It’s all sugar from Mayweather in a news-conference upset -- 15Rounds

By Norm Frauenheim, 15Rounds.com

LAS VEGAS – Only news conferences are supposed to be predictable. But one Wednesday for Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Shane Mosley wasn’t. It was tame, almost as peaceful as a church picnic.

Mayweather’s appearance at a press luncheon is almost always a screaming succession of four letters from erupting into a food fight. But Kumbaya was the main course at the MGM Grand.

Mayweather, perhaps in another one of his many roles, sprung an upset by just being nice. Who knows? Maybe, Mosley has a chance to spring another one Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena over Mayweather, a 4-1 betting favorite Wednesday afternoon and an overwhelming pick in an informal poll of writers to win by decision.

“Maybe, you’re going for the safe bet,’’ Mosley told a circle of writers after the news conference.

Maybe, safe is for suckers.

Or, maybe, Mayweather as Mr. Nice Guy is just a con, a feint before the counter.

Nobody can ever be sure what side of Mayweather will show up from day to day. It’s just that a low-key Mayweather was almost out of character for a stage that seemed to demand an over-the-top personality that has been there before.

Mayweather’s unpredictability might be one mechanism in a defense that has kept him undefeated and mostly unmarked.

“It’s not cool to take punishment,’’ he said, repeating a comment that has almost become his mantra.

When asked if he ever just wanted to abandon the defensive mechanisms and indulge in a free-for-all exchange of punches, Mayweather started chuckling.

“Ha-ha, ha-ha, ha-ha,’’ Mayweather said. “Nobody is messing up this nice face.’’

It’s hard to hit what you don’t know, and it is virtually impossible to know what move or mood is about to appear from Mayweather, who is either mercurial or maddening or both. Let’s just says that Mosley and trainer Naazim Richardson don’t sound as if they’re sweating it out. In fact, if there was a theme to the news conference it was simply the absence of nerves. Both fighters played it cool.

At 38, Mosley seems to be enjoying his moment back on the big stage. He doesn’t have to act. Unlike Mayweather, he doesn’t tell anybody he is the face of boxing or better than Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson.

“Shane Mosley is an HBO fighter,’’ Mayweather said, suggesting that Mosley has bit part in his ascendance. “Floyd Mayweather is a mega-superstar.’’

All the better, Mosley seemed to say.

Mosley has been cast in the support role often. Consider a couple of results: He upset Oscar De La Hoya and then Antonio Margarito. It’s almost as if he has spent his career rehearsing for Saturday, although even he might be surprised if he delivers the knockout he promised.

“I’d be shocked to see him there, flat on his back,’’ Molsey said. “Happy, but shocked. I’d also be concerned. Fighting me can be hazardous.’’

Safe to say, Mayweather wasn’t concerned. There’s plenty of talk about Mosley’s perceived weaknesses, including an inconsistent jab and a layoff of more than 15 months since his stunner over Margarito.

“I’ve already read him,’’ Mayweather said as if he has studied, cover-to-cover, everything there is to know about Mosley.

However, Mayweather conceded one detail remains unknown, which at a news conference was exactly what Mayweather wanted. Molsey’s widely-reported links to Balco and performance-enhancers have dogged him since 2003.

“We don’t how many fights he was in when he was clean,’’ Mayweather said. “Even against Margarito, we don’t know.’’

At Mayweather’s insistence, he and Mosley are undergoing random Olympic-style drug testing – urine and blood. As of Wednesday, Mosley had undergone eight and Mayweather seven. The testers, showed up, unannounced, at Mosley’s door.

“Eight times at my house is a little excessive,’’ said Mosley, who says he has been eating natural and feeling stronger than ever over the last several years. “This thing (Balco controversy) has been played out, over and over again. I don’t know why.

“But I’m a clean product.’’

A confident one, too.

Source: 15rounds.com

Floyd Mayweather, Shane Mosley get in last words -- Los Angeles Times

By Lance Pugmire, Los Angeles Times

Reporting from Las Vegas

Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley both addressed nagging criticisms about each other as the hours ticked down to their Saturday night welterweight title fight.

