(MAY 1) Tonight at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas the world will be treated to that rare and wonderful thing: a boxing contest between equals. Floyd ?Money? Mayweather Jr, undefeated multi weight World Champion faces ?Sugar? Shane Mosley, multi weight World Champion and currently on a spectacular roll of great form. Both men are fast, athletic and naturally gifted. Both men have style, ring smarts and huge self belief. For the boxing connoisseur and casual fan alike this is boxing manna.
I have been a fan of boxing for over a quarter of a century and this match up has me drooling in anticipation. I have seen some amazing contests in that time: Hagler v Hearns, Tyson v Douglas, Morrales v Barerra and Corrales v Casamayor. But this fight is a true ?pick ?em? 50-50. I understand the view of the boxing intelligentsia leaning towards the younger (33 year old) Mayweather Jr but I think they have overlooked one thing: Shane Mosley maybe 38 and reaching the end of his career, but he has been the ?Upset King? time and time again. He is in the best form of his career and must be the most motivated of his career. Remember Mosley has been eagerly chasing this contest for years.
Mayweather Jr has always been respectful of Mosley avoiding the ?trash talk? he usually engages in, this points to a wariness of the Pomona man. He is not facing an underdog in the typical sense here. Mosley is a four time World Champion and has never lacked self belief and confidence. He has impressive hand speed and foot work and can boast plenty of power in an impressive record that reads 46-5 (39 KO?s).
Mosley is no powder puff or fancy Dan. This guy can fight and he can hurt you! Yes he has lost in the past but the manner of his defeats (all World title contests) have been because of a clash of styles against a ?bogeyman? in lanky Vernon Forrest (twice on points), or against top opposition: to the underrated and arguably great Ronald ?Winky? Wright (again twice on points in competitive fights) and finally to Puerto Rican hardman Miguel Cotto (recently destroyed by Manny Pacquiao). Notice something here? None of these defeats have been against palookas and none of them have been by stoppage or knockout and none have been on a landslide point?s decision. Mosley is a fierce competitor.
So if a man can look good in his losing contests what has he been like in victory? The answer is exceptional. He has beaten the likes of John John Molina, Jesse James Leija, Oscar De La Hoya (twice in upsets), Fernando Vargas (twice in impressive stoppages), Ricardo Mayorga and of course the recent upset win against Antonio Margarito. Write Mosley off at your peril, yes he is 38 but he is an athlete at the top of his game with a wealth of experience and he is on a fine run of form. He is a tough proposition for anyone, even someone as special as Mayweather Jr.
In Mosley Mayweather Jr is up against a man who has seen it all before. He knows what its like to be regarded as the underdog, to not be the crowds favourite, to be the unfashionable and unfancied boxer. And, yet?he has proved the naysayers wrong time and time again.
I would like to say Mosley has had the perfect career but sadly he has since admitted to using the banned substance EPO, an energy boosting steroid-like drug that many in the cycling world use as it boosts stamina and energy. Mosley is still involved in litigation arising from this unfortunate blot from his otherwise squeaky clean past. This contest is subject to Olympic style drug testing prior to the bout, a move that should get a ringing endorsement from boxing governing bodies around the world. Only in a world where everything is open and fair can a sport like boxing improve and prosper and here at its highest level with arguably two of its finest exponents consenting to a drug test this can only be seen as a positive move. Any young fans and up and coming prospects will follow by example and if standards are not strictly adhered to at the top then what hope is there for the sport at grass roots level? Anyway, I digress.
Back to the fight and in Mayweather Jr the world has a boxer to be proud of. Yes he is loud, brash and flash, but I have always felt this is a ?smoke and mirrors? trick. Mayweather?s barbs and insults have always been playful and tongue in cheek in a similar vein to a certain great boxer hailing from Louisville. He has shown class and a more mature caring side, particularly against my fellow countryman Ricky Hatton. After that contest rather than demeaning or denigrating his vanquished opponent Mayweather Jr sang Hatton?s praises, analysed the fight honestly appraising his own strengths and weaknesses, was attentive to his young daughter, thanked the press and went back home to count his hard earned cash.
