If Mayweather drops drug test issue, fight is on – Arum -- Manila Bulletin

By NICK GIONGCO, Manila Bulletin

Hall of Fame promoter Bob Arum told the media gathered in Los Angeles Wednesday that the only thing that would pave the way for having the megabuck fight between Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. is if the American drops his drug-testing demands.

“(If Mayweather) stops the nonsense,” said Arum, the much-awaited showdown between the current pound-for-pound king and the former holder of that mythical title, will take place.

Talking to fighthype, Arum said a clearer picture of what lies ahead for Pacquiao should be known after the May 10 elections. Pacquiao is running for a congress seat in Sarangani province.

Arum said that while a November date is being looked at, Pacquiao could fight as early as September although a win in the elections would push the fight back to November.

“October is out because of the World Series (of baseball),” said Arum.

Pacquiao-Mayweather was close to being done but a last-minute demand by Mayweather for Olympic-style drug testing to be done on them was the deal-breaker.

Pacquiao contested that there was no reason for him to undergo such tests since he has never even tested positive for a banned substance in all of his 18 fights on US soil.

Arum said Mayweather is on top of the list of priorities, while also being looked at are Antonio Margarito and Juan Manuel Marquez and possibly the winner of the June superwelterweight battle between Miguel Cotto and Yuri Foreman.

It is widely believed that Pacquiao is in the final phase of his storied career and that the Mayweather fight will be his last ring appearance.

Source: mb.com.ph

Shane Mosley Vows to Retire Floyd Mayweather -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

On May 1, at the MGM Grand Hotel in Las Vegas, unbeaten Floyd "Money" Mayweather "is going to be the hardest fight that he has ever had in his life."

"Everybody else Floyd has been 135 pounds or at around 140. He's not fought any real 147 pounders, other than Oscar de la Hoya, who gave him a lot of trouble," said Shane Mosley, from his training camp in the mountains of Big Bear Lake, Calif., on Tuesday.

"Right now, my weight is great. I'm probably weighing around 152-ish when I leave the gym. I look at Floyd as a natural welterweight -- a real 147-pounder. In fact, Oscar de la Hoya is the biggest guy that he's fought that was a big welterweight, and Oscar did well against him," said Mosley.

"I'm pretty sure that Floyd will feel more power in this fight that he will have ever had to feel," said Mosley. "And if I can get that knockout, if I get that one shot, and if I can get him hurt, then I'm going to be all over him."

That's how confident the 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts) was feeling about defending his WBA welterweight (147 pounds) title against the 33-year-old, unbeaten Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) after having showered up following a morning workout just priot to shaking out with trainer, Naazim Richardson.

"I was 38-0 with 35 knockouts when I stepped into the ring and lost for the very first time, wo when you say 40-0, that doesn't mean a thing to me," said Mosley, referring to a January, 2006, unanimous decision to the late Vernon Forrest.

"All that it means is that I'll be the one giving him his first loss," said Mosley. "No disrespect, but I really don't think he's been in there with a fighter like me. I believe that when I beat Floyd, I will send him into retirement. May 1 will be Mayweather's first loss."

Mosley has owned a home in Big Bear since 2000, and has trained there since 1996.

"I've been training in Big Bear, now, for the last 10 years, so this would be my spot. I've been sparring, I've been working with Brother Naazim on different things, strategies and stuff on how to approach the fight," said Mosley.

"I've been doing nine to 12 rounds. Usually, I can do 12 at the beginning of camp, because, basically, I'm always pretty much in shape. Today, I did a little bit of running, and I kind of shook out a little bit," said Mosley. "I had a pretty good session with Brother Naazim today for, like, hitting mits and stuff like that. I probably won't spar today. I don't spar everyday."

But when Mosley has sparred, lately, it has been with a versatile group such as 24-year-old, junior welterweight (140 pounds) Karl Dargan (7-0, three KOs), of Philadelphia.

Another goer has been 29-year-old Enrique Ornelas (29-6, 19 KOs), a durable fighter who has gone at middleweight (160 pounds), supermiddleweight (168 poounds), and, even at light heavyweight (175 pounds), and, whom Mosley calls, "a big body to punch on."

"We've got a couple of guys coming in there for speed. We're doing a couple of things, and we're getting him a few different looks. Dargan imitates Mayweather really well, but nobody actually fights like Mayweather. If they did, they'd be in their own camps getting ready to defend their belts," said Richardson, who also trains legendary middleweight and light heavyweight king, Bernard Hopkins.

"We're trying to get Shane in the best shape that we can, and if we get the best Shane Mosley, that should be enough to carry out our best plan," said Richardson. "Right now, I feel like Shane's really adopting what we're trying to get into, and he's so confident that I think we'll be in good shape."

Mosley believes that he is ready for anything that Mayweather has to offer.

"I expect him to expect him to fight in the center for a little while and to see what he can do with that, and I expect him to fight off of the ropes a little bit. I expect him to do whatever he can to try to disrupt and upset my rhythm," said Mosley.

"For a while, I think that we're both going to be playing the same game, but if I have an advantage of outboxing him, then I'll outbox him," said Mosley. "If I have an advantage of being stronger than him, then I'll use that. Whatever is at my advantage, I'll do."

Could Mosley's strategy involve being "a dictator" of the action, as he was against Margarito?

"Style-wise, Floyd just doesn't really like to engage in a fight until he's ready to engage. He has to be forced to engage in a real fight, which makes him different. Other fighters will try to engage and try to knock you out early and really fight you, where Floyd kind of boxes around, moves, touches, taps," said Mosley.

"Floyd is the type of fighter who, if he doesn't feel comfortable or confident, he's not going to fight you. So I have to be ready for that type of mentality that he has of touching and moving, touching and moving. I have to make it difficult for him to just touch and move," said Mosley. "So that's going to be one of the assignments is to make it harder for him to get his shots off so that he fights me a little bit. When he fights me, that will open him up for my speed and power."

A solid body attack could also be critical, said Mosley, adding, "But you just can't do one thing" against Mayweather.

"With Floyd, you have to focus on everything. You have to have a broad picture," said Mosley. "Maybe a couple of rounds, I'll focus on a body attack, and spend another round focusing just attacking. It will be a total package of things that I will want to do in there."

Not only will Mosley be fighting for only the third time in 30 months when he enters the ring against Mayweather, but he will also be ending a nearly 16 month ring absence since his last fight -- a January, 2009, ninth-round knockout victory which dethroned Antonio Margarito as WBA super world welterweight champion.

After losing his, November, 2007 bid for Miguel Cotto's WBA crown by 12-round, unanimous decision, Mosley rose to junior middleweight (154 pounds), where he stopped former world champion, Ricardo Mayorga, in the 12th round in September of 2008.

Still, Mosley contends that neither age, nor ring rust will be a factor against Mayweather, a man who, himself, will have fought once in 29 months -- September's lopsided, 12-round unanimous decision over Juan Manuel Marquez that ended a 21-month span between his December, 2007 10th-round stoppage of Ricky Hatton.

"Fortunately, I'm a guy who loves the boxing game and who loves to fight," said Mosley. "If I wasn't, then maybe the layoffs would have affected me if I wasn't into boxing the way that I am. I just like to train, and I just like to go to the gym."

Having been scheduled to face WBC king, Andre Berto (25-0, 19 KOs), on Jan. 30 before the latter pulled out of the fight amid distress for his Hatian relatives who were killed in a mid-January earthquake that rocked that island nation, Mosley said he was never far from being in fighting condition.

"I prepared myself for the Berto fight. The only thing that I didn't get to do was to get into the ring and fight. But I did an entire training camp getting ready for Andre Berto, which was a tough fighter -- very fast and quick," said Mosley.

"It may be considered a layoff, maybe, because of the people outside didn't get a chance to see me fight, but I was in great shape," said Mosley. "I was in training camp shape. And before that, I fought Antonio Margarito, and that was a great training camp."

