By Paul Strauss: HBO’s Jim Lampley said it best, “He’s not going to like what he sees!” That comment was made in response to Larry Merchant’s question to Mosley about what’s next?. Mosley said, “I want to see the tape of the fight. That begs the question…..Why?
This was not a good fight. It was not an exciting fight, and Mayweather fans will take particular joy in saying, “I told you so.” The only real excitement in this fight took place in the second round when Sugar Shane Mosley caught Floyd Mayweather, Jr. with a long right that followed his own jab. The punch shook up Money, and then in an exchange a few seconds later, Sugar caught him with a counter right hand that buckled Floyd’s legs. Many in the crowd at the MGM Grand, Las Vegas, NV jumped to their feet! For a moment there, it looked like the unthinkable might happen! But, Floyd proved that in addition to being a smart and gifted fighter, he is also pretty tough.. He took the shots well, and came back pretty strong in the next round, and probably won it. Then he took total control of the fight from the fourth round on.
Sugar Shane seemed unable to get into any kind of rhythm. Credit Mayweather for that.. After the second round, which was Mosley’s only really good round, Nazim Richardson would tell Sugar Shane to relax and use his speed and “Let your hands go”. He wanted Sugar to quit trying to load up. He told Sugar that the big punches would come later. Well, later never came.
Mayweather seemed superior in all ways, including strength. There was so much talk before the fight that Floyd would finally be facing someone who was a true welterweight, and probably bigger and stronger than him. Well, that didn’t prove to be the case. From the fourth round on, Floyd seemed to be physically stronger, and was noticeably faster. He also was punching harder and with better accuracy. He landed several very good right hands that shook up Shane. Floyd was having everything his way.
A major source of frustration in watching this fight was the inability of Referee Kenny Bayless to control things. He repeatedly let Mayweather get away with using his left elbow, and occasionally his right, as a weapon. In fact, Bayless once warned Mayweather twice within seconds to quit using his elbow, but yet he failed to issue a penalty! Consequently, why should Floyd stop doing it? That bothered Sugar Shane, as it would any fighter.
In addition, Mayweather got away with holding Shane’s head down, and Bayless had the audacity to warn Shane to keep his head up! The scenario occurred when Shane would throw a punch, and then duck under Mosley’s counter, only to have Mayweather pull his head down. That obviously kept Mosley from initiating any further attack.
However, the bottom line is Mayweather was just too fast, too sharp and too clever for Sugar Shane Mosley. When Mosley proved uable to carry out Plan A of his Game Plan, he also proved unable to carry out the alternate Plan B. At times he would make necessary shifts, which put him in a postion to let punches go, but the punches never materialized. Also, he failed to make any attempt to rough up Mayweather, with the exception of the mutual moments of wrestling. While Floyd would use his elbow and shoulders, and even the heel of the gloves on occasion, Sugar Shane Mosley would just take it?.
In addition, Mosley failed to protect himself at all times. When coming out of clinches, Mosley would step out and relax as if there had been an official ref’s break. Many of those times, Mosley would get nailed by Mayweather’s punches, and it wasn’t a dirtyt. Rather, it was just one of those times when a fighter forgets the cardinal rule to protect himself at all times.
Mayweather conducted himself well in the post-fight interview with Larry Merchant. He did say he would like to fight Manny Pacquiao, but after being prodded by Larry, he reiterated that the PacMan would have to adhere to the same blood and urine testing that he and Mosley did leading up to this fight. When Merchant said, “What if he won’t agree to do so.?” Floyd’s response was, “Then there won’t be a fight.” But, the testing might be a moot point if Manny is victorious with his current political aspirations. Floyd seems to think all the others need him, but Manny is probably the exception.
Mosley told Larry he didn’t know what was next for him, and that’s when the comments about wanting to watch the tape occurred. In response to Larry’s question about what happened after the second round?Mosley correctly said “Mayweather made the needed adjustments, and I didn’t.”