Mayweather vs Mosley - Ten Questions

[Wheelchair]

To kick off our Mayweather-Mosley coverage, here’s a list of 10 questions to ponder going into the fight.

 

1. Are we reading too much into Mosley’s knockout victory over Antonio Margarito?

 

Could be. Margarito was tailor made for Mosley that night in Los Angeles, a plodding fighter who hadn’t looked good during training and had to contend with the hand-wrap scandal minutes before he stepped into the ring. In other words, Mosley faced a slow fighter who came directly at him and might’ve been distracted. This isn’t meant to diminish Mosley’s performance, which was magnificent. This IS to say that styles do indeed make fights and that was the perfect style matchup for an aging Mosley. Mayweather is light years faster than Margarito, won’t come to Mosley and most likely will be focused. Those picking Mosley might say to themselves afterward: “We should’ve seen that coming.”

 

 

2. Is our perception of Mayweather skewed by his perfect record?

 

Yes. We have a difficult time imagining a fighter losing until we actually see it happen. We’ve only seen Mayweather win; that’s all we know. We consider his natural gifts, his work ethic and his amazing defensive skills and wonder whether he’ll EVER lose. Well, only one big-name fighter has retired with a perfect record, Rocky Marciano. They all lose at some point unless they retire prematurely, as Marciano did. Mosley was unbeaten and on top of many pound-for-pound lists a few months shy of his 30th birthday. Then he faced Vernon Forrest and another “invincible” fighter went down. Mayweather is tremendously talented but no one is unbeatable.

 

 

3. Has Mayweather faced anyone as good as Mosley?

 

No. The best fighter at the time Mayweather fought him probably was Oscar De La Hoya, although he had already begun his decline. Mosley twice beat a prime De La Hoya (once on steroids). Diego Corrales and Jose Luis Castillo, the latter of whom gave Mayweather hell in 2002, were very good but not quite in Mosley’s class. Same goes for Zab Judah. And no one will contend that a fattened up, middle-aged Juan Manuel Marquez was a formidable opponent in Mayweather’s most-recent fight. Am I missing someone? I don’t think so. Mosley, even at 38, will be the best fighter Mayweather has ever faced. That’s one reason this matchup is so compelling.

 

 

4. Has Mosley faced anyone as good as Mayweather?

 

That’s difficult to answer. One could argue that a prime De La Hoya, whom Mosley beat twice, was as good as Mayweather is now. The fact a fading De La Hoya almost beat Mayweather seems to support that contention. And Forrest, Wright, Cotto and Margarito were all very highly regarded when Mosley fought them. The point here is that Mosley has faced opponents on the same general level as Mayweather even if you think Mayweather is somewhat better than the rest. That experience –- having fought the best in the business so many times over a long career –- is invaluable in a fight of this magnitude.

 

 

5. How significant is the addition of Naazim Richardson as Mosley’s trainer?

 

Very. Jack Mosley, Shane’s father and former trainer, downplays the impact Richardson has had on his son’s career perhaps out of ego. The elder Mosley says he taught his son everything he knows about boxing. However, Richardson has brought a great deal to the Mosley camp. First, his knowledge of boxing and ability to communicate it is exceptional. He came up with the strategy that led to Margarito’s brutal demise. And, perhaps just as important, he has invigorated Mosley with his skills as a trainer and passion for the sport. Nothing against Jack Mosley, who is a good trainer, but switching to Richardson was an excellent move for Mosley.

 

6. What are we to make of Mosley’s five losses?

 

We shouldn’t make too much of them. Two-time Mosley conqueror Vernon Forrest was a Hall of Fame-caliber fighter with a long reach, good power and well-honed skills who had Mosley’s number since the amateurs. Many fighters have a nemesis they can’t conquer. Winky Wright, who beat Mosley twice, also has Hall of Fame-level ability and was too big for Mosley. Miguel Cotto? Mosley lost to a very good, undefeated (30-0), in-his-prime fighter who he probably underestimated to some degree. That’s just a hunch. The point is that we shouldn’t dismiss Mosley because he has lost and Mayweather hasn’t. In fact, smart fighters learn more from losses than victories. Mosley will bring that knowledge into the ring on May 1.