Among the aspects that assists with Mosley's motivation, he said, is the presence of his son, 19-year-old Shane Mosley Jr. A 6-foot-1, 19-year-old, Mosley Jr. is a budding amateur who competes at 152, and, could soon rise to 165.

"My son has been with me since before the Margarito fight, and I think that my son being in boxing kind of helps me stay around the gym more, training him, showing him different things. I just want to show him the ropes, and show him the way that a boxer is supposed to behave," said the elder Shane Mosley.

"It's all about the mentality, because I believe that boxing is from the mind, not so much, how fast and how strong you are, but where you are mentally and how you focus and the determination and the will," said Mosley. "It's how you get into certain positions, and why you're in those positions, and why you throw those shots, and why you move your feet that way, and why you move your feet this way, why you're ducking, and why don't lean back."

Shane Mosley Jr., said the father, often spars with the same fighters as dad.

"When he gets in there sparring, I'm in there sparring too, with the same guys I'm sparring with. So he's learning very fast," said the elder Mosley. "I mean, I started at around 8 years old, but the knowledge that I have with him just being here and me watching him, it's making him get better and better faster and faster. And after I finish my duties shocking the world, I'll go ahead and give all of this to my son."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Fil-Ams demand better apology from Carolla over Pacquiao slur -- ABS-CBN News

By Don Tagala, ABS-CBN North America News Bureau

NEW YORK - Author and psychologist Dr. Kevin Nadal has defended the Filipino community against racial slurs before, having led protests against ABC in 2007 after the network’s hit show Desperate Housewives made a slanderous comment about the Philippines’ reputation in the medical community.

ABC apologized and made amends after the snafu.

Now, Nadal has something—or someone, rather—new to focus on. Comedian and radio personality Adam Carolla, known as former host of Loveline with Dr. Drew, and The Man Show, recently disparaged boxer Manny Pacquiao and the Philippines in his podcast.

“Here’s how you know your country doesn’t have a lot going for it when everything is about Manny Pacquiao. Get a ***ing life as a country,” Carolla said. Carolla also said Pacquiao was illiterate, that the Philippines was only known for the boxer and its sex tourism industry, and that Pacquiao prays over chicken bones.

Nadal immediately published an online petition demanding an apology from Carolla.

“We need to fight every time and anytime someone does anything that’s unjust or anything that is discriminatory towards our community,” Nadal said.

With more than 3,000 signatures and counting, it’s now the number one petition on petitiononline.com.

Carolla has since apologized via his Twitter page, saying he’s sorry he offended many Filipinos, and that while he tries to be “provocative” and “funny,” he “crossed the line,” adding later that Manny is a great fighter.

Pacquiao has accepted Carolla’s apology, but Nadal says it’s not enough. Nadal wants Carolla to apologize on his podcast, so everyone can hear Carolla “in his own voice.”

Some Filipinos say however that there is a degree of truth to Carolla’s statements. Valerie Francisco of the Filipino womens’ rights group Gabriela USA says, “The issue of sex trade affecting women and children in the Philippines has been a really grave problem and a serious issue.”

Other Filipinos, however, believe paying attention to Carolla is not worth it, and may just give him attention he doesn’t deserve.

“If we waste a lot of effort just policing this guy, it might be a band-aid solution,” said Brian Tenorio.

Francisco adds that the end of statements similar to Carolla’s will end “when Filipinos change the character of how the whole world looks at them as migrant workers and global citizens.”

View the online petition here http://www.petitiononline.com/FilAmAC/petition.html Balitang America

Source: abs-cbnnews.com

Fight Camp 360: The Andre Dirrell-Arthur Abraham Controversy -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

As the controversial ending of Andre Dirrell's disqualification victory over Arthur Abraham opens Wednesday night's 10 p.m. fifth episode of Showtime's Fight Camp 360: Inside The Super Six Super Middleweight (168 pounds) World Boxing Classic, newly inserted competitor, Allan Green, reacts with astonishment from ringside.

A still-dazed Dirrell, meanwhile, rises on unsteady legs after having slipped, and, been subsequently, hit while he was on the canvas by Abraham's vicious, downward-swooping right hand.

"All that I could think about was, 'Everybody get away from me.' I couldn't even breathe," said Dirrell, who believed that he had lost by a knockout. "I got dropped. That was all that was in my mind was that I got dropped."

By now, however, many of you know that Dirrell's assertion is not completely accurate. Although Dirrell and his handlers contend that the fighter was, indeed, KO'd, the ruling was that the Armenian-born Abraham had done so illegally.

Abraham lost the first bout of his professional career by disqualification at 1:13 of the 11th round when he nailed Dirrell in a neutral corner -- this after the Dirrell had slipped to the canvas on a slick advertisement label.

An overwhelming underdog entering the fight, Dirrell had boxed his way to an insurmountable lead on the judges' cards, having floored Abraham for the first time in the latter's career in the fourth round.

In addition, Dirrell had cut Abraham with a slicing, seventh-round left hook.

In defeat, Abraham fell to 31-1, with 25 knockouts, failing to earn his ninth knockout in his past 10 fights and his third straight stoppage victory against Dirrell, who rose to 19-1, with 13 knockouts as part of the classic's group stage No. 2.

A former Olympic bronze medalist from Flint, Mich., who, nevertheless, thrilled his boisterous, partisan fans at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena against Abraham, Dirrell, in the piece, indicates that some of the fear and intimidation he felt concerning Abraham was lost during the pre-fight weigh-in.

"You always size up the other fighter when they take their shirt off and I take of mine. You look at these guys and you're like, 'Man, he's got this many knockouts,'" said Dirrell, who displayed more muscular features -- particularly around the adbomen -- than Abraham.

"You almost get so lost in thinking about it that you think that they're machines and you think that they're just built for this," said Dirrell. "But when you meet up with them, face-to-face, you see that he's just another man."

That notion actually bore itself out during the bout, which helped Dirrell to rebound from October's split-decision loss to WBC super middleweight champion Carl Froch (26-0, 25 KOs), of Nottingham, England, who will defend his crown against Denmark's Mikkel Kessler (42-2, 32 KOs) on April 24.

Meanwhile, on June 19, Green (29-1, 20 KOs), will go after the WBA title of Andre Ward (21-0, 13 KOs), who dethroned Kessler for that belt.

Lying in his hotel room the night before their bout, Dirrell lets on that he's "Still nervous."

"Being by myself, I get nervous. Confident as ever, but neverous," said Dirrell, peering at the weigh-in's stare-down photo of himself and Abraham, which he had programmed into his celular phone.

"I've got him right here," said Dirrell, holding the shot up to the Showtime cameras. "I've already got him focused in. 'I'm coming Abraham.' I've got him on my mind. It's just you and me buddy."

During the fighter meetings with Showtime officials earlier in the day, Abraham gave an intriguing assessment of Dirrell's performance against Froch.

"Dirrell did nothing. He'd run, run, run. So he does not win," said Abraham, swirling his right pointer finger around in circles for emphasis. "I want to only win. I'd like a KO in the first round. I want to finish it very quickly."

Of course, that is not what occurred.

"I'm feeling quite confident for our fight tonight," said Wilfried Sauerland, Abraham's promoter. "But you know with boxing, everything can happen."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Antonio Margarito announces comeback fight -- Los Angeles Times

By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times

Scandal-stained Antonio Margarito returned to boxing's bright lights Tuesday, announcing a May 8 comeback bout and fighting through a barrage of tough questions about the plaster-caked inserts he nearly took into his welterweight world title loss last year at Staples Center.

"I didn't know, I don't know anything about what happened," Margarito told reporters surrounding him at a Los Angeles hotel. "I put my hands up there, and they wrapped them."

