05.11.07 – By Matthew Hurley: As he wraps up preparations for his November 10th showdown with Miguel Cotto, Sugar Shane Mosley has laid out his itinerary for 2008 and it all starts with Floyd Mayweather Jr. Should Mosley defeat Cotto he has made it clear that he wants to begin his welterweight boxing title reign against the so-called “pound for pound” best fighter in the sport..
“I definitely want to fight Mayweather. I want that fight because I want to show the people that I’m the best fighter in the welterweight division. I want to beat the best. So I’ll start off with Cotto and then we’ll end up with Mayweather if he wins (against Ricky Hatton).”
That being said it was odd that Mosley would wave off a potential bout with Mayweather back in 2006 after he had defeated Fernando Vargas for the second time. The fighter was asked about the possibility of taking on Mayweather by HBO’s Larry Merchant and Shane, rather oddly, began complaining about a loose tooth and said he would take some time off. Mayweather instead took on Carlos Baldomir, winning a boring unanimous decision and then signed on for a mega-fight with Oscar De La Hoya which he won, again by decision.
Mosley, who had been riding high on the wave of success the Vargas fights had provided for him, was suddenly on the outside looking in. And for a while it looked as though he would suffer from being under the auspices of Golden Boy Promotions rather than benefit from it. He didn’t fight again for seven months until he dropped down from the junior middleweight division to welterweight and took on Luis Collazo in February of this year. He won a clear cut decision but in the build up to De La Hoya – Mayweather he again seemed to be out of the loop.
Bouts against Antonio Margarito and Kermit Cintron were discussed until Miguel Cotto emerged victorious from his battle with Zab Judah and Mosley finally got the call. One must remember that Mosley will be approaching his thirty-seventh birthday by the time he takes on someone after the Cotto fight and Miguel Cotto is no easy task. It would be foolhardy on Mosley’s part to in anyway look past the rising Puerto Rican star. But despite maintaining that he is taking Cotto very seriously his thoughts on fighting Mayweather next year seem premature and a little out of character. He is not, however, lacking in confidence for his upcoming task.
“I’m looking for a knockout,” he says. “When I fight these big fights I don’t go in there looking for a decision or to just survive. I’m going in for the knockout. I know he’s probably strong but I don’t think he will be the strongest fighter I’ve ever been in the ring with. I’ve been in the ring with some really big guys. My father (and trainer) can’t conceive of Cotto being stronger or more powerful than me. I know I’m faster than him as well. It’s going to be a great night of fighting. And what better fight to have than me and Miguel Cotto in the ring at Madison Square Garden to give our heart and soul to the fans. It’s going to be great.”
And as for Mayweather? Well, “The Pretty Boy” told the New York Times after Mosley had destroyed Vargas for a second time that, “He earned the right to fight me by getting that spectacular knockout, but I’ve been chasing Shane Mosley for ten years. But I got to talk to Jin (Mosley’s wife) because she runs the show. We can make the fight happen but she’s the boss of that household.”
It would behoove Mosley to put aside talk of a Mayweather fight until after he and Miguel Cotto have settled their differences. That fight is arguably the most exciting and competitive big fight of 2007. Mosley whose stock went up against a very tired and worn out Fernando Vargas better hope his thirty-seven year old legs can withstand the body attack of the swarming Cotto because if they can’t thoughts of a mega-fight with Floyd Mayweather will become nothing more than wishful thinking.