I see Berto being able to accomplish a better strategy than Mayorga did...and if Mayorga can find success, I think Berto's running and clinching could EASILY earn him a decision. I hope I'm wrong, but man, everything about this fight just seems like a setup for Shane to be upset.

I mean, yeah, Shane clobbered Margarito, but Margarito's strategy against Shane was on par with Ricky Hatton's strategy against Pacquiao. On the other hand, Shane didn't exactly put a beatdown on Cotto, Collazo, Jose Luis Cruz or David Estrada. Hell, he was barely even putting a beatdown on Mayorga, who can't box worth a lick.

I'm just sayin....don't be surprised when those scorecards are read.

I dunno I think sometimes a trainer can make a difference also and with Naaz Shane just might be the killer he says he is.

I think too much is being made out of his trainer. He had Hopkins all for hismelf in the Taylor rematch and Hopkins actually did worse than the 1st time around.

If that is the case, please tell me how Mayorga outpointed the purely skilled fighter in Forrest in the rematch? I mean you would think Forrest should have easily outboxed Mayorga, but he couldn't. And Forrest was in his prime.

I seriously think Mosley might have trouble at first with Berto's speed and skills. But I just think with Naz, Shane is now at a different level than with his dad. I just do not see Berto being able to take Shane's punches. I guess we will see in 2 months what Mosley we get.

I couldn't agree more. After all that he would clearly be the man at welterweight and fight Paul Williams. He could retire after that and be top 10 great all-time.

EXCEPT he will never fight Paul Williams. If Williams could get back down to 147 I just don't see that as a fight that PBF would ever contemplate.

Why the hell would he fight a tuneup against Clottey or Margarito when neither of them fight like Pacman?

So Floyd wants to fight Mosley now that he has a fight signed. Thats just funny. He's scared.

Does anyone remember when PBoif and his camp claimed over and over again that Marquez was a ppv draw because "he brings a whole country with him", and that was the reason he wasnt fighting Mosley. Anyone? I do, and now his camp has the audacity to say that Pac did more buys because he had a better dance partner... and he's going to use that as the excuse not to 50/50 with Pac. This dude just talks in circles and pretends like we're dumb enough not to figure it out.

If you ask me, I think Pac and Mosley may wind up staying away from the PBoif drama altogether.

That's unlikely because they know that Mayweather would bring both of them career high paydays.

I agree with that. I dont know the actual numbers, but how much difference would it be in money for Pac if he did 60/40 with Shane instead of 40/60 with PBoif? If it was reasonably close then why wouldnt Pac fight Shane? Shane is suppossed to be the easier fight for both guys according to popular opinion. So why not take the easier fight for reasonably close money and forgo the whole Mayweather drama?

He didn't...I actually had Forrest winning the rematch, regardless of what the judges said.



But that's besides the point. Vernon went in there tentative due to the first fight, giving Mayorga just enough respect to allow him to fight his fight, which is usually an ugly brawl with him swinging wildly and landing some awkward, but effective punches. Surely you're not trying to imply that Mayorga was a more skilled boxer than Vernon Forrest, are you? When Forrest was boxing, he was getting the better of Mayorga....where he made his mistake is when he opted to exchange with Mayorga, which allowed Mayorga to bank more rounds in the eyes of the judges. Just because he won on the scorecards doesn't mean he "outboxed" Forrest.

I mean, I'm not saying that a less skilled fighter can't win a fight...I'm just saying that it's very rare to see a less skilled fighter using his jab effectively to control a fight, which is what Mayorga was actually doing against Mosley.



A different level? Shane's not at a different level. He just actually has a gameplan now when he goes into fights. You can't teach an old dog new trickes. He still does the same stuff he's always done...that flicking jab, the wicked left hook to the body and the overhand right...the only difference now is that he has a guy in his corner who can give him the right strategy to implement. Thus far, we saw that union work perfectly aginst Antonio Margarito...but I mean, it was Antonio Margarito, who isn't exactly the best boxer when it comes to technique. Don't get me wrong, Shane deserves credit for the impressive win, but in my opinion, his performance was helped by the fact that Margarito went right at him without even using his jab. Stick a jab in Shane's face and he gets flustered. It'll be up to Brother Naaz to get Shane to adjust, but I'm afraid Berto's particular style, with his running and clinching, might be all it takes to survive an ugly fight and win a decision.