 

7. Can Mayweather handle Mosley’s power?

 

We’ll see. No one is more in awe of Mayweather’s defensive skills than I am; he generally makes his opponents look foolish. Mosley is anything but a typical opponent, though. No one could avoid the punches of a skillful and quick-handed fighter like Mosley for entire fight. And what will happen when he lands? Mayweather has survived some powerful punchers -- Corrales, Judah and Phillip Ndou come to mind -- without much problem. However, none of them had Mosley’s ability to land their most-punishing punches with any consistency. Mosley will land clean, hard shots. It will be interesting to see how Mayweather reacts.

 

 

8. Will the winner supplant Manny Pacquiao as the No. 1 fighter pound for pound?

 

No. An argument can be made that Mayweather should be ranked above Pacquiao now. Thus, one could say with some legitimacy that Mosley should be No. 1 if he beats him. However, Pacquiao earned the top spot with a series of spectacular victories and has done nothing to lose it. The only way either Mayweather or Mosley can supplant Pacquiao is to beat him. That could be problematic for Mayweather because he and the Filipino star might never be able to agree on a contract. However, should Mosley win on May 1, a profoundly compelling matchup with Pacquiao would determine the best fighter on the planet.

 

9. What if Mayweather wins?

 

Mayweather has been criticized for carefully choosing his opponents to preserve his perfect record, which is fair. However, we must give him credit for taking on a fighter as talented as Mosley. Mayweather’s critics will probably dismiss his victory, if he wins, by declaring he beat an old man. That wouldn’t be fair. Mosley is coming off a sensational victory over a fighter who was on pound-for-pound lists and has been rejuvenated by his association with new trainer Naazim Richardson. He remains an excellent fighter. A victory over him would be a significant accomplishment for Mayweather. And, more important, it would set up another round of negotiations with Pacquiao.

 

 

10. What if Mosley wins?

 

We bow down and marvel at the accomplishment. Mosley is about a decade removed from his days as the No. 1 fighter in the world. And he was thought to be in serious decline after his second loss to Wright, when he was 33. He is 7-1 since then, capping what might be called a comeback with his emphatic KO of Margarito early last year. A victory over Mayweather would allow him to argue that he’s back on top of the heap at 38. It would also set up a showdown with Pacquiao that could break all pay-per-view and money-generating records. And, finally, a victory would seal his legacy as one of the best fighters of his era if there’s any doubt right now.

 

http://www.ringtv.com/blog/1806/10_questions_going_into_mayweathermosley_fight/

[Skav]

Great post!

[davemurphy]

Excellent Post. For me, the most important thing is the first thing you mention. I think a LOT of people assume Shane Mosley drank from the Fountain of Youth and have that Margarito win WAY overvalued. He's a 38 year old coming off a 16 month layoff from a fight in which he capitalized on some faults in his opponents game that no one else had been able to exploit (and I happen to beleive Margo plastered in his biggest wins and was robbed of that advantage). That previous performance against Mayorga wouldn't beat Floyd Mayweather in a Million Years, but for the dramatic Ko, Shane looked awful.

 

Speed Kills, and I think we've got a fighter who used to be fast and has retained some of it, against a guy closer to his Prime who's retained MOST of it. I hope to hell I'm wrong, but I suspect we're looking at a very mundane, boring at times, 4 or 5 pt decision for Mayweather.

[woola4]

Thanks for posting a magnificent read bravo//

[LondonRingRules]

Re: Mayweather vs Mosley - Ten Questions

 

To kick off our Mayweather-Mosley coverage, here’s a list of 10 questions to ponder going into the fight.