"We don't know how many fights he fought clean," Mayweather said about Mosley at Wednesday's final news conference, digging once more at Mosley's 2003 use of performance-enhancing drugs.

"Mayweather deserves credit for taking this chance [to fight me]," said Mosley, who has knocked out 39 of his 51 opponents and stands as the toughest opponent Mayweather has fought since taking on a close-to-retirement Oscar De La Hoya in 2007.

Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) long has been jabbed by critics for failing to engage in a classic brawl, backing off and fighting in spurts, instead of going for the kill and chasing the highlight-reel slugfest. Despite his unbeaten record, critics say Mayweather tends to dominate only against smaller or less skilled foes, as he did against Juan Manuel Marquez last year.

The opportunity for both men in this bout at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas is to conquer their most biting criticism.

"Shane is a very dangerous guy," fight promoter Richard Schaefer said, pointing out Mosley's ninth-round technical knockout upset over Antonio Margarito last year. "These guys who've said Mayweather has been afraid to fight, to take on a guy like [Mosley], needed to apologize when Floyd signed up for this fight."

Mayweather is expected to be far more active than usual against Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), who like Mayweather has been well-schooled in boxing since his youth and knows how to apply his craft's finest skills and traps.

Mayweather, reluctant to ever acknowledge the severity of his challenger's talent beyond cursory respect, said the Mosley bout will "entertain fans." Mayweather also defended his past practice to "take less punishment" in bouts. Take a look at who's still active from the U.S. Olympic classes of 1996 (where Mayweather won a bronze medal) and 2000, he suggests.

"It's not my fault I dominate," said Mayweather, 33, sharply dressed in a blue-gray vest and large tie. "If I had been in a bunch of wars, I wouldn't be here talking to you guys anymore."

As for Mosley, he called Mayweather "a special fighter," acknowledging it will take an unusual effort by Mayweather to beat him. "He deserves props," Mosley said. "Maybe he's decided this is the right time to take this kind of fight."

Mosley also revealed that the independent anti-doping protocol that Mayweather insisted upon for this bout — performed by the U.S. Anti-Doping Agency — has subjected him to four blood draws and eight urine tests.

"Eight times, that's a bit excessive, but I like this," Mosley said. "Hey, I'm a clean fighter."

Schaefer said the thorough drug tests mean he "never wants to hear another word about Shane Mosley and BALCO.

"I do hope when Shane wins that people give him the credit he deserves and tell how a clean Shane Mosley beat the best fighter in the world."

lance.pugmire@latimes.com

Copyright © 2010, The Los Angeles Times

Source: latimes.com

Shane Mosley's Early, But Party Starts With Floyd Mayweather -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

LAS VEGAS -- Shane Mosley, his trainer, Naazim Richardson, Mosley's attorney, Judd Burstein, and their camp members were on the daise for about 10 minutes before Floyd Mayweather entered the Hollywood Theatre nearly half an hour after Wednesday's press conference had been scheduled to begin.

The man who is nicknamed, "Money," wore dark shades, a sharp suit and tie, and a white shirt whose collar bore his last name, "Mayweather," on both sides.

Trailing behind him were his father, Floyd Mayweather Sr., his uncle and trainer, Roger Mayweather, and his CEO of Mayweather Promotions, Leonard Ellerbe.

Once they had all taken their places behind a long, black table, it was clear that the show was ready to begin.

"You know that this has to be a big fight," said Roger Mayweather, during his turn behind the podium. "For all of you people to be sitting in here and eating for free."

Not to be outdone was Floyd Mayweather Sr., who said of his son, "I know that he's smarter, he's clever, he's slicker," and then, directing his next comment toward Mosley, adding, "And he don't have no defense."

Laughter ensued throughout the venue. And then, the man of the hour spoke.

"This is about entertaining the fans and breaking records, and one thing that I've done is that I've built a fanbase. It's about being smart, and just having a gameplan, and working with Al Haymon and Leoard [Ellerbe.'] They take my ideas and they put it all together, and the list goes on and on," said Floyd Mayweather Jr., referring to his advisers.