For everyone who keeps talking about Berto not being able to take his punches....I mean....I really hope you guys are right. I like Shane and all, but the only guys he's stopped or "destroyed" in the past 8 years are Antonio Margarito, Ricardo Mayorga and Fernando Vargas. Think about that for a second. Since losing to Venon Forrest, he's fought 10 different opponents and only stopped 3 of them...1 (Mayorga) in the final seconds of the bout and the other (Vargas) was wrecked before he stepped into the ring. Call me crazy, but I think Berto has an excellent chance of being one of the other 7 guys and going the distance with Shane...and if it goes the distance, don't be surprised to hear those scorecards.

It doesn't matter if Floyd would contemplate it or not. AL HAYMON is not going to contemplate. Seeing as how Al Haymon manages BOTH Floyd Mayweather and Paul Williams, there's no reason for him to have them fight each other unless both guys have exhausted all of their options.

Even if Haymon gave it the green light I really don't see Floyd getting in his ear to take that particular fight. LOL His zero is too precious to him.

I never said or implied Mayorga was a better boxer than Forrest, but he did WIN the rematch fair and square. And I always hated him then, and wanted Forrest to decapitate him.
My point about Mayorga is that he is a difficult guy to fight. He is awkward, tough, and hits extremely hard. I thought Shane felt his power early on, and was a little hesitant in there. Plus like Shane has already stated, it got stale with his Dad. So I am sure he was not at his best against Mayorga too. Just like his fights against Cruz and Estrada, surely he was not at peak form for those type of guys. Ever see Mayweather-Burton? Think Floyd was at his best for that fight?



Well I consider it a different level if you IMPROVE on your game regardless. Sure it was just one fight, but there is no denying he was on another level that night. No one came remotely close to doing what Shane did to AM. To me and many others, it just seemed that was a different Mosley in there that night. Mosley is going to be a year older from that fight, so I am curious to see if he has another performance like that in him. I like the way Shane talks and acts recently, he makes me believe in him. So until Berto can prove me wrong, I am sticking with Mosley by KO.

There is no denying the fact Shane has excellent power, and by not knocking out many of those guys since Forrest, alot can be said about there toughness and the quality of fighters he faced. And people mainly picking Mosley by KO are also attributing it to Berto's weak chin and lack of big time opponents.

So don't you be surprised when no scorecards are read that night.

I don't know if I would compare the "awkwardness" of Burton to the "awkwardness" of Mayorga. Do I think Floyd was at his best for that fight? Maybe, maybe not...but I do think a 23-year-old Floyd Mayweather was much closer to his prime when he fought Burton than a 37-year-old Shane Mosley was when he fought Mayorga. I mean, of course Shane is going to blame his dad for the way he looked...I mean, do you really expect him to blame himself, or his strategy, or the lack of the Cream and the Clear?



I actually thought Mayorga looked LESS awkward against Mosley than he normally looked...he appeared to be doing a much better job of sticking to the gameplan and focusing on keeping his jab in Shane's face. Was he awkward at times? Absolutley, but he was a lot less awkward when he fought De La Hoya...and yet, somehow, De La Hoya was able to ICE him A LOT easier than Shane was. Hmmmm. Interesting.



