Random Thoughts on Mayweather-Mosley

by Paul Magno

* I'm sorry... if you don't appreciate Floyd Mayweather's in-ring work and the supreme old school professionalism that he exhibits fight after fight, boxing is obviously not for you. May I suggest mma or WWE?

* Wasn't it refreshing to see a major ppv fight not burdened by catchweight stipulations and weight demands?

* I haven't seen this posted anywhere else, but referee Kenny Bayless did an excellent job with two fighters who are notoriously hard to officiate. One only wonders how Joe Cortez would've done in the same situation.

* Mayweather saved $675,000 in sanctioning fees by telling the WBA to keep their belt to themselves...Hopefully this is a trend all fighters will follow. Then, we may be able to start over and get a real sanctioning body.

* Talk of Mosley being old is the epitome of Mayweather hating. Up until last night's contest, Mosley was rightfully considered the top welterweight in the world and was deemed "too good" by Freddie Roach when Pacquiao was deciding on an opponent.

* That straight right hand that Mosley landed in the second round would've leveled ANY fighter from 154 on down...Credit goes to Mayweather's super human physical conditioning and his ability to think on his feet...even when knocked loopy.

* Larry Merchant, IMO, crossed the line with the Mayweather hate speech...Everything out of Merchant's mouth was a crack disparaging Mayweather, the fight, and the very event he was paid to cover...

There were more verbal jabs at Mayweather than actual jabs on the whole telecast...Principally, the whole "Artful Dodger" sermon before the main event...Merchant's been around the block and he knows better; he's not some chat room moron...He has to know the reason behind fights with Margarito and Cotto not getting made, yet he pushes forward with the name calling...It really crossed the line from stubbornly critical to patently unprofessional.

This was the first time where Merchant seemed almost pathetically burdened with prejudice...Normally, I would be up in arms about this kind of biased coverage, but last night I felt sorry for Merchant...He's come to the end of his run and he's not going out gracefully...

* Ever since Mayweather mentioned Mosley's nose job, I can't stop looking at it...

* Daniel Ponce de Leon on the undercard is quite possible the ugliest, sloppiest-looking fighter on the world stage. His newly-developed jab looked about as graceful as a boxing glove stuck on a metal pole, tied to a rusty bulldozer...but it was effective.

* I'll reserve judgment  on Mexican phenom, Saul "El Canelo" Alvarez...If a blown up, fringe-contending lightweight like Jose Miguel Cotto can stun him, who knows what a top 20 welterweight would do?

* Mayweather operates on two speeds: "Better than the rest" and "All-time Great." He'd been cruising on the first speed for a number of years, but getting caught and hurt by Mosley forced him to shift into second...and Mosley simply couldn't keep up.

* Do you realize that Mayweather, in his last two fights, has fought two Top 4 pound for pound fighters and has lost a combined total of two rounds?

* Can anyone not at least seriously consider putting Mayweather back at #1 on the pound for pound list?

* Is it safe to say that nobody will be enforcing the rematch clause in this one?

* Oddest image of the night: A puzzled blonde kid sitting on Muhammad Ali's lap...I don't know the back story or how the kid got there, but it was a very surreal moment.

* Hands down, the silliest post-fight theory to date: Accusations that Mayweather-Mosley was somehow fixed.

Your Ad Here

Brilliance! Mayweather Dominates Mosley

Las Vegas, NV- After an uneventful first round, Shane Mosley (46-6, 39 KOs) connected with a straight right hand in the second that buckled the knees of the undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. (41-0, 25 KOs); He followed it up seconds later with a right hook that nearly dropped the trash-talking welterweight from Las Vegas by way of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Floyd Mayweather learned early on that "Sugar" Shane Mosley was not a faded veteran and that, indeed, he would be forced to step it up to elite mode.

That was the last lesson learned by Mayweather because, from that point on, Mayweather became the professor and proceeded to put on a clinic.

The rest of the bout could be considered a modern day masterpiece, featuring a more aggressive than usual Mayweather mixing things up and utterly outclassing a top 3 or 4 pound for pound fighter in Shane Mosley.

Mayweather, for the last ten rounds of the fight was simply a step ahead and a class above a "Sugar" Shane who, for the first time in his career, looked to be doubting himself and questioning his presence in the fight.

Employing his usual fluid shoulder roll, followed by accurate potshots and controlled spacing, Mayweather turned rounds three to twelve into one long session, with Mosley trainer, Naazim Richardson, at one point hinting at stopping the fight between rounds.

The judges scorecards reflected the one-sided nature of the bout: 119-109, 119-109, 118-110. The BTBC scored it 118-110, also for Mayweather.

On the undercard, undefeated 19-year old Mexican phenom, Saul "El Canelo" Alvarez (33-0-1, 24 KOs) survived a near-knockdown in the first round to stop a game, but pudgy and over-matched Jose Miguel Cotto (31-2-1, 23 KOs) in the ninth.

Daniel Ponce de Leon (39-2, 32 KOs) put in an uncharacteristically calm, professional performance against Cornelius Lock (19-5-1, 12 KOs) en route to a unanimous 10 round decision.

In the pay per view opener, Said Ouali (27-3, 19 KOs) stopped power punching Hector Saldivia (31-2, 24 KOs) in the first in a wild bout that saw both fighters hit the canvas.

Your Ad Here

Who R U Picking?: The BTBC Suggested Retail Price

Who R U Picking?:

Floyd Mayweather vs. Shane Mosley
Saul Alvarez vs. Jose Miguel Cotto
Daniel Ponce de Leon vs. Cornelius Lock
Said Ouali vs. Hector David Saldivia

Before each major pay per view the members of the Boxing Tribune Blue Corner will make a bid on what they'd be willing to pay to see the event. The numbers will then be tabulated and the real value of the event will be established.

Your Ad Here