"It's about taking this sport to another level, and being an icon in the sport of boxing. I'm always looking to go out there and do tremendous numbers. Who don't want to do tremendous numbers," said Mayweather. "There's no limit to what I can make. Something like $115 million in two fights, that's unreal. That's some of the things that my team does. And to be in this sport and to keep 100 percent" of his purse.

The 33-year-old Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts) will meet the 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) on Saturday night here at the MGM Grand, whose initials stand for, "Mosley's Greatest Moments," according to some of the WBA welterweight (147 pounds) champion's camp members.

"Floyd does a very good job of promoting his fights," said Mosley, who is coming off of a January, 2009, ninth-round knockout of Antonio Margarito, whom he dethroned as WBA king at the MGM. "I think Floyd brings a lot of mouth. People dislike him so much they buy the fight just to see him lose."

At any rate, Golden Boy Promotions CEO, Richard Schaefer, is predicting huge numbers for the HBO-pay per view-televised bout, whose buys he believes could surpass the record 2.4 million by Mayweather's victory over Oscar de la Hoya in 2007.

Schaefer told the media predicted the record for Mayweather-de la Hoya, and, on Wednesday, he prohesized of Mayweather-Mosley that "$4 million views" are possible.

Mayweather's pay per view average revenue -- a total of $48 million for six fights -- ranks as the highest all-time. So big is his attraction, said Ellerbe, that he doesn't need a belt to define him as the best boxer in the sport.

So Mayweather has refused to pay the WBA's sanctioning fee, and, thus, is not fighting for Mosley's title.

"With all due respect to any sanctioning body out there, any time that you're making 10s of millions of dollars, it's not a smart business move to give up three percent of your money just to call yourself a champion. That's just our opinion," said Ellerbe, whose fighter stands to make upwards of $35 million against Mosley.

"For some of the younger fighters, the belt makes a difference. But Floyd's already won six world titles, and the model that he has put in place is the model that fighters from this generation and the next generation should look at and admire," said Ellerbe.

"And I'll hypothecially throw out a number," said Ellerbe. "If there was a half a million dollar sanctioning fee, that half a million dollars, Floyd has four kids that he could throw a half a million dollars into an additional fund for them."

A scource close to the negotiations said that the sanctioning fee was "never really discussed" by the Mayweather camp because "it was made clear during the early discussions when the fight was made that Floyd doesn't want to fight for the belt."

On the other hand, Mosley always has wanted to fight for the WBA belt.

"Shane has always wanted to fight for and defend the WBA title, because he's the champion, and, so, he's obviously going to defend his belt," said Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions. "So, now, we're going to be sitting down with the WBA this week, and we're going to see what can be worked out."

Mosley will earn a guaranteed $7 million purse, according to Nevada State Athletic Commission chairman, Keith Kizer, plus an upside to pay per view.

"Obviously, I can appreciate a three percent sanctioning fee, but I think that once you get into this level of fights, I think that a three percent sanctioning fee is actually excessive," said Schaefer.

"You look at, for example, the WBO, and they have a cap on their fees, which is actually $150,000 --irrespective of the purse amount, which I think is actually reasonable," said Schaefer. "So it's a matter of sitting down with the WBA and seeing if an agreement can be reached for Shane."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Megafight or lovefest? Manners on display as Mayweather, Mosely make appearance -- Las Vegas Review-Journal

By STEVE CARP, LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Usually, prefight news conferences, especially for the megafights, are bombastic affairs, full of hyperbole, threats and even a dose of physical violence.

Not Wednesday at the MGM Grand.

Things were so quiet and respectful during the final press briefing for Saturday's welterweight battle between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley that it felt like being in church. Instead of fireworks, there were barely sparklers. Instead of profanity-laced tirades, there were platitudes from both fighters toward each other. Confrontation gave way to mutual admiration.

This wasn't a news conference. This was a lovefest.