Again, I'm not saying that Brother Naaz didn't help his performance...but I AM saying that while you think the "different" Mosley was the reason he looked so good, I think it had more to do with the fact that it was a MUCH MORE "different" Margarito in there with him...you know...the one who wasn't allowed to cheat. So I can't really judge how much Shane has IMPROVED given the fact that he pretty much looked like the same fighter that we've been watching. I mean, Shane didn't look any different to me at all in there. He still squints his eyes and bites down on his lip when he throws those bombs...he still flicks his jab out there....basically, he still looked like the same fighter. One thing I can say, without a doubt though, is that Margarito was DEFINITELY a different fighter without his wraps. He never looked confident at all in there (probably because he knew what was going down with the raps) and he just wasn't as throwing as many punches as he normally does. Normally I would attribute that to his opponent being crafty and elusive, but Shane was right in front of him all night. The difference is that instead of being confused and not having a good strategy, Shane knew exactly what the gameplan was and the times when he did start to stray from it, Brother Naaz put him in check and got him back on track. So was Shane on a whole other level? Pffff. I guess if you want to call it that, but in my opinion, he's still on the same level he's always been on...he just has a good strategist in his corner now. Regard.less of the way Shane talks and acts recently, he still looks like the same fighter to me. Can Brother Naaz come up with the right strategy to defeat Berto? Absolutely, but is Shane going to prevent Berto from running and clinching so he can implement that stategy...man...I'm not so sure...not after seeing how easily he let Cotto off the hook. Margarito wasn't trying to run and clinch at all....Berto, on the other hand, will do exactly that



LOL. The funny thing is that the toughness and quality of fighter that you want to give Shane credit for are the same fighters that Berto has faced....Collazo, David Estrada...I mean, I don't know...maybe there is some denying Shane's "excellent power". I would never deny the quality of his chin, but I mean, he was landing some bombs on Cotto and never really did the same type of damage that Manny Pacquiao just did to Miguel. He was landing some bombs on Mayorga too and never got him out of there until the final seconds of the fight, despite Oscar and Tito cracking that chin early in their fights. Of course, I guess we can attribute that with the fact that Shane was never really able to land that powerful of a punch on Mayorga until the final seconds of the round due to his "awkwardness", but even still, to me, that sounds like a problem and so long as Berto is allowed to run and hold, the chances of Shane landing that big punch are slim. Berto isn't going to be standing right in front of him like Margarito, Vargas and Mayorga were doing. If Cotto, Collazo, David Estrada (who Berto stopped) and Jose Luis Cruz, can survive and go the distance with Shane, I think Berto has an excellent shot of doing the same.

If no scorecards are read, I'll be EXTREMELY surprised, but PLEASANTLY happy since, after all, I am a member of the Berto Hate Bus.



Again, don't get me wrong....I'm pulling for Shane BIG TIME...but I have a bad feeling that we're about to Hopkins vs. Taylor all over again...not the fight itself, but the outcome.

Nice analysis Hype.

I'll tell you one thing you missed and that was that lovely body shot Shane threw in the first round to Margs. I mean I had seen Cotto hit him previously with some absolute BOMBS and nothing happened. As soon as I saw him double over from that body shot I knew we were in for a special night. But I was very very shocked when I saw that. I didn't think much of Margs as a fighter but I must admit i didn't think anyone at 147 could seriously hurt him either, least of all in the first minute of the fight.

How many of them were at 147? I think your looking back too far. I'm only looking at Collazo on.... and in those fights it appears to me that welters arent exactly estatic abut trading with Shane Mosley. He knocked Collozo down (awkward as it looked) and won a clear decision, banged around with Cotto and had him retreating despite the loss, and ko'd the seemingly indestructible Margarito.

Who bangs harder then Mosley at 147?

There is actually a 20th Century Sports video on google that goes over Robinson's career and it goes to tell how extremely difficult he was to negotiate with.

Nothing like that. We're cool..

Sorry but I dont know either you, your sources, or Ellerbe personally so from the outside looking in I tend to believe the people actually dealing with the situation instead of a "he told me they said" story. Nothing against you or your people but thats just me.

I'm picking Berto but rooting for Shane in that fight as well.

People please realize that Floyd said it was either Shane or Pac next. He's not calling Shane out now that he has a fight. He said after his fight that he was going to wait til after the Cotto-Pac fight before he made a decision on what he was going to do next. Goodness gracious you dudes get carried away sometimes. He's not calling him out to fight in Jan., he just said its either Shane or Manny next.

