Is facing Mosley enough to silence Mayweather's critics?

Floyd Mayweather Jr faces more criticism than perhaps any other fighter alive today, and in some cases with good reason.

Many fans don't believe Mayweater carries himself the way one of the best fighters in the world should. There are the issues of the Xylocaine, the extra testing fiasco with Pacquiao and the lack of decent competitionm over the last few years when better opponents were available.

Perhaps because he was once the top pound for pound fighter in the world, or perhaps because he has shied away from testing himself over the last few years, Mayweather is the most hated man in boxing today. If anything though this should be somewhat flattering to Mayweather, in that he's held up to a higher standard than any other fighter as well, because he was once at the top, people expect a certain kind of behavior from him.

His latest fight against Shane Mosley, a perfectly respected welterweight champion, was supposed to rebuild a lot of the respect and admiration that many of the fans lost over the last few years that Mayweather was coasting. Mosley is probably the number 3 welterweight in the world behind Pacquiao and Mayweather himself, and he's certainly a better fighter than the plodding Joshua Clottey that Pacquiao faces next month.

The big question then is whether Mosley alone is enough to return Mayweather to the top of the welterweight rankings and make up for his perceived lack of effort of late. As usual there were quite a mixed bag from the fans I spoke to and who contacted me about this one:

Scott Holst, Pittsburgh PA:"When Mayweather wins this he's back at the top of the rankings. Marquez is better than Clottey and Mosley is better than Cotto, so this win puts him above Pacquiao"

Bill Brandyke, Columbus Ohio: "There's nothing Mayweather can do to get back up on top other than fight Pacquiao. Even if you argue Mosley is better than Cotto you're still left with tiny Tim Marquez against Clottey, which puts the recent records of both in Pacquiao's favor"

Its difficult to try to compare Marquez and Mosley to Clottey and Cotto. While some would no doubt remind me that Cotto beat Mosley, at the same time there is the missing third man Antonio Margarito, who levels out both fighters. Clottey and Marquez are harder to compare because while Clottey is a bigger and higher ranked fighter, I think Pacquiao would struggle more with Marquez again than he will with Clottey. He'd beat them both easily, but just stylistically Marquez is still the tougher fight.

Robert White, Philadelphia PA: "Mayweather didn't even want to fight Mosley, he just had no other choice and now hes stuck"

Regardless though Robert, he's still taking the fight, and he could have fought someone a lot easier than Mosley is he really wanted to. He might have preferred an easier opponent, but most still think he will beat Mosley, he might just have a harder time doing it than he would have against someone lesser.

Freddie Maynard, Pittsburgh PA: "Mayweather is a great fighter, he just isn't motivated enough to prove it all the time. He will still dance rings around that little midget Pacquiao later this year though, then everyone will start believing in him again"

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Mosley not afraid to fight Pacquiao

MANILA, Philippines – “Sugar” Shane Mosley of the United States said he is ready to take on 7-division world champion Manny Pacquiao, unlike his May 1 opponent, American Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

In an interview with Anthony “Duljoman” Andales of PhilBoxing.com, Mosley reacted to speculations that the Pacquiao-Mayweather bout was cancelled because the American was afraid to suffer his first loss at the hands of the pound-for-pound king.

“I don’t know if he’s a coward or not but what I know for this fight? He was forced to fight me. Aside from Manny, this is the only big money for him out there. If he’s afraid to fight Manny I’m not,” he said.

Mosley went on to say that he is aiming to defeat Mayweather so he could challenge the Filipino boxing sensation.

“Beating him [Mayweather] will put me to where I wanna be placed in my career. That’s why, I’ll beat Floyd, then hopefully Manny will fight me.”

The Americans will slug it out on May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada, the venue of the botched Pacquiao-Mayweather bout.

Pacquiao will defend his World Boxing Organization (WBO) welterweight belt against Ghanaian Joshua Clottey on his supposed fight date with Mayweather, March 13. The clash will take place at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Pacquiao-Mayweather negotiations crumbled when the fighters’ camps disagreed on the blood testing procedure.

Focused on fight

Mosley, the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight super champion, added that he thinks Mayweather is fighting him for the money alone.

“Mayweather needs money that’s why he’s forced to fight me. He needs money that’s why he puts a rematch clause on this one.” He stressed that he does not need a rematch clause.

The undefeated American, who is also called “Money,” said the same thing about Mosley.

“I just think that Shane Mosley, he’s desperate, so he has no choice but to fight me. His career’s coming to an end and, before he goes, he wants that last big payday,” he told David Mayo of The Grand Rapids Press.

Meanwhile, Mosley also commented that he does not care if Mayweather talks about his personal matters.

“He can say anything about my divorce, he can think all day about my divorce. I’m cool with that. He can focus about my divorce… When I have an upcoming fight, I’m only thinking about that fight. I don’t care about my opponent's mouth. I’ll deal with them inside the ring. So I don’t care at all.”

“I don’t care about him and I don’t care about his personality. This is business for me, nothing personal. My mind is focused to beat him and fight him again because we have a rematch clause for this one,” he added.

Mosley was earlier chosen by Pacquiao to win over Mayweather. He was one of Team Pacquiao’s choices to be the Filipino’s next opponent after his 2nd round knockout victory over Ricky Hatton last May 2. Pacquiao chose to challenge then WBO welterweight champion, Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto.

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Mayweather to Dictate Drug Testing Terms For Mosley Fight

Now that the contracts for the May 1 Mayweather vs Mosley welterweight boxing match have been signed, SecondsOut can reveal a stunning component of their agreement. In signing off on the deal, Mosley has given Mayweather complete control over the drug testing to be implemented, apart from any testing that is required by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. A source who was involved in the contract negotiations for the fight told SecondsOut on Friday, “Shane has signed a contract that says Floyd can dictate the terms of the drug testing. Anything that Floyd wants is all right, as long as Floyd submits to the same testing requirements as Shane. There is no provision one way or another in the contract for public disclosure of the test results, although I would think that the parties would be bound to report a positive test result to the Nevada commission.”

In other words, Floyd Mayweather Jr has now supplanted the Nevada State Athletic Commission for his fight with Mosley in so far as testing for performance enhancing drugs is concerned. The manner in which Mayweather chooses to implement this contract provision could reinforce or make a folly of his demand that Manny Pacquiao submit by contract to random blood testing - a demand which subsequently led to the cancellation of their proposed March 13 super-fight. It also raises a number of important issues and questions about the Mayweather-Mosley fight and its legitimacy in the eyes of the public.

1. If U.S. Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) testing was demanded for Mayweather-Pacquiao, will it be insisted upon by Floyd Mayweather for Mayweather vs Mosley?

