Floyd Mayweather Jr. finalized a deal Wednesday to fight Sugar
Shane Mosley on May 1 in a welterweight bout at the MGM Grand
Garden in Las Vegas.
Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) agreed to the 12-round bout last
week, but hadn't formally signed the contract for the former
pound-for-pound champion's second fight back from a brief
retirement.
"This one is definitely for the fans, as I wasn't going to
waste anyone's time with a meaningless tuneup bout and asked to
fight Shane immediately," Mayweather said. "I have said ever since
I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I
think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be
great enough to beat me."
Although the fight is an intriguing matchup between two
veteran welterweights who have been circling each other for a
decade, the dangerous Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) still isn't
Mayweather's first choice.
Mayweather agreed to the bout only after several weeks of
negotiations with Manny Pacquiao failed to produce an agreement on
what's likely to be the richest fight in boxing history, if it ever
occurs. Pacquiao balked at Mayweather's stringent drug-testing
demands, and instead will fight welterweight Joshua Clottey on
March 13 at Cowboys Stadium.
Mayweather and Mosley agreed to participate in Olympic-style
drug testing for their fight, saying they hope to set a new
standard for safety in boxing. Mosley has acknowledged using
steroids before a victory over Oscar De La Hoya in 2003, but claims
he did so inadvertently under the direction of the BALCO lab.
Mosley was scheduled to fight Andre Berto on Jan. 30 at
Mandalay Bay before Berto dropped out while dealing with the
earthquake in Haiti, his family's home country.
"I have always wanted to fight Floyd, and now it is finally
coming true," Mosley said. "I am already in great shape and ready
to show everyone on May 1 that I am stronger, faster and better
than he is. I will have no problem beating him."
Mosley, the 38-year-old WBA welterweight super champion, has
been vocal about his desire to meet Mayweather ever since
Mayweather celebrated his ring return last September with a
one-sided victory over Juan Manuel Marquez. Mosley, a partner in
Golden Boy Promotions, jumped into the ring after Mayweather's win
and called out the unbeaten fighter.
But Mayweather appeared to be focused on the biggest payday
of all against Pacquiao until his hard line on drug testing
scuttled the fight and prompted Pacquiao to sue much of
Mayweather's camp, claiming several members had defamed him by
intimating he uses performance-enhancing drugs.
"Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era,
and I commend him for not only agreeing to the fight against
Mayweather, but also agreeing to participate in a testing process
that can only help the integrity of the sport," Golden Boy CEO
Richard Schaefer said.
Mayweather didn't sign the deal until five days after Mosley
formalized his commitment last Friday, prompting worries for
Mosley's management and Schaefer, who represented Mayweather
throughout the torturous negotiations with Pacquiao's promoters at
Top Rank. Schaefer had hoped to get both fighters to Miami this
week to promote the bout to the assembled fans and media at the
Super Bowl.
Just a few days ago, Schaefer publicly acknowledged he was
worried Mayweather might be having second thoughts about a tough
fight against Mosley, who has only improved with age.
Mosley's only loss since late 2004 is a narrow, competitive
decision to Miguel Cotto in November 2007. He has fought just twice
since then, stopping Ricardo Mayorga and former champion Antonio
Margarito, although Mosley was scheduled for fights against Zab
Judah and Berto that were canceled by his opponents.
Mayweather should have the services of Roger Mayweather, his
uncle and longtime trainer. Roger Mayweather has a June 1 trial
date in Las Vegas on several serious charges related to accusations
of beating and choking a female boxer last summer at an apartment
he owned.