Even Mayweather's dad, Floyd Sr., and his uncle and head trainer, Roger, both of whom have been known to spice things up at these sorts of affairs, fell well short of expectations.

"I usually have a poem leading up to a fight, but this is far more important, because Money Mayweather is in a fight," the elder Mayweather said.

He went on to praise Mosley's ability while questioning Mosley's ability to deal with his son's speed. But the best part of the day was Mayweather Sr.'s verbal joust with Cassius Green.

Green, Mosley's longtime cutman whose trademark look is a naval officer's cap and jacket, taunted the elder Mayweather while he was at the microphone, saying, "The last corner you were in, the guy got knocked out," referring to Ricky Hatton.

Mayweather responded, "Hey Captain Crunch, we're back at that again."

Younger brother Roger, who has been known to let loose with the expletives from the podium, was totally nonconfrontational.

"This is what makes great fights -- two great fighters," Roger Mayweather said. "If it wasn't, all these people wouldn't be here eating for free.

"No matter what happens Shane, you can invite me over for dinner."

The goodwill trickled down to Mayweather Jr., who praised Mosley, his camp and Mosley's father Jack, who helped get him into boxing. His usual cockiness was absent as he kept his remarks brief at the podium.

Mosley said he was grateful to be in a big fight again and told the Mayweathers, "Like Roger said, we can all get together and have dinner after this. There's no love lost."

Strange rhetoric indeed. There was no talk of steroids, nose jobs or divorces Wednesday. Just two fighters believing they have what it takes to win come Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden.

"Getting ready for a fight of this magnitude, you have to be prepared mentally as well as physically," Mayweather said.

Mosley, who last fought on Jan. 24, 2009, when he stopped Antonio Margarito in the ninth round in Los Angeles, said: "It's been a while since I've been in a big fight like this. I'm excited. We have three more days."

Mosley, currently a 4-1 underdog at the MGM Mirage sports books, isn't surprised that Mayweather is being picked to beat him by decision on Saturday.

"That's what Mayweather normally does, beat guys by decision," Mosley said. "That's the safe bet I suppose."

Mosley said he has never been better prepared for a big fight.

"I'm in a good place mentally," he said. "I'm happy that for once things have gone right."

n NOTES -- Friday's 3 p.m. weigh-in at the Grand Garden is free and open to the public. ... According to the Nevada Athletic Commission, Mosley is scheduled to earn $7 million on Saturday. Mayweather's share of the purse is expected to be filed with the commission today. ...NAC executive director Keith Kizer said as of April 16, both fighters have passed all their random drug tests administered by the United States Anti-Doping Agency. Mosley has undergone eight tests, half of them blood tests, the other half by urinalysis, while Mayweather has been tested seven times, four times for blood and three for urine.

Contact reporter Steve Carp at scarp@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-2913.

Source: lvrj.com

Nevada Commissioner: Antonio Margarito's Fists Were Not Loaded Against Miguel Cotto -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

LAS VEGAS --Antonio Margarito did not have loaded gloves during his 11th-round knockout of Miguel Cotto for the WBA welterweight (147 pounds) title in July of 2008 at the MGM Grand here, Nevada State Athletic Commission director, Keith Kizer, told FanHouse on Wednesday.

"I know that he wasn't rigged during the Cotto fight because we had our inspectors check him out and everything, as did Cotto's people. He was fully checked out," Kizer said of Margarito, who was subsequently found in his very next fight to have an illegal substance in his gloves and suspended from the sport for a year.

"One of our referees, Jay Nady, was back there, we had our inspectors back there. Cotto's guy was back there. They all checked him out and everything was fine," said Kizer.

"They felt the hand wraps and everything, and we have an inspector who I've seen check the hand wraps before, and he checks them out thoroughly," said Kizer. "He watched the hand wraps that night. If you don't have experienced inspectors, you can probably slip something through."


Kizer spoke while attending a press conference promoting Saturday night's clash between 33-year-old Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts), and, 38-year-old Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs), the latter of whom is coming off of a January, 2009, ninth-round knockout of Margarito that dethroned Margarito as WBA titlist.