2. What would the Nevada State Athletic Commission do if, just prior to the Mayweather vs Mosley fight, they received a positive test result?

3. If there is no public disclosure of the testing, how could the public be sure that a positive test would be reported to the Nevada State Athletic Commission?

4. If there is no public disclosure of the testing, a positive test could result in the fight being cancelled with a bogus reason for the cancellation being given to the public.

One boxing insider, when told of the contract terms for Mayweather-Mosley, said, “If Floyd Mayweather Jr does not demand the same stringent USADA testing by USADA of Mosley that he was demanding of Pacquiao, it would look hypocritical at best.” On January 17, SecondsOut’s senior columnist Thomas Hauser wrote a 10,000 word expose Mayweather-Pacquiao, PEDs, and Boxing. It was the most in-depth analysis ever of the issue of performance enhancing drugs (PEDs) in boxing. The content of the story and the questions raised were applauded by those in the boxing industry and fans around the world.

In demanding that Pacquiao submit to Mayweather’s blood testing demands, Oscar De La Hoya and Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer, put themselves in a very delicate position for future fight agreements. Hauser wrote, “Golden Boy can take the lead on the issue of PEDs in boxing and become a beacon of integrity by requiring its fighters to submit to Olympic-style drug testing before each major fight. And in order to fight on a Golden Boy card (remember; Golden Boy has a lot of dates on HBO), it could require opponents to do the same.”

The contracts signed by Mayweather, Mosley, and Golden Boy Promotions, where blood testing is at Mayweather’s whim rather than a contractual requirement, call Golden Boy’s absolute demand of Pacquiao into question. Also at this time, there has been no announcement about any contractually mandated drug testing requirements for the April 3 Bernard Hopkins-Roy Jones Jr rematch, which is promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Square Ring. Jones has previously tested positive for PEDs, while Hopkins (like Mosley) has never tested positive. However, it is a matter of record that Mosley did in fact use PEDs prior to his second fight against Oscar De La Hoya.

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Mosley: “I don’t know if he’s [Mayweather] a coward or not”

By Chris Williams:
World Boxing Association welterweight champion Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO’s) gave his thoughts about his May 1st opponent Floyd Mayweather Jr. in an article at ABS-CBN News, saying “I don’t know if he’s a coward or not but what I know for this fight, he was forced to fight me. Aside from Manny [Pacquiao], this is the only big money for him [Mayweather] out there. If he’s afraid to fight Manny, “I’m not.” For Mosley to fight Pacquiao, he’s going to have to find a way to beat Mayweather on May 1st at the MGM Grand, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

The 38-year-old Mosley isn’t expected to beat Mayweather, despite his brave talk. Mayweather looks to be the better fighter at this point. Mosley hasn’t fought in over a year as he’s wasted time hoping that a big money fight would open up for him. Mosley had settled for a unification bout against WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto, but that fight fell through recently when Berto pulled out due to the loss of some of his extended family in the Haiti earthquake.

Mosley says “Beating him [Floyd Mayweather] will put me to where I want to be placed in my career. That’s why, I’ll beat Floyd, then hopefully Manny will fight me.” If Mosley beats Mayweather, there’s little question that Pacquiao will fight Mosley.

The only question will be whether Mosley will ask for random blood testing like Mayweather did from Pacquiao. If that’s the case, Mosley might have to kiss goodbye any hopes of fighting Pacquiao unless he’s willing to accept a cut off period of 30 days or so for the fight. I doubt Pacquiao and his team will want to agree to blood testing within 30 days, if at all for a fight against Mosley.

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Mosley, Mayweather reach terms

Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather Jr. have agreed to terms for a welterweight super fight, Mayweather adviser Leonard Ellerbe said Friday. Later Friday, Mosley signed his contract in Las Vegas, Mosley's attorney Judd Burstein told ESPN.com.

"Shane has signed. I sat with him [Friday] and we went through every provision of the contract and he signed," Burstein said. "He is excited to move forward with the bout."

Mosley will defend his welterweight title against Mayweather on May 1 on HBO PPV at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mayweather's signature is a formality, according to Burstein and Ellerbe.

"I confirmed with Leonard [on Friday night] that there are no issues," Burstein said.

"All of the deal points have been agreed to," Ellerbe said. "We still have to put pen to paper, but everything is agreed to. It's with the lawyers. Shane is a great fighter, one of the best of his era, and so is Floyd. It's going to be a great fight. It's a fight fans have wanted to see for a long time."

Ellerbe said that he expected Mayweather's paperwork to be completed in the next few days with a formal announcement likely next week.

Financial terms were not disclosed, but Mayweather has the option for an immediate rematch in the event he loses.

The fight came together after an unexpected turn of events.

First, Mayweather became available for a fight three weeks ago when negotiations with pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao disintegrated. They had agreed to all terms for a March 13 fight that loomed as the biggest in boxing -- except for a drug testing protocol.

They had agreed to random urine testing, but Mayweather also wanted random blood testing, even though that is not required under the rules of the Nevada State Athletic Commission. Pacquiao agreed only to three blood tests, but none within 24 days of the fight, and the third one immediately after the bout.

Mayweather has alluded to Pacquiao using performance-enhancing drugs, even though he has never produced any evidence, and Floyd Mayweather Sr. has outright said he believes Pacquiao uses.

The rancor over the drug testing issue caused the fight to fall apart and Pacquiao moved on. He will defend his version of the 147-pound title against former titlist Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Then Mosley became available two weeks ago. He was scheduled to meet Andre Berto in a title unification bout at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas on Saturday night. However, Berto, a Haitian-American, withdrew from the bout after eight members of his extended family were killed in the earthquake in Haiti.

Immediately after the cancellation of Mosley-Berto, Mosley and Mayweather -- the former welterweight champ and pound-for-pound king until giving up the mantle during a brief retirement -- began negotiating.

"The negotiations were very cordial and went very smoothly," Ellerbe said.

Mosley has agreed to undergo random blood and urine testing, as has Mayweather, Ellerbe said.

Mosley has admitted to using PEDs and was connected to the BALCO scandal. Although he publicly denied using PEDs for years, Mosley admitted during grand jury testimony, which was later released, that he used designer steroids "the clear" and "the cream" and injected himself with EPO, a blood oxygen enhancer, during the lead-up to his 2003 rematch with Oscar De La Hoya. Mosley said he took the steroids unknowingly.

"Floyd only wants to be sure of an even playing field no matter who he fights," Ellerbe said.

Mayweather vs Mosley

Sugar Shane is not the Manny to beat Floyd Mayweather

There are plenty of things that frustrate me about Floyd Mayweather - but that does not alter my opinion of him as the best fighter in the world.

Bouts are made on his terms, he can be too safety first in the ring and risk averse when choosing opponents.