Which ones were at 147? Well, let's see....

Miguel Cotto
Luis Collazo
Jose Luis Cruz
David Estrada

All welterweight that went the distance. In fact, ironically, the only welterweight that hasn't gone the distance with Shane since he returned to the division is Margarito. I mean, I kind of HAVE to look back that far because other than Margarito, Cotto and Collazo, the only other guys Shane has fought in the past four years were Ricardo Mayorga and Fernando Vargas, two guys who I don't think much of as far as their abilities post-Trinidad. I mean, that's great that knocked Collazo down (as awkward as it looked), but Collazo was fighting him with one hand...not to take anything away from Shane, but I'm just not as impressed with that victory as others seem to be. Cotto, well, you just said it...he had Cotto "retreating" and on the run those last few rounds, and yet the muddasucka was STILL able to pull out a victory? I mean, if Cotto can bank enough early rounds to literally run in the end and still win a decision, then shit, I like Berto's chances A LOT to be able to do the exact same thing...win some early rounds based off of some flashy combinations and then run and hold his way to a decision. As for Margaritos...pffffffff....you obviously haven't been reading enough of my posts to understand how little I thought of Margarito.





THE Pacquiao! That's who!

WOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

That's okay...I know me, my sources AND Ellerbe...and there's probably a couple of people around here who can vouch for the fact that I just spoke to Ellerbe...and let me tell you something, Ellerbe isn't doing anything except feeding the media what they need to hear in order to make people like you actually believe that they're EAGER to make the fight with Pacquiao. I've been in this industry long enough and have spoken with Ellerbe enough times to know that all this posturing that they're doing in the media....all this talk about "he hasn't called me out" and "we understand the magnitude of the event"...that shit is just to keep up appearances. Oh, sure, he said they're going to fight Pacquiao and Mosley, but he didn't say when. He never said that it was going to be Floyd's next fight. Nothing against you or your people but I trust the people that I'm speaking to a lot more than I trust an interview that Leonard Ellerbe did with David Mayo or any reporter for that matter. Trust me when I tell you that Leonard Ellerbe does NOT speak to the regular media the same way he speaks to me.

Did he say it's either Shane or Manny next though? Did he really say that? Did Floyd actually come out and say, "My next fight is either going to be Shane Mosley or Manny Pacquiao!"

Incidentally, I saw the following from David Mayo in his recent article:



Now, if you notice, he never said it wasn't true. If it wasn't true, then Ellerbe should say, "Look here man, Floyd's next fight isn't going to be in the UK. Floyd's next fight is going to be Manny or Shane."

But he didn't say that. Instead, he said that Floyd wants to make the Mayweather-Pacquiao fight....but he never said when. And then, he said if a deal couldn't get done, they're going to be do what's in the best interests of Floyd Mayweather. Ross Greenburg's responsibility is the best interest of HBO."

That's Leonard Ellerbe double talk right there...."Oh yeah, Floyd wants to fight Pacquiao, but on his terms and his terms only. And if a deal can't get done, then yeah, we'll entertain the possibility of fighting Mosley, but we're going to do whatever is in the best interest of Floyd."

Well, WTF? Wouldn't the best interest for Floyd be a fight with Manny or Shane? What exactly does that mean Ellerbe? What's up with the shot at Greenburg? Why even mention Greenburg?

I'm telling you, if you TRULY think there's not something else going on behind the scenes, well, then you might be just as shocked as a lot of Boricuas were last Saturday if Floyd's next fight is NOT Pacquiao or Mosley.



Keep in mind that Leonard Ellerbe is the same guy that said Floyd Mayweather didn't have any problems with the IRS...and yet, just prior to his fight with Marquez, Floyd ended up settling like a $5-$6 million debt to the IRS.

Like I said you have the inside track and I dont. If your right I'm sure it'll come to the light. You should start filling us in more in the team fighthype section.

Not a bad idea...maybe I will. I think I can dig up some interesting audio.

Quit being stingy and post that shit!

