Before boxing promoter Richard Schaefer could talk about marketing activations he hopes will generate three million pay-per-view buys for the welterweight bout between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley, the two fighters activated themselves.
In a scene reminiscent of when Mike Tyson and Lennox Lewis brawled during a press conference on a New York stage, Mayweather and Mosley engaged in a shoving match yesterday that looked like it would offer a preview of their May 1 match in Las Vegas.
Cooler heads prevailed when both sides realized fighting for free is senseless when you can make $20 million in the ring. Nonetheless, the brief skirmish exposed the two forces set to collide: Mayweather’s bravado and Mosley’s hunger for respect.
“I’ve waited a long time to show the world I’m the best fighter and that’s all I really want,” Mosley said.
Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) is a consolation choice of sorts after Mayweather’s negotiations for a megafight with Manny Pacquiao reached an impasse over drug testing procedures. Mayweather wanted random Olympic-style testing, and Pacquiao agreed to take just three different blood tests at specific times. A compromise was never reached and one of the most anticipated bouts in recent boxing history went down the tubes.
But boxing has picked itself off the canvas. Pacquiao quickly signed to fight the very capable Joshua Clottey of Ghana on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium, and Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) agreed to face Mosley, considered among the top three welterweights in the sport. Mosley, 38, hasn’t fought since beating Antonio Margarito in January 2009, but he will be the most formidable opponent Mayweather has faced in his career.
“This will be a battle for greatness,” said Mosley’s trainer, Naazim Richardson. “You’re dealing with two exceptional athletes and at this level they’re both special.”
Mosley eagerly agreed to random blood testing not only to get the fight but to clear his name after telling a grand jury investigating BALCO he unknowingly used performance-enhancing drugs in preparation for his second fight with Oscar De La Hoya. Mosley insists he is better drug-free than he was with PEDs.
“I think the 38-year-old Shane is better than the 32-year-old Shane,” Mosley said. “I’m a lot faster and mentally stronger.”
That metal strength was put to test yesterday when the fighters went nose to nose.
“I kind of pushed him back a little bit,” Mosley said. “He said, ‘Don’t put your hands on me,’ and then we started tussling, so I just grabbed his hands. There’s a lot of money on the line, so there’s no need to do any fighting. But you could see we need to get in there and mix it up.”
How much fighting there will be on May 1 remains to be seen. Mayweather is renowned for his defensive ability to escape punches. Mosley is a power puncher who would love a toe-to-toe brawl.
“I can adjust and adapt to any opponent,” Mayweather said. “I can read an opponent once I get inside that squared circle and do what I do best and that’s win.”