 

1. Are we reading too much into Mosley’s knockout victory over Antonio Margarito?

2. Is our perception of Mayweather skewed by his perfect record?

3. Has Mayweather faced anyone as good as Mosley?

4. Has Mosley faced anyone as good as Mayweather?

5. How significant is the addition of Naazim Richardson as Mosley’s trainer?

6. What are we to make of Mosley’s five losses?

7. Can Mayweather handle Mosley’s power?

 

 

8. Will the winner supplant Manny Pacquiao as the No. 1 fighter pound for pound?

9. What if Mayweather wins?

10. What if Mosley wins?

 

http://www.ringtv.com/blog/1806/10_questions_going_into_mayweathermosley_fight/

 

1. No, Marg has nothing to do with this fight other than it knocked the rust off which has returned.

 

2. Yes, Floydy's perfect record is immaterial to his extremely limited record at welter.

 

3. Yes, a few, but not a true welter better than Mosley.

 

4. Yes, Oscar was near top p4p and undefeated and still a top fighter in the rematch. Of course I thought Mosley lost those fights. Also had Forrest and Wright fights that he lost. Mosley's comp at welt and above is much better than Floydy's overall.

 

5. Big addition of Brother Nazim for Mosley. Might make the difference when Uncle Rog goes off the rails again.

 

6. The Cotto loss is the closest comparison to how Floydy could implement a game plan to win.

 

7. Floydy will handle the few single shots. Mosley is not a KO artist at welter and unlikely to be able to finish Floydy off if he hurts him.

 

8. No, Manny has beat a long succession of p4p fighters including the #2 and he made the other #2 to run into the arms of an old man for solace. Doubt Ring changes their rankings, but they got Mosley and Popkins overrated for years, so who knows. Nobody is cracking Popkins' on boxrec, so forget that!

 

9. Floydy wins and he announces he's the best ever and wants mo'money. No change.

 

10. Mosley wins, Oscar settles the lawsuit with Manny so the fight against Mosley can be signed that breaks ppv records.......end of.........

[woola4]

I remember people saying before the Margarito/Mosley fight that there was no chance in hell that Mosley would or could KO Margarito, well well surprise surprise

 

http://dailycontributor.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/margarito-vs-mosley.jpg

[jspivey419]

I don't think fans are puttin too much into Mosley. Even at 38 he'll be on Mayweather. and I don't think he'll gas out the way De La Hoya did. Mayweathers' skills will be worked and pushed hard. I believe if he hurts him he could stop Mayweather. Like I said I like Floyd on points but Mosley is no slouch. Few of his hooks on Mayweathers chin he could get a stoppage.

[woola4]

I don't think fans are puttin too much into Mosley. Even at 38 he'll be on Mayweather. and I don't think he'll gas out the way De La Hoya did. Mayweathers' skills will be worked and pushed hard. I believe if he hurts he could stop Mayweather. Like I said I like Floyd on points but Mosley is no slouch. Few of his hooks on Mayweathers chin he could get a stoppage.

 

interesting analysis :-)

[dulais_valley]

I'm just hoping Mosley really goes for it and doesn't try to "do enough" on the cards. I can't see Mayweather seriously hurting Mosley so a good level of aggression could be the key for Mosley. If he tries to outbox Mayweather he'll get to the end of twelve and find the judges think too many landed on the gloves and not believing Floyd's much-vaunted defence was suitably breached. He need to do what Hatton couldn't and make Mayweather uncomfortable throughout the first six. Then Mayweather has to react and it really gets interesting.

[Wheelchair]

Shane has to use plenty of feints to draw Mayweather's leads, and to kid him as to where the next punch is coming from.

 

Getting dirty in the trenches with some hard digs to the body will also help his cause.

[woola4]

Mosley needs to somehow turn the ring into a telephone booth and cut off Mayweather's running and dancing as well as neutralize his defensive prowess,easier said than done

[Wheelchair]

Mosley should knee Mayweather in the groin when they come head to head for the referee's final instructions, that'd slow him down a bit!