I believe there are two Floyd Mayweather Jr?s (and I?m not suggesting he is bipolar!) there is the ultra confident showman who thrives on attention, respect, competition and proving he is the fastest, classiest boxer on planet earth; then there is the quieter, determined, disciplined focussed professional who deep down wants only self respect and to provide for his family. The fans mainly get to see the showman and therefore we sometimes forget that the other side to the man exists. If he was all ego then he would never have achieved what he has in the sport. But I know that Mayweather Jr is a canny operator who would have done his homework on Mosley, prepared meticulously and left nothing to chance. He will be ready to shine once again come Saturday.
What is there to say about Mayweather Jr who recently claimed (perhaps again playfully) that he is better than ?Sugar? Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali? Well, he has in a thirteen and a half year boxing career (so far) lifted five world titles from Super Featherweight to Light Middleweight. He has engaged in twenty world title fights and has remained unbeaten in 40 contests. He has never looked overly troubled or threatened by anyone. Yes he has had awkward spells but has always overcome obstacles and then triumphed in some style.
Mayweather?s record reads like a ?Who?s Who? of the last ten years of the lighter weights of boxing he has beaten: Genaro Hernandez, Angel Manfredy, Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, DeMarcus Corley, Arturo Gatti, Sharmba Mitchell, Zab Judah, Oscar De La Hoya, Ricky Hatton and more recently Juan Manuel Marquez. Phew! Not bad company to mix with and to defeat conclusively.
Mayweather Jr?s great strengths are obviously an abundance of hand and foot speed, skill, a sharp ring brain and anticipation. He almost has a ?built in? radar which allows him to asses and avoid danger. He measures his opponents up, bides his time, works out each conundrum and then slowly dismantles whatever is put in front of him. He can even turn his opponents greatest strength against him, never so vividly displayed in the Hatton fight where amazingly the flashy Mayweather Jr out body-punched the body puncher. There really is no other fighter like Mayweather Jr out there right now. Unlike Roy Jones Jr before him in the pound for pound lists, Mayweather Jr has had the respect and the accolades for his undoubted star quality. He is ?The Man? at the moment. The big question here is can ?King of the Upsets? Shane Mosley knock the Mighty Mayweather off his lofty perch?
It?s a fascinating question. With Filipino dynamo Manny Pacquiao eagerly primed in the wings waiting to face the victor of this one boxing fans have a wonderful year to look forward to. This is the fight that should unlock the mysteries and provide us with solid answers. Has Mayweather Jr set himself up for an almighty fall? Will those boasts about being greater than Robinson and Ali come back to haunt him? Can Mosley do it again and beat the favourite?
My own ?gut? feeling is that it is perfectly feasible for Mosley to pull off an outstanding upset win and this is my reason why: For the first time in his career Mayweather Jr will be facing a man who is just as fast as he is. Speed will not be an advantage this time. I will stick my neck out and contend that both are level in terms of speed of hand and foot. Defensively too they are equally adept. Durability? The same. Both can dish it out as well as take it. But for me, the most important thing is for the first time in his career Mayweather Jr will be getting hit more often than he ever has. Mosley has the hand speed and the concussive shots to get ?Money?s? attention and respect. If Mosley can cut off the ring and keep applying educated pressure, backing Mayweather up then he can make it a very uncomfortable night for the younger man.
This is what makes this one so intriguing. Will Mayweather Jr be able to suck it up and tough it out when things don?t go his way? Can he come back from adversity? How will he respond to a fired up determined equally skilful opponent who is pinned to his chest all night firing bombs? If Floyd can?t dance out of range and danger and he cannot take the pressure coming his way then it all points to one thing: defeat.
Many will scoff at my suggestion and I know that I am gambling here just like all the high rollers who will descend on Vegas this weekend. But, what the hell? You only live once and I think Mosley will carry this attitude to the ring with him. He has far less to lose than Mayweather Jr. The favourite has set up his stall and has made the loud confident proclamations he has to back them up. Maybe this is how Mayweather Jr functions best, with his back up against the wall and a point to prove. Well, Mosley is perfectly poised to provide the ultimate test.
I could be wrong (which I don?t mind provided I see a great contest) but my instinct is telling me that Mosley could do something very special on Saturday. In an absorbing and keenly contested thriller I see Mosley emerging victorious with a highly contentious razor thin points decision that may even set up a rematch.
The real winner will be the sport of boxing. At last the fans have fights they deserve and have waited so long for! www.danielcann.com
Published on WBAN.