But couldn't a fighter tell if hardened pads were put atop the knuckles of his hands, as they were before being confiscated in the minutes preceding Margarito's defeat to Shane Mosley? And shouldn't Margarito (37-6, 27 knockouts) first try to get his license reinstated here in California, where it remains revoked, instead of taking a junior-middleweight, 10-round pay-per-view bout in Aguascalientes, Mexico, where no license is required?

The questioning visibly frustrated Margarito, 32, who at one point complained, "I don't know what you guys want from me. You don't have to believe me. I'll prove it to everyone. I'll show you guys."

After upsetting then-unbeaten Miguel Cotto in a technical knockout in July 2008, Margarito stood as the most popular Mexican fighter in the U.S., routinely drawing loud ovations at public appearances.

Tuesday was the formal beginning of his image rehabilitation tour.

Backed by a legal team and promoter Bob Arum, Margarito is poised to participate in major fights should he return impressively in the May 8 bout against Roberto Garcia (28-2, 21 KOs). Arum said Margarito is the main option for Manny Pacquiao if talks to resurrect a Pacquiao-Floyd Mayweather Jr. bout fail again.

A crowd estimated at 20,000 is expected for Margarito's fight in Mexico, and Arum said interest in the boxer could generate as many as 200,000 pay-per-view buys.

Margarito's comeback bout is in Mexico "because he needs to fight," Arum said. The plan is for Margarito to then reapply for a boxing license in the U.S. by repeating that the boxer knew nothing about an intent to load the gloves.

"That's the evidence," Arum said, "and there's no evidence contrary to that."

However, the controversy has damaged Margarito. Fight fans have taken to calling him "Marga-Cheato" and former opponents Cotto and Kermit Cintron have speculated their losses were the result of loaded gloves.

"Now, every opponent can say that," Margarito said. "I didn't cheat anybody."

At the California State Athletic Commission hearing in February 2009, where the licenses of Margarito and trainer Javier Capetillo were revoked, the trainer told commission members he must have accidentally inserted the hardened pads in Margarito's hand wraps without the fighter's knowledge.

Margarito said Tuesday that he fired Capetillo "for what he did to me."

"We want to get the fans back who we lost," said Sergio Diaz, Margarito's co-manager. "Tony knows you only do that by working hard. He's motivated to show people he's always been clean."

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

Source: latimes.com

Andre Berto Takes On Carlos Quintana, Haitian Relief -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse



WBC welterweight (147 pounds) champion, Andre Berto, of Winter Haven, Fla., will end a near 11-month ring absence on Saturday night when he defends his crown against southpaw, former world champion, Carlos Quintana, of Puerto Rico, before what should be a partisan crowd at the Bank of America Center in Sunrise, Fla.

But when the 26-year-old Berto (25-0, 19 knockouts) steps into the ring opposite the 33-year-old Quintana (27-2, 21 KOs), he will not only be re-asserting the promising career of a man many see as the heir-apparent to greatness in the division.

A Haitian-American, Berto will also be continuing the disaster relief efforts he has been involved in since Haiti, his parents' island nation, was rocked by an earthquake in mid-January.

In the wake of the tradgedy which killed as many as eight of Berto's relatives, the distraught fighter pulled out of a scheduled Jan. 30 bout with 38-year-old, WBA welterweight super champion, Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), who will now face 32-year-old, unbeaten, Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) on May 1.

Berto emersed himself in the cause of Haiti, devoting much of his attention toward saving lives and generally lifting the will and the well-being of those who dwell there, and to whom procedes from saturday night's card -- billed "Fight For Haiti" -- will be directed.

According to Berto's promoter, Lou DiBella, ringside tickets, sold at $250, go at two for the price of one as do those priced at $100. Out of the $500 VIP tickets, $100 is tax deductible and goes toward Hatian relief. Out of all of the other seats in the arena, "10 percent is tax deductible, and 10 percent goes to Haitian relief," said DiBella.

"We've taken several trips to Haiti and had a chance to give out 10,000 pairs of shoes to children the last trip. We've had a chance to sponsor a few orphanages, and this was before the earthquake even happened," said Berto, reached at his training quarters near his hometown of Winter Haven.

"It was a tough time because so many things were going on in my personal life when it came to the Haiti situation," said Berto, whose workouts take place between two and three hours from Sunrise. "But that's a situation that happened, and something that I can't take back. I've been away from the ring for a while, and I'm excited to be back."

Berto said that he is ready to transition back into the sport against Quintana, the only man to defeat Paul Williams (38-1, 27 KOs).

Quintana is coming off of December's junior middleweight (154 pounds), third-round, technical knockout of Jesse Feliciano (15-8-3, nine KOs), of Las Vegas.

Quintana had dethroned Williams as WBO welterweight titlist in February 2008, but was knocked out in the first round of their rematch four months later.

Quintana rebounded from that setback with October's fourth-round stoppage of Joshua Onyango, which was also contested at 154 pounds.

"You have to be concerned, as a part of the Andre Berto team, that it's been a long layoff and a very emotional time for him, and you have to hope that his focus is on Carlos Quintana, where it needs to be," said DiBella, Berto's promoter.

"From everything that I've heard, and been told, he's had a great camp. One of my other fighters, Willie Monroe, who will be fighting on the undercard, has been one of Berto's main sparring partners," said DiBella. "Willie's a tough kid, and Willie said that Berto's sharp as hell and expects Berto to do very well."

Quintana's only other loss was by fifth-round knockout against former world champion Miguel Cotto in December of 2006.

"I think that this is his toughest fight. I think that Quintana is slick, he was aable to clearly out-box Paul Williams, and I think that that's a big credential to have beaten Williams," said DiBella. "I really look at this as a fight that could really elevate Andre Berto to the top eschelon of the welterweights."

Quintana is the third straight southpaw Berto will face, and the "eighth or ninth" he has fought overall, he said.

In January of 2009, Berto scored a unanimous decision over former WBA king, Luis Collazo, a left-hander from Queens, N.Y. against whom Berto swapped turns being rocked in a battle of wills, power and speed.

In his last fight in May, Berto earned a unanimous decision over then-IBF junior welterweight (140 pounds) champion, Juan Urango (22-3-1, 17 KOs), a left-hander from Cooper City, Fla., by way of Colombia.

"I've been fighting guys that guys just don't want to fight because they're awkward southpaws and tough guys. Luis Collazo was a completely different southpaw than Urango, and Urango is a completely different southpaw than Carlos Quintana," said Berto.

"Collazo was more of a technician, very smart and picked his shots. He wanted to make sure that he made the right moves. Urango was just one of those strong, straight-forward bulls who was coming to just knock you out with strong punches," said Berto. "Carlos Quintana, he's a smart, southpaw as well, but he likes to use his movement with a long reach, and he likes to use the angles and catch you off balance with his punches."

Berto said that his sparring partners have been able to emulate Quintana's style to the point where "they have same movement," and, "have been giving me exactly what I need, so it's been going good."

"I'm kind of getting used to the whole southpaw look, but I know that Quintana's definitely coming to make a statement, and he's going to be hungry for the title. Quintana's a sharp southpaw who is sneaky and smart, and if you make too many mistakes, he'll definitely make you pay," said Berto.

"But I'm 100 percent focused on this fight. Being out of the ring for a while, there may be a little ring rust, maybe not," said Berto. "But Quintana doesn't care about anything else that's going on. He's just coming to take what I have. I've had a tremendous training camp, but I know that he'll be coming with his best."

But so will Berto, who will be looking to duplicate the atomosphere of his match up with Urango that took place at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel and Casino, Hollywood, Fla., before what was a crowd partisan to Berto.

"Being on the stage, and on HBO, and bringing it down to South Florida, everybody was excited, everybody came out and supported me. It was a tremendous night of boxing, and I know that it's going to be even bigger this weekend," said Berto.

