Mosley: Floyd should be ashamed
Posted Sep. 23, 2009 at 08:30pm
By Michael Rosenthal
|
Shane Mosley has been criticized for stealing some of the spotlight from Floyd Mayweather Jr. after his resounding victory over Juan Manuel Marquez on Saturday in Las Vegas. Mosley said it’s Mayweather who should be ashamed.
Mosley equated Mayweather, a 147-pounder, fighting the undersized Marquez with a big bully picking on a helpless kid.
“He should be ashamed of himself,” Mosley said. “… I wouldn’t feel good about myself beating up a legendary Mexican fighter like that. If he was the same size as Mayweather, that’s different. Then you did what you’re supposed to do.
“C’mon, though. Marquez is really a 130 pounder. He went to lightweight to chase Pacquiao to lightweight. He’s not even a lightweight. Enough is enough. It’s time to fight real welterweights.”
Of course, one of those real welterweights is Mosley, who knows that people will see his comments as a means of trying to lure Mayweather into the ring.
He’s OK with that. He says up front that the media and fans must push Mayweather into fighting him and the other top 147-pounders or it won’t happen. And he’s not above forcing the issue, as he did in the ring immediately after Mayweather’s victory.
Mosley said his on-camera confrontation with Mayweather wasn’t orchestrated. He said he heard his name, turned around and saw Mayweather waving him over.
“I’m usually in the ring,” he said. “Me and Oscar (De La Hoya) and Bernard (Hopkins) are always there, walking around. I heard my name mentioned. As I walked over, Floyd was flagging me over. I was like, ‘Cool. Let’s talk about doing something.’
“The next thing I know he’s saying I’m being disrespectful.”
Mosley has no idea whether Mayweather will fight him. He only knows that Mayweather should be fighting legitimate welterweights.
Mosley was careful to show respect for Marquez, who he admires. He repeatedly gave the top Mexican fighter credit for going the distance against a faster and much bigger man, “taking shot after shot after shot,” he said.
Still, he said, it was a mismatch that never should’ve happened.
“It would be like me jumping to 168 and fighting Mikkel Kessler or Roy Jones or somebody,” he said.
However, Mosley said Mayweather’s choice of an opponent was no surprise. “Money” wants Money but has an aversion to challenges.
“He only fights hand-picked guys,” he said. “Oscar fought Whitaker, Chavez, Quartey, Trinidad, myself. He fought Hopkins. He fought all different people. Chavez fought everybody. Duran, Leonard, Hearns, all these great fighters, Robinson, Ali, I can go down the list –- they fought everybody.
“This is what great fighters do, they fight the best. Mayweather wants to go down in history as being undefeated. ‘No one beat me so I must be the best.’ It’s not true. In the end, you have to fight the best.”
Mosley said he wants to fight three times in 2010 even if he can’t get fights against Mayweather or Pacquiao, his two prime targets. His handlers have been in discussions with both Andre Berto and Joshua Clottey.
Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com
Mosley equated Mayweather, a 147-pounder, fighting the undersized Marquez with a big bully picking on a helpless kid.
“He should be ashamed of himself,” Mosley said. “… I wouldn’t feel good about myself beating up a legendary Mexican fighter like that. If he was the same size as Mayweather, that’s different. Then you did what you’re supposed to do.
“C’mon, though. Marquez is really a 130 pounder. He went to lightweight to chase Pacquiao to lightweight. He’s not even a lightweight. Enough is enough. It’s time to fight real welterweights.”
Of course, one of those real welterweights is Mosley, who knows that people will see his comments as a means of trying to lure Mayweather into the ring.
He’s OK with that. He says up front that the media and fans must push Mayweather into fighting him and the other top 147-pounders or it won’t happen. And he’s not above forcing the issue, as he did in the ring immediately after Mayweather’s victory.
Mosley said his on-camera confrontation with Mayweather wasn’t orchestrated. He said he heard his name, turned around and saw Mayweather waving him over.
“I’m usually in the ring,” he said. “Me and Oscar (De La Hoya) and Bernard (Hopkins) are always there, walking around. I heard my name mentioned. As I walked over, Floyd was flagging me over. I was like, ‘Cool. Let’s talk about doing something.’
“The next thing I know he’s saying I’m being disrespectful.”
Mosley has no idea whether Mayweather will fight him. He only knows that Mayweather should be fighting legitimate welterweights.
Mosley was careful to show respect for Marquez, who he admires. He repeatedly gave the top Mexican fighter credit for going the distance against a faster and much bigger man, “taking shot after shot after shot,” he said.
Still, he said, it was a mismatch that never should’ve happened.
“It would be like me jumping to 168 and fighting Mikkel Kessler or Roy Jones or somebody,” he said.
However, Mosley said Mayweather’s choice of an opponent was no surprise. “Money” wants Money but has an aversion to challenges.
“He only fights hand-picked guys,” he said. “Oscar fought Whitaker, Chavez, Quartey, Trinidad, myself. He fought Hopkins. He fought all different people. Chavez fought everybody. Duran, Leonard, Hearns, all these great fighters, Robinson, Ali, I can go down the list –- they fought everybody.
“This is what great fighters do, they fight the best. Mayweather wants to go down in history as being undefeated. ‘No one beat me so I must be the best.’ It’s not true. In the end, you have to fight the best.”
Mosley said he wants to fight three times in 2010 even if he can’t get fights against Mayweather or Pacquiao, his two prime targets. His handlers have been in discussions with both Andre Berto and Joshua Clottey.
Michael Rosenthal can be reached at RingTVeditor@yahoo.com
