillip N'dou and Juan Manuel Marquez showcased these attributes to a tee.

However, if one definition of "Old School" is that it combines the aforementioned with a violent dimension (one that reflects a boxer's propensity to engage in a pier six street brawl), then Floyd may be somewhat lacking. Aside from his give and take with Emanuel Augustus, we have not yet seen Floyd be required to demonstrate this dimension. However, his blow-outs of the late Diego Corrales and Arturo Gatti suggest he may be capable of the same kind of mayhem Mosley showed against Margorito, but I doubt he can do that to Mosley.

While I intend to break down this fight far more definitively as we get closer to May 1, my tentative feeling at this point is that a well-rested Floyd Mayweather Junior will dominate Sugar Shane Mosley over 12 rounds and cop a unanimous decision.

Source: badlefthook.com

Saturday, March 20, 2010

Running around in circles: can we just get on with the fights?

One man WADA Floyd Mayweather and his opponent Shane Mosley will begin the United States Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) anti-doping program on Monday, ahead of Mayweather vs Mosley on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Great fight, but such a lot of kerfuffle.

Fine. It is the first time in history that athletes from any U.S. professional sport have reached out and demanded World Anti-Doing Code compliant drug testing, setting a new precedent.

The program will involve no-advance-notice sample collection of the athletes’ blood and urine prior to and after the fight so that all banned substances, some of which do not show up in urine alone, are tested for thoroughly, and with both athletes subjected to the testing program leading up to as well as after the fight.

But it is unlikely to herald a complete change in the sport.

Yet Mayweather thinks so. “I am excited that Shane Mosley and I are willing to take these tests to ensure a fair fight on May 1. I just want to show the world that boxing is a clean sport and it is my hope that all fighters will take a similar stance and responsibility which reflects sportsmanship at the highest level and sets a new standard for safety in boxing.”

Mosley, of course, agrees. “I think the testing program is a great idea and I did not hesitate for a minute about agreeing to it. Let’s hope that the rest of the boxing world follows Floyd’s and my example.” I doubt it.

Leonard Ellerbe, CEO of Mayweather Promotions said, “Floyd is leading the way for changing the sport and I commend him for that. Some people have asked why he has not asked for it in the past but it is never too late to take a stand on an issue that is prevalent in all sports today and ask for something that can only have positive results on the future of boxing.”

Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions said, “Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and I commend him for agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport. I commend both of these fighters for setting a new precedent in the sport and giving others an opportunity to reflect on its current state and how, as a collective group, we can continue to make the sport better, safer and fairer for anyone who steps in to the ring.”

We continue in circles. Paulie Malignaggi says Amir Khan is a stronger opponent than Hatton. Khan says Malignaggi is ‘stupid’. Malignaggi continues to assert that there are drugs cheats in boxing…the pair clash in New York on May 15. Khan is likely to slice through the Brooklynite with a flair for hairstyles.

Source: telegraph.co.uk

Drug testing detailed for Mayweather-Mosley fight

Representatives of boxers Floyd Mayweather Jr., Shane Mosley and Golden Boy Promotions on Thursday revealed their anti-doping procedures for their May 1 welterweight title fight in Las Vegas.

The head of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency, Travis Tygart, said Mayweather and Mosley will be subjected to random urine and/or blood tests from now "until and after the fight." In addition to urine tests for steroids, blood tests will be implemented to search for such performance-enhancers as human growth hormone, synthetic hemoglobin and blood transfusions, Tygart said.

A positive test, Tygart said, would leave the boxer suspended from the sport for two years, a condition he said both fighters have agreed to.

Mayweather's desire for a more stringent testing program than what Nevada offers — random urine testing before and immediately after the bout — contributed to the failed negotiations to stage a fight against Manny Pacquiao earlier this year.

-- Lance Pugmire

Source: latimes.com

Mayweather, Mosley OK tests

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and welterweight champion Shane Mosley will undergo Olympic-style drug testing for their May 1 fight in Las Vegas.
Representatives of the two fighters joined Travis Tygart of the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency on a conference call yesterday to discuss the program, which is more extensive than the testing that now falls under the jurisdiction of state athletic commissions.

Mayweather and Mosley will be subjected to an unlimited number of unannounced blood and urine tests before and after the fight, and the results will be stored so the USADA can test them in the future.

Most state athletic commissions test only urine samples, which Tygart said cannot detect several performance-enhancing substances, including HGH.

Mayweather's insistence on Olympic-style testing is the main reason negotiations fell through in January for a fight against pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.

Mosley has acknowledged using steroids before a victory over Oscar De La Hoya in 2003, claiming he did so inadvertently.

Source: philly.com

U.S. Anti-Doping Agency outlines drug-testing regimen for Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley Read more: http://www.nydailynews.com/sports/more_spo


There will be blood.

The U.S. Anti-Doping Agency Thursday outlined parts of the Olympic-style drug-testing program it has put in place for the blockbuster May 1 fight between boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. and former BALCO customer Shane Mosley.

USADA's regimen, which includes random blood sampling and other strict measures, outpaces any other anti-doping effort in professional boxing. Both fighters volunteered for the USADA program. Prospects for a previous bout between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao foundered over disputes over drug-testing procedures.

In a conference call Thursday, representatives for both boxers were joined by USADA CEO Travis Tygart, who said Mosley and Mayweather will notify USADA of their whereabouts at all moments between now and the fight in Vegas. USADA may keep the fighters' samples in storage for testing in the distant future, when anti-doping science may have evolved to detect now-invisible substances and methods.

"These athletes are courageous in their position and their desire to be held to the most stringent anti-doping program to protect their right to compete clean," Tygart said. "At this point, both athletes have agreed to USADA's testing protocols, including both blood and urine testing, which is unannounced, which is anywhere, anytime."

Blood testing is customary in Olympic sports, but professional sports leagues in the U.S. have resisted implementing it. Such tests are the only way laboratories can detect the use of human growth hormone and several other doping methods thought to boost strength and stamina.

The new agreement also brings USADA into an awkward sort of partnership with Mosley, who testified before the BALCO grand jury that he injected himself with drugs supplied by BALCO founder Victor Conte, but escaped the kind of punishments other BALCO athletes faced. Mosley has claimed he didn't know the drugs he took were the endurance-boosting EPO and steroids, and has spent two years suing Conte for defamation for saying he told Mosley what the drugs were.

"We thought long and hard about it and its impact on us, whether we could be a part of this effort," Tygart said when asked if there was an investigation into Mosley's BALCO links. "At the end of the day we asked ourselves, what would clean athletes want us to do. From that perspective, clean athletes in this sport and in this event have asked us to be involved."

Tygart said that if USADA had had jurisdiction over boxing in 2003, it would have aggressively pursued evidence implicating Mosley, but that any hypothetical suspension would have been complete by this point.

"If he did cheat, and he does again, he will be caught and exposed in our program," Tygart said.

Source: nydailynews.com

THE OTHER MADNESS: MAYWEATHER VS. MOSLEY


BY ARON PHILLIPS



Just as millions of people have filled out their brackets for March Madness, boxing fans have already begun to debate the winner of the Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley fight set for Saturday, May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. And while the NCAA Tournament lasts only a few weeks, it has taken six-time World Champion Mayweather and five-time World Champion Mosley a lifetime of dedication to finally reach what will be the biggest fight of their respective careers.

The path to Mayweather vs. Mosley has been a long and hard fought one. They have both paved Hall Of Fame roads by fighting the biggest and best in boxing. Check out the bracket below which shows the paths that they both have taken to get to this mega-fight. If you have brackets on the brain, you can alos vote for who you believe will be victorious HERE.