That said, his May 1 bout with Sugar Shane Mosley is fantastic news for boxing. It will be a great fight but ultimately it has come too late for 38-year-old Mosley.

Mayweather has built a career on avoiding hungry fighters at the top of their careers. He wouldn't even spar with James DeGale last year as he said he was too big.

He is facing Mosley at the right time. He looked shot a couple of years ago. I mean gone. He was beaten comprehensively by Miguel Cotto and then came back to fashion wins against Ricardo Mayorga and Antonio Margarito.

He looked reborn. You ask yourself how he did it. It is an obvious question given that Mosley's past is blighted by steroid association.

He claims he inadvertently used drugs supplied by the infamous BALCO lab before the Oscar De La Hoya bout in 2003, which he won.

Since Mosley has agreed to a meet the demands of Mayweather for a more rigorous Olympic-style drug-testing schedule, the sting is taken out of the issue.

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What Will It Take For Mosley to Beat Mayweather?

You have to admit, Floyd Mayweather Jr. knows how to hype a fight. He’s also a master of engaging in psychological warfare against his opponents.
He’s no stranger to controversy or criticism, and he’s perfectly content with playing the role of the villain. He doesn’t seem to mind the fact that the majority of sweet science fans would consider witnessing a 10 second Mayweather mat-nap to be the sweetest treat of all.

The first key to success for Team Mosley was simply negotiating a deal that Mayweather would actually agree to. That may sound simple enough, but it has proven to be an extremely difficult task for many Mayweather opponents. For other would-be opponents, it has proven to be impossible. In recent history, the likelihood of success in Mayweather negotiations has appeared to be directly related to the perceived threat posed by the opposition. This time circumstances were different.

Boxing fans were unlikely to tune in to another Mayweather exhibition match against an unworthy opponent. He had inadvertently maneuvered himself into a situation that called for a big fight with an opponent who could actually offer him a run for his money.

Ironically, no doping allegations were made toward Mosley—an admitted former steroid user—while Pacquiao had been blatantly accused by members of the Mayweather camp. All reports indicated that the Mayweather—Mosley negotiations went smoothly.

After all the terms of Mayweather vs. Mosley were agreed upon, Mosley immediately signed the deal. Mayweather—on the other hand—delayed in signing the contract. What a shocker.
It’s unlikely that this delay had any significant effect on Mosley, but he surely must have begun to wonder about the reason for the holdup.
As Mayweather allowed days to pass without putting pen to paper, inevitably, boxing fans began to wonder if something fishy was going on. Many writers began to capitalize on the postponement by speculating that Mayweather was looking for a way out.
Was he planning to duck another great fighter? To some it appeared that the stage was being set for the announcement of another mega-fight fallout, and this would have likely been a career-ender for “Money” Mayweather.

As an apparent subscriber to the “all publicity is good publicity” theory— Floyd’s delay could have been a promotional tactic designed to keep boxing fans on the edge of their seats. If that was his intention, the strategy was quite lackluster in comparison to the drama that led to the demise of the Pacquiao—Mayweather bout.

Some of the most loyal members of the he-man Floyd-haters club actually hoped that Mayweather wouldn’t sign, as this would have been perceived as indisputable evidence in support of their claims that Floyd Mayweather Jr. has a history of ducking fighters that he considers to be legitimate threats. Comments sections of boxing articles everywhere would have been immediately flooded with “Kentucky Fraud Gayweather” criticisms. Others recognized his tactics as what they really were—just an attention-seeking ploy to sustain himself as the main topic of conversation in the boxing community. It seems that Mayweather thrives on controversy.

Controversy aside, to the delight of most true boxing enthusiasts, Mayweather didn’t wimp out. He didn’t “retire”, he didn’t ask another lightweight to make the leap to welterweight, and he didn’t pick a fight with some guy that nobody had ever heard of.
Though the older Mosley is considered the underdog, the No. 3 ranked pound-for-pound boxer in the sport is a formidable opponent. How formidable remains to be seen. Can he actually beat Mayweather?

In 1974, people were asking this question: “Can Muhammad Ali beat “Big” George Foreman?” The answer from nearly every boxing fan came in the form of a resounding “Absolutely not!”
Foreman had an immaculate record of 40-0. Let me repeat…40-0. He hadn’t gone past Rnd. 2 in his previous eight fights. He was too young. He was too big. He was too strong. It was impossible for Ali to defeat George Foreman!

Ali didn’t mind. He beat him anyway.

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Mayweather-Mosley Fight Finalized

Mayweather vs Mosley fight - Floyd Mayweather Jr. finalized a deal Wednesday to fight Sugar Shane Mosley on May 1 in a welterweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) agreed to the 12-round bout last week,
but hadn't formally signed the contract for the former pound-for-pound champion's second fight back from a brief retirement.

"This one is definitely for the fans, as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tuneup bout and asked to fight Shane immediately," Mayweather said. "I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."

Although the fight is an intriguing matchup between two veteran welterweights who have been circling each other for a decade, the dangerous Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) still isn't Mayweather's first choice.

Mayweather agreed to the bout only after several weeks of negotiations with Manny Pacquiao failed to produce an agreement on what's likely to be the richest fight in boxing history, if it ever occurs. Pacquiao balked at Mayweather's stringent drug-testing demands, and instead will fight welterweight Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium.

Mayweather and Mosley also agreed to participate in Olympic-style drug testing for their fight, saying they hope to set a new standard for safety in boxing. Mosley has acknowledged using steroids before a victory over Oscar De La Hoya in 2003, but claims he did so inadvertently through a strength and conditioning coach who had connections with the BALCO lab.

"I'm real disappointed and real angry to be linked to juicing and steroids, because that's just not me," Mosley told The Associated Press in a phone interview. "I don't need to do that stuff. I like the testing for this fight. I want it, because I want to prove that everything I've done is all me, and not about steroids. I've never tested positive for anything, but I want everybody to know who I really am."

Mosley was scheduled to fight Andre Berto on Jan. 30 at Mandalay Bay before Berto dropped out while dealing with the earthquake in Haiti, his family's home country. Mosley expressed only sympathy for Berto's family, but the setback quickly evolved into a chance for a major bout.

"I knew that there was a fight around the corner," Mosley said. "I knew that Mayweather needed a dancing partner, and who else was he going to dance with? I'm a little stronger and wiser now. I'm very smart. Nothing he can do is going to rattle me and make me feel any different. I'm already in good shape, and I'm going into it feeling good."

Mosley, the 38-year-old WBA welterweight super champion, has been vocal about his desire to meet Mayweather ever since Mayweather celebrated his ring return last September with a one-sided victory over Juan Manuel Marquez. Mosley, a partner in Golden Boy Promotions, jumped into the ring after Mayweather's win and called out the unbeaten fighter.

