Steve Cunningham, Bernard Hopkins, Shane Mosley...3 fighters who all had fights scheduled within a 6-week timeframe and only 1 man to handle the head trainer duties...Brother Naazim Richardson. A busy man these days, Richardson has been spending the past few months dividing his time between several different training camps. That being said, one has to wonder if the world-class trainer was spread too thin as he worked with each fighter for their respective bouts. When posed with that very question, Richardson simply replied, "We make it work...It's just one of them things man."
In November of last year, Richardson began training Shane Mosley for a January 30th bout with Andre Berto, a fight that was ultimately cancelled just weeks before it was set to take place. Despite the fight being called off, there was no time for rest as Richardson immediately began working with Steve Cunningham, who was scheduled to face Matt Godfrey for the vacant IBF cruiserweight title on March 26. Ironically, that fight was also cancelled a week before it was supposed to occur. At the same time Richardson was training Cunningham, he pulled double duty working with future Hall of Famer Bernard Hopkins, who's preparing for his long-awaited rematch with Roy Jones Jr. on April 3. Of course, none of those bouts are quite as big or as difficult as the challenge that lies ahead for Richardson when his fighter, Shane Mosley, steps into the ring with undefeated Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 1.
"Shane is still in the beginning process of everything. We're just getting him started," Richardson recently revealed to FightHype's own Percy Crawford. That interview took place just last week, roughly 6 weeks before Mosley faces a fighter that, thus far, no one has been able to figure out. As Floyd Mayweather would say, "40 have tried and 40 have failed!" Indeed, Mayweather's elusive, defensive style has been a puzzle for every fighter that he's faced. It's a bit concerning that Mosley's own trainer admitted that, with 6 weeks left to go, they have yet to really begin working on the gameplan. Not to mention, Richardson will be somewhat busy this week with the typical Fight Week responsibilities in Las Vegas, as Hopkins makes final preparations for Saturday's clash with Jones. It's another week that Richardson will have limited time, if any at all, working with Mosley for what will likely be his most difficult challenge to date.
Although Richardson is confident of Mosley's abilities and doesn't appear to be worried about the remaining timeframe, you still have to wonder if 5 weeks is enough to properly prepare for a fight with Floyd Mayweather. Truth be told, it's really just 4 weeks if you consider that training is limited during the final week before the fight. Personally, I've never been a big fan of trainers dividing their time amongst fighters who have bouts so close together. Had Richardson spent the majority of his time working with Mosley, it probably wouldn't be an issue, but the fact that he said last week that they were just getting started, it's now become a serious concern. What do you think boxing fans? Will Richardson have enough time to properly train Mosley for his bout with Mayweather?