Mayweather-Mosley fight sealed on
Floyd Mayweather Jr. finalized a deal to fight Sugar Shane Mosley on May 1 in a welterweight bout at the MGM Grand Garden in Las Vegas.
After several days of concern over whether Floyd Maywetaher Jr. would sign the contract for an agreed-upon showdown with welterweight titleholder Shane Mosley, he put pen to paper on Wednesday and signed the contract, Mosley attorney Judd Burstein said.
That was the last hurdle to finalizing the super fight. Mosley signed on Friday.
Mosley will defend his title against Mayweather on May 1 ( HBO PPV ) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
“He signed. It’s going to be a great fight,” Burstein said.
Burstein said he received the news on Wednesday afternoon from Golden Boy Promotions CEO Richard Schaefer, who had been told by Al Haymon, a Mayweather adviser. Burstein said he then spoke to Haymon.
“Al Haymon’s word is gold to me. He told me personally,” Burstein said. “We spoke and he said Floyd signed. It was a short but happy conversation. Shane is excited. We all know it’s going to be a great fight.”
Later Wednesday, the fighters issued statements.
Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs) agreed to the bout last week, but formally signed the contract on Wednesday for the former pound-for-pound champion’s second fight back from a brief retirement.
“This one is definitely for the fans, as I wasn’t going to waste anyone’s time with a meaningless tuneup bout and asked to fight Shane immediately,” Mayweather said. “I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won’t be great enough to beat me.”
Although the fight is an intriguing matchup between two veteran welterweights who have been circling each other for a decade, the dangerous Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) still wasn’t Mayweather’s first choice.
Mayweather agreed to the bout only after several weeks of negotiations with Manny Pacquiao failed to produce an agreement on what’s likely to be the richest fight in boxing history, if it ever occurs. Pacquiao balked at Mayweather’s stringent drug-testing demands, and instead will fight welterweight Joshua Clottey on March 13 at Cowboys Stadium.
Mayweather and Mosley agreed to participate in Olympic-style drug testing for their fight, saying they hope to set a new standard for safety in boxing. Mosley has acknowledged using steroids before a victory over Oscar De La Hoya in 2003, but claims he did so inadvertently through a coach who had connections with the BALCO lab.
“I’m real disappointed and real angry to be linked to juicing and steroids, because that’s just not me,” Mosley told The Associated Press in a phone interview. “I don’t need to do that stuff. I like the testing for this fight. I want it, because I want to prove that everything I’ve done is all me, and not about steroids. I’ve never tested positive for anything, but I want everybody to know who I really am.”
Mosley was scheduled to fight Andre Berto on Jan. 30 at Mandalay Bay Casino before Berto dropped out while dealing with the earthquake in Haiti, his family’s home. Mosley expressed only sympathy for Berto’s family, but the setback quickly evolved into a chance for a major bout.
Said Mosley, “I have always wanted to fight Floyd and now it is finally coming true. I am already in great shape and ready to show everyone on May 1 that I am stronger, faster and better than he is. I will have no problem beating him.”
Schaefer and Burstein had voiced concern on Tuesday when Mayweather had still not yet signed several days after Mosley had signed and the Mayweather side said it had agreed to the terms.
Mayweather came out of an 18-month retirement in September to easily outpoint lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez.
Mosley hasn’t fought in 13 months, when he upset Antonio Margarito, knocking him out in the ninth round to win a welterweight title for the second time.