But Mayweather appeared to be focused on the biggest payday of
all against Pacquiao until his hard line on drug testing scuttled the fight and prompted Pacquiao to sue much of Mayweather's camp, claiming several members had defamed him by intimating he uses performance-enhancing drugs.

"Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era, and I commend him for not only agreeing to the fight against Mayweather, but also agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport," Golden Boy CEO Richard Schaefer said.

Mayweather didn't sign the deal until five days after Mosley formalized his commitment last Friday, prompting worries for Mosley's management and Schaefer, who represented Mayweather throughout the torturous negotiations with Pacquiao's promoters at Top Rank. Schaefer had hoped to get both fighters to Miami this week to promote the bout to the assembled fans and media at the Super Bowl.

Just a few days ago, Schaefer publicly acknowledged he was worried Mayweather might be having second thoughts about a tough fight against Mosley, who has only improved with age.

Mosley's only loss since late 2004 is a narrow, competitive decision to Miguel Cotto in November 2007. He has fought just twice since then, stopping Ricardo Mayorga and former champion Antonio Margarito, although Mosley was scheduled for fights against Zab Judah and Berto that were canceled by his opponents.

"I've been fighting better and better in my career," Mosley said. "I always trained hard, and now I'm training smarter and better. I'm ready for this."

Mayweather should have the services of Roger Mayweather, his uncle and longtime trainer. Roger Mayweather has a June 1 trial date in Las Vegas on several serious charges related to accusations of beating and choking a female boxer last summer at an apartment he owned.

Mayweather vs Mosley fight

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Shane Mosley vs. Floyd Mayweather JR: The Next Best Thing?

By Mike “Mykers” Boehm - The trials and tribulations of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather JR have no doubt brought fans some hard luck. We watched as the fight was signed, sealed, and well…almost delivered. While specifics are a bit unjust, and highly opinionated; a new story has evolved. That is, a potential Shane Mosley vs. Floyd Mayweather super fight. While this bout seems to present most of the community with a “eh” type of attitude, will this fight potentially become the next best thing for Floyd Mayweather, or even Shane Mosley?

For quite some time, Shane Mosley has eagerly been awaiting a super fight with the undefeated kingpin, Floyd Mayweather JR. This comes as no surprise to most, who witnessed Mosley intervening during the post fight chat, while Mayweather was conversing with Max Kellerman after the Marquez bout. True to his nature, Floyd was a bit disgusting with Shane’s relentless call-outs, and accused Mosley of disrespect. The flipside is Shane Mosley is a welterweight warrior. A true warrior who has never declined, dodged, or evaded the supreme beings of the lightweight, welterweight, and light middleweight divisions..

Of course most fans do not need my arguments to justify Shane Mosley’s disposition in boxing today. Though, it seems the Mosley versus Mayweather match should become the next best thing for boxing. Nonetheless, I would imagine that most onlookers would view this fight as erroneous, constantly bashing the ultimate demise of Mosley himself. It’s this aspect alone that will ultimately draw the fans, and cause the gears to turn on who will win, and/or dominate this matchup.

Most professional fighters who face Mayweather are simply mismatched, give or take a few opponents. Floyd Mayweather has proved that he is a supreme being in the welterweight division with his fast adjustments and work rate. Consequently, it seems strange that a Mosley-Mayweather fight has never ensued because Mayweather is known for hand-picking opposition he can fare well against. Call me crazy; doesn’t it seem strange that these two welterweight fighters have never squared off against each other in the ultimate welterweight showdown?

When you compare both fighters to each other it seems there is no contest. Floyd Mayweather has perfected his art of boxing under the tutelage of Roger and Floyd Mayweather SR. His fast adjustment rate, lodged with his supreme defensive tactics, makes Floyd the better fighter. However, both fighters in Mosley and Mayweather possess experience, power, knowledge, and a “can do” attitude in the ring. For veteran fighters alone, it seems Mosley’s only advantage would remain in his fists. No doubt, Shane has shown recently, that his power has not diminished at all. On the flipside Mayweather also has decent power, but nothing relative to Mosley.

A quick two step comparison to Mosley and Mayweather would be Antonio Margarito, and Juan Manuel Marquez. While these two prospects might not be the best comparison it will suffice for our fancy. How would Mayweather fair against Antonio Margarito? With Mayweather being a sound tactical technician, it seems Mayweather would have no problem blasting the “Tijuana Tornado.” On the opposite end of the ring, it would appear Mosley would most likely dominate, or even knockout Juan Manuel Marquez the same way Mayweather did. Nevertheless, it seems these comparisons would ultimately prove no one is the better man in this aspect.

Supposedly, the date for this welterweight clash is May 1, 2010. However, neither party has officially signed any paperwork just yet. According to Golden Boy Promotions, they already have the arena reserved for May 1at Mandalay Bay. Then again folks, this is boxing; anything can happen! Ultimately, the concept of this welterweight clash seems likely. Shane Mosley has been patiently waiting for this opportunity to get his crack at Floyd Mayweather. This, along with the fire burning inside of Mosley will no doubt cement a great fight for the year of 2010. As for the outcome; there are so many probabilities on who will win and/or dominate this fight. Either way, this is one fight that will ultimately solidify the welterweight division, and bring prized hopes to the winner of this welterweight clash.

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Mayweather-Mosley: Super fight or Super scam?

Who in his right mind could deny that of the two upcoming welterweight clashes, Mayweather-Mosley and Pacquiao-Clottey, Mayweather-Mosley is by far the more exciting prospect? In the sad absence of the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight this is certainly the next best thing. Fans have been willing this fight to happen for years. This would be Mayweather`s biggest challenge for years. This fight is the chance Mosley has wanted for years. This bout could so easily become a legend. It has just about all the required elements to rightfully claim to be a genuine `super fight`.

The further prospect of the winners of each fight meeting later on in 2010 is even more exhilarating. What a truly historic fight that would be! And then for that matter, why not stage another fight between the respective losers? The failure of the Mayweather and Pacquiao negotiations might well turn out to be a blessing in disguise. We could end up having four really competitive welterweight matches this year, and at least two of these would certainly become instant classics. This is exactly the sort of `shot to the arm` boxing needs. Great fights in a hugely competitive division. And let us not forget that the four boxers mentioned above are by no means the only great welterweights today. Also considering the recent trend of division hopping, who knows who might pop up or down to stake a welterweight claim? At last, things are really `hotting` up.