Eugene...Floyd is fighting one of these no-hopers next.

Listen to Hype, he wouldn't have dropped it as front page news if it was not reality. Floyd will be fighting in the UK early 2010, and it will not be against Pacquiao or Mosley.

I agree JD.

A: Hype is on the money with the things he posts usually & always on the money on his front page.

B: This is the exact thing that Mayweather would do because he is not about bettering the sport or making the best fights just what is easiest for him.

Bwahahahahaha!

Yes...and to validate something Hype said before...he did in fact JUST speak to Ellerbe. LOL

What does it matter who Mayweather fights in early 2010 as long as he fights Pacman or Mosley/Berto this year? Has it ever crossed your mind that maybe Mayweather wants to get some work in and make some more money in the process?

Who cares?

Boxing fans care. Mayweather fans don't.

I'd accuse Floyd of ducking and fighting smaller men 1000 times over Pacquiao, as Manny fights the fights and the challenges that the fans want to see. Floyd ONLY cares about the least possible risks for the largest possible paydays against smaller men whom he knows can't hurt him. (Or shot fighters who can't hurt him.)

Both have had big fights, but Manny fights guys who have a bigger threat to him by moving up in weight to fight them. Floyd has an obsession with fighting smaller or shot fighters. I wonder how big Floyd would be if HBO was not there pom-poming him? Even most money for the least risk before him, Roy Jones fought guys in his natural weight division even though 80% of them were no-hoper's, shot former champions, because Jones for all his natural athletic ability was terrified of getting hurt in the ring.

It's not fair that fans of boxing have to wait a year or more for big superfights to get made.

Jack

My point is what does it matter if he fights another tuneup As Long As He Fights Pacman In May.

Yes... I am a Mayweather fan, but as long as he makes a fight with Pacman or Mosley in the first half of 2010 then all is good.

In this particular case, I honestly hope that I'm wrong...well, not so much that I'm wrong, because they actually are considering those options...however, hopefully HBO steps up and says we don't want Floyd to fight anyone else in his next fight other than Manny Pacquiao. Unfortunately, in order to do that, they're going to have to give Floyd what he wants and if he wants $50 million...well....I guess the ball is in HBO's court.

In this case I honestly hope you're right because it would be so totally funny.

Boxingscene is reporting that May 1 2010 is the target date for Mayweather - Pacman.

Who really gives a shit about a PBF/Berto fight? Even if Berto were to do the unlikely and beat Shane, I still wouldn't care to see PBF/Berto.

That said, Shane KO's Berto...

Not gonna happen...

Totally agree NS,

It will easily be 2011 by the time they agree to terms for this fight and that's IF it happens. Be skeptical about Floyd facing any kind of serious challenge. Sure, Manny is the smaller guy, but there is a possability that he could land big and knock Floyd's block off because of his power. Watch HBO nut-hug anything that Mayweather does. Especially Lamps and Kellerman. They can't knock any fighter under their long term contract.

Our sources have great accuracy, probably I would say 75% or better of the things that they say happen, will happen. However, it would be nice if the information on this tune-up shit was incorrect because if our sources are right it really is a slap in the face for boxing fans. This tune-up is such a waste of time anyway and Scum Moneybags will want the tune-up on PPV for $39.95 with the big Mayweather-Pacquiao superfight probably $64.95. Hey, some outlets did Cotto-Pacquiao for that.

I really believe that Floyd could care less about his fans or about what's good for boxing. It's all about the least risks for the most money. Whatever works for him. Floyd MIGHT fight the LOSER of Mosley-Berto if the loser looks like shit or the winner if the winner just squeaks by with a decision. Mosley looking like shit for Floyd means, his legs are gone a.l.a Forrest. Floyd's hit lists are easy to recognize:

1.) Fighting smaller men at least 1-2 divisions smaller than he

2.) Fighting non-punchers so he can't get hurt

3.) Fighting big money names who no longer present a threat to his ego with the possability of losing.

