Who visits Pac-Land Next, Money Mayweather or Sugar Shane?

By Ronald C Charles One of the most anticipated bouts of the year so far is fast approaching, One month from today Floyd Mayweather Jr will meet Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, Nevada. The bout is intriguing for a number of different reasons, for one a few in the game who’s opinion I respect have actually tipped Mosley to win, I don’t see it myself but hey there would be less to debate if we all picked the same guy. The other interesting factor is Mosley will be the first true welterweight Mayweather has fought since Carlos Baldomir way back in 2006.

Most pundits and fans alike have been harsh to the Grand Rapids born fighter for his insistence on fighting smaller men like Juan Manuel Marquez and Ricky Hatton, or his fighting an on the slide De La Hoya. The same people fail to recognise Mayweather began his career at 130 pounds (Super Featherweight)

We live in an era where fighters are always on the move, making the transition from one weight to another has become a whole lot easier since the creation of the intermediate divisions. I don’t like it myself but we must stay consistent, to ridicule one you must ridicule all.

I feel the Mosley fight gives the self styled Money Mayweather the perfect platform to display his greatness, however should Mayweather win convincingly I have no doubt some detractors will find an angle to further ridicule his performance. To small, too slow, over the hill, he never had his corn flakes this morning; the truth is the confident outspoken Mayweather will always have his detractors.

When thinking the possible outcome of a fight I don’t put too much stock in either fighter’s last performance, I like to delve a little deeper. Analysing the last 5 fights and searching for the last time either fighter faced someone with a similar style.

Mosley
When looking at Shane two things are blatantly obvious, he is 38-years-old and has been inactive for over a year. As you study his previous performances you will notice he does really well against come forward fighters, the typical Mexican stand and fight style like that of Fernando Vargas (who Mosley stopped twice) or a Ricardo Mayorga who Mosley knocked out when the two met in 2008.

Then you analyse the two fights Mosley lost in 2004 to Ronald Wright, Winkey was a defensive fighter, a ring technician who put head before his fists. A style a younger Mosley could not cope with and lost the first bout by a wide margin, the second by majority decision.

Mayweather is another level altogether whose modus operandi is defensive mastery, so if a younger, fresher and faster Shane could not figure out the Wright riddle, I give him no chance of figuring out the most gifted defensive fighter of this generation in Floyd Mayweather Jr.

Shane has proved in the past he is a versatile fighter who can both box and move and has certainly faced the better opposition, however at 38 he may have bitten off a little more than he can chew in Mayweather.

Mayweather
When Mayweather returned to the sport in 2009 he faced Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez who at the time was ranked no 2 pound for pound, and the number one lightweight champion of the world. The former “lightweight” was the problem for most. Before Floyd’s temporary retirement he was competing in the welterweight division while Marquez had never competed above 135 pounds. A contractual catch weight of 144 pounds was agreed, the day before the fight Mayweather weighed in 2 pounds over and was forced to pay Marquez $600,000, (300,000) per pound.

If we took anything from the fight it was Mayweather came back as good as he left, the speed, reflexes and movement where better than ever as Mayweather boxed his way to a 12 round unanimous decision.

Mayweather usually dominates his opponent and as yet no-one has come close to scripting the blue-print on how to beat the five weight champion. Mexican Jose Luis Castillo came closest when the two met in 2002. Other have said Mayweather’s most troublesome rounds have come against southpaws DeMarcus Corley and Zab Judah, however in both fights Mayweather managed to overcome both en-route to a convincing unanimous decision win.

Most are of the opinion a Mosley vs. Pacquaio fight will be more fan friendly than that of a Mayweather Boxing clinic; and they may be right. But in my opinion the outcome will be more predictable than a Mayweather - Pacquiao fight where I can see a scenario playing out for either man being victorious. Boxing needs a Pacquiao – Mayweather fight, both are atop the pound for pound summit with the boxing world is split down the middle as to who they think will win.

Source: theboxinghistorian.com