"That's [Quintana] the only thing everybody around here has been talking about, and I've been getting tons of calls from Miami, Fort Lauderdale and the Sunrise areas, and so everybody is excited," said Berto. "It's going to be a special night, not just for me, but for the people of Haiti, because ticket sales are going to the cause of Haitian relief, so it will be a win-win situation."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Shane Mosley's Been Random Drug Tested Five Times -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

WBA welterweight (147 pounds) champion, Shane Mosley, told FanHouse on Tuesday that United States Anti-Doping Agency representative, Chris Forberg, already has randomly drug-tested his blood twice and his urine three times for illegal substances.

"He's like a part of the team now," said Mosley, who once admitted to using the steroids, "The cream," and, "The clear," before defeating Oscar de la Hoya for the second time in September of 2003 in Las Vegas -- this after the Nevada State Athletic Commission's urinalysis-only system failed to detect the drugs in Mosley's system.

Each has agreed to USADA's testing protocols, including unanounced blood and urine testing, anywhere at any time, according to Travis Tygart, chief executive of the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which has been brought in to administer the testing for 38-year-old WBA welterweight titlist Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts) and 33-year-old challenger Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs).

In accordance with the USDA's protocol, Mosley and Mayweather have submitted their 24-hour whereabouts information, "There is no limit on the number of tests that we can complete on these boxers," and "any positive test will be made public following a thorough legal process that's provided under our protocols," Tygart said during an interview last month.

If either fighter is found to have used performance-enhancing drugs or steroids in advance of their May 1 bout as a result undergoing Olympic Style random drug and urinalysis testing required in their contracts, he could be disqualified in advance of the fight, the bout canceled, and he could face a two-year suspension from boxing.

Reached at his training facilities in Big Bear Lake, Calif., on Tuesday, Mosley spoke to FanHouse in more detail about the testing as well as his training in this Q&A:

FanHouse: I understand that you have already been randomly blood-tested, so how was that for you?

Shane Mosley: I could see how fighters would not like this. I could see how fighters would not like to give blood and to be so-called harassed or to be on notice 24 hours a day, where ever you go. I could see how it could be bothersome.

But at the same time, I kind of like it. It's truly a good thing. I think that it's great for the sport. It will change the mentality of a lot of fighters, and what they need to do to get themselves together and to get themselves in shape. I think that it's great. Everybody knows that you're clean.

It may have more of an effect on Floyd Mayweather more than myself. This is right up my alley. I love doing this.

FH: How many times have you done it?

Mosley: I've already seen these guys three times already. I've been blood-tested two times and I've taken the urine test three times. I can't wait for it to come up again. The guy's a part of the team, now. He shows up, drives me to go and get sandwiches and to go bowling or whatever.

He drives me all over the place. He's like a part of the team now, the guy who tests me.

FH: So can you tell me about the testing?

Mosley: The first time it was blood and urine. The first time was like two weeks ago, and then, he came back again the next week, and then he came back three days later.

FH: Did he tell you that you had to be at a certain place or time?

Mosley: They just wanted to know where you wanted to be. If you wanted to do it down the hill, or if you wanted to go and be somewhere at a certain place or time, then you have to notify them, like, by e-mail, to let them know that you're going down the hill or to a dentist's appointment.

Whatever it is, they will go with me. They'll go with me, where ever it is. But I was always here in Big Bear. I was always at my house. I don't really leave my house any way. I always stay here. I don't go nowhere. So he just came to my house, and we'd do the test.

FH: So can you tell me about the procedures?

Mosley: Yeah, they stick a needle in your arm. They have a phlebotomist that comes with them the first time. They get all of the capsules and make sure that they're not cracked and different things. Make sure that the urine bottles are okay. They do the urine test and then they put the needle in there and take the blood.

Then they lock it all up, make sure that it's all sealed good, and they ship it out.

FH: Any results yet?

Mosley: Well, if they haven't said anything, and nothing's been said, then I'm good.

FH: Well, you know that you're good, right?

Mosley: Man, I've been good for so long, it's rediculous. [Laughs.] I know that I'm good. Knew that from Day One. That's just the type of athlete that I am.

FH: So is this good for boxing?

Mosley: I love it. I think it's a great thing for the major fights. I could throw a lot of people's fight game off because the Olympic style testing is way different from regular testing. You can't even really go to the store and buy medicine for your cold really unless you okay it with them.

Your test can show up dirty if you take certain types of medicines or nasal sprays. You could maybe take Claratin and your test could show up positive. You have really call them and ask them, "Can I take this?" or, "Can I take that?" They really don't want you to take anything. They don't even want you to take vitamins.

If you're taking some protein and it has some kind of residue that contains something illegal, you can test positive. That doesn't mean that you test positive for steroids, but you may test positive because there's something in there that could just mess you up.

No matter what vitamin you take, what type of aspirin you take, then they need to know, because it could show up positive on your test. You really have to be open with them about everything and they have to know everything that you're doing at any and all times.

FH: So, overall, you're happy that you're involved in pioneering this procedure?

Mosley: You know, this is a great thing. I hope that people understand that this incident with me happened in 2003, and I've been doing my thing for seven years now. Before 2003, and after 2003, I was doing my thing. I'm not that type of person anyway.

This thing is really helping me out. I'm really seeing how you really don't need to take vitamins too much. I think I feel better right now then I did when I was taking all of those vitamins. I think that what happens with the vitamins, your kidneys have to digest and separate all of that stuff and it weakens your body because your body's trying to fight off something that you don't need.

I'm actually learning something right now. Like I said, this guy's been with us for like two weeks, and I'm actually learning something. The steroids for performance enhancement -- pills, drugs, and whatever that extra stuff is, your body is not made for all of that extra stuff.

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Andre Berto: Staking His Welterweight Claim -- AllHipHop

By Ismael AbduSalaam, AllHipHop.com

Three months ago, Andre Berto had the biggest fight of his career in front of him. On January 30, Berto was set to face Shane Mosley in an opportunity to become one of the premier stars of the welterweight division.
Then tragedy struck.

A devastating 7.0 earthquake ravaged Berto’s native Haiti, resulting in the death of 8 relatives a little over 2 weeks before fight night. Distraught and unable to focus on combat, Berto decided to withdraw from the fight, paving the way for Mosley to face Floyd Mayweather on May 1.

Today, Andre Berto’s mind is clear and back on boxing. This weekend, the WBC titlist seeks to put the division back on notice in a risky comeback bout against southpaw spoiler Carlos Quintana, who holds upset victories over previously undefeated standouts Paul Williams and Joel Julio. If he succeeds in spectacular fashion, are superstars like Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao next in line?

AllHipHop.com: You lost 8 family members in the January Haiti earthquake. With such a devastating emotional loss just a few months ago, what made you know this weekend was the time to make your in-ring return?

Andre Berto: Yeah, I went back to Haiti to give aid. And I had to take some time to get my mind right. I took about 6 weeks to reflect on things in Haiti. It was an intense trip and needed my mind together. Now I’m focused and it’s time to get back in there.

AllHipHop.com: When you went down to Haiti after the quake, what did you witness?

Berto: It was crazy, just completely different from my last experiences. It was like a war zone. A lot of planes were coming in trying to bring cargo and supplies. Walking through the streets you saw building after building just crushed and pancaked down to the floor. In the hospitals and streets I helped, and saw a lot of death and broken bones, man. A lot of pain. At the same time, I saw the strength of a lot of people who survived. They adapted and did the best they could under the circumstances.

AllHipHop.com: Not that Haiti isn’t front page news anymore, do you still see a lot of people as you tour the States still devoting energy to the essential rebuilding period?

Berto: I always figured that would happen news-wise. But I still see a lot of people showing the effort. There are still a lot of nurses and doctors going there to help. So the support is still there where it counts.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s move on to the fight this Saturday (April 10) against Carlos Quintana. Was he the first pick for you and your team?

