NEW YORK — Shane Mosley bopped around the Super Bowl media center last week, chatting with anyone who wanted to listen about his upcoming fight against Floyd Mayweather Jr. He seemed positively giddy as he stopped by radio row to talk about the serendipitous opportunity.
And after he departed sunny Miami for frigid New York, the smile still hadn't left his face.
"This is not going to be personal for me, this is going to be fun for me," he said Tuesday over lunch at the Hard Rock Cafe. "This is like when I fought Oscar (De La Hoya) the first time. People told me, 'Oh, you're going to be afraid. Are you scared?' No, no, this is what I want.
"It's not going to be personal, I'm not going to be upset," Mosley said. "I'm going to have fun. I'm going to have fun beating Mayweather."
Two of the best 147-pounders in the world will meet May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, in what is easily the biggest fight in boxing that doesn't involve a Filipino fighter named Manny.
Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) is a five-division champion whose flamboyance has made him a crossover star, with interests as diverse as WWE's "Wrestlemania" and "Dancing With the Stars." He's been involved in some of the richest fights in boxing, but is still hounded by critics who claim he's never fought a true welterweight in their prime.
Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) is a three-division champion who has pursued Mayweather since the late 1990s, when they were both in lighter divisions. He's faced just about every big name available, from De La Hoya to Antonio Margarito, but has dealt with his own critics after admitting to unknowingly using performance-enhancing drugs.
"It won't be the fight of my life, but I just want to make a point that I'm the best fighter," Mosley said. "There's not a welterweight out there who can beat me. I don't just want to talk about, I want to do it."
After years or negotiations and the fight repeatedly falling through, Mosley and Mayweather wound up together in a sort of fortunate accident.
Mayweather was left looking for an opponent after acrimonious negotiations to fight Manny Pacquiao fell through and the pound-for-pound king signed to fight Josh Clottey instead. Mosley was supposed to face Andre Berto in a unification bout on Jan. 30, but Berto withdrew after the earthquake in Haiti killed several family members.
Even though Mayweather took his time signing the contract -- leaving Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions on edge -- everything officially came together last week.
"He was waiting for that opportunity for so long and finally it's here. He couldn't be happier," Schaefer said. "Sometimes with those big fights, when you don't try too hard they happen, and when you try too hard they don't. You just have to let things fall into place."
Another issue that needed to be overcome was the protocol for drug testing, which scuttled the proposed fight between Mayweather and Pacquiao. Mayweather insisted on Olympic-style testing and refused to budge off blood tests two weeks before the fight, while Pacquiao claimed he feels weak when he gives blood and refused to do so less than 24 days out.
Mosley readily agreed to blood testing, which is far more extensive than the normal urine tests that are required by the Nevada State Athletic Commission.
"The people have in their mind that it's Manny Pacquiao, it's Mayweather, and everybody's focusing on that," Mosley said. "I'm coming through the backdoor and I'm going to make sure they know I'm here. This is my era, and I'm not going to let nobody take that from me."
Sure, Pacquiao is considered by many the best fighter in the world regardless of weight. And others believe Mayweather is even better than him. But there is little disputing the resume that Mosley has put together, especially over the past few years.
After dropping a pair of close decisions to Winky Wright, Mosley rattled off five straight wins, beating Fernando Vargas twice and Luis Collazo for an interim belt. After losing another close decision, this time to Miguel Cotto, Mosley stopped Ricardo Mayorga to set up a showdown with feared puncher Antonio Margarito.
Mosley looked nothing like a 39-year-old fighter at Staples Center that night, battering Margarito from post to post before ending the fight in the ninth round.
"Put the guys I fought against the guys he fought and what happens?" Mayweather said, joining in the criticism of Mayweather's opposition. "I fought guys that come into the ring at 172 (pounds), he fought guys that don't even reach the 147-pound limit. I'm fighting guys that are taller and bigger than me in every way, and knocking them out."
Considered one of the most affable fighters in the game, it's little surprise that Mosley has trouble wiping that smile from his face. He stops mid-sentence to sign autographs and take photographs with fans, then gets right back to answer whatever question he was asked.
All the while, he wears a giant grin on his face.
And it's never been bigger.
"He was down there for two days meeting with the media," said HBO Sports vice president Mark Taffett, referring to the Super Bowl festivities in Miami. "He was simply phenomenal. He has the energy of a 20-year-old."
Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Source: usatoday.com
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