If There is Never a Winner Takes All Fight
Mosley / Mayweather could Be the Closest Thing!
By: Mike Weaver
Rumors are flying and a source close to me says that a Floyd Mayweather / Shane Mosley bout will happen. The rumored date is May 1st at the MGM Grand Ballroom a slot that Golden Boy Promotions had already held for a future card.
The possibility of the bout arose when following a drug-testing controversy started by team Mayweather the Manny Pacquiao mega bout scheduled for March 13th was cancelled. Pacquiao has moved on to face Joshua Clottey, 35-3, 20Ko’s at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas on March 13th. There is no word out of Mayweather’s camp whether he will take a fight himself.
WBA Super World welterweight title “Sugar” Shane Mosley 46-5, 39Ko’s was scheduled to meet WBC welterweight Andre Berto 25-0, 19Ko’s January 30th but Berto was forced to pull out to great family loss due to the earthquake in Haiti. With Berto pulling out and the fight lacking a suitable substitute the fight scheduled for January 30th at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is cancelled as well as the complete undercard including co-featured bouts matching Glen Johnson and Yusaf Mack, Vivian Harris versus Lucas Matthysse and Sergio Mora / Jason Naugler fight.
The cancellation leaves Mosley and Mayweather sitting on the outside looking in. The question being will Mayweather step up and show us he wasn’t ducking Pacquiao and meet Mosley.
Mosley who has faced all comers ducking no one is hot off his latest outing the destruction of “Hands of Plaster” Antonio Margarito. Another many believe Mayweather had dodged. The five time champion confronted “Pretty Boy” during his post fight interview with HBO’s Max Kellerman after winning a unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez this past September. Mosley called out Mayweather prior to signing to fight Berto.
Most who witnessed the confrontation saw it as intrusive by Mosley but many since then look back believing that it is the only way to deal with Mayweather, head on. The incident which can be viewed below started well but ended up a full fledged verbal confrontation.
A Mayweather / Manny Pacquiao mega bout appeared to be a sure thing particularly when a guaranteed payday of 40 million dollars each was announced. Mayweather undefeated at 40-0, 25Ko’s seemed to be the one throwing the monkey wrench into the negotiations demanding an Olympic style drug testing then going on to refuse a Pacquiao compromise. Pacquiao, 50-3-2, 38Ko’s agreed to the test to start at the opening press conference then again during training and immediately after the bout a compromise “Money” Mayweather would not agree to leaving many believing that the self proclaimed best fighter pound for pound again used negotiations to dodge another fight.
Against Marquez he used negotiations to gain an edge making him agree to move up two weight classes then not making the weight himself but many assumed the money would make this fight. I guess it’s clear now that there will always be a payday for Mayweather and he just doesn’t want to risk his legacy. In the past Mayweather had been accused of using money splits to avoid fights but this time the money was there maybe be it was just self doubt.
The real question being is Mayweather willing to face his legacy or has he cornered himself into a meeting with Mosley is he willing to put it all on the line or will he again negotiate himself out of a tough fight.
If there is never a fight winner takes all, a Mayweather / Mosley fight could be the closest thing. The winner lines himself up for that that mega bout with Manny in what would be the biggest payday in the history of boxing a meeting with “The Pacman” assuming he gets past Clottey.
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Berto Out! Chances of a Mosley / Mayweather Showdown?
By: Ethan Doutney After the announcement of Andre Berto’s pulling out of his upcoming bout with “Sugar” Shane Mosley due to being stunned and overwhelmed by great family loss including the loss of as many as eight family members due to the Haiti earthquake. Berto lived in Haiti with his parents going on to represent Haiti in the 2004 Olympic Games before immigrating to Winter Haven, Florida in 1980. What ever happened to the thing most people love about boxing? That man on man fair fight letting the best man win.
Signed and fighting under the direction of Lou DiBella Berto amassed an undefeated record of 25-0, 19Ko’s earning a shot at Mosley a future Hall of Famer and five time champion.
With Berto pulling out and the fight lacking a suitable substitute the fight scheduled for January 30th at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas is cancelled as well as the complete undercard including co-featured bouts matching Glen Johnson and Yusaf Mack, Vivian Harris versus Lucas Matthysse and Sergio Mora / Jason Naugler fight.
