By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
It seems that from the moment Shane Mosley inked his name on the contract to fight Floyd Mayweather in late January, Mayweather's mind games began.
For not only did Mosley have to wait a few more days before Mayweather penned his name to close a deal on the fight Mosley claims to have sought for some 10 years, but he had to agree to a rematch in the event that Mayweather loses.
In addition, the 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts) has had to endure all manner of insult, inuendo, and, personal attack, as the 33-year-old Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) has chided him concerning his recent divorce, his alleged nose job, and his past, admitted steroid use.
But if talk is cheap, Mayweather may well be writing a check that his mouth won't be able to cash, that is, if you ask Mosley.
"Floyd brings a lot of mouth. And we'll see what his mouth is all about. Floyd says a lot of things that are sometimes out of line. So I guess right now we are enemies," said Mosley.
"A lot of times, when people say something that's true it hurts. But then when they say something that isn't true, it just rolls off your shoulder," said Mosley. "When they say those different things, and I know they're not the truth, I can't change their mind. I know the truth."
Mosley's comments were made to reporters on Tuesday at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, site of Saturday night's HBO pay per view-televised battle between the two.
And following numerous interviews, including a three-city, promotional tour of Washington, D.C., New York, and Los Angeles, as well as weeks of training in the Mountains of Big Bear Lake, Calif., under Brother Naazim Richardson, Mosley clearly seems ready to let his fists do the talking.
"This is what makes Sugar Shane Mosley -- being able to fight, being able to box, and being ready mentally. Every time I fight, I'm looking to knock the guy out," said Mosley.
"But I can box too. I have boxed guys I was supposed to punch out. This is what makes me Sugar Shane. Being able to box, being able to slip and slide, being able to do everything," said Mosley. "I don't think I am going to spend the whole fight trying to outbox him. I am going to do everything Sugar Shane is supposed to do."
Mosley may have thrown down the gauntlet, so to speak, in September, when he interrupted Mayweather's, in-the-ring, post-fight interview with HBO's Max Kellerman following Mayweather's unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez.
"You guys seem to forget, I am part of Golden Boy Promotions. That's why I was in the ring," said Mosley, explaining the situation on Tuesday. "The reason why I said something [to Floyd] was because I was called over and I was welcomed into the conversation."
Whatever the reason, Mosley took the opportunity to publicly call out Mayweather, speaking directly into Kellerman's microphone so that everyone in the MGM Grand's audience could hear.
At that point, said Mosley, Mayweather couldn't back down -- especially after a potential megafight opposite seven-time titlist, Manny Pacquiao, disintegrated due to an unresolved issue over drug testing.
"Floyd had to fight somebody if he wanted to be considered the best. Every fight has its own significance. This fight would be a great win. Beating Floyd would be a big feather in my cap," said Mosley. "Floyd has great defense. He's a great fighter. That's why we are looking at each other on May 1. I am happy that he has accepted this challenge."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
No comments:
Post a Comment