Tag Archives: las vegas

Mayweather – Mosley Vol. 1: “The Moment” (writer’s notes)

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“…It’s what we’ve been waiting for.  Something worth the cost of PPV, worth the red-eye transit into McCarren International on the south strip… worth the “Ticket Master” price of admission and scalper increases… worth cheap suites at Monte Carlo, Twitpic bragging rights, and Saturday night table reservations at Tao!“

“This generation has been waiting for our “Leonard v. Hearns” moment, where 10 years from now we can turn to ESPN Classic and silently reminisce about the weekend we experienced sports history… even if it does come at the cost of on-the-spot losses at the blackjack table and over drafted checking accounts.  We want the: “Yeah, I was there,” or “I remember watching it LIVE” because there’s much more than just a belt on the line… much more than an undefeated record and a 10 year rivalry.  This fight has the potential to revive a sport that has consistently found itself at odds with the growing popularity of its Vegas counterpart: an MMA alternative that draws higher attendance numbers and has a distribution deal with network cable!“

“But beyond the fandamonium, this is the moment for Floyd Mayweather to solidify his unbelievably boisterous claim that he is not only the best fighter of this generation, but that he is the greatest fighter to ever wear vaseline… better than Ali, better than Sugar Ray (Robinson & Leonard), ”the Brown Bomber,” and all others who have paved his sure-fire route to the Hall-of-Fame.   This is the moment that Shane Mosley can move beyond this sort of second tier, executive suite level of super stardom.  As great a career as he’s had, he’s always been recognized as the #2/#3 guy in the division… He’s the Utah Jazz who would’ve won 2 rings if it weren’t for MJ’s Bulls, Atlanta Braves teams who won 10-times as many pennants as World Series Championships, Phil Mickelson who would be the biggest star in golf if it weren’t for a guy named Tiger… He’s great and he’s always been “right there”, but he’s never quite been the guy that draws fans to the gate.“

“Either way this is the moment… this is the time… AND MAN, THIS IS GONNA BIG!“


T.J. Breeden
www.iblmedia.com  

Update: Mayweather – Mosley agree “in terms” to May 1st Title Defense

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ESPN.com released information Friday evening that according to Team Mayweather advisor Leonard Ellerbe, Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Shane Mosley have come to “terms” on the proposed May 1st Welterweight Title defense in Las Vegas, NV. 

According to the report: “Shane [has gone through] every provision of the contract and he signed,” says [Judd] Burstein, Mosley’s attorney. “He is excited to move forward with the bout.”

Perhaps more importantly, “Mosley has [also] agreed to undergo random blood and urine testing, as has Mayweather, Ellerbe said.”  This is significant as Manny Pacquiao had refused to conduct himself any level of blood testing within a 30-day window of the fight, which in turn was the main reason why the (proposed) fight was cancelled.

I’ll chime in later; but I just wanted to spread the exciting news!!

Visit ESPN.com for the full report//

 
–T.J. Breeden
www.iblmedia.com

Mosley – Berto preview: “Back to the Future”

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A the top of 2009, amidst the conclusion of Andre Berto’s business with Luis Collazo, Mosley was pressed to comment on his thoughts regarding a possible fight with the interim WBC Champion.  With Manny Pacquiao’s acceptance to a full-time position atop the Welterweight division (and Floyd Mayweather Jr.’s return then looming), Shane was very careful not to prematurely align himself with Berto, which would eliminate him from discussions for a Spring 2010 mega pay-day.  This of course didn’t prevent HBO from asking: “What are your thoughts on Andre Berto?”  With seemingly a hint of hesitation, he says something that got a lot of fight fans curious: “He reminds me a lot of myself… it would be like ‘me’ fighting ‘me’!!” 
 
 “Prepare yourself Marty McFly…. we’re going back to the future!”
 