Source: dimemag.com

Thursday, March 18, 2010

Mosley vows better bout vs Mayweather

MANILA, Philippines – Shane Mosley, the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight super champion, said his May 1 fight with Floyd Mayweather, Jr. will surely be a showdown unlike the one-sided fight of Manny Pacquiao and Joshua Clottey last Saturday.

“I would like to congratulate Manny on his victory Saturday night even though I think it put most of the fans watching to sleep,” Mosley said in a 411mania article posted by Ramon Aranda.

Pacquiao successfully defended his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt against Clottey via unanimous decision last Saturday (Sunday in Manila) at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Mosley, who will face Mayweather at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, even declared that he will score a knockout against his opponent.

“Now it's time for the world to focus on May 1 when I promise you nobody will be sleeping except for Floyd after I knock him out and send him back into retirement,” added Mosley.

Pacquiao was supposed to fight Mayweather but negotiations collapsed after they disagreed on the Olympic-style drug testing protocol which Mayweather called for.

Mosley, meanwhile, was slated to face Andre Berto last January. Berto, however, pulled out of the fight because his family members in Haiti were affected by the massive January 12 earthquake.

No comment from Mayweather

Talks of the much-awaited yet botched Pacquiao-Mayweather bout gained ground again after the Filipino boxing icon’s latest victory.

“‘Yun naman ang gusto ko (That’s what I want),” Pacquiao told Abac Cordero of The Philippine Star. “It’s up to him. I have no problem fighting him. But I don’t think he’s ready now.”

Pacquiao’s adviser, Wakee Salud, for his part, said: “I think the fight will happen. It has to happen… “I think it (Pacquiao-Mayweather) will happen this year.”

The undefeated Mayweather, however, has not yet commented on the Pacquiao-Clottey bout.

According to BoxingScene, a Team Mayweather member said: “Floyd did not do any interviews. Floyd has not watched the fight yet.”

This was in response to an alleged interview wherein Mayweather purportedly said that Pacquiao was a one-dimensional fighter. Such interview was deemed “100% fabricated.”

Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach, meantime, told BoxingScene that he does not believe Mayweather did not watch the Pacquiao-Clottey “The Event” clash.

Mayweather, Clottey worlds apart

It was Mayweather’s uncle, Jeff, who gave remarks on the Pacquiao-Clottey bout.

He told Percy Crawford of FightHype that Pacquiao gave a decent performance but the fight was “very boring and very one-sided.”

“You can't really look spectacular if a guy isn't taking chances or taking any risk to try to win the fight. You had one man working and one man working to survive. With that being the case, it didn't even give Manny the chance to actually look good because there were very few exchanges where both guys were trying to hit each other simultaneously,” he continued.

Jeff then addressed the comparisons being made between Clottey and Mayweather, who are known to be defensive fighters.

He even said the comparisons are “asinine.”

“You're talking about one guy who is a pure boxer, and the purest boxer in the history of the sport, that can actually hit you and not be hit and be right in your face at the same time. And then you got one guy that lies on the ropes and allows you to beat on him. That's the difference is that one is a boxer and one is a sitting duck,” he noted.

Jeff elaborated on his nephew’s boxing style, pointing out that Floyd is not just all about defense because he is a mobile fighter.

“Floyd's defense is why he's moving and while he's actually throwing punches. He will make you miss while he's in the heat of the battle. Floyd makes you miss and makes you pay. Clottey doesn't make you miss. He allows you to hit him on the elbows and hit him on the arms and that's not really defense.” – With reports from 411mania.com, BoxingScene.com, FightHype.com and The Philippine Star

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Tuesday, March 16, 2010

Mayweather and Mosley Give Fans a Choice

Just a little more than a week away from an event in Texas, welterweight great Sugar Shane Mosley and the volcanic defensive dynamo that is the superstar boxer known as Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. came to downtown Los Angeles’ L.A. Live complex to finish off of a three-city hype parade to announce the most significant welterweight fight since Oscar De La Hoya and Felix Trinidad squared off in 1999.

"These kinds of fights come along once in a lifetime and this is going to be one of the most promoted fights in the history of the sport,” said Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer. “We are here to set new records and set new standards. We have NASCAR-like sponsors. This is going to be the most promoted fight in the history of the sport."



If the press conference was any indication, I have no doubt that this fight can give the record 2.4 million pay-per-view buys that Mayweather and Golden Boy founder Oscar De La Hoya set in their May 5, 2007 junior middleweight boredown known as “The World Awaits.”

While that fight was billed as the fight to save boxing and did extraordinary numbers, the combat itself left a lot to be desired and was not close, no matter what the cards said.

It’s been three years since that fight. Three years of waiting for what that fight promised. And now the fans wait no more. Make no mistake; Floyd Mayweather Jr. is in the fight of his life.

Not only is he facing Shane Mosley (who, despite the fact that on fight night, will have spent nearly a year-and-a-half out of the ring), who is coming off a career-best win over Antonio Margarito in January of 2009, Mayweather faces one of boxing’s best strategists in Mosley’s trainer Naazim Richardson.

In the L.A. Live courtyard, a large proscenium stage was set up with bleachers at stage right, with a gate bordering the crowd gathered in the plaza. Two platforms bookmarked the stage and following a brief clip of each fight on the large video screen above the action, each fighter emerged one at a time amidst a geyser of steam. Two Tecate girls, one ill-fated (she would later faint from standing in the sun), the other a “blonde”, stood on either side of an attached runway where Mosley and Mayweather faced off, jawed at each other in a face-off before strutting down to strike a pose.

Mosley, 39, an aging-but-competitive and dangerous fighter, dreams of returning to the top of the mythical pound-for-pound list via a win over Mayweather, 33, who despite a brief retirement, resides atop that list. This fight is nearly ten years in the making and one that will be hard to wait another two months for. It really is that good.

“May 1, MGM Grand or live on HBO Pay-Per-View,” Schaefer said to the crowd of fans and assembled media. “Floyd Mayweather vs. Sugar Shane Mosley. Two of the best fighters, pound-for-pound. Two of the best fighters, period.”

The bout is being called “Who R U Picking?” (A sort of text message from the boxing gods) and is the kind of fight that already has both casual and hardcore fans choosing sides, which is a great thing for boxing.

“I tell you what; I’m going with the undefeated guy,” Mayweather’s right hand man Leonard Ellerbe told the crowd. “The guy who has never been defeated, faced the top competition throughout all his career. I take nothing away from Shane Mosley. He’s a future Hall-of-Famer, a great fighter. He’s been one of the best fighters of this past decade. And we know, come the night of May 1st, he’s going to bring his best. But his best won’t be good enough. Because when you’re facing Floyd Mayweather, you’re facing simply the best. 40 have come and 40 have gone.”

For Golden Boy Promotions founder and President Oscar De La Hoya, the choice seems easy as he teased the audience with a playfully vague play on words pick.

“I fought both guys. I know both guys. They both beat me,” he explained with his trademark smile, “But I already know what’s going to happen. I already know what’s going to happen and you know what? It ain’t going to be pretty. Because this fight is going to be not only [about] who wants it more. Not only [about] who has the more skills. The determination. No, it’s going to be about who has that whole package. And both of them have proved that they have everything and anything to win fights.”

“I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again,” began the always eloquent and often funny Brother Naazim Richardson. “I’m not one to that’s going to stand here and belittle the opponent about what can’t be done and what he’s not capable of doing. I’ve had the privilege of watching [Mayweather] since he was a young kid fighting in the amateurs. Fighting a young man from your area called Carlos Navarro. Like I said, he’s always been an outstanding athlete so I respect him on that level. And I respect the support team around him. Come the first, you have guys that are champions and then you have guys that are elite. Like the Ricky Hattons and the Margaritos. Then you have guys that are special. You’re privileged on May 1 to see two guys that are special. These are not champions. They are bigger than championships. They’re bigger than belts. These guys are special athletes. And that makes for a spectacular performance. Shane Mosley is an outstanding athlete. I feel he is elite at the 147-pound weight class. I feel its premier for him. They say ‘Can he knock the guy out?’ I say Shane Mosley can knock anything out that weighs 147 pounds. Anything he hits solid that weighs 147 pounds, even a farm animal, he’ll knock it dead.

