Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley tickets go on sale Tuesday, March 2nd

One of the year’s most anticipated fights continues to creep closer as word recently hit that tickets for the May 1st Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley bout will be going on sale Tuesday, March 2nd. The bout takes place at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas and tickets will be going for $1250, $1000, $600, $300, and $150, not including service charges. The tickets go live to the public this coming Tuesday, March 2nd at 10 AM/PT.

In recent years the MGM Grand has played host to a myriad of world class events. Some of the fighters who have fought in the arena include pound for pound kind Manny Pacquiao, Oscar De La Hoya, Erik Morales, Bernard Hopkins, Miguel Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Ricky Hatton, and countless others. The arena seats over 16,000 people and it will surely be jam packed come May 1st.

author: Chris Robinson

Source: examiner.com

Inside Boxing: Floyd Mayweather-Shane Mosley bout makes quite the statement

My apologies to Floyd Mayweather.

You may recall I took him to task a few weeks ago for ducking Manny Pacquiao and seeking a soft opponent in his place. At the time, the names being mentioned were Paulie Malignaggi, Matthew Hatton (brother of Ricky), Kermit Cintron and Paul Williams. I immediately threw out the 6-2 Williams because no one wants to fight him, at least not in the welterweight division.

I had not seen or heard any mention of Shane Mosley as a possible opponent for Mayweather. Not until my column ran did I see a report on Fightnews.com that a Mosley-Mayweather fight was in the works. Oh well, I thought, it's still only a rumor. Probably another smoke screen by the Mayweather camp.

But lo and behold, Mayweather signed the contract last week after Mosley agreed to the same Olympic-style random blood testing that Mayweather had insisted on for Pacquiao. The fight will be May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

With one stroke of his pen, Mayweather proved all of us who doubted his integrity wrong. Of course, it could be Mayweather felt he had to fight someone good to quiet the critics and regain their respect, but that's neither here or there. The important thing is he took the fight.

"This one is definitely for the fans," 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."

How big is Mayweather-Mosley? If Mayweather-Pacquiao is the best fight out there, this is the next best. Check out Ring Magazine's pound-for-pound rankings — the three fighters are Pacquiao, Mayweather and Mosley.

Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) has undergone a resurgence of sorts since dropping back down to the welterweight division after a fling at junior middleweight. He has won seven of his last eight fights and never looked better than in his last outing, regaining the WBA welterweight title with a devastating ninth-round TKO of Antonio Margarito, once one of the most feared fighters in the welterweight division.

Mosley's only loss in that stretch was a narrow decision to Miguel Cotto in what was probably Cotto's best fight. Sugar Shane has also won world titles at lightweight and junior middleweight.

The undefeated Mayweather (40-0, 25 KOs), meanwhile, looked as sharp as ever in his first bout back after a two-year "retirement," a one-sided decision against lightweight champ Juan Manuel Marquez, though Marquez was fighting out of his division.

"I have always wanted to fight Floyd and now it's finally coming true," Mosley said. "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."

Oh yes, this is going to be a good one.

MANFREDO WINS BELT

On the Providence fight scene, Peter Manfredo Jr. (34-6) won the vacant NABF middleweight belt with an impressive 10-round shutout of Matt "The Predator" Vanda (42-10) two weeks ago at Mohegan Sun.

Providence heavyweight Jason Estrada (16-3), however, was not at all happy with his 12-round decision loss to former light heavyweight and cruiserweight champion Tomasz Adamek (40-1) on Saturday night in Newark, N.J.

"If everyone in this room were completely honest with themselves, you would all admit that I got robbed," said Estrada in the post-fight press conference. "Yeah, I'm angry. I fought my [expletive] off. I trained harder than I ever have. I was in the best shape I've ever been in."

The scoring was 115-113, 116-112 and 118-110.

Demetrius Andrade (9-0, 7 KOs), the 2008 Olympian out of Providence, will share the spotlight atop an April 2 ESPN2 card at Madison Square Garden in New York with welterweight contender Delvin Rodrigues. The latter will face Mike Arnuoutis, while Andrade's opponent has yet to be determined.

VALERO ROCKS ON

Undefeated WBC lightweight champion Edwin Valero (27-0) scored his 27th straight knockout, a ninth-round TKO of WBC interim lightweight champion Antonio DeMarco (23-2-1) in Monterrey, Mexico, on Saturday night. Valero was in charge throughout the bout despite bad cuts below his left eye and on his forehead.

RING SHORTS

The aforementioned Cotto, a two-time welterweight champion, will go after his third world title against WBA junior middleweight champion Yuri Foreman on June 12 at Madison Square Garden. ... Look for Kelly Pavlik (36-1) to defend his WBC and WBO middleweight belts against WBC junior middleweight interim champion Sergio Martinez (44-3-2) April 17 or 24 on HBO. ... Erik Morales will return to the ring after a two-year retirement on March 27 against Jose Alfonso in Monterrey, Mexico. ... Despite Roy Jones' first-round knockout at the hands of Danny Green, Jones will still face Bernard Hopkins on April 3 at the Mandalay Resort and Casino in Las Vegas, 17 years after he won a decision over Hopkins. It's on PPV; lots of luck selling that one.

