By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
LAS VEGAS -- Throughout the promotion leading up to Saturday night's clash with 38-year-old WBA welterweight (147 pounds) champion Shane Mosley, unbeaten 33-year-old Floyd Mayweather would not concede that there was any fighter, past or present, who ranks on the same level with him.
Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson were great fighters, said Mayweather, "But I'm the best," he told reporters earlier this week.
"It's about taking this sport to another level, and being an icon in the sport of boxing," said Mayweather. "I'm the face of boxing."
Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena, Mayweather continued to stake his claim among boxing's all time greats, scoring a lopsided unanimous decision over Mosley (46-6, 39 knockouts) to improve his unbeaten record to 41-0, with 25 knockouts.
Judges Adalaide Byrd and Dave Moretti scored the fight 119-109, and Robert Hoyle 118-110, all for Mayweather. FanHouse had it for Mayweather, 119-109.
Mayweather earned a non-heavyweight record $22.5 million purse for his efforts compared to Mosley's guaranteed $7 million with each fighter earning a plus side to the HBO pay-per-view revenue.
The victory was the first for Mayweather since September's lopsided unanimous decision rout over Juan Manuel Marquez, which ended a 21-month ring absence since Mayweather's 10th-round knockout of Ricky Hatton.
Mosley was looking for his first win since January 2009, when he scored his second consecutive knockout in the ninth round over Mexico's Antonio Margarito, whom Mosley stopped for the first time in Margarito's career.
Mosley's WBA crown was not on the line for Mayweather, who refused to pay the WBA's sanctioning fee.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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