Emmanuel Stewart and Teddy Atlas have shared their thoughts with us on the Mayweather-Mosley fight in an article given to BoxingScene.com. Atlas; “For Mayweather it`s the toughest fight he could have taken. You have to give him credit.” Stewart; “It`s a very interesting fight.” “They both have something to prove.” They both go on to give their own personal takes on the fight, how close it will, how emotional it will be, and how big a test it will be for each fighter. It really does seem that this is going to be one of those `whatever-you-do-don`t-miss-it` fights.

And then I woke up...

I`m sorry, guys, but I just don`t buy it. I think it must have been the `you gotta get excited about this`, hard-sell by Stewart and Atlas that brought me back to my senses. I mean this is Teddy `Alleged e-mail` Atlas and Emmanuel `I never actually saw it` Stewart we are talking about. You don`t have to be Einstein to work out where their allegiances lie. One recent article on Boxing News 24 sports the title “Mayweather-Mosley steals the thunder away from Pacquiao-Clottey bout”, and that is a true statement. The thunder of a match that IS going to take place between two of the world`s best welterweights is being stolen by a hypothetical bout. Mayweather-Mosley has been a simple figment people`s imagination for years. This bout, in my opinion, is no closer to becoming a reality than it ever was, and will remain forever imaginary. Sorry Teddy, I don`t have to give Mayweather credit until he actually fights.

Just look at the timing of the two bouts. They have been planned 6 or 7 weeks apart. Could that be just long enough to come up with an excuse as to why the fight cannot go ahead? Broken ribs in training? Sore finger, have to retire? Trainer not collecting his 200 dollars as he shoots past GO? Or even simpler, one of the fighters asks for too much money so the whole deal falls through. Or there`s a dispute about some sort of unprecedented demands.

By now we should all be aware that outside the ring boxing is often more akin to chess than to a straightforward combat sport. Promoters think 3, 4, 5, or more moves ahead. How easy it would to `steal the thunder` from a good fight by pretending there will be an even better fight at some time shortly afterwards. You can`t cheat at chess, but you can be as devious as you like. Both Mayweather and the guys at GBP are probably very angry with Pacquiao right now. A move like this would not at all be surprising.

Perhaps Pacquiao has boxed Mayweather into a corner by putting together the Clottey fight, forcing Floyd to take on the best available opponent. I sincerely hope that this is the case, and I would love that truly brilliant boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. to prove me wrong. I would love to see him `man up` and take on Shane Mosley, and may the best man win. But I refuse to allow a fight I quite honestly cannot believe will ever materialise spoil the build-up a fight that I know will.

Look forward to Mayweather-Mosley all you want, but do not be surprised if you never get to look back on it.

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Who's The Real Shane Mosley In 2010?

By Frank Lotierzo

Now that the Mayweather vsMosley bout is signed and scheduled to take place on May 1st, the speculation as to who will win has begun. Shane and Floyd are two of the greatest and most complete fighters to grace the sport of professional boxing over the last 20 years. Mayweather who will turn 33 later this month and Mosley who will be 39 a few months after the fight are two of the best welterweights in the world. Obviously Manny Pacquiao has to be included in that conversation as well. Most likely Pacquiao would be a slight underdog against Mayweather and a slight favorite over Mosley.

As of this writing Mayweather looks to be the surer bet over Mosley when it comes to which one of them will show up having retained their A-game on the night of May 1st. Floyd looked tremendous in dismantling Juan Manuel Marquez in his last bout. In his previous fight against Ricky Hatton he looked to be at the top of his game and performed better than he did in his signature winning bout versus Oscar De La Hoya a little more than two and a half years ago.

Shane Mosley fought one of the most complete fights of his career a little over a year ago when he took apart and stopped the tough and durable Antonio Margarito in his last fight. It was also Mosley's first fight with his new trainer Nazeem Richardson. Under Richardson's tutelage, Shane exhibited great holding and clenching skills which were exactly what he needed to do in order to disrupt and impede Margarito's aggression and strength.

Nazeem appears to have infused life into Mosley at the twilight of his career. The only thing that's unclear... is the Margarito fight a good indicator of who Mosley is as a fighter in 2010? Did Shane match up well with Margarito or is he really the fighter who was being written off after losing a decision to Miguel Cotto and then coming on to stop the crude and wild swinging Ricardo Mayorga in the last round in his last bout before meeting Margarito?

What Mosley shows up to face Floyd Mayweather this coming May will determine what kind of a fight boxing fans will see. If it's the Mosley who had a hard time getting off versus Mayorga until Ricardo slowed and became more predictable and easier to time than he normally is, Mayweather will run away with the fight. And if it's the Mosley who got caught in between styles fighting Cotto, Mayweather will pot-shot him and stay a step ahead of him the entire fight.

The last thing Mosley can let happen against Mayweather is for him to try and show Floyd something different from round to round. If Shane comes out aggressively,  looking to put Floyd away with one big punch, he'll think he's punching at a sheet draped over a clothes line hanging in his neighbor's backyard. And if he tries to bring Mayweather to him looking for the big counter, he'll come in second every time because Mayweather has the reach, hand speed and instincts to beat Mosley playing tag.

On the other hand if Mosley fights with the same purpose and ring savvy he exhibited against Margarito, then the fight has a chance to be a memorable one. Against Margarito, Mosley boxed from the outside as Antonio was trying to shrink the ring and force it on the inside. Once he got there Mosley tied him up and clinched - thus impeding Margarito's aggression and forcing him to reset and start over. Then when Margarito tried to change it up and inch his way towards Mosley behind his jab,  Shane sensed the subtle change and fought more aggressively, utilizing his superior hand speed and made Margarito pay a price on the way in and set him up to be taken out later in the fight.

For the Margarito fight, Mosley's trainer Nazeem Richardson drew up the perfect fight plan and Mosley followed it to the letter. And in doing that he had to fight himself along the way because Shane likes to attack and trade when he's under fire. However, Richardson apparently reached Mosley and convinced him trading and going to war with Margarito wasn't the way to go.

At this time Richardson has to be considered one of the three or four best trainers in professional boxing. Now he has to come up with a fight-plan for an almost 39-year-old Mosley to somehow draw Mayweather into a knockdown, drag-out fight in order for him to have his best chance to beat the favored Mayweather. And for him to do that,  Mosley will have to have retained enough of his physical skills and weapons to carry out the plan against what will surely be an uncooperative Mayweather.

If Mosley is to hand Mayweather his first pro defeat, he'll have to force the fight on the inside and somehow keep it there for a majority of the time. Mayweather likes his opponent to bring the fight to him, but has never been confronted by an opponent who had fast hands who's stronger than him. Mosley has to force Mayweather to trade hooks and uppercuts with him while his back is on the ropes. To do that he'll have to be in great shape and also be elusive enough to make Mayweather's jab miss him with some consistency. If Shane is too upright as he's moving in, Mayweather will pepper him with his left-jab and score with some crowd stopping left-hooks off it.