“But we also know that Floyd Mayweather has the kind of defense [where] it’s hard to hit him in the ass with a handful of rice,” continued Richardson. “So we can’t take nothing from him. Just what I tell you. You’re dealing with special. People ask me ‘What do you bring to the table?’ Jack Mosley trained [Mosley] since he was baby and he did a spectacular job. My job is to dissect Floyd Mayweather, find the flaws, and then implement an attack that can exploit those flaws. That’s what’s in front of us. You’re going to see May 1. You’re going to want to be there. They say ‘The guy’s undefeated.’ I say, ‘I wasn’t there for any 40 of those fights. And in those 40 fights, he never fought Shane Mosley.’ I appreciate any man that does what he does as long as he does. It’s going to take hard work to convince him to do something else. I don’t eat pork. You can’t convince me to eat pork. But here’s the thing. We’re going to have no choice but to convince this man that he is going to have to find something new and that’s how to lose. Now he can drop the habit right after us but, on May 1, we’re going to have to convince this man that now he’s going to have to take a shortcoming.”

Before this fight ever became a possibility, Shane Mosley was set to fight WBC titleholder Andre Berto in a showdown on January 30 of this year. But when Haiti was devastated by their earthquake, the Haitian-American Berto, who lost family members in the disaster, pulled out for obvious reasons.

Meanwhile, Mayweather and fellow pound-for-pound headliner Manny Pacquiao were unable to come to terms for a March 13 showdown, due to Pacquiao refusing Mayweather’s demand for more stringent pre-fight drug testing. Mayweather had asked that Pacquiao undergo Olympic-style, random blood tests, which is above and beyond the regular urine screening the Nevada State Athletic Commission requires for all participants in combat sports, but a much-needed change in the ever-evolving world of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs).

The two sides went back and forth, negotiating over the blood tests, agreeing to do them, but ultimately they were unable to agree when the testing cutoff date should be. Mayweather asked for a 14-day cutoff. Team Pacquiao wanted it to be 24 days. This writer was told by a source close to the Pacquiao camp that the final offer was 20 days. Despite the efforts of a mediator brought in to help matters along, the fight died on the vine. Pacquiao filed a defamation lawsuit against Mayweather and went off to fight Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Dallas and Mosley vs. Mayweather came to fruition.

“When the Berto fight fell through and the Pacquiao fell through, there was no other choice,” Mosley would say later that day. “That was the best choice to make the most money in the sport and for the fans to get their money’s worth. This is the best fight right now in boxing.”

According to Richardson, the fight also serves another purpose.

“I’m more comfortable [with the Mayweather fight] than the Margarito fight and the Berto fight,” Richardson would say after the main presser’s initial proceedings were finished. “There’s champions, elite level guys and then there’s special. When one of these special guys goes back and fights a champion, they can say what they want, do the job but it’s still hard for them to zero in.”

Before he was ever a star boxer and future Hall-of-Famer, Shane Mosley was a badass kid from Pomona who had an explosive stand-up style full of aggression and combinations that boxing hadn’t seen in years. Both the style and willingness to fight champions in the gym, as early as age 16, combined to form a throwback package that earned Mosley the storied nickname “Sugar.” Richardson feels that this fight can only solidify Mosley’s claim to the nickname.

“I want him to stay at the level where he can solidify his status as the third “Sugar” in the history of this sport,” explained Richardson. “There’s Robinson, Leonard and now there’s Shane Mosley. Because they’ll be another young fighter coming up behind him. They’ll be some young kid who will earn the name of ‘Sugar’. So raise the bar high for him like Robinson and Leonard did for you. So you should be fighting the Mayweathers, the Pacquiaos, the guys who are deemed special.”

“Hello L.A. How you doing out there? P-Town’s in the house, baby,” Mosley said to his L.A. fans with a sheepish, mild manner that did nothing to hide his fighter’s confidence. “You know, first of all, I just want to thank all you great fans. [Mayweather] took the fight and I’m happy because, before, he was fighting everybody else, but he wasn’t fighting me. So I’m happy. I’m happy for this. I want to thank my team for being so inspirational in my boxing camp. I want to thank everybody. Everybody. The media for coming out to Staples. There is one thing I’d like to say. The fight is going to be on May 1. But you know May 1st is going to be May’s first [loss]. I’ll make sure of that.”

Since Mayweather burst on the scene and made his mark at 130 pounds with stellar performances over Genaro Hernandez and Angel Manfredy, a fight with Mosley- who was making his mark at lightweight, at the time- seemed a natural. But despite callouts from both sides at various times in their careers, the timing was always off. Mosley first moved from lightweight to welter to fight Oscar De La Hoya. Years later, Mosley would cite the need for a vacation with his family and there was an infamous “toothache” excuse that few fans and Mayweather have let Mosley forget ever since.

When Mayweather returned to the sport last year, a Mosley fight was dismissed as either too tough for a comeback fight or, according to Mayweather, it didn’t have any heat because Mosley had five losses.

But that was then and now Mosley has the fight of all fights in front of him against an undefeated, defensive genius trained from the day his eyes first looked upon the world by his father/ex-fighter/trainer, Floyd Sr. and then later taken to championship heights few have known by his uncle/ex-fighter/trainer, Uncle Roger. Not only that, but Mosley has a fighter in front of him who desperately wants to silence all his critics with an emphatic win over an elite fighter his own size and skill level. Because of this, Mosley understands that he isn’t the only starving-to-win fighter in this match.

“The guy’s been chasing me all his life,” claimed Mosley in a roundtable interview with the print media. “So I have to be able to box, move side-to-side, give him angles. I have to do a lot of different things. I have to give all of myself. I have to be ‘Sugar Shane’ to the fullest.”

For Mosley to win, he has to not allow Mayweather to get comfortable by changing up both his style and the tempo, round to round.

“[Tempo] could be a factor in the fight,” conceded Mosley. “There’s a lot of different things that I can do to make Mayweather to feel uncomfortable. Maybe I’m going to do body shots; I’m going to do head shots. I’m going to go forward. I may even go backwards a little. I might box a little bit. I might do a lot of everything. I’m not going to just do one thing. You can’t say ‘Ok, Shane’s coming right at me and I’m prepared for that.’ He has to prepare for everything just like I am.”

What makes Mosley dangerous in this fight is not just his experience against the best boxers and fighters of the post and current modern eras. It is his retention of the majority of his formidable attributes as a fighter. Comparable speed, agility, endurance, and a powerful right hand remain, as well as one of the best chins in the game. While the speed of his combinations may have dwindled a shade, power is the last thing to go in a fighter and if his ninth-round destruction of Antonio Margarito is any indication, Shane hasn’t lost his one bit.

“They may doubt but it’s not up to the people how I‘m going to attack this fight,” said Mosley. “My job is to win the fight. I’ll definitely win by knockout if I catch him on the chin and he wobbles a little bit. That’s a knockout. If not, then I have to be prepared to fight 12 hard rounds. This is going to be a tough fight.”

Mosley is right for a few reasons. Not the least of which is an extended layoff that can’t be good for a fighter his age. But tell him that and he’d disagree.

“It doesn’t concern me because when I fought Margarito I had a long layoff,” explained Mosley. “And I jumped in the ring and looked even better. The way I stay in the gym all the time and train, it just doesn’t make a difference. I’m always ready to go.”

For the record, Mosley had roughly a four-month layoff coming into his bout with Margarito. This layoff eclipses that one by over a year.

