For the past month or so highly respected trainer Naazim Richardson had been speaking in depth about the chances that his charge Shane Mosley had of upending the undefeated record of Floyd Mayweather. Richardson was brutally honest in his assessment of Mayweather, pointing to both his strengths and weaknesses as a fighter, and had tremendous belief in what Mosley could possibly accomplish.
Richardson was in town in early April for Bernard Hopkins? heated rematch with Roy Jones Jr. and spoke from the Mandalay Bay on all angles to a Mayweather-Mosley clash. Despite Mayweather?s pockets of brilliance when performing inside of the ring Richardson noted that he was human just like anyone else.
?When you play chess, your queen can?t do nothing that my queen can?t? do,? Richardson said. ?It?s going to be the strategy that we apply and who can adhere to that strategy and make the necessary adjustments to be successful. You beat him like you beat anybody else.?
Despite the high optimism heading in, the dangerous Richardson-Mosley tandem wasn?t able to break through Mayweather as they would have hoped for last night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. For the better part of twelve rounds the boxing world was witness to a dominant display as Mayweather beat his older foe in just about every area imaginable in capturing a unanimous decision win. The victory was both telling and convincing.
Shortly after the bout Richardson made his way to the post fight press conference and couldn?t help but acknowledge how thorough of a defeat his fighter had been dealt. Richardson and Mosley first teamed up for Shane?s January 2009 thrashing of Antonio Margarito and hearing the trainer speak it was obvious how much their relationship means to him.
“It was a great ride but the outcome wasn’t what we anticipated,? Richardson claimed. ?I just got back from cursing out Shane. He was mad, saying that he didn’t listen to his trainer and that he didn’t follow his training. I had to tell him no one talks badly about my fighter, not even him. He is an important dude to me.?
In the second round Mosley gave his supporters a sure sign of hope as he cracked Mayweather with a straight right hand that had his foe on shaky legs. Mosley pounced on Floyd moments later and spent the rest of the round ripping him with shots to the body and head. Unfortunately for Mosley, Mayweather would weather the storm and turn the tide of the fight from that point forward.
Richardson had said previously that if Shane were to ever catch Floyd that it would turn him into a ?dragon? and that he would retaliate with fireballs of his own. When reflecting on that telling second stanza Richardson notes that by not capitalizing on the moment, the opportunity was surely lost.
“That fireball hit us, when that fireball hit us, our heads got kind of hot in there,? he said. ?You have to make adjustments and you have to make them quick. I still stand by it that Mayweather is open for opportunities but you have to do it quick.”
As a trainer it is your job to bring out the best of your fighter while looking for any flaws that your opposition may have. While Richardson was quick to point out that Floyd Mayweather is far from unbreakable he was just as fast to tip his hat to one of this generation?s finest pugilists.
“Floyd Mayweather is special. He’s trained by special people. For Mayweather to get to this level there is no way to assume that he isn?t complete. Nothing I saw surprised me. I don?t run away with my tail between my legs. I stand up as a man, win, lose, or draw.?
