Floyd Mayweather Jr. dominated Shane Mosley on his way to welterweight supremacy Saturday night in Las Vegas. Even though Mosley’s title was not on the line in this fight, Floyd Mayweather Jr. proved that he belongs not only amongst the top echelon of welterweight boxers in the world, but also amongst the top pound-for-pound boxers in the world. All that remains for Mayweather is the looming bout with current pound-for-pound king Manny Pacquiao.
Any Mayweather detractors were surely silenced by Floyd’s one-sided victory over Shane Mosley Saturday night. After dismantling Antonio Margarito in January of 2009, Shane Mosley became the most feared welterweight in the world. After months of trying to land a big fight with the top dogs in the division, “Sugar” Shane settled on a fight with up-and-coming champion Andre Berto. When earthquakes ravaged the homeland of Berto’s native Haiti, the fight was subsequently called off. Mosley was once again left without an opponent and was on the hunt for Mayweather or Manny Pacquiao. Once the negotiations for a fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao fell through, Shane Mosley knew he had an opening.
Shane Mosley vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. was born during Mayweather’s post-fight interview following his decision victory over Juan Manuel Marquez. After the deal with Manny Pacquiao fell apart due to drug testing demands, Pacquiao moved on to face Joshua Clottey in a bout that Manny would win in dominating fashion. Floyd moved on to his next biggest money fight: “Sugar” Shane Mosley.
Floyd Mayweather Jr completely outclassed Shane Mosley. Mosley was a legitimate threat to Mayweather and posed the toughest challenge to Maywather to date. And yet Floyd made it look easy. Despite a rocky second round that saw Mayweather hanging on for survival, “Money” Mayweather went on to win eleven out of twelve rounds off of a future Hall Of Famer in Shane Mosley. With the loss, Mosley’s best shot at redemption would come by revisiting a fight with fellow welterweight champion Andre Berto.
Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s ability to hit without being hit is incredible. He combines the fastest hands in the sport with an impenetrable defense to cause nightmares for his opponents.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. has disposed of the most established and seasoned welterweight star in Shane Mosley. He even made it look easy. Mayweather’s attention must be again focused on Manny Pacquiao, a seven-division world champion. If Floyd really is all about the money then Manny Pacquiao is his Fort Knox.
The proposed fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao fell apart due to Floyd’s demands for a stricter drug testing provision than the Nevada State Athletic Commission requires. Mayweather stated after his win over Mosley that he will fight Pacquiao if the Philippine phenom agrees to random blood and urine testing. If Pacquiao does not comply with Mayweather’s drug testing demands, then Mayweather will not sign on for the fight.
Floyd Mayweather Jr. increased his star power with his convincing win over Shane Mosley. The win, in turn, only strengthened Mayweather’s stance over the random drug testing issue with Pacquiao. Mosley took the test with no complaints. The testing had no bearing on the result of his fight with Mayweather. It only insured that both men were fighting on an even playing field. In a fight with the magnitude of Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao, isn’t an even playing field all we ask?
Floyd Mayweather Jr. does not need Manny Pacquiao to enhance his legacy. Manny Pacquiao does not need Floyd Mayweather Jr. to enhance his legacy. Both men could retire today as all-time greats. Boxing, however, needs Manny Pacquiao vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr. in order to grow as a sport. It is the biggest fight that could be made and will likely break pay-per-view records. Pacquiao and Mayweather made millions of dollars off of boxing. This is their chance to not only cash in on their hard work, but also repay the sport that got them to where they are today.
Manny Pacquiao will need to budge on his stance on random drug testing in order for the Mayweather fight to happen. Floyd’s win over Mosley strengthened his bargaining power and it doesn’t appear that Mayweather will relent on this issue.
Boxing fans want to see Pacquiao vs. Mayweather. If Pacquiao is the people’s champion that he claims to be, then he needs to subject himself to the random testing in order to make the superfight happen.
We already know that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. are the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world. Their respective wins over Joshua Clottey and Shane Mosley only confirmed it. It’s now time for boxing’s best to meet face-to-face in the ring. Whatever consolation needs to be met along the way pales in comparison to the impact that the fight can have on the sport of boxing.