Berto: They brought me a few names. But I think Quintana is a fighter with good credibility. There’s bigger name guys that I wanted to fight, but those guys in my division are already tied up with matches so I had to fall back on that. So that made Quintana the best available competitor regarding quality at this time.

AllHipHop.com: Now how are you approaching this fight? Quintana has 2 losses, and the one that stands out to me in particular is the Cotto loss where Miguel walked him down. Is that something you’re looking at being that you’re likely to be stronger than him?

Berto: That’s true, [but] there’s a lot of different ways of going about it. Cotto walked him down with power. Paul Williams caught him with a long shot. I’ll have to have different strategies. Sometimes he likes to stand there and bang it out. Everybody knows that’s my forte. And the same time, he also likes to move around and box. So I’ll be ready for anything he tries to bring to the table. I know how to box, bang, have power, so I have all the tools needed to come out with the victory.

AllHipHop.com: This will be your third consecutive fight with a southpaw, and your second fight since your 2009 Fight of the Year candidate with Luis Collazo. What have you learned since that encounter about how to handle southpaws?

Berto: The Collazo fight I didn’t take it as serious and that was almost my downfall. That’s normally what older fighters count on, and that was the first time I ever did that. I kind of got on my high horse and on fight night he came and brought it. I know how to fight southpaws, and have been doing so for years and training with guys like Winky Wright. I had to get back on the grind.

And then when I had the fight with Juan Urango I made it look easy. So I just had to get focused and with the gameplan.

AllHipHop.com: Before the fight with Shane Mosley was canceled, you had built some animosity towards him after Mosley proclaimed he’d end your career. Is there still beef there or do you know just look at it as words said just to hype the fight?

Berto: It kind of ruffled my feathers because I know how Mosley is. Before he showed good faith towards me, always at my fights and praised me. He always tried to be close to me and said I reminded him of himself when he was young. So he had some real off the wall things to say about me, and I knew that wasn’t him.
But recently he’s still doing things out of his character due to the guys around him. They’ve been pumping him up. But he has a big fight coming up with Floyd, but if he ever gets in the ring with me I’ll handle him.

AllHipHop.com: What direction is your camp looking to head in after the Quintana fight? The scene is a lot different from when you last fought: Margarito is gone, [Zab] Judah is out of the welterweight picture…

Berto: Yeah, but there’s still a lot of opportunities out there still. But right now my focus is on Quintana. We’ll have to get past this and it is a tough fight. But after that I expect a lot of big fights. The welterweight division is the hottest in boxing and the one to watch.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s get your prediction on the upcoming superfight with Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley.

Berto: It’s going to be a good fight, man. It’s tough to call. Mosley has the speed and the power. Floyd has everything else. Floyd is very technical, and if Shane lets him get in his groove and comfortable, it’s going to be a long night for Mosley. But if Mosley imposes his speed, size, and strength, it might be a tough fight for Floyd. But I’m leaning towards Floyd in this one.

AllHipHop.com: The Everlast shirt you’ve been marketing looks really good. Is that a design you came up with yourself?

Berto: Yeah, we pretty much did that as a relief fund right after the earthquake hit. All proceeds go to that. Tons of people purchased it and showed their support. It’s on Everlast and we’ve been doing our part on my site to continue that awareness.

AllHipHop.com: I remember you issued Cincinnati Bengals wide receiver Chad Ochocino to a charity boxing match last year. Did he ever answer you?

Berto: [Laughs] I saw him out in LA recently. It’s still up to him. He’s always up to a lot of different challenges. Maybe this summer we can get something together for charity. But yeah, I still haven’t forgot!

AllHipHop.com: Has HBO or anyone else approached you about locking up with Paul Williams. You guys
are both young and even though he jumps around in weight, his claims he can still make the welterweight limit if need be.

Berto: I’ve heard about it, but me and Paul have the same team when it comes to the management end [Author’s Note: Both are managed by Al Haymon, who also works with Floyd Mayweather]. So they’re trying to keep us away from each other unless there is a lot of money in the pot to grab. Right now we are in separate lanes doing our things.

AllHipHop.com: Closing thoughts for the Knockout Nation readers?

Berto: Everybody make sure they tune in on April 10. It’s going to be an event! It’s a special card so don’t miss it.

Andre Berto vs. Carlos Quintana airs this Saturday (April 10) at 10:30PM EST. The card follows the 10PM debut of Mayweather-Mosley 24/7.

Source: allhiphop.com

Margarito: I didn't know about illegal hand wraps -- The Associated Press

By GREG BEACHAM, The Associated Press

LOS ANGELES — Antonio Margarito became a welterweight champion by refusing to back down in the ring. He apparently sees no reason to start now, even when it might benefit his tarnished career.

Margarito defiantly claimed both innocence and ignorance when he finally spoke at length Tuesday about the glove-loading scandal early last year that led to the revocation of his California boxing license and a 16-month ring absence, which will end next month in Mexico.

Speaking vigorously in rapid-fire Spanish, Margarito said he sees no reason to apologize for the illegal hand wraps that led to his yearlong suspension because he never knew his former trainer, Javier Capetillo, was breaking any rules by using forbidden substances in the wraps.

"All these people that say things about me don't know me, don't know my history," Margarito said through a translator at the downtown Millennium Biltmore Hotel. "The way I box has always been clean. Nobody has a clear idea what happened that night, and now I'm going to show who I am."

Margarito repeatedly claimed he knew nothing about any irregular gauze pads inserted into his hand wraps for his fight against Sugar Shane Mosley in January 2009, and his camp has debated the very illegality of the substances. When Mosley's trainer objected to Capetillo's wraps, officials discovered the pads, which apparently were loaded with a substance resembling plaster.

Margarito's license subsequently was revoked for at least one year by the California State Athletic Commission, preventing him from fighting anywhere in the U.S.

If Margarito was simply acting in the famed downtown hotel where the Academy Awards were held for much of the 1930s and early 1940s, he gave a convincing performance.

"I didn't know what was on my hands," Margarito said. "I never had to deal with any of these things before, and now you're telling me I have to deal with it every time?"

Yet Margarito also said he didn't believe Capetillo intended to put illegal substances on his hands. The fighter's camp has suggested Capetillo accidentally used an old gauze pad that previously had been used in training.

Margarito has been roundly criticized by fans and fighters alike, with former opponents Miguel Cotto and Kermit Cintron both saying they wouldn't be surprised if Margarito had used loaded gloves when he beat them. Oscar De La Hoya also said Margarito shouldn't be allowed to return so quickly, a stance that prompted Margarito to suggest, "If (De La Hoya) wants to prove something to me, let's get in the ring and prove something."

"Every opponent can say that now," Margarito added. "Maybe even the fighters I fought in the amateurs are going to come up and say it."

Margarito is known for a heedless, headfirst fighting style in which he doesn't mind taking a punch to land two. His toughness led to wins over Cotto, Cintron and Joshua Clottey while establishing him as a fan favorite in Mexico, where the California-born fighter has lived in Tijuana since his infancy.

Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs) will fight Roberto Garcia (28-2, 21 KOs) in Aguascalientes, Mexico, on May 8. Within the following 48 hours, he plans to apply for a license in the state of his next fight, likely Texas.

"The biggest thing fighting in Mexico is for my father to see me fight for the first time as a professional," Margarito said of his father, who lives in Tijuana.

Promoter Bob Arum also is interested in matching Margarito against Manny Pacquiao if the pound-for-pound champion can't make a deal with Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Mosley, who will meet May 1 in Las Vegas. Top Rank filed an application in Texas to put Margarito on the undercard of Pacquiao's victory over Joshua Clottey in Cowboys Stadium last month, but Arum said he ran out of time to massage its approval.

