Trainer Naazim Richardson not surprised Floyd Mayweather bounced back from early trouble -- Grand Rapids Press

By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press

LAS VEGAS -- Naazim Richardson, Shane Mosley's colorful trainer, said there was nothing that surprised him about Floyd Mayweather’s performances in a 12-round unanimous decision welterweight victory Saturday night at MGM Grand Garden Arena.

That included how Mayweather bounced back and dominated the fight after getting wobbled by Mosley in the second round.

"People said 'Well, he's never been hit,’” Richardson said. “You don't get to this level if you can't handle it.

"Floyd Joy Mayweather Jr. is special. He's trained by special people."

Richardson said he was “cussing Mosley out” in the post-fight dressing room for being too hard on his performance, saying that no one talks bad about his fighter “including my fighter.”

Richardson gained some notoriety in his only previous fight with Mosley for discovering Antonio Margarito’s loaded handwraps just minutes before they entered the ring in January 2009. Margarito was allowed to fight, lost on a knockout, and has remained suspended for the violation ever since.

Saturday night, Richardson attempted to plant a mental seed with referee Kenny Bayless in the pre-fight instructions, in the dressing room, that Mayweather tends to use the left elbow as a defensive weapon. Bayless said he would watch for it, but it never materialized.

Asked why Mosley was unable to capitalize on his big moment in the second round, Richardson -- who said in the days before the fight that Mayweather, at some point would respond like a dragon and Mosley would have to “step on his tail” -- had a similarly descriptive response.

"That fireball hit us,” he said. “When that fireball hit us, our (butt) got kind of hot."

Richardson also said Mosley was affected by the neck stiffness but it couldn't be cited as a factor in the outcome.

"There's only one person who wants to hear excuses -- your mom," he said. "Mom'll say 'What happened baby?' Dad'll say 'Oh, those damn kids are a mess,' but mom is always going to fall down for you. Dad'll say 'That's the third time he was fired from his job mom -- your son is a bum.' But your mom is going to love you to the bottom. That's why they're special."

E-mail David Mayo: dmayo@grpress.com and follow him on Twitter at twitter.com/David_Mayo

Source: mlive.com