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Sunday, May 2, 2010 | 1:40 p.m.
Mayweather Remains Undefeated
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Floyd Mayweather improves to 41-0 after securing a unanimous decision victory over Shane Mosley, Saturday night at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.
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Floyd Mayweather Jr. wanted to put on a show and he did, from the moment he entered the arena accompanied by acrobats on stilts tossing fake $100 bills to the final seconds of the 12th round when he finished giving Shane Mosley a beating.
Manny Pacquiao took a break from campaigning for congress in the Philippines to watch on television, and was impressed. So, too, was most everyone at Mayweather's post-fight press conference, though there was some concern over the right hand from Mosley that almost knocked him down in the second round.
"Ain't nothing cool about what happened in the second round," Mayweather agreed.
Those are the risks you take in boxing, though, and Mayweather knows as well as anyone that it is a hurt business. It can also be a rich business, as evidenced by the paycheck of at least $22.5 million that Mayweather will cash for winning his 41st straight fight.
Not bad for a night's work. The near capacity crowd at the MGM Grand arena seemed happy with what they saw, and few who spent $60 or $70 to buy the fight on TV could complain they got ripped.
But it wasn't the fight that boxing fans yearn for. Even worse, the more Mayweather talked after the fight Saturday night, the less likely it seemed that fans will finally get the fight they really want.
Pacman and Money. Will they ever share a ring for real?
"If the fight happens, it happens," Mayweather said. "I'm not out chasing fighters."
Fortunately for Mayweather he doesn't have to chase Pacquiao. Boxing's most exciting fighter may be thousands of miles away, but he seems as eager to fight as he does to win a seat in congress in next week's elections.
In a perfect world they meet in November in the sport's richest fight ever, a showdown that may forever destroy the myth that boxing is dead. The money is so big that it seems like it almost has to happen, and both fighters months ago agreed to what is usually the major stumbling block in negotiations with a deal to split the proceeds evenly.
Unfortunately, boxing is a very imperfect world.
Mayweather, it seems, is not only on a mission to make more money than any other fighter before him, but to clean up the sport along the way. His demand for Olympic-style blood testing derailed the proposed March 13 fight with Pacquiao, and his dominating win over Mosley seemed to do nothing but harden his stance for the Pacquiao fight.
"If Manny Pacquiao can take a blood and urine test then we have a fight," Mayweather said. "If not, no fight."
The problem, as anyone who has followed this strange saga knows, isn't that Pacquiao won't take blood tests. He will, but not too close to the fight because he believes having his blood taken might somehow weaken him.
It won't, of course, but that doesn't mean Pacquiao has something to hide. Boxing is as much a mental sport as it is a physical one, and Pacquiao isn't about to go into the ring thinking he is at anything but full strength.
"For me, as long as the drug test is not done close to the match, I'll agree because if they'll get blood from me close to the match, it will be a disadvantage for me because I'm smaller and he's big," Pacquiao told a Manilla radio station after the Mayweather fight.
Pacquiao wants blood testing cut off 24 days before the fight, and his promoter, Bob Arum, didn't seem in any mood to negotiate, either.
"I'm not going to lose any sleep over it," Arum said Sunday. "What I'm concerned about right now is Manny winning the election. If the fight doesn't happen, it doesn't happen. We're not going to be dictated to."
If anything, the megafight is even bigger than it was before, thanks to Pacquiao's win over Joshua Clottey in Dallas and now Mayweather's dominating win over Mosley. Though Mosley looked from the third round on like he was closer to 48 than 38, Mayweather deserves the credit for breaking him down and turning what could have been a catastrophe into an easy win.
A right hand by Mosley that found its mark early in the second round buckled Mayweather's knees and he had to grab on to Mosley to stay upright. He was still shaken when he returned to his corner, where he listened to his uncle's calming words and then turned to his father seated nearby for more reassurance.
Once he was satisfied everything was well, Mayweather took command, hitting Mosley with left hooks and right hands seemingly at will and winning every round the rest of the way on all three ringside scorecards. The normally defensive-minded Mayweather was so eager to put on a show that he jawed with Mosley during the middle rounds, imploring him to stop holding and start brawling.
"I was looking for a knockout but he kept grabbing me," Mayweather said. "That's what we were arguing about."
Watching from the Philippines, Pacquiao took special note of Mayweather's speed. Quick himself, he said he will need to get even quicker to fight Mayweather.
"If we fight, I'll need more speed because Mayweather is fast," he said.
For his part, Mayweather didn't want to talk much about Pacquiao at all. He's laid out his terms, and was in no mood to negotiate them publicly after the fight.
Still, he stood and answered questions about almost everything else until finally being pulled away.
There was one more blood test to take before the party began.
With only a small vial needed for a blood test, one can only wonder what Pacquiao is hiding. It would appear he's on the juice.
Mayweather will never fight the Pac Man. He is truly afraid. The Pac Man would take him apart.
If I remember correctly... the fight was signed and sealed last time, it wasn't until Mayweather realized he had made a mistake and signed the fight that would drop him from the undefeated ranks that he created a call for this blood test that is absolutely ridiculous. They test fighters immediately after the fight and prior to beginning training. Pacquiao has a belief it weakens him and Floyd found this out and took full advantage not to fight the only MAN that had signed contract. Instead Mayweather claims he is the best only to sign fights with old, declining fighters. He's a joke... Grow a set Mayweather you know your skeered!!!!
http://www.boxinginsider.com/headlines/p...
Floyd is a punk! I hope Pac never fight him. Who is Floyd to dictate the conditions of a fight. That loud mouth punk can fight Paul William. If Manny wins his election in the Phillipine, he will officially retire from boxing.
@ logic_should_rule: dont use your username if you dont know any logic ok. pacman is clean. and for your information, after the match they will go for blood test so if pacman is using some PEDs, they will see it. pacman is fighting for many years and did you hear or read any report that he is using PEDs? your idol mayweather is just ducking pacman because he is scared and he found out his weakness thats why he is taking advantage it. so be quiet and change your username ok.
Gayweather will demand a 30 foot ring, 32 ounce gloves and 75% of the proceeds.
When Pacquiao refuses those terms, Money will retire yet again and wait a few years until Pacman engages in tough fights which will eventually wear him down. Then the pussy will come back out of retirement a fourth time, fresh and ready to dance around the ring and defend his mouth.
I thought there was a commission who dictates the testing? If floyd wants his own testing for other fighters, he needs to take it before the commission to get it changed.
Floyd, you cant just dictate to other fighters what you want! Its not the Floyd State Athletic Commission! Follow the current rules Floyd!
Im with PAC, I wouldnt give in either.
Gayweather is ducking PacMan...He knows there is a post fight blood & urine test. If PacMan fails the test, Gayweather wins... but pre-fight is unnecessary unless he is as scared of Manny as we all know he is!!! It is his only way to keep Manny from KICKING HIS @SS!!!