In Mayweather, Mosley also faces the second defensive wizard of his career. The first was in two consecutive fights with former junior middleweight champion Winky Wright. Even in losing efforts, fighting an elite fighter yields experience but Mosley said that from a style standpoint, this new puzzle doesn’t resemble Wright in the least.

“Mayweather’s a different guy because Winky was bigger than me. A southpaw. Just different altogether. Mayweather is going to be a little smaller than me and he’s defensively pretty good at swiveling and moving, but I am too. When I fought Winky, I was more flat-footed than anything. Now I have more movement. It’s going to be a different fight, even for Mayweather.”

Beyond making history by being the first to defeat Mayweather, this bout also has a different kind of significance for Mosley. According to leaked grand jury testimony and later sworn statements by the now-defunct BALCO Labs founder, Victor Conte and former Mosley strength and conditioning coach Derryl Hudson, Mosley knowingly used the substances known as Tetrahydrogestrinone (or “The Clear”) and a testosterone cream mixed with epitestosterone (or “The Cream”) as well as Erythropoietin (or EPO) in preparation for his 2003 rematch with Oscar De La Hoya. In the fallout from these allegations, some in the sport have called for the bout to be called a “no-contest” (though the Nevada State Athletic Commission has yet to do so) and defamation suits and counter suits were filed by Mosley, Conte and Hudson.

While Pacquiao, who has never tested positive in any commission, pre or post-fight test for PEDs, refused to agree to Mayweather’s demand, Mosley had no problem at all submitting to the tests. At the same time, he feels this fight isn’t about redemption of any kind.

“Well I’ve been clean,” insisted Mosley. “I’ve been clean my whole career. It’s just in 2003, which is seven years ago, they talk about it. I haven’t tested positive for anything. I didn’t even test positive in 2003. And this wasn’t even considered an enhancement drug back then. It was considered after the fact. And what they had on TV and all that different stuff. I mean, whatever, I think that the sport should be clean. People should know what they are taking. And they should know they are taking the right stuff, the clean stuff. They don’t know that it can be a problem for their health later in life.”

For the record, it is true that Mosley has never tested positive for PEDs.

No matter how Mosley feels or doesn’t feel about redemption in the eyes of the public, beating Mayweather while undergoing extensive blood testing will go a long way to restoring the public’s faith in his greatness at his advanced age.

To Mosley, however, the victory would simply be icing on a future Hall of Fame cake.

“Each victory has its value,” explained Mosley. “When I beat Oscar the first time, that gave me a lot of respect and credibility. And then, me and Margarito, at that time and at my age, that also gave me a lot of notoriety just to make this fight. If I beat Mayweather, I’m already in the history books, but that would be icing on the cake. This is a chance for me to shine; a chance for me to show the people that I am truly the best welterweight right now on this Earth.”

When asked about testing and how and if it would be happening, Schaefer had this to say, “It’s going to be up to the USADA. Whenever they decide to start it. But thing is of random. Random, you don’t know. If I could tell you, then it wouldn’t be random anymore so I really don’t know when. It could happen right now.”

According to one source, the random testing period began the day after the final press conference.

If there is a figure as polarizing as Mayweather, it’s his uncle/trainer Roger. A man known for dismissing both boxing writers as knowing nothing about the sport and Mayweather Jr.’s opponents as not being up to the task, no matter how prepared they are. In the case of Mosley, Uncle Roger was more respectful than ever while explaining why Shane Mosley, though great, would be a tough fight for his nephew.

“Shane has the biggest amateur background,” Roger explained. “I had a guy Shane beat four times.”

When reminded that Mosley’s first loss came against the taller, rangier Vernon Forrest, who fought nothing like Mayweather, Roger said, “Even if Forrest was tall, Floyd is still the most skilled fighter Shane has ever faced. It doesn’t matter how tall he is. It’s about skills. Skill wins fights.”

Uncle Roger understands that as much as Floyd has accomplished, there is always more; that there is always a fighter who can push you to the limit and take you to greatness. In short, he understands who Shane is and how he can lift his nephew to heights he has yet to know.

“There is only one Sugar Ray Robinson,” explained Roger. “Everything is up there but there is only one Sugar Ray Robinson. That’s why he’s called the best ever. So if this is going to be the defining fight about what Floyd will be in history, we’ll see.”

The best is generally saved for last and on this day, no exception was made.

“I’ve been here before so I know what it takes,” Floyd Mayweather Jr. said to the crowd. “I want to test my skills against the best guys they got out there. And me and Shane were supposed to fight back in 1998-99. It didn’t happen, so we moved on. Things happen in life, you know? We’re fighting in 2010. I want Shane to believe in his skills. I want him to believe in himself because I’m a fighter who believes in myself and I believe in my skills, just like Shane. He has a great family; he has great backing, people that love him. I have the same thing on my side. We know that I have a great trainer, Roger Mayweather. He has a great trainer. We must understand our trainers can’t fight for us. Come May 1, I want to get out there and display my skills. Display my talent. He’s a future Hall-of-Famer. I’m a future Hall-of-Famer. It’s going to be a tremendous fight. It’s going to be a great fight. And that’s what I want to do. I want to test my skills against the best guys they’ve got out there. Like I said before, I just want to change the way the sport of boxing is. I just want to clean up the sport and say that my sport is clean. That’s why me and Shane is taking [random urine and random blood]. I’m pretty sure Shane’s going to have a tremendous camp. I’m going to have a tremendous camp.”

There is no fighter today, in boxing in or out of the ring, like Floyd Mayweather Jr. He’s more polarizing than politics or religion rolled into a giant-sized talk show burrito. He could read the phonebook in a crowd of boxing fans and half would be angered by the way he did it while claiming he left a few names out and the other would stay until he got to the Zs, while claiming no one had ever read so well.

Early on in his career, when he infamously turned down a multi-million-dollar HBO contract and referred to it as “slave wages,” it cost him fans and cast him in a negative light. In 2010, three years after the De La Hoya fight and the first episodes of the Emmy award-winning HBO boxing “reality” show “24/7,” it’s clear Mayweather has mastered the art of self-promotion. Appearances on “Dancing with the Stars,” a WWE wrestling pay-per-view event against “The Big Show” and commercials have proven his crossover appeal. A million PPV buys for his return to the ring against Juan Manuel Marquez has proven he doesn’t need a crossover name on the marquee with him to sell fights. Mercurial, arrogant, funny, and combative, Mayweather seemed in his element, surrounded by fans and boxing press in a question-and-answer session following his speech to the crowd.

“I’m just me. And you know I just like to go out there and be me,” he was telling members of the press as I approached the tight circle enclosing him. “There are those who say Floyd is too much of a defensive fighter. And because I make an extraordinary fighter look ordinary, then they say I’m boring. It’s not my fault that God blessed [me] with that good of an ability to be that much better than my opponents. Marquez was the number-two pound-for-pound guy and once I faced him, it’s no disrespect to the Mexican heritage or the Mexican background. There are those who say he was too small but, once again, I came from a small weight class and moved my way up through the ranks. When I did it, there were no excuses. Like I said before, no matter who I face, I’m always in a no-win situation. ‘He was too old’, ‘He was too slow’, ‘He was flat-footed’. I just want my just due. One day, I will get my just due. Ten or 20 years from now, I will get my just due.”

Mayweather was referring to his fight with Marquez, a career featherweight (with a handful of outings at junior featherweight) who had recently made a move to lightweight and, upon beating Juan Diaz in one of the best fights of 2009, called out Mayweather. Floyd took the challenge and returned to the sport to face Marquez in a 144-pound welterweight catchweight (a weight Mayweather ultimately did not make, missing it by two pounds and paying $600,000 in penalties to Marquez). It’s a fight many criticized as being a physical mismatch and added to the perception that Mayweather has picked and chosen his opponents carefully since he left the lightweight division.