Within an hour of facing Mosley, however, the 32-year-old Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs) was discovered by Mosley's trainer, Brother Naazim Richardson, to have had a plaster-like substance in his gloves, which were wrapped by trainer, Javier Capetillo.

The substance was subsequently removed and confiscated prior to the fight, but Margarito was then suspended for a year by the California State Athletic Commission, whose move has been honored by the other boxing commissions, nationwide.

"There's nothing that you can do worse than take a guy's license away. Once you do that, he's persona-non-grata," Kizer said of Margarito, whose suspension ended on February 11.

"Margarito could come to Nevada today, apply for a license, and I could give him a license administratively, but I'm not going to do that," said Kizer. "He would have to be placed on our agenda, and that would be up to our chairman. She could put him on it right away, or she could make him wait a while."

Kizer said that he would consider allowing Margarito to fight in Nevada, but only after enduring a hearing before the commission chairman and a panel that would throroughly review his case.

"Nevada could do one of three things. They could either say, 'Go back to California first, and until they say you've done your time, we're not going to even bother with you,'" said Kizer.

"The second thing is to have a hearing and to say, 'Well, reguardless of what other states think, we don't think that you're ready to get back into the ring yet,'" said Kizer. "Or, third, 'We do think that you're ready to get back into the ring, and we're going to give you a license.' And I don't think that California or anyone would see that as any sort of sign of disrespect or not honoring their decision."

Margarito, however, will return to the ring on May 8, in Aguascalientes, Mex., when he competes in a 10-round, junior middleweight (154 pounds) clash against 30-year-old, Texas toughman, Roberto "La Amenza" Garcia (28-2, 21 KOs) as the headline to Top Rank Promotion's Latin Fury 14.

Margarito, said Kizer, should return to California to re-apply for a license before attempting to fight anywhere in the United States, although, Texas has indicated to Margarito's promoter, Bob Arum, that it might be willing to allow the former champion to fight there.

Arum has said that he would eventually like to match Margarito against seven-time champion, Manny Pacquiao, who is coming off of last month's 12-round unanimous decision in defense of his WBO welterweight title at The Dallas Cowboys' Stadium.

"I would not feel comfortable, at this point, simply granting Margarito a license to fight here in Nevada," said Kizer. "I would have some questions that he would need to answer from me. And if he doesn't answer them truthfully, then I would reccommend not granting a license to him."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Mosley predicts Mayweather KO, not fussed by underdog tag -- Reuters

By Kieran Mulvaney, Reuters

Mayweather, renowned as a superlative defensive fighter, has never been knocked down or defeated and is a strong favorite to record his 41st victory on Saturday but Mosley believes he can shock the world and deliver a stoppage win.

Mosley, 46-5 (39 knockouts), however, has not fought since a ninth-round TKO upset of feared Mexican slugger Antonio Margarito in January 2009.

"I really don't care," the 38-year-old champion told reporters on Wednesday about the underdog tag.

"They were picking Margarito to win by landslide, and people were worried about my health and saying he was going to retire me.

"I'm saying to you guys again, that isn't going to happen. He's not going to beat me."

Mayweather retired as the sport's pound-for-pound number one fighter after beating Ricky Hatton in December 2007 but returned in style in September, outclassing Mexican Juan Manuel Marquez over 12 rounds.

He had been expected to fight Filipino Manny Pacquiao but the pair could not agree to a drug testing procedure leading to Mayweather agreeing to take on Mosley, which the champion believes could be a mistake.

"Fighting me can be hazardous," Mosley said. "The times I have knocked out people, a lot of the fighters don't come back the same.

Mosley acknowledged that it would be "shocking" to see his opponent lying on the canvas but it was something he would look forward to witnessing.

"I go for a knockout, but I'll be shocked to see him just laying there on his back like that," he admitted. "Happy, but shocked."

Mosley, who has also won world titles at lightweight and light middleweight, said he anticipates feeling out Mayweather in the opening stages but that he will have a sense of the bout's likely direction early on.