"I don't think he has lost any fans," Arum said of Margarito. "I've been trained at the best law school in the country ... and one of the principles I've learned is you don't deprive a man of his livelihood without a shred of evidence. That is just wrong, and that is something I'll fight against as long as I'm able."

If Mosley beats Mayweather next month, he might not be able to fight Pacquiao immediately if Mayweather exercises a rematch clause, perhaps opening an opportunity for Pacquiao-Margarito.

Margarito eventually acknowledged the last-minute brouhaha might have affected his performance at Staples Center against Mosley, who stopped Margarito in the ninth round to claim the WBA title.

"I just worried about the time," Margarito said. "All I wanted was to get ready to fight. I never got a chance to really settle in and get ready for the fight. I had a bad night. I was not at my best. It happens in boxing."

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Source: google.com

BOXING EXPERTS’ EARLY PREDICTIONS ON MAYWEATHER – MOSLEY

Boxing News World

On Saturday, May 1, at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas, six-time world champion Floyd Mayweather Jr and current WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley will square off in what would surely be the biggest fight of the year.

33-yr old “Money” Mayweather is undefeated in 40 professional fights and has dominated all his previous ring rivals except probably Jose Luis Castillo.

“Sugar” Shane Mosley (46-5, with 39 knockouts) at 39 years old has defied time and has only lost once in five years – a close unanimous decision defeat in the hands of Puerto Rican slugger Miguel Cotto in November of 2007.

Some of the most knowledgeable boxing writers in the industry gave their early predictions for the mega-fight. Check them out.

Adam Pollack, Cyber Boxing Zone
This is THE fight I have wanted to see Mayweather in for years because Mosley has the speed, strength, chin, and versatility to give Floyd a REAL fight instead of just being able to put on an exhibition for 12 rounds. My only reservation is Shane's age - with age you slow down a bit and you don't punch as often, which can hurt in a points bout. Still, because Floyd isn't the busiest guy himself, I think this will be a closely contested bout. Floyd has the edge in youth and speed and overall defensive skill, but Shane has the gamer qualities, the edge in strength and punching power, and has enough speed, skill, and defense himself that it is no walk in the park for Floyd and he could possibly lose. I just want to see Floyd in with a guy who can make him prove he can fight and has a fighter's heart rather than just show that he's a cautious performer. Shane will probably make him show that.

Geoff Poundes, Ringside Report
Mayweather, on points. Mosley looked great against Margarito, but we’re another year or so on and I think Mayweather will beat him relatively easily.

Mark Whicker, Orange County Register
Mosley, unanimous decision.

Graham Houston, FightWriter
Mayweather, decision.

Amy Green, BoxingInLasVegas
I say Floyd wins over Mosley by split decision.

Bill Dwyre, Los Angeles Times
Total pick-'em. If Shane is not rusty after all this time off, he is capable of beating Floyd, and there aren't many boxers that are.

Frank Lotierzo, The Sweet Science
Mayweather by decision.

Tony Nobbs, Eastside Boxing
Mayweather wins a wide decision but is troubled by Mosley's speed early.

Matthew Goldstein, Boxing Talk
Mayweather by UD. Mosley seems to only dominate Mexican fighters who tend to brawl. I've never seen him beat a slick, black boxer. Then again, we haven’t seen Mayweather do that either.

Chris Ackerman, Doghouse Boxing
I will believe it when I see them both geared up, in the ring and the bell sounds. Mosley is a legitimate threat to Floyd and so I can't see Mayweather actually fighting him. He's not coming up in weight, he's not a lower tier guy, he's not too old and he's not coated with ring rust...therefore, why would anyone think Mayweather would risk it? My guess is, it will fall through and Floyd will fight Brian Viloria or maybe Angel Manfredy or something ridiculous like that.

Michael Rosenthal, Ring Magazine
Mayweather by comfortable decision in competitive fight…

TP Walker, Eastside Boxing
This is by far the toughest fight out there. Everyone wants to see May/Pac but May/Mosley is the real deal. Gonna hold on predicting this one just yet till we see what happens in training camps and over the months leading up to the fight.

Ramon Aranda, 411mania
This is a pick 'em fight. Mayweather looked good against Marquez though a huge weight advantage was in his favor. Mosley looked fantastic against Margarito but has now been out of the ring for over a year. Will the rust affect Mosley? Will Mayweather be able to handle a quick, hard punching natural welterweight? I still don't know either way but I'd slightly favor Mayweather if I had to.

Brandon Estrict, Doghouse Boxing
Head says Mayweather, gut says Mosley. Great matchup really pumped for this one.

Tony Penecale Jr, Fight News Unlimited
A very close fight. I would give Mayweather the edge as he is younger and a shade faster. But I would not be surprised if Mosley won via stoppage. Oscar De la Hoya had Mayweather backing up and looking confused and then he stopped and let Mayweather regain the momentum. Mosley and his trainer Naazim Richardson would be smart to try and duplicate that blueprint. If Mosley can land a power jab to Mayweather torso and shoulder, he can back him up and disrupt his offense, opening opportunities for Mosley to attack the body.

Jim Amato, DM Boxing
I think Mayweather - Mosley will be competitive. Still I pick Mayweather to beat Shane. I'm just glad to see Shane get a good payday off the Margarito win. As far as I'm concerned, the table has been set for Manny -vs- Mayweather later in 2010.

Springs Toledo, The Sweet Science
Mosley is easily the most dangerous opponent that Mayweather has faced yet. He has more than one of the qualities that any fighter must have to deal with the technically-sound savant that is Floyd. Mosley is physically strong, he still has those fast-twitch fibers, he also has the do-or-die mentality and the willingness to fight Floyd with disdain. He is almost a foil for Floyd. But he isn't quite, and here's why: Shane makes technical mistakes, especially when he is aggressive (and he's always looking to be aggressive). If you look closely, Shane will show you patterns of mistakes. Floyd reads such things like a computer. Shane is not a fighter who is unorthodox enough to avoid being read and thus timed by Floyd. Floyd is going to give up rounds to find the answers to Shane, but Shane will be giving him plenty to think about in the meantime. Floyd will eventually take over, but the question is, will he do it soon enough to win more rounds than Shane...? I suspect he won't.

Ronan Keenan, The Sweet Science
Mayweather by competitive points margin. His superior speed will be the difference against an ageing Mosley in a nip-and-tuck affair.

Don Stewart, Reading Eagle
I've been saying for a couple years now that I believe Mosley is the only guy in the 147-pound vicinity capable of beating Floyd. He has the chin, the hand speed, the power and the skills to give Floyd problems. I wonder how that long layoff will affect him, though, especially at the twilight of his career. A few years back, I would have predicted Mosley by decision. But in 2010, Floyd outboxes him and wins a clear-cut decision.

Michel Joseph, Boxing Talk
Mayweather wins a unanimous decision. This fight has "12 rounds" written all over it. Mayweather does not have the power to take out Mosley, who's got a granite chin - hell, Mayweather didn't have the power to take out the smaller, phsyically less durable Juan Manuel Marquez, so folks should forget about Mayweather fighting less than twelve rounds here. Mosley is bigger, stronger, and more powerful - the problem here is that Mayweather has fought and beaten people who were bigger, stronger, and more powerful before. Mosley is still faster than most fighters, but the truth of the matter is that both Mayweather and Mosley are boxers who have enjoyed speed advantages over nearly every fighter they've ever fought, and both base a large part of their fight game on their speed. Mayweather is still in his physical prime, and Mosley is not, he's 38, and that's all there is to it. Mosley is in great shape sure, he takes excellent care of himself as most fans and writers know, but the simple physical truth is that you are not as fast at 38 as you were when you were 28 - and I don't care who you are. So, Mayweather will enter the ring with a speed advantage, and he'll use all the movement he can to successfully outbox the pursuing Shane Mosley, who though slower, won't allow Mayweather, who can't hurt him, to simply cruise. This fight should be competitive, but ultimately, Mayweather is the better boxer, with the key advantage - hand-speed, and for once, Mosley is going to find out what it's like to be the slower fighter.

