By Michael David Smith, FanHouse
Shane Mosley fought Floyd Mayweather Jr. hard for the first two rounds of their bout on Saturday night, then proceeded to be thoroughly beaten over the final 10 rounds. Through it all, HBO's microphones caught Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson, attempting to motivate Mosley to turn back into the fighter he was in the first two rounds -- and growing increasingly frustrated as Mosley failed to do so.
A fairly slow first round that consisted of Mosley and Mayweather mostly feeling each other out left Richardson saying, "Everything's good. Everything's good. Everything's good. I need you to settle down a little bit, that's all. Everything else is good. When you touch him he tries to touch you back, doesn't he? That's why I need you to add that feint."
After Mosley rocked Mayweather with one of the hardest punches anyone has ever landed on him in his career in the second, Richardson was obviously pleased. But it didn't take long for Richardson's mood to change when Mosley failed to capitalize on his momentum and turned in a lackluster performance in the third round.
"I don't want you second guessing yourself," Richardson told Mosley after the third. "Stay behind your speed."
Following the fourth round Richardson started to make some tactical instructions -- and to sound concerned that Mosley wasn't doing in the ring what they had been working on in the gym.
"I need you to tuck your chin down and put your hands in the middle," Richardson said. "We worked on that, Shane. Don't hesitate."
The fifth round was one of Mayweather's best, and it led to Richardson telling Mosley he needed to land punches in volume, rather than trying to load up for a knockout punch.
"I need you landing shots," Richardson said. "I need the 1-2-3. You're trying to get that big shot. That big shot comes down the road."
By the seventh round, Mayweather was in complete control of the fight, and Richardson was practically begging Mosley to change that.
"Show me something," Richardson said. "You've got to wake up for me Shane, alright? You can't depend on one big shot. ... You look like you're fading on me, man."
The most fascinating exchange between Richardson and Mosley came after the 10th round. The fight had become so one-sided in Mayweather's favor that Richardson actually threatened to throw in the towel if Mosley didn't do something.
"I'm not going to stand here and watch you take a beating, son," Richardson said. "I know you. I know you're cut from a different cloth. Don't make me do something I don't want to do."
After that Richardson told Mosley what he wanted from him: "Move the hands, step over and come back," Richardson said.
Mosley looked so exhausted that the instructions hadn't registered, so Richardson demanded, "Say it to me! I'm gonna move the hands, step over and come back."
Mosley repeated, "I'm gonna move the hands, step over and come back."
Said Richardson: "That's what I need! You ain't tired! I know you ain't that tired if you can repeat it!"
But Mosley sure looked tired, and heading into the 12th and final round, Richardson leveled with Mosley and told him he'd need a knockout to win the fight.
"This is it, man," Richardson said. "He's got to go. You've done it before. I need it now. This is what warriors do."
But Mosley didn't have anything left, and after the 12th and final round Richardson hugged Mosley and didn't say much of anything at all. Richardson had narrated his fighter's beating, and once it was complete, he had nothing left to say.
Source: boxing.fanhouse.com
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