By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse
LAS VEGAS -- WBA champion, Shane Mosley, weighed in at the welterweight limite of 147 pounds, and his undefeated opponent, Floyd Mayweather, was a pound less at 146 before a raucous crowd of 6,000 screaming fans at The MGM Grand Garden Arena on Friday.
The 33-year-old Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts) and the 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) will meet at the MGM on Saturday night in what is expected to be a high-energy match up of two of the sport's fastest, most skilled and most powerful fighters.
"The crowd was very good. Scott Ghertner [with the MGM] told me that it was about 6,000. I don't know if every single seat was taken, but it was an outstanding crowd," said ESPN boxing writer, Dan Rafael, whose organization televised the weigh-in live. "In terms of volume, it was a big as the biggest fights that I've been to."
Mosley will defend his title, but his crown will not be on the line for Mayweather, who refused to fork over the three percent sanctioning fee required by the WBA.
Both fighters displayed rippled, upper bodies, with Mosley appearing to be the much larger fighter, physically.
"Both guys looked like they were in incredible shape. When they stood and looked at each other in the staredown, they looked to be ready and focused," said 26-year-old WBC welterweight titlist, Andre Berto, who is 26-0, with 20 knockouts.
"The first thing that I thought of, though, was tha both of them are smaller than me. I was already comparing myself to them and envisioning what it would be like to fight them," said Berto. "Shane looks like he's in good shape. Floyd, you know, he always looks remarkable. They both looked like they're ready to go, and they have have huge tasks tomorrow night in what should be an exciting fight."
Being that the clash features not only two, American fighters, but two, African Americans, it harkens back to the era when Sugar Ray Leonard, of Palmer Park, MD., and, Thomas Hearns, of Detroit, created a buzz during Leonard's September of 1981, come-from-behind, 14th-round knockout in The Fight Of The Year.
"It's been a long time since there has been a non-heavyweight fight and even a fight among two heavyweights where it's been two American fighters who were two, black super stars. It does harken back to a time when most of the American fighters were black super stars in maybe the 1970s, or even the early part of the 1980s," said Rafael.
"That's why they had Tommy Hearns and Sugar Ray Leonard here at this promotion talking about the fight. They were two, big, super star African American fighters who also happened to put on great fights in the welterweight division," said Rafael.
"Although, this is not the same kind of fight between Mosley and Mayweather, because they're different kinds of fighters," said Rafael. "But this might be this time period's version of Leonard-Hearns in terms of the level that these guys are at in the sport, although not in terms of overall popularity in the sport."
Famed ring announcer, Michael Buffer, said "this might be a record for a weigh-in," which drew a loud cheer from the crowd.
Comedian, George Wallace, whipped the fans into a further frenzy by asking which fighter would be victorious.
Similar attendance greated seven-division champion, Manny Pacquiao, of the Philippines, and, Miguel Cotto, of Puerto Rico, at the weigh-in before Pacquiao's 12-round knockout dethroned Cotto as WBO welterweight king in November.
"But the passion at today's weigh-in was not like that of two countries following the fight. Mayweather-Mosley is not an all-British fight. It's not a nationalistic fight. It's two Americans from a huge country and the fans were there. But they didn't have that overwhelming passion for either guy," said Rafael.
"You can't compare it to like you see when you have a Manny Pacquiao-Ricky Hatton fight," said Rafael. "Or big, Mexican fight between an Erik Morales and a Marco Antonio Barrera, or a Juan Manuel Marquez where there's an overwhelming intensity."
Mayweather will earn a non-heavyweight record, $22.5 million guaranteed purse for the bout, plus any upside to the HBO-televised pay per view bout.
Mosley has been guaranteed $7 million, plus upside to a clash that Golden Boy CEO, Richard Schaefer, expects to generate 4 million pay per view buys.
"To have 6,000 people there at the weigh-in, I can't remember the last time that has happened. Maybe when we had Mayweather-Hatton, I think that you compare that favorably where all the way up the stands people where there. I haven't see this for any other fight. That's a pretty good indication,"
"You mention that it's a match between two, African American fighters, but it wasn't just an African American audience. It was really an audience of any and all demographics, and I think that that is exactly why this fight is tracking so well. Is it driven by the urban market? Absolutely," said Schaefer.
"But the name recognition that both of these fighters have among the fans, that brings you to a certain pay per view level. Based on what I see now, the early indications are that has grown outside and beyond just the urban market and has really captured the general market everywhere from the East Coast to the West Coast and in between," said Schaefer. "People are talking, forming their opinions, and it's almost like an election, with Saturday night being the election night."
If achieved, that pay per view number would eclipse the pay per view record of 2.4 million buys held by the fight during which Mayweather earned a split-decision over Oscar de la Hoya in May of 2007.
"I respect Richard Schaefer as much as anybody in the business, and Richard is a promoter, he's doing his job," said Rafael. "But I do not believe that the fight will do 4 million," said Rafael. "But if it does do 4 million, wonderful. That would mean that boxing is more alive and well than I think that it is."
Hearns was introduced along with several other past, and, present world titlists, such as Juan Manuel Marquez, and, Marco Antonio Barrera, of Mexico; Joe Calzahge, and, Ricky Hatton, of England; and Andre Berto, and, Sergio Mora, of the United States.
"It was a crazy situation, man, being up there with all of those guys because I looked up to them for so many years, back to the days when I was an amateur," said Berto. "But today, I was right there on the podium with them, and it was a beautiful thing."
As for Mayweather and Mosley, there were few words, if any, spoken during the staredown, although Mosley appeared to mouth something to a silent Mayweather.
"I put in a lot of work of work. [Trainer] Roger [Mayweather] and my dad did a great job. I'm ready for the fight. The key is to be smart. I have to do what I've always done. I have to establish my jab and fight a smart fight," said Mayweather, whom Mosley has vowed to knock out.
"It could end in a knockout if he comes in," said Mayweather, implying that he, not Mosley, would be the winner in the case of a stoppage. "But I just have to be smart and use my jab."
Mosley believes that, as the bigger man, he must impose his will on Mayweather.
"The key to the fight is my speed and power. I've always had power, even when I was a lightweight [135 pounds.] Also, in this weight class, I'm strong, and I can knock anyone out."
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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