"When the fight starts, I'm going to go out there, I'm going to throw some traps here and there, touch him here and there, see what's going on," he revealed. "I'll probably be able to tell from the first bell what kind of fight it's going to be."

Although Mayweather, 40-0 (25 KOs), has won most of his bouts with relative ease, some observers have pointed to his split decision win over Oscar De La Hoya in May 2007 as providing the blueprint to defeating him.

De La Hoya troubled Mayweather in the first half of the contest with a stiff left jab, a punch that Mosley agreed could be a key on Saturday.

"It's been proven," he said. "Not just Oscar, but other fighters. Some of the southpaws fought him pretty good with their left hands. So maybe it's not a jab, maybe it's just a left hand.

"But that's just one strategy. I can't just base my fight on throwing a jab. You have to be ready for a bunch of different things, because you're fighting a special fighter."

(Edited by Patrick Johnston)

Source: reuters.com

Floyd Mayweather Jr. will demand all future opponents to take blood tests -- Las Vegas Sun

By Brett Okamoto, Las Vegas Sun

Floyd Mayweather Jr. already believes he should go down as the greatest boxer of all time.

He'd also like to be remembered as one of the key contributors in wiping performance-enhancing drugs from the sport.

Mayweather has told his fans, the media and those that represent him at Golden Boy Promotions that he will not agree to face any fighter who will not submit himself to random blood testing. The current drug policy of the Nevada State Athletic Commission requires fighters to undergo urine tests.

The reason for this demand, Mayweather says, is that performance-enhancing drugs are too prevalent in the sport and put fighters' health at risk.

"You start seeing so many different fighters, over and over again, go into comas," Mayweather said. "Fighters are dying. From what I hear, enhancement drugs are making fighters punch harder, faster and stronger. All it's doing is hurting the sport."

At Mayweather's request, both he and Shane Mosley agreed to voluntarily undergo Olympic-style blood testing leading up to their welterweight bout Saturday at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

Because of the magnitude of the event and the athletes themselves, Mayweather's team believes it could be a major step forward in persuading athletic commissions to adopt blood testing as their own policy.

"It's a big statement that takes it to the forefront," said Golden Boy CEO Richard Schafer. "It is those kinds of events that can act as a trigger for change. And I hope it will be a trigger. Who knows? Maybe five years from now we'll look back and say the trigger to all this was the Mayweather-Mosley fight."

According to NSAC executive director Keith Kizer, a change to the commission's drug policy likely will occur well within the next five years.

The NSAC has been at the head of many rule changes to discourage drug use said Kizer, including switching wins to "no contests" when a fighter tests positive for banned substances.

According to Kizer, the last significant meeting it held on drug-testing policies was in September 2008, when it was determined that urine testing was the most effective, accurate method.

However, the process of blood testing has been improved since then — including the first positive test for HGH by a British professional rugby player in February this year.

Those advancements have fell under the NSAC's consideration, and Kizer said the commission likely would revisit its drug-testing policy as early as next month.

"It's never not been under our consideration, it's an ongoing thing," Kizer said. "Urine testing is better for testing everything except HGH. Blood testing, until recently, hasn't been perfected.

"We held a public meeting in 2008 where we overlooked a lot of material. Now, it's 18 months later and we need to revisit it. It could be expanding our urine testing or adding blood testing. Something could happen, hopefully, next month."

Members from Mayweather's camp believe the greatest contribution the fighter can make to the process is continuing to demand random blood tests of all his opponents.

According to HBO officials, Mayweather fights generate an average of $48.6 million in pay-per-view revenue — the most of any fighter in boxing history.

Any potential opponent looking to cash in on that type of financial opportunity will have to be willing to go above and beyond the drug-testing requirements of athletic commissions.

"He leads by example," said Leonard Ellerbe, Mayweather's advisor. "He's standing up and saying, 'Look, this is what I'm doing and if anybody wants to fight me, this is what they are subjected to.'"

Fans and media alike have questioned the timing of Mayweather's decision to take such a stand, as it was the reason negotiations fell through for a super-fight with Filipino welterweight Manny Pacquiao.

