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
Saturday, March 6, 2010
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
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
"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
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
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
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
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
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