Author:BOB HANNA

Source: southcoasttoday.com

Mosley Seeks Respect By Exploiting Mayweather's Flaws

For the last few years, Mosley has been trying to secure a mega-fight. When Floyd Mayweather Jr. retired in 2008, and Pacquiao was still competing in the lower weight classes, Mosley had no mega-fight dance partners in the welterweight division. Things got a lot brighter in 2009. Mayweather announced his return to boxing, and Pacquiao became a major player at 147-pounds. Mosley began a heavy media campaign to fight both of them. Neither fight materialized as Pacquiao and Mayweather were more focused on fighting each other.

To keep himself busy, Mosley signed for a unification bout with unbeaten WBC champion Andre Berto. Soon after, a string of unforeseen events would change Mosley's luck in a way that nobody could have ever predicted. The Mayweather-Pacquiao negotiations fell apart and both fighters went their separate ways. And then Berto, stricken with grief over his relatives that were affected by the earthquake in Haiti, withdrew from the fight with Mosley.

Golden Boy Promotions, who handle Mosley and have a working relationship with Mayweather, immediately focused their efforts on matching the two fighters. Within a few short weeks, Mosley secured his mega-fight. He defends his WBA title against Mayweather on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

Mosley told BoxingScene.com that Mayweather has nothing in his arsenal that worries him. Long before the contracts were signed, Mosley studied tapes of Mayweather's style. He reminded me about Oscar De La Hoya's infamous training camp for the Mayweather fight in 2007. Mosley was De La Hoya's sparring partner for the Mayweather fight. He studied tapes to imitate Mayweather's style and body mannerisms for the sparring sessions. Mosley anticipates Mayweather's plan to box his way to a decision. Except Mosley has the same mindset, he plans to outbox Mayweather.

"I'm the veteran in this matchup and he has to watch out for a lot of things that I do. I'm very fast as well. I have good speed now and it showed in the [Antonio] Margarito fight. Speed that people thought I lost. I've had different changes in my life and I'm getting better and better and I'm feeling better and better. I had to imitate him when he was fighting Oscar. I pretty much know his thinking process, what he's going to do. He's a counterpuncher. He's very sharp but a counterpuncher. He only strikes when he knows he's got you beat. I'm not worried about that," Mosley told BoxingScene.com.

"We know his plan, that he wants box. What happens when he gets outboxed? I mean, Zab Judah outboxed him for four rounds, three or four rounds. He's [Mayweather] smaller and has shorter arms. [He has problems dealing with ] speed and southpaws and people going to their right. You put the guys that I fought against the guys that he fought and what happens? I fought guys who were big, coming in at 172. He fought guys who barely reached the 147-pound weight limit and guys who are 5'4 and 5'5, who are a lot shorter. And I'm fighting guys taller and bigger than me in every way and knocking them out."

Mayweather claims that he tried to make a fight with Mosley over a decade ago, and Shane blew him off. Back then Mayweather was competing at super featherweight and Mosley was dominating the lightweight division. Mayweather has repeated this story countless times over the last ten years. Mosley told BoxingScene the story is false. He says Mayweather is distorting the facts. Additionally, he says it was Floyd who walked away ten years ago - and Shane claims there is an old videotaped interview that backs his version of the events.

"He does a lot of lying. These are facts. There is a videotape. In fact somebody at FX told me that they have the videotape of me calling him out at lightweight, before I moved up to welterweight because I couldn't make lightweight no more. He knew that and he said in his words 'I'm not going to go up to lightweight, I'm going to stay at 130 and try to break the record for the most title defenses.' It was 26 defenses or something like that. He said that in his own words back then. What he forgets is that it's caught on tape when he tells that lie. I just need to find the tape," Mosley said.

And let's not forget the trash talking over the last ten years. Both fighters have done their fair share. Despite the years of trading verbal jabs, Mosley doesn't view the fight as something personal. He simply wants to take a statement to the media and the fans. Mosley doesn't think he ever received the proper respect from the critics. He believes his status in the sport was always downplayed.

Mosley's voice began to change when he discussed how the other top welterweights, like Mayweather, were beating opponents from lower weight divisions and the critics were glorifying the wins. At the same time, Mosley was fighting much bigger opponents and receiving far less credit and attention for the victories.

"It won't be the fight of my life but I just want to make a point that I'm the best welterweight fighter right now. There is no welterweight out there who can beat me. I'm not just going to talk about, I want to be about it. I'm going to beat him with speed, speed with speed. Everybody on their mind has Manny Pacquiao and Mayweather and I'm coming right through the back door. And I'm going to step right in an I'm going to make sure that they know that I'm here," Mosley said.

"Mayweather had no choice but to come to me if he wants to make any money. This is not going to be personal for me. This is going to be fun for me. I don't know if it's going to be personal for him. This is like when I fought Oscar the first time. People would ask - 'are you afraid? are you scared? - no, this is what I want. I'm not going to be angry or scared. This is what I want. I'm going to have fun beating Mayweather. It does have a ring of redemption because I get to let the people know, let the fans know, that I'm the best fighter when I've been overlooked and viewed as the second best and third best."

