BIGGEST FIGHT IN DECADE IS HERE!
Pittsburgh, PA- Perhaps at first glance, ?Sugar Shane? Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) seems to have much less to lose than Floyd ?Money? Mayweather, Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs) when they square off Saturday night in the sport?s biggest bout since Mosley first met Oscar De La Hoya a decade ago. Both have already amassed Hall of Fame resumes, but at 38 Mosley appears to have much more to gain than to lose. However, in spite of his stellar career, the importance of yet another big win remains, due in equal parts to a cynical boxing public and to Mosley himself. His terrific win over Antonio Margarito may be qualified in the long term due to the Mexican?s loss of his weapons, and his accompanying psyche, when caught trying to load his hand wraps. Mosley?s greatest victories over De La Hoya face serious scrutiny after the revelation that he used performance-enhancing drugs for the second bout. A win over the world?s finest boxer, after Olympic drug testing, would grant Mosley the peace of mind in knowing that no one can reasonably question his greatness.
WILL A VICTORY SEAL MAYWEATHER LEGACY?
Those who don?t like a boxer can almost always find grounds for criticism; fighters can?t stop that, but with their choices and performances they can make those critics look increasingly silly. James Toney, who?s wasted the last decade 30-40 pounds overweight, recently dumped on Bernard Hopkins? career and sounded ridiculous in so doing. No, Mayweather will not seal his self-proclaimed legacy as one of the best ever by beating a Mosley ten years past his prime, but he will give his fans plenty more ammunition to advance his cause while relieving the opposition of some artillery. Until he beats both Mosley and Manny Pacquiao at this point, that?s about all he can do.
IS JUST WINNING ENOUGH FOR MAYWEATHER?
His critics cite his safety-first, defensive style as further evidence of Mayweather as an impostor and not an all-time great. In fact, since his impeccable December 2007 win over Ricky Hatton has lost its luster, you?d have to go back to his 2005 flawless performance against Arturo Gatti if not further to find an exciting Mayweather effort. A win over the great Mosley is to some extent a win, but how will commentators and fans view Mayweather if he potshots, moves and clinches his way to a technical decision? It all depends on what Mayweather seeks: If he wants recognition as a winner and a puzzle who?s almost impossible to solve, Saturday night will be ?Dancing With the Stars, Part Two.? If he wants to capture the public?s imagination, he?ll take some chances and mix it up.
IS BROTHER NAZIM THE X-FACTOR?
Every once in a while someone comes along who just has it, adding substance to his style. Trainer Nazim Richardson is steadily distinguishing himself as one of the great American trainers, perhaps soon standing aside Emanuel Steward and Freddie Roach. ?Boxing geniuses? don?t follow the genius prototype of the rest of the world, but if boxing has its own Mensa club, Richardson deserves inclusion. You can learn more just listening to him between rounds than from volumes by blowhards like me. As lead trainer, he very well could be undefeated, with Hopkins only enduring controversial defeats in the Jermain Taylor rematch and the Joe Calzaghe loss. Beyond that, he?s continued to prove the vast majority wrong with Hopkins? wins over Antonio Tarver, Winky Wright and Kelly Pavlik along with Mosley?s annihilation of Margarito. If Mosley pulls off the upset, calling Richardson the X-factor will be an understatement.
CAN MOSLEY KO FLOYD?
Because of Mosley?s excellent knockout percentage and tremendous power for a welterweight (147 lb.), many consider him to have a realistic if not good chance to not only defeat, but to stop, Mayweather. Consider, however, that although only 12 of Mosley?s 51 fights have gone the distance, 10 of his last 18 have. During that time, which began when he bested De La Hoya in 2000, he hasn?t stopped any great technical fighters, and the best boxers he knocked out included Margarito, Fernando Vargas and Ricardo Mayorga, who look like NFL nose guards versus Mayweather?s Usain Bolt in terms of speed. Perhaps Mosley can drop Floyd, but don?t count on it.
DOES ?SUGAR SHANE? REALLY HAVE A GOOD CHANCE TO WIN?
FightNews.com?s poll give Mayweather only a 51-49 edge to win, and ESPN.com?s margin stands at only 55-45, so the fans seem to see this as an even fight. Undoubtedly, with Mosley?s talent, physical assets and desire, it will prove competitive. History almost always predicts the future, though, and we know that Mosley won?t be hard for Mayweather to find; we don?t know the reverse to be true. Unless Mosley?s aggression manifests as effective to some significant degree, my vision for the bout has Mayweather prioritizing an ugly technical win over exciting toe-to-toe action. He?s younger, faster and better, and he might deliver his signature win this weekend, for better and for worse. I hope I?m wrong.