IF A CHALLENGE COMES ALONG WHO CAN THREATEN FLOYD WITH:

1.) A fighter in his natural weight class

2.) A fighter with a heavy punch and/or a brawler

3.) A fighter who represents a serious risks Floyd says any of the following:

A. If the challenger is threatening and has a loss: Floyd: "Why should I have to fight him? He's lost already? (Ignoring the great progression that a fighter may have made, or that the loss may have happened years ago.) "I would just do what has already been done." (He is using these excuses not to fight Manny.)

B. If the challenger is a brawler and has an undefeated winning streak and is Floyd's natural weight.

Floyd: "Why should I fight him? he brings no money to the table?"

Floyd: "I refuse to deal with [name promoter] who don't respect me.

Floyd: "I ain't accepting no 50/50 purse shit. "I'm Floyd Mayweather the greatest fighter who ever lived, why shouldn't I get at least 60% of the purse." 50/50 says that (promoter or fighter or both) don't respect me, and it's all about me being treated with the respect that I deserve.

Floyd (on Manny) "Why should I fight Pacquiao. I shut out Juan Marquez who gave Manny more trouble than any fighter in his career. I won more rounds against Marquez than Manny did against Cotto." And Arum, he don't respect me, and Floyd Mayweather demands respect I am the greatest fighter who ever lived."

Interviewer to Floyd, "Well, how do you respond to the critics who say that you are not fighting guys at your natural weight, that you have avoided big punchers at your natural weight and why are you taking these tune up fights when the world wants to see you fight Manny Pacquiao.?"

Floyd: "Well, they don't know nothing about boxing."

Jack

I understand your frustration, but this was a little overkill in my opinion.

What matters, is that Floyd said "can't a guy get a tuneup in?"

He got his tuneup in, if his plan was to fight in January or February...wouldn't we expect that he fight...say...Shane Mosley, who was without a dance partner? Quintana or Matthew Hatton? LOL...there's a step up after his tuneup.

I would like to see Sugar Shane win also. I like Mosley and feel he does have more in the tank. Berto is no joke though and is hungry so this should be a good fight. Hopefully the winner of this fight would take on the winner of Mayweather-Pacman.....that would decide who the legit Welterweight Champion is.

I think Mayweather came back to focus on Manny. That was the fight his team wanted to do eventually before he came back. I believe its the same scenerio when he didnt fight Margarito because he didnt want to risk the De La Hoya fight. Just like Mayweather fighting Marquez over Mosley to not risk the Pacman possibility. He's already said he fights for money first legacy second. He feels like his legacy is already solid so now is the time to cash in. But the funny thing is you cant get huge money fights Like De La Hoya,Pacman or Hatton if the fans dont believe it would be worth watching. He had the numbers so he must of picked the right opponents.

I think you're forgetting about the hitlist.

Ronnie Nathanielsz reports that Bob Arum is hearing May 1 as the date everyone wants to target for a potential super fight between Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao.

Pacquiao was originally tentatively scheduled for a March 13 return. Had Pacquiao-Cotto been a great, hotly-contested fight, I'd almost guarantee we'd be seeing a rematch on that date. Arum had talked about doing just that as a next step. But since Pacquiao clearly won, the only fight to be made now is Pacquiao against Mayweather.

Richard Schaefer recently disclosed that should both Bernard Hopkins and Roy Jones Jr. win on December 2, those two living legends will meet in a rematch 17 years in the making on March 13, on HBO pay-per-view.

The first weekend of May is a traditional superfight weekend, with Cinco de Mayo playing some part in that. In 2007, Oscar de la Hoya and Floyd Mayweather Jr. broke all the records with their fight, and this year Pacquiao met Ricky Hatton on that same weekend. May 1 is just logical. It gives them time for a massive promotional effort and plenty of time for what surely will be some drawn-out negotiations, too.

We will see.

Floyd Mayweather, do you want to fight Manny Pacquiao?

I doubt you will be wrong. If HBO give Cuntfeatures $50M then Pac better demand $60M. I would be interested to see who has better PPV #'s worldwide not just in the States.