Mosley does not need to be creative to beat Mayweather (if he's going to beat him, that is.)  He has to be completely consistent, start to finish. And he doesn't have to worry about whether his shots are catching Floyd clean early in the fight, he just has to stay on him, landing anywhere he can.

The question that cannot be answered until fight night is - is Shane Mosley the measured and calculated physical force that took apart Antonio Margarito or is he the fighter who looked a little better than ordinary versus Cotto and Mayorga but certainly not extraordinary. When Mosley steps into the ring to fight Floyd Mayweather he'll becoming off the longest period of inactivity of his 17 year career. Add to that Mayweather is the most accurate and best counter-puncher he will have faced during his career, and that's not a good recipe to go into a fight with Mayweather.

As of late Mosley's speech and diction haven't been as sharp and clear as it once was. I hope that's more the case of me catching him on and off day or after a tough gym session. But in all honesty that scares me as to what Mosley has left. When it was discussed that he was going to fight Joshua Clottey it was stated here that in my opinion that was a bad matchup for him. Once that fight fell through and the fight with Andre Berto was made, I felt that Shane wasn't a lock to win that one.

Mayweather from a style and mindset vantage-point will present Mosley more problems than either Clottey or Berto could've. I'm not going to guess at this time what version of Mosley will show up. What I do know is if he's not the fighter we saw versus Margarito, Floyd Mayweather will have a lot to do with him looking spent and on the severe decline.

Boxing Betting – Mosley finally gets Mayweather in Ring

US sportsbooks (US sportsbook reviews) were banking on a fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao as being the biggest fight in the history of the sport. But that fight broke down, and Mayweather will take on Shane Mosley instead. Fight fans and online betting players alike will be treated to a match between two of the best welterweights on the planet, and this is a fight Mosley has wanted for a while.

Mayweather vs Mosley odds – Saturday, May 1, 2010

“Money” Mayweather (40-0-0, 25 KOs) was due to fight Pacquiao in a megafight, but Pacquiao wouldn’t agree to Mayweather’s demands for Olmypic-style testing. Mayweather returned to the ring after a 10th-round knockout of Ricky Hatton in December 2007, after which Mayweather decided to retire, but he then came back for what most people thought was a shot at Pacquiao. Mayweather destroyed Juan Manuel Marquez, who has drawn with Pacquiao as well as taken a loss in a highly controversial split decision, but to be fair to Marquez, he was really a lightweight moving up to fight Mayweather, who looked much bigger (and was indeed bigger after he failed to meet the official weight of 144 points, fighting instead at 146 points, for which he paid a $600,000 penalty) than Marquez.

Shane “Sugar” Mosley (46-5-1, 39 KOs) has won titles in three weight classes, and currently holds the WBA’s welterweight title, which he’s putting up in this fight. He’s bounced back since a pair of losses to “Winky” Wright, and even his loss to Miguel Cotto was a very good fight. Mosley still has his famous hand speed, although he’ll be pressed to show it off against the lightning-quick Mayweather. Mosley took the WBA belt from Antonio Margarito, dominating the former champion in January 2009 to show that he’s still one of the best.

Early sports betting odds are backing Mayweather at -130, and this fight got started when Mosley stormed the ring after Mayweather’s beating of Marquez and asked for a fight. Mosley has been looking to fight Mayweather for years, and there’s always been a stigma of Mayweather avoiding the world’s best welterweights so he can keep his perfect record. It’s not like Mayweather has been fighting bums, beating Oscar De La Hoya, Hatton and Marquez, but let’s be real: De La Hoya was on his way out of boxing, and Hatton and Marquez were well overmatched, while Mosley has gone to war with the Cottos, the Margaritos, and he also beat De La Hoya in his prime. People thinking that Mosley has no chance haven’t watched boxing, because he hasn’t lost that much hand speed, and he has enough experience to offset Mayweather’s defense. Mayweather may have to actually let his hands go, which will make for an exciting boxing betting experience.

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Mosley on Mayweather: “I am Stronger, Faster, Better"

Shane Mosely believes he can beat Floyd Mayweather Jr. Whether words translate into reality remain to be seen.

Said Mosley this week: "I have always wanted to fight Floyd and now it is finally coming true. I am already in great shape and ready to show everyone on May 1 that I am stronger, faster and better than he is. I will have no problem beating him."

Should his promise come to fruition that's great news for gamblers who can currently bet Mosley online at $100 and potentially win $260 at SBG Global.

The May 1 bout promises to be a major draw for gamblers and boxing fans alike.

Shane and Floyd are two of the greatest and most complete fighters to grace the sport of professional boxing over the last 20 years, writes Frank Lotierzo of the Sweet Science.

Lotierzo is not sure which Shane Mosley will show up to fight Floyd Mayweather, Jr.

"What Mosley shows up to face Floyd Mayweather this coming May will determine what kind of a fight boxing fans will see. If it's the Mosley who had a hard time getting off versus (Ricardo) Mayorga until Ricardo slowed and became more predictable and easier to time than he normally is, Mayweather will run away with the fight. And if it's the Mosley who got caught in between styles fighting (Miguel) Cotto, Mayweather will pot-shot him and stay a step ahead of him the entire fight."

Online bookmakers are betting this will be a fight for the ages following cancellation of the much anticipated Mayweather vs. Manny Pacquiao showdown.

Should Mosley win, we may be forgetting about Mayweather-Pacquaio as all bets could be on Mosley-Pacquiao.

Mosley had previously said Pacquiao would have made more money fighting him than Miguel Cotto.

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Floyd Mayweather Jr: "I Will Bring Shane Mosley Down"

Floyd Mayweather Jr. plans to fight smart, stay focused on his boxing and break down "Sugar" Shane Mosley on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mayweather faces Mosley for the WBA welterweight title. Mayweather's big advantage with opponents has been speed. Mosley is another fighter with a high level of speed. When Mayweather steps in the ring with Mosley, he doesn't plan to rely on his speed to win. He plans box and rely on timing.

Mayweather views proper timing of his punches as the real key to victory in this fight. Speaking with veteran boxing scribe Ron Borges, Mayweather is claiming to be in a bad spot because of Shane's age factor.

"The thing is in the sport of boxing, like life, everything is timing," Mayweather said. "Just like inside the squared circle. A lot of people need to realize in 1999 I was trying to make a fight with Shane Mosley when he was still undefeated. Now five losses later, I got the bad end of the stick."

"We're a lot older now. I don't know what he's got left. He looked tremendous against Margarito but if I knock him out then its 'He was supposed to knock him out.'. If I dont then 'He didn't knock out Mosley.' But I don't care about the negative things people say. I'll box. I'll be smart. I'll be me. I'll break him down."