Paul H. Burbridge, Eastside Boxing
I think people are going to be surprised at how this fight plays out. I think Shane Mosley “was” a great fighter in his prime but now is a shell of him self. I know that’s controversial but I really believe that too much has been made of the Margarito fight. Shane looked average against Ricardo Mayorga and before that seemed unable to pull the trigger against Miguel Cotto. The Margarito fight is the only reason people think he has a chance against Floyd but the circumstances are so different that I think you’ll see Mosley looking every bit his age come May 1st. One thing we all know is that Floyd is doesn’t take too many chances and the fact that he agreed to fight Shane tells you they know something so expect a boxing clinic from Mayweather. This is Shane's retirement score nothing more. The fight at times will look like the De La Hoya fight for Floyd and he will win convincingly.

Mayweather by UD!

David Greisman, BoxingScene
Mayweather over Mosley.

Igor Frank, Burbank Times
A bout long time in the making, Mayweather - Mosley is going to be a very competitive match up. Mosley is a well preserved veteran who has the strength and speed to match up with Mayweather. Mosley does not tire out in the later rounds, so if Mayweather gives away early rounds he might have a hard time catching up. Mosley does have the power to hurt Floyd, but the problem remains the same, landing clean shots on him is next to impossible. If Mosley takes a page out of Mayweather’s fight with Castillo and constantly pressures his foe to the ropes and remembers what he did to Margarito and goes to the body early and often, he has a good chance of beating the odds and besting Floyd in their upcoming showdown. Floyd however is younger and a bit faster and if he could employ the jab that he used in his last fight with Marquez and keep this bout in the center of the ring, it might turn out to be a very long night for Sugar Shane. Mayweather is undefeated and he is very smart in the ring. I believe he will find a way to win a close decision over Mosley.

Charles White, Eastside Boxing
Mayweather by UD. He has too great a defense for Mosley to catch him solidly enough times to cause a stoppage. Also, Mosley has a solid jab which could cause Mayweather problems, but the trouble is that Mosley has not used this jab enough in past fights. This will however be a very rough and tough fight for Mayweather. It will definitely put him to the test. Mayweather might even get roughed up a bit, but I think he still takes the fight by comfortable decision.

- Marshall N. B., marx7204@lycos.com

Sprott - Audley lacks heart -- Sky Sport

Sky Sport

Michael Sprott feels Audley Harrison "lacks a bit of heart" ahead of their heavyweight showdown on Friday night, which is live on Sky Sports.

The two British boxers will go toe-to-toe at Alexandra Palace in London with the vacant European title on the line.

Sprott has already beaten Harrison once before, stopping the former Olympic champion inside three rounds back in February 2007.

The 35-year-old from Reading is confident he can pull off a repeat result and claim the belt, having sparred with the Klitschko brothers in the build up.

No pushover

"I'm confident I'm going to win again," said Sprott. "Audley is not a pushover and he has got skill and proved himself by winning the Olympic gold medal in 2000.

"But he lacks a bit of heart and we will see if he has got the heart to beat me on Friday."

Sprott believes he has picked up plenty after spending four weeks with WBC champion Vitali Klitschko and his sibling Wladimir, the current IBF, WBO and IBO title holder.

"I've been training for four weeks in the Klitschko camp and they are two supreme athletes," he added.

"I've learnt a lot from them, they are two great punchers and Audley cannot punch anything like the Klitschkos can."

Harrison has not waited until the first bell to fire back at Sprott, though, stating that he is on a "different level" to his rival.

The 38-year-old, who struck gold at Sydney 2000, believes he is a late bloomer in the professional ranks and feels losing is simply not an option.

"I'm on a different level to Michael Sprott," he said. "Who was the first guy to teach (WBC super-middleweight champion) Carl Froch about mental toughness? Me. Adversity is my friend and my heart is as big as anyone's out there. Lightning will not strike twice.

"I'm focused, hungry, dedicated and on Friday I'm putting everything on the line - I have to win.

"Michael needs to miraculously find a way to win, but that will not happen. Losing is not an option for me. Trust me. Whatever it takes, I'm getting my hand raised.

"When I left England I was 17-0 and Ring Magazine, the bible of boxing, had me as the future of heavyweight boxing.

"I'm a late bloomer. I started boxing at 19 and won an Olympic gold medal at 29."

Route planning

Having won Prizefighter last year, Harrison is confident his career is on the rise again and is already plotting a route to the Klitschkos.

In fact, he is adamant that he will get to face either of the Ukrainians before fellow Brit David Haye, who impressively stopped John Ruiz in Manchester on Saturday in the first defence of his WBA strap.

"David is the star at the moment and he did what he had to do on Saturday against John Ruiz," Harrison admitted.

"It's great for British boxing and long may it continue but I'm sure the Klitschkos saw things in Haye that they can exploit.

"I'm two fights away from the Klitschkos. Alexander Dimitrenko is the number one in the rankings so I'll beat him and I'm confident of getting to the Klitschkos before Haye does."

Source: skysports.com

I give first round to Mayweather over Mosley: Floyd hires slick Forbes -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

An ideal sparring partner for Sugar Shane Mosley, now less than a month away from trying to end Floyds Mayweather's 40 bout undefeated streak, would have been Stevie "Two Pound" Forbes.

The personable Forbes, who put so many dents in Oscar de la Hoya's face when they fought that the vainglorious one was late for the postfight presser because he added makeup to cover up, was the first guy I thought of who should be in Mosley's camp up at Big Bear Lake, in the mountains of SoCal.

I reached out to Forbes on Facebook and asked who he thought could emulate Mayweather, shoulder rolls and all, to benefit Mosley's training.

Like an electricfied jab to the nose, Forbes responded in a prompt and timely manner.

"The only person that has trained with those guys and has had success fighting in that style is me. And Mayweather beat him to the punch on that one because I'm in Vegas with sparring Floyd."

Now don't get me wrong. Mosley can find guys with good hand and foot speed. And his camp can dig up some counterpunchers.

But their Number 1 selection as a sparmate should have been the obvious choice, Forbes.

I give the "opening round" then to Mayweather.

By taking Forbes off the sparring table, he helped himself and put Mosley at a disadvantage at the same time.

I guess Mayweather and his crew have their thinking caps on already.

I am keen to discover who then His Sugarship will use for batting practice.

Forbes is also held in high regard in the Manny Pacquiao camp. He has sparred with the Pinoy Idol numerous times, lastly for the Joshua Clottey bout, and has a nice rapport with Coach Freddie Roach.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

Source: examiner.com

Floyd Mayweather will be chilling like villain in Shane Mosley ambush -- Examiner

By Michael Marley, Examiner.com

Old time cowboy movies, sometimes referred to as horse operas, usually had nifty titles.

"Bad Day At Black Rock." "Gunfight at the OK Corral." "Boot Hill."

Before the flick unspooled, you knew you would see the good guys and the baddies mixing it up in wild shootouts, quite often inside of or right outside the Dry Gulch Saloon.

That's what gave the Western classics such rich historic flavor and substance.

There really was a Bucket Of Blood saloon in silver mining Mecca Virgin City, looming high above the Carson (Nevada) Valley and not far from Reno. It's still there.

We used to frolic there during my college years. There were those nights when the Rumpus Room in Reno had to be detoxified, you see.

On Saturday May 1, at the Manadalay Bay in Las Vegas, it's going to be a bad night for the guy wearing the white hat.

His name is Shane Donte Mosley and his fight against the villain Floyd Mayweather Jr. (he wears the black like hat Johnny Ringo or Pecos Bill used to) is not going to a bumpy ride.

As a public service to all you Mayweater haters, and I know you are legion, you're being setup like the Boomtown sheriff who walks into a trap and gets filled with lead.