“I don’t pick and choose my opponents,” said Mayweather of that perception. “The thing is this: Marquez was one of the best guys when I came back and went right at him. Once again, Marquez called Mayweather out after his fight. He called me out. He had just knocked out a hungry young pup but they didn’t say nothing about that. But then, I had taken two years off boxing. The thing is this: I think if I was boxing toe-to-toe and banging head-to-head with these guys, you guys wouldn’t be here right now giving me an interview. It’s just I haven’t taken no abuse. If you don’t believe, I’m being honest; just look at Shane’s face, he’s slurring. He’s taken a lot of abuse in the sport of boxing and there’s nothing about that that’s cool. I’m still smart, still sharp, still intelligent and that’s the main thing that counts. Making a lot of money and not taking abuse in the sport of boxing.”

When asked about if he is bothered by the possibility that the L.A. fans, who are largely Hispanic, may feel some sort of animosity for that win, Mayweather answered “I love the Mexicans. I love the Latinos. I’m not fighting against nobody but Shane. It’s not my fault. To be the best, you have to beat the best. And in my era, Mexican fighters were some of the best fighters and they got some of the best fighters. Right now, in the sport of boxing, when you see somebody from another race in the sport do something that just makes a little bit of noise, that’s abnormal; but when you see a Mexican or a black American dominating the sport of boxing, that’s normal.”

There has also been talk that when the Pacquiao fight fell through, Mayweather was stuck having to take the Shane Mosley fight. With it being a tough fight and with the previous perception out there, some fans and writers felt he was forced to take a tough fight he never wanted. Floyd would disagree with that.

“I’m not ducking no one,” he said. “There’s just options in the sport of boxing. Shane was one of our options, so that’s what we went for. When you look out there in the sport of boxing, you got heavyweights that want to fight Floyd. Light heavyweights. Middleweights. Flyweights. Super flyweights and, like I said, all roads lead to Floyd Mayweather. I think that I’m in a position where I should be able to pick and choose who I want to fight because to get to pound-for-pound before in the ranks, that means you have to have fought everybody and that has what I have done in my career.”

“You earned that,” chimed in a nearby Leonard Ellerbe.

“I earned the right to pick and choose,” agreed Floyd.

When the subject turned to blood testing and why Mayweather decided why now would be the best time to make that change in the sport (a full Q&A of this portion of the interview is available here: http://www.maxboxing.com/news/promo-lead/montoyas-saturday-mailbag-), he answered “Because I’m the face of boxing. I just want to show the world that my sport, that I’m in, is a clean sport. That’s all I’m saying. And you’ve got to realize this, I don’t read negative articles, but you know I hear the fans say ‘Floyd, don’t listen to the media; don’t listen to the writers because of this.’ The thing is this: I’m fighting against the media; I’m fighting against all the writers, all the photographers; I’m fighting against everybody. I’m fighting against all the internet blogs AND I’m fighting against the opponent. You have to be mentally strong to be able to do that and to be able to hold up 15 years as a professional and dominate in the professional ranks.”

When pressed further to provide the moment of inspiration for this stand on PEDs and better drug testing, Mayweather explained that change happens all the time and that for every change, there is a moment it begins.

“It’s out with the old and in with the new. At one particular time, fighters didn’t have to take a urine test at all. At one particular time, fighters didn’t have to take HIV tests. But they do because somebody had to make a stand. So I’m making a stand. That’s all I’m saying.

“The thing is this about boxing,” he continued when pressed for further clarity, “a guy don’t come from- and understand I am saying any guy in the sport- he’s not going to be ordinary and then get to the age of 25 or over-25 and then become extraordinary. So you should ask yourself that question. As a reporter, you should know that.”

As a reporter, I know one thing about this fight: it’s going to be a great one. Two fighters, neither in their prime, but at a place where their skills and experience are enough that they will be a problem for the other, all night long, when they meet on May 1st at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, Nevada. It will be a historic night because, for the first time in a long time, Floyd Mayweather will face a fighter every fan can agree they want him to. Additionally, it will be the first time ever that any two fighters subjected themselves to stringent blood testing to prove to the world they are on an even playing field.

“May 1. Don’t miss this,” said Mayweather. “It’s going to be a blockbuster. Two of the best welterweights of this era meet toe-to-toe in a blockbuster fight.”

I couldn’t agree more.

Source: maxboxing.com

Sunday, March 14, 2010

Pacquiao vs. Mosley May Very Well Happen, Says Arum

Top Rank CEO Bob Arum says a unification fight between welterweight champions Manny Pacquiao and Shane Mosley is almost sure to happen if both men win their upcoming fights. Pacquiao defends the WBO title this Saturday against Joshua Clottey and Mosley defends against Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 1. During a recent interview with our friends at boxingnewsonline.net, Arum said he likes Mosley because of his non-trash talking personality. The remark is clear on who he would rather not do business with. Arum later says he would rather not deal with Mayweather, a fighter who loves to talk pre-fight trash.

“[Pacquiao-Mosley], that may very well happen,” said Arum. “Mosley’s a good guy and he’s always been a good guy and a Mosley fight would be attractive because I am at a stage with my career where I don’t tolerate any of this trash talking, any of this nonsense. I like to do fights with guys who are respectful of each other - like Ricky Hatton and Manny, like Miguel Cotto, like Joshua Clottey and Mosley’s the same way."

"Shane’s a very high class fellow and he’s a high class athlete and to do a fight with Mosley would be fine. To do a fight with Mayweather is not fine. We don’t need trash talk in boxing."

Arum is no fan of Mayweather, or his the rest of the clan, Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Roger Mayweather. He would rather not deal with anything that has to do with them.

"Boxing is on a new high, coming into a stadium like this, going to New Yankee stadium in New York [June 5 Yuri Foreman-Miguel Cotto], it’s going to be in all of the big buildings now. We don’t need anyone in the sport who embarrasses it,” Arum said.

Source: boxingscene.com

Arum and Roach prefer Pacquiao to fight Mosley next

By Chris Williams: If Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and trainer Freddie Roach had their ways, World Boxing Organization welterweight champion Manny Pacquiao would be facing WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley next and not unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr. Both Roach and Arum see it easier to deal with Mosley and set up a fight compared to Mayweather, who will likely ask for Olympic style random blood testing to be done before he’ll step in the ring with Pacquiao.


Roach also believes that a fight between Mosley and Pacquiao would be much more of a boxing fan friendly fight, because of Mosley’s tendency to go toe to toe with his opponents. There’s no question that Mosley would be trying to slug it out with Pacquiao all night long rather than boxing from the outside like Mayweather will probably do. Despite his wanting Pacquiao to fight Mosley, Roach is realistic about what the fans want to see. He acknowledges that most fans care more to see Mayweather vs. Pacquiao rather than Mosley vs. Pacquiao. Roach says that he thinks that Mayweather will beat Mosley when they meet on May 1st at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada. Roach believes that Mayweather’s movement will cause problems for Mosley, who doesn’t do well against fighters that move a lot.
The problem with Arum and Roach’s wanting Mosley to fight Pacquiao is that it’s not likely to happen. Mosley is 38-years-old and probably not going to do well enough to beat Mayweather. Arum and Roach are going to have to deal with that, accept it and try to get their fighter Pacquiao to agree to the random blood testing that Mayweather wants. This is the fight that fans really care about.

If Arum and Roach become stubborn and unyielding about that issue and leave it up to the Athletic Commission to decide, then they might as say they don’t want Pacquiao to fight Mayweather, because the blood testing is part of the deal with setting up a fight with Mayweather. If Arum, Roach and Pacquiao want the truly huge money that comes with a fight against Mayweather, then they have to be willing to make some minor sacrifices about random blood testing.