Some have suggested that Mayweather made the demands only because Pacquiao has the reputation of being fearful of needles.

However Ellerbe maintains that cleaning the sport of drugs has been a discussion of Mayweather's camp long before negotiations with Pacquiao.

"Who says it wasn't important before?" said Ellerbe. "Things we talk about internally we don't always talk about in public. The time was right. Why not now? If something is important for the health and safety of fighters, then why no question it."

To Mayweather himself, the issue is even simpler than "the right timing" or the policies of athletic commissions.

He considers himself the greatest in the sport and says he didn't use any performance-enhancing drugs to become the greatest.

He's proud of that — and believes any other clean fighter would be, too.

"I don't understand. Just take the test," Mayweather said. "If none of these fighters are doing nothing, then just take the test. If you're a clean fighter, then take the test."

Brett Okamoto can be reached at 948-7817 or brett.okamoto@lasvegassun.com.

Source: lasvegassun.com

Mayweather a draw even without Manny Pacquiao -- Associated Press

By TIM DAHLBERG, The Associated Press

LAS VEGAS — The talk around the MGM Grand hotel Wednesday was about new pay-per-view records and many more millions for Money Mayweather. The fact that it came mostly from fight promoters wasn't terribly surprising, but it did mean that the hype for boxing's latest big fight had officially begun.

Whether Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley prove to be the kind of attraction that Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao would have been is doubtful, no matter how hard promoters try to convince everyone otherwise. Still, it's Mayweather against a quality opponent, and that by itself should be enough to convince a lot of people to shell out $59.95 to watch it at home Saturday night.

The last time Mayweather fought, more than 1 million people did just that, and Juan Manuel Marquez wasn't exactly what oddsmakers in this gambling city call a live dog. Mosley is that and more, despite being a 4-1 underdog in the sports books to a fighter who has never lost.

Do the math and you can see why Mayweather doesn't mind playing the role of boxing's bad boy. It's made him more money than he can count, and he figures to bank many more millions for what figures to be 12 rounds of work in a welterweight fight that isn't a bad substitute for the Mayweather-Pacquiao bout that everybody except Mayweather seemed to want.

Count Mosley among those grateful for Mayweather's drawing power, even if Mayweather has taken it upon himself to portray him as a steroid-fueled fighter. At the age of 38, Mosley is suddenly making a minimum of $7 million in a fight that could define his career and he couldn't be happier.

"I think he brings a lot of mouth. People dislike him so much they buy the fight just to see him lose," Mosley said. "But he does a very good job of promoting his fights."

There's little argument there. Despite having a defensive style that wins him few fans, Mayweather has become a superstar at the cash window, helping bring in $292 million in pay-per-view buys in his last six fights.

And, though there were still tickets for sale Wednesday at the MGM Grand arena, this likely will be a pay-per-view smash even with Pacquiao at home running for congress in the Philippines.

"They say I pick and choose who I fight," Mayweather said. "It doesn't matter. I'm Floyd Mayweather and they come to see me regardless."

Mayweather was surprisingly subdued at the final prefight press conference, perhaps because he's spent much of the last few weeks doing the dirty work for this fight. That meant everything from throwing F-bombs around on HBO's "24/7" series to questioning whether Mosley ever fought without the use of performance enhancing drugs.

His entourage was equally subdued, though uncle and trainer Roger Mayweather did come up with the line of the afternoon.

"I know it's a big fight or all you people wouldn't be eating for free," he told people who were, indeed, eating for free.

It would be even bigger had Mayweather not taken a hardline stance in demanding Olympic-style drug testing as part of the price for a fight with Pacquiao, who showed his star power last month when he drew more than 50,000 people to Cowboys Stadium. Most in boxing figure that fight will happen this fall should Mayweather beat Mosley, but most in boxing figured it would happen in the first place and it didn't.

The biggest knock against Mosley is that he's getting up in years and hasn't fought in more than a year, a combination that hasn't worked well in the past for other fighters. But he's won titles in three weight classes, beaten Oscar De La Hoya twice, and has both the speed and power to make Mayweather work hard for his money.

