Floyd Mayweather has signed his bout agreement to fight Shane Mosley, who already had inked his name on the dotted line on Friday, Mosley's attorney, Judd Burstein, told FanHouse.
Burstein said that he learned of the development concerning Mayweather (pictured right) from Mosley's promoter, Golden Boy Promotions' CEO Richard Shaefer, which should set in motion the promotional and marketing of their bout to take place on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
"Richard Schaefer just called me and told me that [Mayweather's adviser] Al Haymon called him, and it's [the bout agreement] is being faxed," said Burstein, with whom Mosley signed his part of the deal on Friday in Las Vegas.
"I'm ecstatic. Shane and I have been together for seven years, and I love him as a client, and he's going to show the world how great that he is," said Burstein. "A lot of credit goes to Richard Schaefer. We work together beautifully. And Al Haymon has proven that my assessment of him as a real, straight shooter and a good guy are correct. He came through."
The 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts) will be ending a nearly 14-month layoff when he enters the ring as WBA super welterweight (147 pounds) champion against five-time champion Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs).
"I'm pretty sure that Floyd Mayweather needs this fight as much as I do," said Mosley, who is coming off of a Jan. 24, ninth-round knockout of Antonio Margarito, who was stopped for the first time in his career.
"I love to fight, and I love to box, no matter who I step into the ring with. But I'm happy to be in such a big fight, and I'm happy that I can give the fans the chance to see a good, big fight," said Mosley. "This is going to be a great fight. I see this as a Sugar Ray Leonard-Tommy Hearns type of fight. Tommy Hearns was no joke as well, but my name is 'Sugar' for a reason."
Mayweather is coming off of September's unanimous decision over Mexican great, Juan Manuel Marquez, ending a nearly two-year layoff since he left the ring after a 10th-round knockout of Ricky Hatton in December of 2007.
"This one is definitely for the fans as I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tune-up bout, and asked to fight Shane Mosley immediately," said Mayweather, in a statement.
"I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best," said Mayweather. "I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."
The fight will be televised on HBO pay per view.
"Mayweather-Mosley is a showdown of superstars that fans have been talking about for years", said Mark Taffet of HBO Pay-Per-View. "It has all the elements of a pay-per-view mega-fight."
Following Mayweather's victory over Marquez, Mosley (pictured at right) jumped into the ring and interrupted the winner's post-fight interview with Max Kellerman, challenging him to make a deal to fight him.
Mayweather's adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, said, however, that it was Mayweather who called out Mosley in 1999, when the latter still was a 135-pound, IBF lightweight champion, and Mayweather, a 130-pound WBC featherweight king.
In April of that year, Mosley defended his IBF lightweight title for the last time with an eighth-round knockout of John Brown. In September of '99, Mosley passed over the junior welterweight (140 pounds) class and jumped straight into the welterweight (147 pounds) division.
Mosley knocked out Wlfredo Rivera, and, Willy Wise, in succession, before dethroning Oscar De La Hoya as WBC champion by split-decision in January 2000.
"Floyd has been trying to make this fight for the last 10 years, so he is extremely excited about the opportunity to face Shane," said Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. "He can't wait to extend his undefeated record and perform at the highest level."
"Moreimportantly," said Ellerbe, pointing out that part of the deal includes Olympic-style, random blood-testing for both fighters. "[Mayweather] is also happy to set the precedent for random blood testing in order to ensure fair and safe contests for all fighters."
Schaefer was equally enthused.
"This is signed sealed and delivered. I'm excited and very happy to be part of a great, great fight, and this is clearly the biggest event for a long time, and one of the most anticipated showdowns with two of the best, pound-for-pound, fighters facing each other in what is clearly the biggest event in a long time between two, American welterweight fighters," Schaefer told FanHouse.
"Two Americans are probably in the biggest all-American showdown since Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns," said Schaefer. "This is a dream fight, and I'm really happy and excited as a promoter and a fight fan as well to be able to be part of this great event, and to be able to watch from ringside this great, great, great showdown."
Schaefer said that the promotional tour for the fight will begin immediately, starting with each being at Sunday's Super Bowl in Miami between The Indianapolis Colts and The New Orleans Saints.
"We are full steam ahead. They definitely will be making their rounds at the Super Bowl. Both guys will be showing up at the Super Bowl, and our P.R. teams are working furiously now on it, and we'll have some news, I guess, on that in the next few hours. But right now, we are just putting everything together," said Schaefer.
"Most likely, the press tour will begin in the first week of March, but there's no reason to rush that. We have tremendous interest of sponsors," said Schaefer. "I'm happy to say that this will be the most impressive lineup of sponsors ever in boxing, including brands which have not been in boxing before. We're going to be put together plans that will surpass anything and really bring the fight to the fans. That's what we're going to be putting together for the first couple of weeks of March."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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