by James Slater – Though fight fans who are anxious to see it happen have been getting, well, anxious, due to how no fresh word has come out regarding what’s happening with the prospective Shane Mosley – Floyd Mayweather Jr. welterweight super fight, there seems to be no need for concern. Top scribe Kevin Iole of Yahoo Sports, has reported that Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy said on Thursday that “all major deal points have been agreed upon,” and that Schaefer said he “hopes to have something to announce in the next couple of days..”
Iole wrote that the fight being announced as official is “imminent,” and that a news conference to announce the big fight will likely be held in New York, perhaps even as soon as next week.
It goes without saying that this is great news indeed. Mosley, reportedly agreeing to the Olympic-style blood and urine testing Floyd demanded, unsuccessfully, of Manny Pacquiao, has wanted this fight for a while now – and so, evidently, has Mayweather. Finally, we can look ahead to a genuinely great fight involving the gifted, yet often cautious-about-who-he-fights, Mayweather.
May 1st, at The MGM Grand in Las Vegas, is the date Iole’s report speaks of, and if his news is indeed correct, it will be a Mayday to remember for boxing fans. Very possibly a fight that “Money” can lose, the soon-to-be 33-year-old Mayweather will be given credit if he goes ahead with the Mosley challenge – and rightly so. Not only is the bout a major one, but the WBA 147-pound belt currently held by Mosley will also presumably be on the line (not that an alphabelt is needed in this one!)
It could be argued that not since his lightweight days has Mayweather taken such a risky fight. Of course, we have no idea how 38-year-old Mosley’s layoff (it will be a layoff of over 15 months come May 1st – Mosley not having fought since ruining Antonio Margarito in Jan. of 2009) will affect his skills, but if “Sugar” is still sweet, he will push Mayweather hard; perhaps harder than anyone else in the pro ranks ever has.
Let’s just keep our fingers crossed that nothing goes badly wrong behind the scenes as both sides complete a deal for the May fight, and that this fight comes off. If an official announcement is made next week, fight fans the world over are almost certain to celebrate.