They can wish all they want that Mosley comes out on top, but it’s probably going to leave them feeling frustrated in the end when Mayweather comes out on top. It would be better for Arum and Roach to accept that Mayweather will probably win, and start early trying to make Pacquiao understand the importance of him taking the random blood tests that Mayweather is asking for.

Pacquiao will have to face the fear of having blood taken from him, but once he realizes that it’s not logical for a fighter to be weak from having small amounts of blood taken from him, he should be okay with taking the fight. Arum and Roach should put Mosley completely out of their mind and focus entirely on Mayweather. He’s the one that will likely win, and besides that, he’s the one that boxing fans want to see.

Mosley is a nice guy, but if boxing fans don’t care to see him, then why waste time wanting Pacquiao to fight him? They already have Pacquiao fighting Joshua Clottey this Saturday night. Although there are a lot of people coming to see the Pacquiao-Clottey fight, this fight hasn’t generated a lot of interest mainly because Clottey is an unknown fighter, and is coming off a loss in his last fight to Miguel Cotto.

It’s a credit to Pacquiao that he’ll probably bring in good pay per view numbers, but those numbers for the Clottey fight are nothing compared to what they would have been had Pacquiao fought Mayweather. That’s the fight that boxing fans care about.

Source: boxingnews24.com

Pacquiao versus Mayweather on as Clottey demolished in Dallas

After demolishing Joshua Clottey before a crowd of 50,994 in Dallas, Texas, the third largest ever for an indoor fight in boxing history, Manny Pacquiao declared that the fight that he wants, and that everybody else wants, is against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

His trainer Freddie Roach went further by telling Mayweather's camp to “let the Nevada Commission do their job.” The Nevada Athletic Commission only allows random urine testing which should be in line with the requirements of both camps. Roach also confirmed that he already has Pacquiao preparing for a Mayweather showdown with some of his sparring partners imitating the so-far undefeated fighter.

Only one thing could still prevent that fight and that is Sugar Shane Mosley beating Mayweather in their bout on May 1 in which case Pacquiao has said he would fight him as well.

Manny Pacquiao versus Joshua Clottey

The patrons who attended the all new $1.2 billion Cowboys Stadium on Saturday night were given their money's worth as Ghanaian went the full 12 rounds with Pacquiao.

That said it was all one way traffic as all 3 judges scored a convincing win for the Filipino superstar who retained his WBO welterweight title ; 120-108, 119-109, 119-109

The pattern was set in the first round and seldom varied throughout the fight. Pacquiao lightening quick on his feet bombarding Clottey with combinations while the 32-year-old from Ghana tried to fight from behind a peek-a-boo defence.

Occasionaly such as in the second round where Clottey managed to get in a couple of good jabs and the third where he hit the champion with a straight right and a solid left uppercut there was hope for the challenger but in the end it proved to be scant reward for the torrent of punishment that rained down on him.

The longer the fight went on the further Clottey fell behind on points and while he maintained his proud record of never having been stopped there must have been times while he was on the receiving end of machine-gun-like barrages that he must have considered abandoning it.

After the fight he confirmed that Pacquiao was the quickest fighter he had ever faced.

In response Pacquiao said that Clottey was not an easy opponent. He said the man from Ghana, who is ten pounds heavier than him, was "very strong and took a lot of punches and was never hurt."

The result leaves Pacquiao 51-3 with two drawn and 38 knockouts against Clottey, who fell to 35-4.

What's Next?

Obviously Pacquiao will be keeping a careful eye out to see who wins the Mayweather vs Mosley bout on May 1.

In between however he plans to have another go at winning a congressional seat in the Philippine national election in May. He did try previously in 2007 but failed to get elected.

That is highly unlikely this time around with his popularity in his native country now off the chart.

Either way if the richest fight in boxing history becomes available during May everything else will take a backseat to the fight that all boxing fans are dying to see.

Source: therichmarksentinel.com

Pacquiao pounds Clottey, calls out Mayweather

ARLINGTON, Texas – Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones sees Manny Pacquiao as boxing’s version of Michael Irvin, the team’s Hall of Fame wide receiver, or perhaps Emmitt Smith, the NFL’s all-time leading rusher.

Pacquiao certainly is the boxing equal of those legendary players, as he conclusively proved before a crowd of 50,994 on Saturday at Cowboys Stadium in a one-sided beatdown of a thoroughly outclassed Joshua Clottey.

Jones couldn’t rave enough about the Filipino superstar, who won every round on judge Duane Ford’s scorecard and won all but the third in the view of judges Nelson Vasquez and Levi Martinez. Yahoo! Sports also scored it a shutout, 120-108, for Pacquiao.

It was another magnificent performance in a string of them for Pacquiao, who fired an astronomical 1,231 punches at Clottey. Clottey kept his hands high in front of his face and rarely took a chance, fighting cautiously to avoid a knockout.

Pacquiao attacked Clottey’s body and dug hard hooks into his rib cage, occasionally making Clottey wince in pain.

“Part of the game plan was to go hard to the body and bring those hands down,” trainer Freddie Roach said.

Clottey wasn’t much of a challenge to Pacquiao, who was better in every phase of the game. Looming large over Pacquiao’s future, however, is the specter of unbeaten Floyd Mayweather Jr.

And if Pacquiao is Michael Irvin and Emmitt Smith, then Mayweather is, say, Jerry Rice and Walter Payton.

A Pacquiao-Mayweather bout would be a legitimate fight for the ages, a rare match that would be as even and compelling as any made in more than a quarter of a century.

Mayweather, who fights Shane Mosley on May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, could have and should have been Pacquiao’s opponent on Saturday instead of the stunningly passive Clottey. Because of an asinine dispute over a drug-testing regimen, however, what would have been the most lucrative fight in boxing history fizzled and failed to be made. Mayweather demanded random, Olympic-style blood and urine testing, which Mosley, an admitted steroids user, agreed to do. Pacquiao, though, declined to do it unless ordered by a state athletic commission and the dream fight fell apart.

If Mayweather holds up his end of the bargain, though, and wins against Mosley, neither Mayweather nor Pacquiao may have any other option but to fight each other. And that bout would pit a defensive genius with uncanny instincts and blazing-fast hands against an offensive savant who adds nuance to his game each time out.

It would have been ludicrous to compare Mayweather and Pacquiao circa 2005 because Mayweather would have won hands down.

Five years later, however, Pacquiao has more than closed the gap. He is at the very least Mayweather’s equal at this stage, and he’s as good defensively now as he is offensively. He has a complete arsenal of punches and has proven in wins over Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Miguel Cotto and Clottey that he’s at no disadvantage when facing naturally bigger and, supposedly, stronger men.

Promoter Bob Arum signed Mayweather off the 1996 U.S. Olympic team and tried to develop him into the next Sugar Ray Leonard. Mayweather became every bit the fighter that Arum thought he would be, but the relationship between the two became incredibly bitter and the two now despise each other.

Don’t underestimate the significance that the hard feelings between the two will have on getting a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight being made. Arum, who called his willingness to negotiate the drug-testing terms in December a mistake, suggested that Pacquiao would be able to solve Mayweather’s defense.

“Manny will break down any defense because he throws a million punches,” Arum said. “He threw 1,200 tonight. If Mayweather doesn’t break out of the [defensive] shell, Manny would just pile up the points.

“Manny’s a buzzsaw. And when you’re in with a buzzsaw, it’s very, very difficult to do anything. Manny could always prevent Clottey from throwing his own. And he throws from so many different angles and with both hands, these unbelievable combinations, that you’re just defending yourself from getting knocked out.”