Equally telling, perhaps, is that Mayweather's people negotiated a rematch clause in the contract, but only if their fighter loses.

"He couldn't just fight Joe Blow," Mosley said. "He had to fight somebody good if he wants to be considered the best."

That doesn't mean the fight will be a classic, though it certainly has that chance. Both fighters are gym rats to begin with, both are highly skilled masters of their craft, and both have seen just about everything in the ring in their long careers.

But big fights seldom live up to their hype. And if Mayweather hadn't invented his thug persona to sell himself, he would still be waiting for the first fan to buy a ticket to watch him crouch and duck and counter his way to yet another tedious decision win.

Mayweather won't be changing his style against Mosley. Not when it's served him well in winning all 40 of his fights.

And certainly not when people will keep buying in anyway.

Tim Dahlberg is a national sports columnist for The Associated Press. Write to him at tdahlberg(at)ap.org

Copyright © 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Source: google.com

Shane Mosley, Floyd Mayweather Test Negative -- FanHouse

By Lem Satterfield, FanHouse

LAS VEGAS -- A combined 15 random drug tests between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley for blood and urine have all come back clean and free of any banned substances, Nevada State Athletic Commission chairman, Keith Kizer, said on Wednesday.

The 33-year-old Mayweather (40-0, 25 knockouts) will meet the 38-year-old Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) here on Saturday night at the MGM Grand, where Kizer was attending a Wednesday press conference involving the fighters.

Mayweather and Mosley are both being randomly drug tested for their bout by the United States Anti-Doping Agency, which marks the first time that any boxing commission has allowed for blood testing for steroids.

Boxing, in general, uses unrinalysis testing.

"I know that there were eight tests for Shane, and, seven tests for Floyd. I think that about half of them were for blood, and, half of them were for urine, and we're getting them directly from USADA," said Kizer, adding that he received the results, "two or three weeks ago."

Source: boxing.fanhouse.com

Roger Mayweather not worried about looming felony trial while training Floyd Mayweather -- Grand Rapids Press

By David Mayo, The Grand Rapids Press

LAS VEGAS -- Roger Mayweather expressed little concern about his impending felony trial here on battery charges involving a female boxer he once trained, saying he was the victim and did nothing wrong.

The uncle and trainer of Floyd Mayweather faces up to 10 years in prison at a trial scheduled Aug. 2 in Clark County District Court, exactly one year after the incident for which he faces charges of battery strangulation and battery causing substantial bodily harm.

"I haven't done anything," he said. "I don't have to say what happened. The police were right there.

"The bottom line is this -- it ain't about what I done, it's about what she done to me."

Mayweather was attempting to evict Melissa St. Vil from one of two condominiums he owns in the same area when the alleged altercation occurred.

In the police report, an officer said he saw Mayweather with his arms around St. Vil, restraining her, when he arrived.

St. Vil claimed Mayweather punched her several times in the ribs and "wrapped his hands around her throat, causing her to nearly pass out," the police report said.

Mayweather denied those claims and said he was assaulted by St. Vil, who struck him in the head with a lamp.

"The cops seen what happened," Mayweather said. "They know what happened. The nurse knows what happened, when they took pictures of my head. How did I get hurt? How did I wind up getting cut upside my head, if I did everything, quote, that she said I did?

"She hit me with a lamp on the head. Now, if a person hits me upside the head with a lamp, to be honest, I've got a right to kick their (expletive), if they hit me upside the head with a lamp. I didn't, but I've got a right to do it. If somebody hits me upside the head with a lamp and I didn't do nothing to them, I've got a right to defend myself. But I didn't, so I don't have to speak about what I done, because I didn't do nothing."

Mayweather said St. Vil was living without his permission in the condominium he was renting to another boxer, Cornelius Lock of Detroit. He said she was not a party to the lease.

"All I did was tell her to get out," he said. "Of course, she didn't want to get out.

"I ain't got to hide nothing, cover up nothing. That's what happened. That's all there is to it."

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

Source: mlive.com