By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press
THE GREATEST?
Floyd Mayweather has talked plenty of junk, as usual, leading into tonight's fight against Shane Mosley. But not all the targets have been Mosley and some aren't even active fighters.
In stating his case that he is the greatest prizefighter in history, Mayweather took direct aim at some of the sport's legends, including the greatest of all.
"Whatever they've done, if they've done something, I've done it quicker, with no L's," he said. "You say Ken Norton, all three fights? No body shots? Huh? Leon Spinks, seven fights, beat you? OK."
The reference, of course, is to Muhammad Ali, who struggled to win two out of three against Norton -- with both wins disputed -- and lost his title, then regained it, in a pair of 1978 fights against the young Spinks.
POUND-FOR-POUND RATINGS
The Ring magazine: 1. Manny Pacquiao; 2. Mayweather; 3. Mosley; 4. Juan Manuel Marquez; 5. Nonito Donaire; 6. Bernard Hopkins; 7. Miguel Cotto; 8. Chad Dawson; 9. Paul Williams; 10. Celestino Caballero.
Yahoo! Sports: 1. Pacquiao; 2. Mayweather; 3. Mosley; 4. Williams; 5. Marquez; 6. Dawson; 7. Wladimir Klitschko; 8. Sergio Martinez; 9. Hopkins; 10. Timothy Bradley.
David Mayo's vote: 1. Pacquiao; 2. Mayweather; 3. Klitschko; 4. Williams; 5. Hopkins; 6. Dawson. 7. Juan Manuel Lopez; 8. Mosley; 9. Martinez; 10. Lucian Bute. (Mayo is on the Yahoo! Sports voting panel.)
MEDIA PICKS
•Steve Carp, Las Vegas Review-Journal: Mayweather decision.
•Tim Dahlberg, Associated Press: Mayweather decision.
•Gareth Davies, The Telegraph (U.K.): Mayweather decision.
•Doug Fischer, RingTV.com: Mosley decision.
•Norm Frauenheim, 15rounds.com: Mayweather decision.
•Ed Graney, Las Vegas Review-Journal: Mayweather decision.
•Kevin Iole, Yahoo! Sports: Mayweather decision.
•Kieran Mulvaney, Reuters: Mayweather decision.
•Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times: Mayweather decision.
•Dan Rafael, ESPN.com: Mayweather decision.
•Mike Rosenthal, RingTV.com: Mayweather decision.
•Lem Satterfield, Fanhouse.com: Mayweather decision.
•Tim Smith, New York Daily News: Mayweather decision.
•Bert Sugar, HBO.com: Mosley decision.
•Bob Velin, USA Today: Mayweather decision.
•Mark Whicker, Orange County Register: Mayweather decision.
NOTABLE
• A source familiar with the negotiations, and with Mayweather's career, disputed that Mayweather has requested a rematch clause before and, in fact, said there never has been one in any of his fight contracts before tonight.
• Mosley said he hopes to weigh 156-157 pounds when he actually enters the ring. His fight-night weight for his most recent bout, against Antonio Margarito, was 160. Mayweather, after making the 147-pound limit, typically gains only a couple of pounds overnight.
QUOTABLE
"We do know this: We know that Shane lies under oath. So we know one thing that is going to happen. If Marion Jones went to jail, we know that Shane is going to jail. That's one thing we do know he's going to do. He's going to do some time."
-- Mayweather, on Mosley claiming in grand-jury testimony that he unwittingly took steroids before a 2003 rematch against Oscar De La Hoya. BALCO founder Victor Conte repeatedly has insisted that he met with Mosley personally and that the fighter knew exactly what he was taking. Mosley has a two-year-old lawsuit pending against Conte.
"We're talking about Shane -- you can't trust nobody, man, who did that. Even though my son's fighting him right now, believe me -- I've still got suspicions in my head, I'm going to be honest with you. And that is the truth. I've got suspicions in my head, right now."
-- Floyd Mayweather Sr., who trained Oscar De La Hoya for that 2003 fight, on when and if Mosley stopped using steroids.
"They should show him hitting handpads between rounds of his fights. His '24/7' is the show. By fight night, he's already entertained you. Then, he's all about trying to win."
-- Naazim Richardson, Mosley's trainer, on the lack of excitement he perceives Mayweather as producing in his fights.
BY THE NUMBERS
38 -- Number of victories Mosley compiled to begin his career before losing his 39th fight, to Vernon Forrest, in a 2002 welterweight title bout.
40 -- Number of victories Sugar Ray Robinson compiled to begin his career before losing his 41st fight, to Jake LaMotta, in a non-title bout, at Olympia Stadium in Detroit.
50 -- Number of fights involving Mayweather and/or Mosley that will have been televised by HBO, or its pay-per-view arm, after tonight.
E-mail David Mayo: dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo
Source: mlive.com
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