This won't be a fight, it's going to be an ambush.

Hide the women and children, I say.

Mosley, who turns 39 in September, is being used as Mayweather fodder and he has zero chance of winning this bout.

There I said it, zero. Maybe I should make it subzero.

It's not his fault but a quick look at Mosley's last eight opponents reveals why he will go into a panic and be continually frustrated when Mayweather starts with the shoulder rolls and the dipsy doodle defensive techniques he has perfected while mowing down 40 victims.

Mosley will be Victim No. 41.

Yes, Mosley stopped robotic Antonio Margarito in nine rounds. What relevance has that to fighting Mayweather?

None.

Ricardo Mayroga, much more crude, unpolished and less disciplined that Margocheato, he got halted in 12.

Are you seeing a pattern of foes who bear no ring resemblance to Money May?

Miguel Cotto, who can box some and punches well, nipped Mosley by decision.

Mosley outpointed lefty slickster and often avoided Luis Collazao, another opponent with no relevance to L'il Floyd.

Mosley collected two TKOs over brawler Fernando Vargas.

He took 10 round decisions over Jose Luis Cruz and David Estrada, neither one any big deal.

You've got reach all the way back to 2004 to find a masterful boxing stylist on Mosley's resume.

Through 24 rounds and two bouts, Mosley was clearly outpointed by Winky Wright on scorecards (two points twice and one point in the second bout and by six points twice and four points in the first).

With his southpaw stance and turtle shell defense, there's no comparison between Wright and Mayweather.

The Mayweather bout, with its big payday, comes at a time when the divorce drained Mosley can use the financial injection.

Better losing to Mayweather for millions than to young Andre Berto for a mere bag of peanut shells.

But it comes when his boxing shelf life is winding down.

Go back six, seven, eight years ago...maybe it would've been a different story.

We'll never know.

What I do know and what you Mayweather lovers and haters need to acknowledge is this...on May 1, there's going to be only one man standing when the smoke clears.

Foot speed, hand speed, better jab, superior defense, all factors on the Mayweather side of the ledger.

Mayweather is also considerably younger and with less ring mileage on his odometer.

Cheer for the guy in the white hat all you want, pardner, it won't make a difference.

The villain will be chilling with a dominant victory, whether you hate him like poison or just hate him regular.

Forgive me for being factual.

I know an ambush when I see it.

(mlcmarley@aol.com)

***

CALENDAR OF UPCOMING EVENTS

Tuesday, April 6: Sugar Shane Mosley Camp Update — Media update with news and recent activities in the Shane Mosley training camp including quotes and pictures.

Wednesday, April 7: Media Conference Call — Fathers Know Best as Floyd Mayweather Sr. and Jack Mosley share their thoughts on the stellar match-up that puts their sons’ skills and boxing acumen on the line for welterweight bragging rights. (1:00 p.m. ET/10:00 a.m. PT)

Thursday, April 8: Floyd Mayweather Camp Update — Media update with news and recent activities in the Floyd Mayweather training camp including quotes and pictures.

Monday, April 12: Shane Mosley Open Media Day — Los Angeles, CA (Location TBA, 11:00 a.m. PT)

*Note: Watch for Sugar Shane Mosley along with Oscar de la Hoya on the George Lopez Show. Seen on TBS at 11:00 p.m. ET/PT.

Tuesday, April 13: Trainers’ Media Conference Call — Roger Mayweather and Nazim Richardson

Wednesday, April 14: Floyd Mayweather Open Media Day — Las Vegas, NV (Mayweather Boxing Gym, 2:00 p.m. PT)

Tuesday, April 20: Shane Mosley Media Conference Call

Thursday, April 22: Floyd Mayweather Media Conference Call

Sunday, April 25: Olvera Street (Los Angeles, CA)—Coming to America Olvera Street Rally hosted by Oscar de la Hoya for Mexican sensation Saul “Canelo” (“Cinnamon”) Alvarez as he makes his Mexican Independence Day and PPV debut. (Time TBA)

Tuesday, April 27: Fighter Grand Arrivals

Wednesday, April 28: Mayweather vs. Mosley Final Press Conference

Thursday, April 29: Mayweather vs. Mosley Undercard Press Conference, Trainer Roundtables and Satellite Media Tour

Friday, April 30: Mayweather vs. Mosley Official Weigh-In

Saturday, May 1: Mayweather vs. Mosley “Who R U Picking?”

*Events/Schedule Subject to Change Without Notice

Tickets priced are $1,250, $1,000, $600, $300 and $150, not including applicable service charges, are on sale now and limited to 10 per person and ticket sales at $150 are limited to two (2) per person with a total ticket limit of 10 per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (800) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mgmgrand.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

The Mayweather vs. Mosley pay-per-view telecast, which begins at 9 p.m. ET / 6 p.m. PT, has a suggested retail price of $54.95, will be produced and distributed by HBO Pay-Per-View® and will be available to more than 71 million pay-per-view homes. The telecast will be available in HD-TV for those viewers who can receive HD. HBO Pay-Per-View®, a division of Home Box Office, Inc., is the leading supplier of event programming to the pay-per-view industry. For Mayweather vs. Mosley fight week updates, log on to www.hbo.com.

HBO’s Emmy® -Award-winning all-access series “24/7” premieres an all new edition when “24/7 Mayweather/Mosley” debuts Saturday, Apr. 10 at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT. The four-part series will air for three consecutive Saturday nights before the finale airs on Friday, April 30, the night before the welterweight showdown in Las Vegas.

Source: examiner.com

Why have Golden Boy Promotions, Mayweather Jr, and Mosley kept the initial drug tests a secret? -- Examiner

By Rick Rockwell, Examiner.com

After all the hype and quarreling over Olympic style drug testing, why have Golden Boy Promotions, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Shane Mosley, and the USADA kept the details of the first round of drug tests and results a secret? With less than 4 weeks until the fight, why are there no details on the most publicized drug testing in the history of Boxing? Let’s examine further.

Keith Kizer, Executive Director of the Nevada State Athletic Commission, reported that Mayweather and Mosley have already been tested by the USADA. However, there are no reported details of when the test was taken or what the results are.

This makes no sense to me. This fight has become the “Drug Match” of Boxing. All the parties involved participated in multiple press conferences discussing and hyping the details and significance of being the first boxers to participate in Olympic Style Drug Testing. Yet, there has been secrecy as to when the first test was taken and what the results are.

We were told that the details would be made public. Perhaps the USADA and GBP should have clarified how long it would take before the results were made public because as of right now, it remains unknown as to when or if we will get the drug test details.

If you remember, both fighters are to make there whereabouts known to the USADA at all times and drug samples would be kept by the USADA for future testing as well. Both fighters also face a 2 year ban from Boxing if they test positive. So with all of these strict obligations, why are we still in the dark about the initial drug tests?

The most frustrating thing about all of this is the that the USADA hyped up these fighters for being courageous in their efforts to clean up the sport. Yet, neither fighter has been courageous enough to tell the public about the details of their initial drug tests.

“These athletes are courageous in their position and their desire to be held to the most stringent anti-doping program to protect their right to compete clean. At this point, both athletes have agreed to USADA's testing protocols, including both blood and urine testing, which is unannounced, which is anywhere, anytime." Travis Tygart, USADA

Conclusion

Eric Davidson Sacramento, CA “I thought that this drug testing was supposed to be transparent and open to the public?”

That’s what we were led to believe. However, that’s not what’s happening. We have to hear second hand about the details.

Jennifer Johnstone Sacramento, CA “Why hasn’t GBP issued a press release about the first round of tests?”

I wonder the same thing. They issue press releases for everything else. You would think that Golden Boy Promotions would issue a press release about the initial tests especially considering how much they hyped up the entire implementation of drug testing.

Source: examiner.com