Floyd Mayweather Jr. has had a mightily impressive career so far and aims to go down in history as one of the all-time greats of the sport.
In forty fights ranging from super featherweight to super welterweight, he is undefeated and has 25 knockouts amongst those bouts.
Mayweather takes on Shane Mosley in his next fight on May 1 2010 with his WBA World Welterweight Championship at stake and, as is tradition in boxing, the fight has already begun outside of the ring.
?There is a blueprint to beat him because he has lost five times already. But there is no blueprint to beat me,” said Mayweather on Friday and, while the outspoken fighter always talks big, he has yet to be made to look foolish by being beaten.
Mosley didn’t underplay matters, knowing how significant a victory would be against the undefeated Mayweather: “May 1 symbolizes something. After this fight, it is going to be clear. It is going to be the date of Mayweather’s first loss.
“It has been a long time since I have had a chance to show the world that I am the best fighter. I have wanted to be the best and have people understand that I am the best,” asserted Mosley.
Mayweather’s bout with Ricky Hatton in 2007 was billed as ‘Undefeated’, for one of the competitor’s record had to be blemished – unless the fight ended as a No Contest.
It didn’t. Mayweather’s stamina won him the battle that day, and he won by Technical Knockout in round 10 as Hatton started to waver.
Mosley may have been defeated in the past, but his losses have tended to come against taller opponents. Floyd Mayweather Jr. is a mere 5’7″, and does not compare in size to boxers the height of Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright, both of which defeated Mosley.
He also lost in 2007 to Miguel Cotto though, who is the same size as Mayweather. Given that Mayweather is considered along with Filipino Manny Pacquiao as the number one pound-for-pound boxer in the world, he is heavy favourite for the encounter.
If Mayweather is to get the opportunity to take on Pacquiao in one of the most hotly anticipated fights in boxing, he will have to beat Mosley – and beat him well.
Mayweather needs to defeat the best boxers in the field rather than take on money-spinning straightforward bouts, and will only go down amongst the greats in history if he does so. A fight against Mosley is a positive step, but it is the Pacquiao fight that everyone wants to see.
Mayweather recently declared himself the best boxer that ever lived – over even Muhammed Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson – and if that’s not setting yourself up for a fall I’m not sure what is.
What’s clear though is that if one person has the game to back up his confident words, it is Floyd Mayweather Jr.