Mayweather doesn't think he receives enough credit for what he's been able to accomplish in the ring. He only wants to fight the best at this point. Mayweather told Borges that he could have went after much easier opponents and still made lots of money. He knows the Mosley fight is very important because bigger things will come in the future if he beats Mosley.

"I could have easily gone on a world tour fighting stiffs and made $200 million but I want to fight the best. You got two guys who are fast," Mayweather said. 'That's where timing comes in. Timing and inches. I know what I can do. I know a lot more is coming after this."

Mayweather-Mosley: Is Shane too much of a plodder to beat Floyd?

By Jason Kim: I like Shane Mosley and think he’s had a great career as a fighter, but I think he may have stepped out of his comfort zone in taking on Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mosley, now 38, used to be a real good mover in his time, but age has been somewhat cruel to him, slowing down his once fast foot speed to the point where Mosley is now more or less a plodding type of welterweight, good mainly for forward and back type of attacks.

Mosley is fine when he has an opponent that stands in front of him and doesn’t move like Antonio Margarito, the last fighter that Mosley beat in a 9th round TKO in January 2009. But if you take Mosley and put him in with a fighter that uses any kinds of lateral movement and angles, Mosley looks hopelessly lost. In looking at Mosley’s defeat against Miguel Cotto, I was astonished how good Cotto’s foot movement was in that fight.

Cotto doesn’t get credit for being good with his feet, but he looked damn good against Mosley in that fight, and was able to shift around enough that he wasn’t standing directly in front of Mosley all the time. Mayweather is way beyond Cotto in moving around the ring, and he’s not going to allow Mosley to set up his offense for a second. I think we’ll see early on that Mosley’s old wheels will be like their stuck in glue as Mayweather uses movement to keep Mosley constantly guessing and unable to land his shots.

I think Mosley would be a handful for Mayweather if Floyd makes the mistake of becoming immobile and letting Mosley have a target to hit. I doubt that Mayweather will ever give the 38-year-old Mosley a chance, because he knows Mosley’s weakness already from having seen Shane’s fights. Why make it easy on the old warrior by standing there and letting him get his shots off.

I think Mosley is still a great fighter and can probably beat all the other welterweights with the exceptions of ones that move a lot around the ring, but I see him being hopelessly lost against Mayweather on May 1st. Mosley can help himself if he can try to get as close as Mayweather as possible so that he can use his punch and clinch technique.

This is a new style of fighting that Mosley used successfully against Margarito, and it worked like a charm against him. If Mayweather isn’t thinking clearly, then Mosley can take advantage of him by staying near him and holding as much as possible to limit the shots that Mayweather is hitting him with. If Mosley can limit Mayweather’s offense to a trickle by clinching, then Mosley could win.

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Floyd Mayweather signs to fight Shane Mosley

Floyd Mayweather Jr. ended the dramatic pause before his signature Wednesday when he officially signed to fight Pomona's world welterweight champion Shane Mosley, Mosley's attorney told The Times.

The bout between two of the sport's top pound-for-pound fighters of the past decade-plus will occur May 1 at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. Mosley signed to fight Friday night, and authorities close to the bout had expected Mayweather to sign no later than Monday.

His delay caused some angst for the fight's promoter, Richard Schaefer, of Golden Boy Promotions, who watched Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao feud so heatedly over a pre-fight drug-testing plan that their planned March 13 bout was scrapped.

Mosley, who has admitted to using steroids and EPO before his 2003 victory over Oscar De La Hoya, has consented to allow pre-fight blood and urine tests all the way through fight night, as long as Mayweather undergoes the same test on the same day, Mosley's attorney Judd Burstein said.

The 32-year-old Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts) and 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) have combined to win world titles in eight weight divisions.

-- Lance Pugmire BASEBALL

Verlander gets deal from Tigers

Justin Verlander and the Detroit Tigers have agreed to an $80-million, five-year contract, a person familiar with the negotiations told the Associated Press. Verlander won a career-high 19 games with a career-best 3.45 earned-run average last season. He is 65-43 with a 3.92 ERA in four seasons.

Former Angels pitcher Ramon Ortiz signed a minor league contract with the Dodgers that includes an invitation to spring training. Ortiz, 37, last pitched in the majors in 2007.

-- Dylan Hernandez ETC.

Blue Jackets fire Hitchcock

The Columbus Blue Jackets fired Coach Ken Hitchcock, less than a year after the club made the postseason for the first time. Assistant coach Claude Noel was chosen to lead the team on an interim basis.

General Manager Scott Howson announced the firing a day after the struggling Blue Jackets blew a 1-0 lead in a listless 5-1 loss at Colorado. Columbus stands 14th of the 15 teams in the Western Conference with a 22-27-9 record and 53 points.

Major League Soccer unveiled its 2010 regular-season schedule, and for the first time in the league's 15-year history, it conforms to the pattern set by Europe's leading leagues, with each of the 16 teams playing the other 15 teams once at home and once on the road in a 30-game schedule.

That should lead to an increase in attendance because fans will have only one opportunity of seeing each visiting team during the March 25-Oct. 24 regular season.

-- Grahame L. Jones

Australian Open finalist Justine Henin was given a wild card berth into the main draw of the BNP Paribas Open scheduled for March 8-21 at the Indian Wells Tennis Garden. Henin won the event in 2004.

-- Diane Pucin

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Floyd Mayweather Could End Up as the Greatest, Too

Li'l Floyd may have been a former three-time pound-for-pound king, a highly-skilled boxer who dealt bitter loses to the likes of Oscar De la Hoya, Ricky Hatton, Jose Louis Castillo among others, a part of the fight that shattered pay-per-view all-time record buys, and one of the boxers who are in the limelight these days.

But what separates him from the all-time greats like Ali, Armstrong, and even Manny Pacquiao himself, is his tendency to mock the sport that gave him everything he's got. If there are categories like "Greatest Spoiler of All Time," and "Greatest Trash Talker of All Time," Mayweather would definitely sweep them all unopposed.

The Greatest Spoiler of All Time

No doubt, he's one of the greatest when it comes to defensive skills in boxing and in fact in most of his fights, his defense has been impenetrable. But his best defensive move was his stance against the possible showdown with Manny Pacquiao.

The potential greatest match of all time attracted unprecedented attention worldwide and when it was just a signature away, Floyd Jr. came up with the lamest excuse of drug accusation. It was a great move in his point of view as it prevented having his precious zero-loss record from disappearing. He spoiled the most anticipated much of all time.

The Greatest Trash Talker of All Time

He may have a blinding speed which is definitely unrivaled in the sport: speed of his tongue. There's simply no one in boxing who talks much faster than his combinations in the ring. If he puts his mind into it, he could also be a multi-awarded world-class rapper.