Many might think this would open the doors for a Mayweather / Mosley showdown but I wouldn’t leap to conclusions. The January 30th is much too soon for Mayweather, 40-0, 25Ko’s the self proclaimed best fighter pound for pound and the March 13th date allotted for his fight with Manny Pacquiao would also now be too soon for team Mayweather.
Mayweather who has avoided the likes of Miguel Cotto, Antonio Margarito and Mosley in their prime would surely need time to plan his usual negotiation games that are sure to come. Who knows what weight requirements, drug testing demands, glove and ring size stipulations will face Mosley who has already been in training for the Berto fight. Looking back on all the nonsense that was involved during the Pacquiao / Mayweather negotiations team Mayweather would use time as an advantage putting a gap between now and a date with Mosley using time as an advantage to make Mosley six years older work through a prolonged training camp. Only time will tell and if history has taught us anything it will repeat itself.
Despite Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer’s announcement that May weather would go on and fight filling the fight March 13th slot at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on a pay-per-view directly competing with Pacquiao/ Clottey at Cowboys Stadium, Arlington, Texas that has fallen to a potential fight date of May 1st that Golden Boy Promotions had secured at the MGM Grand in Vegas for a future showcase which could surely work for Team Mosley.
Mosley, 46-5, 39Ko’s who was very sympathetic with Berto’s situation has long chased a fight with Mayweather even calling Mayweather out publicly after “Pretty Boy’s” bout with Juan Manuel Marquez in September and is probably chomping at the bit the question is how much will the “Sugarman” give into Mayweather who is certainly using avoidance and time to protect his legacy.
Should this fight take place one thing is for sure Mayweather will have found a way to give himself an advantage and what contingencies will Mosley have to give up. Will it ever be enough?
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Mosley Looks to Grab Berto’s Belt and Up the Ante!
By: Ethan Doutney
As “Sugar” Shane Mosley, 46-5, 39Ko’s lays in wait for his shot at Floyd Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao he has his eyes securely set on the target before him, Winter Haven, Florida’s WBC Welterweight Champion Andre Berto.
Mosley is scheduled to meet Berto January 23rd, at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, Las Vegas, Nevada strategically looking to claim Berto’s WBC title enabling him to raise the ante and finally draw “Pretty Boy” or “the Pac Man” into the fight of his career.
Mosley has been around too long to take Berto lightly considering all the consequence that will be riding on the fight. He is very aware of his legacy and knows he needs to prove his destruction of the once highly dodged Antonio Margarito was no fluke. Mosley not only wants but needs Pacquiao or Mayweather or now possibly a less attractive rematch with Miguel Cotto to stay in the top of the pound for pound rankings.
The DiBella Entertainment promoted Berto first made his mark fighting for the Haitian Olympic team in 2004 and is undefeated as a pro. He is seen by most as one of boxing’s fastest rising stars and his 25-0, 19 Ko’s record validates his case. He has progressively faced a steady pace of tougher and tougher competition each time out winning the WBC Welterweight World Title in June 2008 with a seventh round stoppage of Miguel Angel Rodriguez. Berto has backed his work beating the likes of and Steve Forbes, Luis Collazo and Juan Urango his last three times out.
Berto takes a big step here facing Mosley a five time world champion but that’s how real champions are made, even the “Sugarman” would agree.
Mosley a fans champion has never ducked anyone and deserves anyone of these big fights if not all three. If rumors are true and Pacquiao is truly looking to make a second run at a political career it’s certainly time for Mayweather to step up and take on Mosley and stop waiting to spot a gray hair. If the Pacman is ready to go then face the fighter who negotiates straight up and give us what we all want the best fighting the best, Shane would!
Should the capable Berto upset the future hall of Famer he should certainly find himself right in the thick of it. let's stop the ducking and dodging give boxing what it wants and what it most certainly needs to re-establish it's grip on combat sports.
Tickets for Golden Boy Promotions and DiBella Entertainment’s co-promoted Mosley / Berto are now on sale and available for purchase at all Las Vegas Ticketmasters. they can be charged at Ticketmaster at (702) 745-3000 or can be obtained at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com. Mosley / Berto will be televised live on HBO, January 30th, at 10:00 pm ET/7:00 pm PT.