 

Actually has anyone ever used the ref's instructions as a chance to do something a bit dodgy?

[iamasadlittleboy]

Mosley should employee Marciano tactics and try to break Floyd's guard by knacking up his shoulders and arms...

[jspivey419]

Actually has anyone ever used the ref's instructions as a chance to do something a bit dodgy?

 

Zab Judah vs Carlos Baldomir is one I think of(Zab hit Baldomir in the thigh during the refs instructions)

[Wheelchair]

Actually has anyone ever used the ref's instructions as a chance to do something a bit dodgy?

 

Zab Judah vs Carlos Baldomir is one I think of(Zab hit Baldomir in the thigh during the refs instructions)

 

Well done! I was sure there must have been one, but I couldn't remember. clap//

[McBride]

Just one question for whoever wrote the original post?

 

What the fcuk makes you think Pacciow would ever man up and fight a granite chinned fighter who can take out 160 lb + guys with one shot anyway? Tonights result notwithstanding, no one connected with Pacciow will ever let him fight Shane Mosley, simply because he does not posses the skill, technique, and particularly the defensive quality of Mayweather.

[WelshDevilRob]

Just one question for whoever wrote the original post?

 

What the fcuk makes you think Pacciow would ever man up and fight a granite chinned fighter who can take out 160 lb + guys with one shot anyway? Tonights result notwithstanding, no one connected with Pacciow will ever let him fight Shane Mosley, simply because he does not posses the skill, technique, and particularly the defensive quality of Mayweather.

 

Not too sure of the original writer. Its from Ring Magazines website.

[Faulks]

Pac loses to floyd ive always said it

[riz]

Floyd had to dig deep tonight. His commitment is incredible. He's too stubborn to lose, simple as that.

[Wheelchair]

Pac loses to floyd ive always said it

 

I wonder if we'll get to see it?

[Faulks]

Pac loses to floyd ive always said it

 

I wonder if we'll get to see it?

 

 

By Mark Vester

 

The biggest fight in boxing is now on the table. Manny Pacquiao dominated Joshua Clottey over twelve rounds at Cowboys Stadium in March. Floyd Mayweather Jr. dominated Shane Mosley on Saturday night at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. There are two issues at hand, the issue of money and the random Olympic-style drug testing. The two sides sat down earlier this year and the two fighters could not agree on the cut-off date for the random drug testing. Following the win over Mosley, Mayweather said the Pacquiao could not be made without the random drug testing being involved.

 

"If Manny Pacquiao can take a blood and urine test then we have a fight,'' Mayweather said. "If not, no fight.''

 

According to several reports, Pacquiao watched the fight in the Philippines and afterwards spoke to Manilla radio station DZBB. Pacquiao said that he's willing to agree to the random blood testing, but only if the blood testing has a cut-off date of 24-days.

 

"For me, as long as the drug test is not done close to the match, I'll agree because if they'll get blood from me close to the match, it will be a disadvantage for me because I'm smaller and he's big,'' Pacquiao said.

 

The negotiations fell apart earlier this year when Mayweather refused to give Pacquiao a 24-day cut-off on the testing. Mayweather wanted a 14-day cut-off. The next time they negotiate, the deal could be harder to make. Mayweather, according to past interviews, will no longer consider a testing cut-off. He wants the testing to continue until the fight.

 

 

 

Not looking good is it

[McBride]

Nope, its looking no better than before. Another silly excuse from the Fillipino doesn't help matters either. We are talking a thimble full of blood here, the size of the person giving it is hardly relevant. Either test, or refuse tests. No more silly excuses.

 

For the sake of keeping the money flowing, how about the two victors fighting the 2 opposite losers Mayweather / Miguel Cotto, Pacciow / Mosley with the 2 winners of that meeting?