Shane Mosley, who dropped a lopsided decision to Mayweather three years ago, warned Alvarez about Floyd’s alleged tendency to bully oppoents by skillfully using his elbows and forearms as weapons.
Via BoxingScene, Alvarez stated: “I’m not saying that he’s a dirty fighter.” “I would never say that, because he’s not. He’s not a dirty fighter, but he’s a fighter that has a lot of experience and obviously, yes, sometimes he does use his elbows and forearms.”
He added, “But it’s a tactic so that he can get you off your game plan. Then he can counter you when you’re trying to pull out of that. Obviously, he’s a fighter that has a lot of experience and he uses that to his advantage.”
As a result, Team Alvarez instructed Canelo’s sparring partners to use their elbows and forearms to help prepare Canelo in case Floyd implemented such a strategy. Mosley also stated Mayweather has a tendency to “cheap shot” opponents.
But dirty fighting consists of low blows, rabbit punches, punching a fighter while he’s down and hitting after the bell. Elbows and forearms are, as Canelo corrected stated, “tactics.”
Is Mosley referring to punches he absorbed from Mayweather while he (Shane) was complaining to the referee during their 2010 bout?
A fighter has every right – and probably should – whack an opponent if he chooses to look away and attempt to carry on a conversation with the referee during live action. There’s nothing cheap about that, Shane.
As a matter of fact, the fighter who chooses to look away during live action is the one guilty of disrespecting his opponent.
As far as the elbows and forearms, it’s not uncommon for an old pro to implelment cheap tricks. In November 2011, we saw Juan Manuel Marquez consistently stomp on Pacquiao’s feet to impede PacMan’s mobility.
When asked about Marquez’s strategy, Pacquiao’s trainer, Freddie Roach was candid in stating: “Did he do it by design? Possibly…but the thing is that it’s part of the sport. I teach guys to do it myself. When you fight a southpaw, you take advantages that are there. Did Marquez do that? Possibly…but don’t make an issue out of it. That’s what happens in boxing…it’s part of the sport.”
Forearms, elbows, foot stomping…. It’s part of the sport. Trainers teach their fighters to use such tactics and fighters have to be ready for them when they step in the ring.