Mayweather is a far different, and far better, defensive fighter than Clottey. Clottey used the tortoise-shell defense on Saturday, where he held his arms in front of his chest and shoulders with his gloves protecting his face.

However, he was always straight in front of Pacquiao, who simply whipped hard hooks into his midsection, at one point making Clottey wince in agony and stumble back into the corner.

It won’t be so easy to get at Mayweather’s body, and not simply because Mayweather has a jab that he uses expertly to keep opponents at bay.

Mayweather is an expert at angles and blocks a lot of punches by using the shoulder roll, or using his shoulder to guard the vulnerable areas of his body.

“If we get that fight, I have no doubt in my mind that Manny would break through that defense by just pounding on his shoulder until it breaks,” Roach said.

Mayweather’s weakness has been against pressure fighters. The closest fight of his career was his first against Jose Luis Castillo in 2002. Castillo, who announced his retirement Saturday after a loss to Alfonso S. Gomez on the undercard, got in Mayweather’s face by pressuring him and forcing him back.

Pacquiao is an efficient pressure fighter and has the kind of sting on his punches that would bother Mayweather, should he land them.

“Manny Pacquiao is fast,” Clottey said. “He’s extremely fast. That’s the best thing about him, his speed.”

Mayweather has said he wants the fight and on Saturday, Pacquiao reiterated his desire to face Mayweather.

For a long time, as the public has begun to ask for a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight, Mayweather’s team has played a game of semantics and insisted that Pacquiao hadn’t called out Mayweather.

Of course it’s ridiculous and it’s taking advantage of someone who comes not only from a different culture but who has English as a second language.

Pacquiao, though, made it clear on Saturday that he wants to stand across from Mayweather the next time out.

“I want that fight, but it’s up to him,” Pacquiao said. “I’m ready to fight any time. Maybe if Mosley wins, I’ll fight him. Floyd’s style isn’t that difficult, though.”

There’s a long way to go before a Pacquiao-Mayweather bout could be realistically discussed. Mayweather, obviously, has to beat Mosley for talks to even begin.

Should it happen, it would not only become the richest fight in history, it would be one of the most intriguing, most closely matched bouts ever.

It’s an incredibly difficult fight to call and the difference between the men is slim. It’s hard to compare great stars like Smith and Payton, or Rice and Irvin, because they are all superb.

On Saturday, though, Pacquiao made a believer.

“Manny Pacquiao,” Clottey said after the fight, “is without a doubt the very best pound-for-pound fighter in the world.”

Source: yahoo.com

Saturday, March 6, 2010

Mosley, Mayweather bring out fans in force

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Source: espn.go.com

Mayweather thinks he's in Mosley's head

LOS ANGELES — Floyd Mayweather Jr. has known he was inside Sugar Shane Mosley's head from the moment Mayweather's last fight ended.

That's when Mosley jumped into the ring last September to challenge Mayweather, who had just demolished Juan Manuel Marquez in his comeback bout from a 19-month layoff. After Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao couldn't make a deal, Mayweather accepted a deal to fight Mosley, already confident he had a mental edge.

"Shane is out of character in this whole thing," Mayweather said. "He doesn't talk trash. That's not like him to call out somebody. I think Bernard Hopkins (Mosley's business partner) put a battery in his back and pumped him up to say those things."
With a whole lot more civility, Mayweather and Mosley wrapped up a publicity tour in downtown Los Angeles on Thursday before several hundred fans mostly cheering for Mosley, a native of nearby Pomona. Mayweather, a Michigan native, has long called Las Vegas home.

This stop had a definite West Coast flavor: The crowd stood in a packed grandstand in picture-perfect sunshine while a deejay bumped Tupac, Snoop and Dr. Dre over the loudspeakers at a downtown plaza. Both fighters emerged from behind curtains and smoke for a brief jaw-to-jaw trash-talking session, followed by civilized speeches to the crowd.

"This fight is going to be on May 1st, but it's also going to be May's first (loss)," said a grinning Mosley, who showed up in a tailored green suit while Mayweather wore a quilted brown jacket and jeans.

Except for the fainting Tecate Girl, everything about the event suggested a smooth, professional fight when Mayweather and Mosley meet at the MGM Grand Garden.
A scantily-dressed woman representing the fight's sponsoring beer company swooned in the mild sun, falling down in front of the podium and prompting promoter Oscar De La Hoya to call for help before she recovered and walked away.
Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer is setting a formidable standard for the fight, proclaiming HBO can sell 3 million pay-per-view buys to make it the biggest fight in boxing history. Mayweather has sold about 4.5 million buys for his last three fights against De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Marquez, making him the sport's top pay-per-view draw.
Schaefer also is putting the fight in movie theaters and making a litany of sponsorship tie-ins for the bout, further promoting boxing to the interest of mainstream advertisers. But none of it will work without a solid fight, and Mosley trainer Naazim Richardson believes this bout will catch every fan's interest.

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

The fighters' comments were remarkably civilized after the contentious start to the tour in New York, where they shoved each other and had fewer positive things to say about each other. Mayweather practically fawned over Mosley and the fight's organizers in his comments, praising everybody on the stage.
"We didn't put him down because he's a good fighter," said Roger Mayweather, Floyd's uncle and trainer. "Everybody knows what Floyd can do. We don't have to remind them. Boxing is won by skill, and Floyd is the most skilled fighter in the sport."
Although Floyd Mayweather sees an uneasiness in Mosley's eyes, Mosley claims it's all for show, noting the two have been acquaintances for years. Mosley and Richardson have watched most of Mayweather's fights, searching for weaknesses.

"We'll dislike each other before May 1 — and actually, I'm not even sure I dislike him now," Mosley said. "But after May 1, we won't dislike each other unless we have to fight again."

Richardson agrees with the criticism that Mosley only fights to his potential in his biggest bouts — but Richardson sees it as a positive.

"You've got to keep him at his level," Richardson said. "You can't ask Baryshnikov to come dance down the street and then ask him why he didn't win the contest. That's not his level. With Floyd, you've got a guy who's worthy of fighting the best like Shane, and that has got Shane's attention."

Source: google.com

Mayweather, Mosley tout May Day bout

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

"This fight is going to be on May 1st, but it's also going to be May's first (defeat)," said Mosley as the fighters wrapped up their cross-country publicity tour in the sunshine of downtown Los Angeles on Thursday.
After the obligatory nose-to-nose stare-down, each fighter reiterated his respect for the other - a contrast to some of the trash-talking that marked their earlier press conferences.

"Shane is out of character in this whole thing," Mayweather said of their previous acrimonious exchanges, including a shoving match in New York.
"He doesn't talk trash. That's not like him to call out somebody. I think Bernard Hopkins (Mosley's business partner) put a battery in his back and pumped him up to say those things."

Mawyeather, who returned from near two-year layoff with a dominant victory over Juan Manuel Marquez last September, brings a record of 40-0 with 25 knockouts to the bout.
He had been expected to take on Filipino hero Manny Pacquiao on March 13, but negotiations unravelled over the American's demands for unprecedented pre-fight blood testing for performance enhancing drugs.

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

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

Mayweather has sold about 4.5 million buys for his last three fights against Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and Marquez, making him the sport's top pay-per-view draw.
Mosley's trainer Naazim Richardson said Mosley has the ability to stop Mayweather.
"Shane Mosley can knock out anything that weighs 147 pounds," said Richardson. "If a farm animal weighed that, Shane could knock him out. We're going to have to convince this man that he has to learn how to lose. He can forget it after us, but he's going to have to learn."

Source: google.com

Shane Mosley has something to prove against Floyd Mayweather Jr.

The odds aren't the only thing against Shane Mosley. He is 38, hasn't fought for more than a year, and he's fighting a skilled tactician who's never lost.

All of this, Mosley and his veteran cornerman insist, is an advantage.