But of all the words he said, he only walked a very few of 'em. His tirades definitely put the sport down. And with the way he's going, not even a savior like Manny Pacquiao can repair the damage he's been inflicting.



It's about time. Save your tarnished reputation Floyd Mayweather, Jr. Sign your fight contract against Mosley and try to beat him. And face your greatest fear.

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Mayweather vs Mosley - a Little Better Than Pacquiao vs Clottey

By Elmer Crisostomo
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After taking heavy criticisms for refusing to take on Pacquiao, Li'l Floyd has finally scored some points in the eyes of boxing fans by finally agreeing to fight Sugar Shane Mosley, thus staking his too precious zero-loss record and putting into jeopardy the ultimate fight with Manny Pacquiao.

A loss against Mosley, which a handful boxing afficionados are predicting, might swing the attention of the boxing world to a possible unification Welterweight clash between Pacman and Sugar possibly this July, leaving him in the sidelines perhaps for good. The risk that he has taken, however, has somehow shown that the undefeated five-time champion possesses a semblance of courage afterall.

Considering the gravity of their fight, which has been one of the most anticipated for many years now, Mosley-Mayweather bout might edge out the exhibition match between Pacquiao and Clottey in terms of pay-per-view buys.

The margin will definitely not be that glaring though as the popularity of the Filipino fighter is undoubtedly unmatched not only because of his amazing wins over bigger fighters the past few years but more importantly because of his never-say-die attitude on the ring.

But, of course, the fight that the world is dying to see is still, the recently aborted Pacquiao-Mayweather ultimate showdown. The two scheduled bouts can never replace that one single fight between the top pound-for-pound fighters in the planet.

In fact, include all the scheduled fights this year and altogether, they can never even come close in terms of magnitude, anticipation, significance, and of course, money, to the potential biggest fight of all-time.

Floyd Mayweather will fight Shane Mosley on May 1 in Las Vegas

Floyd Mayweather has signed to fight Shane Mosley in a blockbuster May 1 fight, Golden Boy Promotions chief executive Richard Schaefer announced Wednesday, although a couple days of open consternation about the negotiations didn’t sit well with the Grand Rapids boxer’s adviser.

Mayweather signed Wednesday, according to Schaefer, who one day earlier expressed to ESPN.com his concern about why the fighter hadn’t signed, as did Judd Burstein, Mosley’s attorney.

Those concerns came despite Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather’s adviser, insisting Friday -- the same day Mosley signed his own contract -- that the fight would be finalized this week.

“Their business is to worry about Shane Mosley,” Ellerbe said. “Like I told you last week, there were no hang-ups to making this fight. All the deal points had been finalized and we were prepared to make an announcement this week.

“Floyd Mayweather is very meticulous in the way he handles his business and he does it in his time. As for the rest of it, that’s on them.”

The fight will take place at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas. It matches two rivals who have talked off and on for more than a decade about fighting each other.

The 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), of Pomona, Calif., has claimed world titles in three weight divisions.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), 32, is a former five-division champion and pound-for-pound claimant.

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“It is a fight Floyd Mayweather has wanted for years and a fight Shane Mosley has wanted for years,” Schaefer said. “For whatever reason, fights don’t always come together because of different dynamics.

“But Shane Mosley has never ducked anyone and, to anyone who has ever said Floyd Mayweather has ducked opponents, he is stepping up to the plate to fight the most dangerous welterweight in the world. I can’t wait.”

Schaefer said is has not been determined whether Mosley’s World Boxing Association welterweight title will be at stake.

One reason could be the 3-percent fee the organization typically levies on each fighter’s purse to sanction a championship fight. Schaefer said it is his intent to negotiate with the WBA for a reduction in that fee.

Plans for a press tour are pending.

Mayweather's signature closes deal to fight Mosley on May 1

LAS VEGAS - It's official. Boxing's biggest superstar and six-time world champion Floyd "Money" Mayweather made his upcoming fight with welterweight mega-star and five-time world champion Sugar Shane Mosley, official today when he signed the contract that pits the two fighters against each other on Saturday, May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a mega-bout which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View.

"This one is definitely for the fans as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tune-up bout and asked to fight Shane immediately," said Mayweather. "I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."

"I have always wanted to fight Floyd and now it is finally coming true," said Mosley, who signed his side of the deal last Friday in Las Vegas. "I am already in great shape and ready to show everyone on May 1 that I am stronger, faster and better than he is. I will have no problem beating him."
In addition to the fight being one of the most competitive and talked about contests in each of the fighters' careers, Mayweather and Mosley have agreed to Olympic-style drug testing for the fight.
"Floyd has been trying to make this fight for the last 10 years, so he is extremely excited about the opportunity to face Shane," said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. "He can't wait to extend his undefeated record and perform at the highest level. More importantly, he is also happy to set the precedent for random blood testing in order to ensure fair and safe contests for all fighters."
"When two champions of this caliber meet in the ring, you can expect nothing but excellence and that is what we are going to see on May 1," said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions. "Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and I commend him for not only agreeing to the fight against Mayweather, but also agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport."

"Mayweather-Mosley is a showdown of superstars that fans have been talking about for years", said Mark Taffet of HBO Pay-Per-View. "It has all the elements of a pay-per-view mega-fight."

A 1996 Olympic Bronze medalist for the United States, Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KO's) has since gone on to strike Gold in the professional ranks, winning six world titles in five weight classes to firmly establish himself as one of the most elite fighters of his era. With dominating wins over the likes of world champions Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton, Mayweather was on a meteoric rise to hall of fame greatness when he announced his retirement from the ring in 2008. But he left the door open for a return if the right challenge presented itself and after 18 months of a much needed physical and emotional break from the ring, he returned to boxing on September 19, 2009 with a dominating and spectacular victory over future Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez.

A future Hall of Famer with five world titles to his name, Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO's) has ruled the lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight divisions over his storied 16-year career and at 38 years old, the Pomona, Calif. native seems to be getting better and better as the years pass. Winner of seven of his last eight fights dating back to 2005, Mosley has defeated the likes of Fernando Vargas (twice), Luis Collazo and Ricardo Mayorga, but his most recent victory also was one of his most spectacular -- a ninth round stoppage of Antonio Margarito in January 2009 to win the welterweight world title for the third time.

The 12-round welterweight battle is a highly competitive match-up that already has sports fans across the world buzzing to see two of the sport's biggest names meet in the squared circle in the premier boxing match-up of 2010.

More information on Mayweather vs. Mosley, including ticket prices, HBO Pay- Per- View information and press tour dates and cities, will be announced shortly.

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