By Michael Marley, Examiner.com
Leave it to the Petulant One, Floyd Mayweather Jr., to hurl a minor stink bomb into the promotion of his own welterweight title bout against Sugar Shane Mosley.
An uncomfortable but forthright Golden Boy CEO Richie Rich Schaefer revealed moments ago on a national media conference call featuring Mosley, who fights Money May on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, that the between the second and third best 147 pounders on the planet will be for the WBO title but not for the WBA version strap.
Mosley, of course, became the WBA champion when he hammered Mexican star Antonio Margarito.
Manny Pacquiao holds the WBO belt at 147 pounds.
The WBC recognized champion is Twitter Twerp Andre Berto.
For his part, Schaefer basically excused Mayweather not contesting the historic WBA belt as a PPV TV level fighter's superstar privilege.
But it is unusual for, as in this case, a challenger to spurn a valid title belt.
Mosley did not take the same relaxed view as his GBP "executive partner."
Mosley wears VP stripes at the Golden Boy office as does Bernard Hopkins although rumors persist that Hopkins will soon ink a promo deal with rival Don King.
"To each his own but..." Mosley said. "I guess he is in it (boxing) not for the sport of it but just for the money. I love glory and legendary status of all my achievements and that includes the world title belts."
Schaefer naturally did not get into but the only reason for Mayweather to spurn a chance to cop the WBA title belt is because he is thrifty.
Normally, the sanctioning organizations require a three percent fee from each side in such a world title belt.
I doubt that any attempt was made by the Mayweather camp to work out a reduced fee with the Panama and Venezuela based sanctioning organization.
You know what Money May says, "The belts just collect dust."
(mlcmarley@aol.com)
Source: examiner.com
No comments:
Post a Comment