"I rise to the level of my competition," said Mosley, the WBA welterweight champion, when he appeared Thursday with his May 1 opponent Floyd Mayweather Jr. at a public, pro-Mosley news conference crowd at downtown's LA Live.

"This is the chance for me to shine, to show I'm the greatest welterweight of this era."

Mosley's veteran trainer, Naazim Richardson, similarly pointed to his fighter's showdown with an elite foe, Mayweather, 33, at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas as a major element in projecting how this bout will play out.

Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts) has been at his best when he has the most to prove. In 2000, he upset Oscar De La Hoya in a split decision at Staples Center. Three years later, in an effort stained by his admitted use of performance-enhancing drugs, Mosley beat De La Hoya again in a close decision. And, on the heels of some lackluster efforts, amid talk that age had caught up him, Mosley in January 2009 pounded Antonio Margarito to claim a ninth-round technical knockout.

Richardson explains he's more confident in Mosley fighting Mayweather than he was before facing Margarito, and far more than he was for Mosley's canceled January bout against lesser-known Andre Berto.

"You have to keep a guy like this at his level, that's how he performs best. If not, it can be like asking Baryshnikov to go win a dance contest on the street," Richardson said.

But Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) pointed to what he perceives as the reasons why Las Vegas bookmakers have installed him as a 3-to-1 favorite over Mosley.

"Age has to be a factor, he thinks he's a young 38," Mayweather said. "He hasn't been in there in so long. I've already shook off the cobwebs from my [21-month] layoff. I'm active, agile. Shane is basing everything on power … he doesn't use his jab. I think I'm a very smart fighter."

Smarter than Mosley? "I make the extraordinary fighter look ordinary," Mayweather said. "I just want my due. I haven't taken the abuse. Look at Shane: his face, he's slurring [words]."

Mayweather and Mosley have been considered possible opponents for more than a decade. When Mayweather's talks with Manny Pacquiao crashed earlier this year, however, the next best matchup in boxing was created.

"You're going to see two experienced, seasoned guys. Now, this is about who's the best fighter," said Mayweather's trainer and uncle, Roger Mayweather.

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Source: articles.latimes.com

Ringing in fight night

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley nearly came to blows during the first stop of a whirlwind publicity tour at the Nokia Theatre in Times Square.

They began shoving each other before their promoters separated them. Mayweather and Mosley have been circling each other for years and their animosity has simmered.

They'll meet for real for the WBA welterweight title May 1 in Las Vegas.

HURTING HAAS A HAS-BEEN, FOR NOW

BERLIN -- German tennis player Tommy Haas faces a long absence from the ATP Tour after surgery on his right hi.

He said Tuesday that he had no alternative because "the pain's simply too great."

Germany's Bild daily reported, without citing sources, that Haas -- the winner of 12 career singles titles -- could be sidelined up to six months.

The 31-year-old top seed at the Delray Beach International Championships was upset in the first round last week.

PRO BOWL MAKES DATE WITH SUCCESS

HONOLULU -- The Pro Bowl will be played at Aloha Stadium next Jan. 30 --the Sunday before the Super Bowl. The Pro Bowl had historically been played in Honolulu the week after the Super Bowl, but was changed when the all-star game moved to Miami this year.

The NFL says playing the Pro Bowl before the big game generated greater excitement.

Source: vancouversun.com

Selling the Mayweather vs. Mosley Fight

The Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley May 1 fight in Las Vegas is "historic" according to the hype. That was made clear at the fight's press conference in Los Angeles on Thursday when various promoters likened it to Ali vs. Foreman or one of numerous Sugar Ray Leonard classics.

And they said it with a straight face. Among those spouting the hyperbole was the president of Golden Boy Promotions, the home of Sugar Shane Mosley and a former fighter himself. You might know him, Oscar De La Hoya? He lost to both of the contestants in this mega-fight and now promotes one and has an interest in the other if and when he fights Manny Pacquiao.

As if that weren't enough, De La Hoya and his fellow exec at Golden Boy, Richard Schaefer told the assembled crowd (the presser was open to the public) that this kind of fight only comes along once in a generation. But it wasn't over yet, not even close.

De La Hoya announced that

"You have the two best fighters on the planet today fighting on May 1."
That's where the cringing started and the crowd didn't react as I'm sure he had hoped. No one booed or threw things but there was no particularly positive reaction either. Among the assembled media we looked at each other and just rolled our eyes.
The elephant in the room was the name that was never spoken: Manny Pacquiao. Even Floyd Mayweather must have felt obliged to make some reference to why he was fighting Mosley in Vegas rather than Pacquiao in Dallas next weekend.

Mayweather is a crusader now. He's fighting for truth, justice and clean boxing. He gratuitously threw out the following,

I'm trying to clean up my sport", Floyd said. "That is why we are both (he and Mosley) taking random urine and blood tests.
The stated goal of the promotion companies is to sell three million pay-per-views for this fight. That would blow away anything numbers Pacquiao has pulled in for his bouts and surely will be used in any new negotiations between the Mayweather and Manny camps. Maybe they are thinking of trading the demand for blood testing for a larger share of the gross revenue rather than the 50/50 split.

To accomplish the PPV goal the hype and talking points were added to the Procter & Gamble-like marketing plan outlined by Schaefer. Pay-per-view discounts are available with the purchase of six and twelve-packs of Tecate beer and De Walt power tools sold at Home Depot. They've already got a soap opera up and running so why not use consumer products to sell it. Hey, it's historic, right?

Source: huffingtonpost.com

Schaefer: Give Mayweather respect he deserves for drug-test request

Should Floyd Mayweather be admired for insisting he wants to clean up boxing with random blood testing prior to major fights ? Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions, certainly thinks so…insisting that Mayweather should be afforded respect for his stance…

Schaefer, speaking exclusively to telegraph.co.uk, said the schism between his promotional group, and that of Top Rank, who promote Manny Pacquiao, may never heal. Yet it is a fight the boxing world wants to see.

“Mayweather/Pacquiao going forward is a matter of discussions, and negotiation. There is nothing to do with the Nevada Commission. The testing is just a belief of Floyd Mayweather that boxing needs to clean up its act, and I think he should get great respect for that,” Schaefer told me this week.

“It was a non-issue for Shane Mosley. I think it might be the beginning of a change in boxing. It is impossible for that [issue] to go away because Floyd Mayweather has made it clear that he will require it [a drug testing procedure, presumably blood-testing] in all future fights.”

“But Mayweather is now facing a much more powerful man than Pacquiao, more dangerous and not for more money. This guy really believes it is time to introduce proper drug testing into boxing, and he has put his money where his mouth is. Look – he was willing to walk a way with a smaller purse against a lesser opponent. That’s how much he believed in it.”
“In my eyes, Pacquiao has also moved to a smaller purse against a less dangerous opponent in Joshua Clottey. Love Floyd or hate Floyd, I said it the first time when we did de la Hoya versus Mayweather.

“He has fans who admire his skills in the urban markets – they look up to him and admire him – and there is the other group who really don’t like him because of his bragging and what he stands for with the money throwing. They don’t like him, and want to see him lose. Those who watch Floyd either love him or hate him, and he continues to win. This is a guy who always finds a way to win.”

“Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather could never happen, but my answer is not because I think there is not the will to do it. It is more that I think that Sugar Shane Mosley is going to win that fight. I have never seen Shane so hungry to win a fight.”
“It will become an issue if Mayweather wins because he made it clears that any opponent he faces will have to be tested …there is one thing in boxing, you never say never, but I have not seen in 30 years in professional business have I seen two sides with such and conviction that they were right. There is a deep divide right now – andI really don’t think suddenly, somehow later this fall everything will be nice and peachy…between the Mayweather and Pacquiao camps.”

Source: telegraph.co.uk