The obvious cannot be denied; Andre Berto’s power, speed, technique, and willingness to ’BANG’ are reminiscent to the Shane Mosley who began his pro career 38-0… and if this fight represents Berto’s shot at the spotlight (as did De la Hoya represent Shane’s trophy win in 2000), then fight fans can expect a fight that’s worth their HBO monthly subscription.  Yes; Shane is 38 years old, and conventional wisdom suggests that eventually the ghost of ‘Winky’ Wright’s “peak-a-boo” style will take its toll on his ability to slip punches… but then again, Antonio Margarito just sent out a tweet, and ’he’s wondering if Javier Capetillo wrapped Shane’s hands with bricks too!!’
 
 
Not to be overlooked, this is undoubtedly the biggest fight of Berto’s career!  A win here puts him in line for $7-8M minimums with Miguel Cotto who,  is still in the conversation (and his loss to PacMan will be looked at with less scrutiny if the papers are signed and Mayweather takes his 1st ’L’ in March), Tim Bradley (if/when he moves up in weight), Juan Manuel Marquez, maybe Paul Williams, Pacquiao, or “Money.”  On the other hand, a win for Shane guarantees him a shot at the winner of the Pacquiao-Mayweather sweepstakes in the fall of 2010, and his first legitimate mega fight since his BALCO laced win over De la Hoya in the ’03 rematch.

The match-up possibilities are endless, but first Sugar must crank the Delorean and travel ‘back’ to face someone with an eerie resemblance to Vernon Forest… someone who’s hungry, ferocious, fast, powerful, and unfazed by Shane’s legacy.  Berto’s eyes are fixated on the future, but if Mosley’s dreams of Pacquiao or Mayweather are to come true, he’s got to channel Michael J. Fox and prepare to be introduced to his past, and perhaps future self.
  

T.J. Breeden
www.iblmedia.com
  

Update: Pacquiao wont drug test; Freddy Roach says “Blame Me”

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Reports are coming in… and according to whats being released, Freddy Roach has advised Manny Pacquiao that he should not subject himself to random drug testing prior to his “penciled” bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr….

“A urine drug test, I’ll do every day of the week. But giving blood before a fight, I will not let my fighter do,” Roach said during a phone all Tuesday evening.  “And they can’t guarantee me that that won’t happen the day before a fight because they want random testing. So it’s my choice. So if you want to blame somebody, blame me.”

Roach goes on to say, ”Manny does not like having to give blood before a fight. It’s like having sex: Does sex bother a fighter before a fight? If it’s in your head mentally, then yes, it does. And with Manny Pacquiao, it’s in his head that he feels weak if he gives blood, and there’s no way that I’m going to let him go into the ring with that on his mind.”

Great article by Lem Satterfield of FanHouse.com — Read the rest Here!!

What others are saying:

Pacquial refuses USADA drug testing, fight with Mayweather questionable.

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After all the hype and build-up, it could be a syringe and not a straight right-hand that could put an end to the Mayweather-Pacquiao debate…

Reports have surfaced that Manny Pacquiao has refused to comply with U.S. Anti-Doping drug testing request for his scheduled March 13th fight with Floyd Mayweather.  According to Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, reps from Top Rank informed him that Pacquiao has refused to have his blood taken within 30-days.

“Todd [duBoef] told me that Pacquiao has difficulty with taking blood and doesn’t want to do it so close to the fight,” said Schaefer. “He, Pacquiao, would only agree to have blood drawn before the kick-off press conference and after the fight.”

“It is unfortunate to hear this from Manny Pacquiao’s representatives, particularly since, as of today, both parties had worked out all other issues related to this fight,” said Schaefer. “Team Mayweather is certainly surprised that an elite athlete like Manny Pacquiao would refuse drug testing procedures which Floyd has already agreed to and have been agreed to by many other top athletes such as Lance Armstrong, and Olympians Michael Phelps, LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.”

Floyd Mayweather did not hesitate to chime in:

“I understand Pacquiao not liking having his blood taken because, frankly, I don’t know anyone who really does,” said Mayweather. “But, in a fight of this magnitude, I think it is our responsibility to subject ourselves to sportsmanship at the highest level. I have already agreed to the testing and it is a shame that he is not willing to do the same. It leaves me with great doubt as to the level of fairness I would be facing in the ring that night. I hope that this is either some miscommunication or that Manny will change his mind and step up and allow these tests, which were good enough for all these other great athletes, to be performed by USADA.”