"And it's been like that throughout my whole career, even after I beat the top guys. I beat Oscar and I was still second best and I beat Margarito and I'm still like second or third best. I keep upsetting these people and fighting these guys outside of my weight class. Moving up to 154 and wiling to go to 160 to fight guys bigger than me. Losing to some but still beating guys bigger than me. And then you have these so-called tops guys at 147 go and fight people at 140 and 135 and they get glorified for it. But me going to 154 and trying to fight bigger guys, I get condemned for it."

He plans to exploit Mayweather's entire style. Mosley doesn't think Mayweather is capable of dealing with his style of physical dimensions. De La Hoya's bigger frame gave Mayweather a lot of problems. Mayweather won a twelve round decision but the fight was much closer than anyone anticipated. Mosley believes Mayweather has a lot of trouble with bigger fighters who are aggressive and know how to box.

"He's not going to be the same Mayweather, when you see him potshoting these guys. He wont be able to potshot me like that. I'm actually longer than him, taller than him. He won't be able to potshot me like that. I have longer arms. It's not going to work. I don't think he realizes that. He's had so much success fighting these little guys when he's been able to sit back and potshot them that he doesn't realize that I'm just as fast as him, just as slick as him and can outbox him too. I'm not even going by the power because that's just the icing on the cake. I'm going to beat him at his game," Mosley said.

Author: Rick Reeno

Source: Boxingscene.com

MAYWEATHER SHIFTS ATTENTION AS DANGEROUS MOSLEY AWAITS

Although the dream match-up between Mayweather and Pacquiao never transpired, boxing fans have a lot to be excited about with another mega-fight on the horizon: Mayweather vs. Mosley.

Shane Mosley looks to be Floyd Mayweather’s toughest opponent to date. This is certainly a risky fight for Floyd and could possibly jeopardize his unblemished record. Then again, this has been said before regarding other opponents he has faced in the past, such as De La Hoya, Hatton, Castillo and Corrales.

Mayweather is no stranger to controversy. He has continuously been accused of either cherrypicking or ducking opponents, the most recent and most notable being Manny Pacquiao, a man who many consider to be the best fighter of this era. With his demand that Pacquiao and all future opponents be subjected to Olympic-style drug testing, Mayweather has faced a barrage of criticism as of late.

Now, however, Mayweather’s attention has shifted from Pacquaio to Mosley. If anyone believed that Mayweather would never fight a top welterweight like Mosley, they have now been proven wrong. It was never hype. The contracts are signed and the critics should now be silenced.

There seems to be more anticipation for Mayweather-Mosley than Pacquaio-Clottey, as

Pacquaio’s fight against Clottey looks to be an easy win, especially considering the way he has fought lately. As for Mayweather, on the other hand, his fight with Mosley could go either way.

There is no telling what shape Mosley will be in for the fight scheduled on May 1 and we are unsure of the effects from his long lay off. However, if he looks anything like he did last year against Margarito, we will be in store for an entertaining fight.

In the back of many people’s minds, the fight that everyone eventually wants to see is Pacquiao-Mayweather. For now, both men have to focus on other opponents before that contest can even be discussed again. The reality is that Shane Mosley is no soft touch for Floyd. This is a dangerous fight and a bout with Mosley will require Mayweather’s undivided attention.

Author: Sabrina Montez

Source: vegas.fighthype.com

Mayweather: “Shane bases everything on power and speed. It doesn’t work like that. I believe it’s all timing and inches!”

Floyd Mayweather Jr. is currently attending Super Bowl week to promote his May 1 fight with Shane Mosley. Floyd spoke to England’s Sky Sports about his upcoming super fight and what he thinks of ‘Sugar’ Shane.

“I’m very excited to be fighting Shane. I’ve been taking it one day at a time hanging out with my team going over the game plan. I’m ready to get in to camp.”

“Shane and I have both been in the sport a long time and have tremendous backgrounds coming from boxing families. When you take the two and put them together you get a very exciting fight. I think Shane is basing everything on power and speed. It doesn’t work like that. I believe everything in life is timing and inches. It’s not just about being a defensive fighter. It’s about being a smart fighter.”

“I’m going to come in in top condition. Shane always looks in condition in his fights so I think it will be a great fight May 1.”

“My main focus is Shane Mosley. I know in the past Shane was caught using steroids and if he’s down with taking the random blood testing I’m all for that. I think random testing should be done in boxing and all sports all over the world. We need to clean up boxing and all sports. I’ve dominated the sport of boxing for years and done so in a very clean fashion.”

“There’s a rematch clause in the contract but I didn’t really think too much about that. If Shane is concerned with a rematch that’s his prerogative but I believe in getting things done the first go around so I don’t worry about the second time.”

Source: fightfan.com

Shane Mosley forgives Margarito, but can the fans?

Speaking to the press in several interviews recently, Shane Mosley was asked his thoughts on his previous opponent Antonio Margarito fighting again.

Margarito of course was banned for one year after his bout with Mosley for trying to use wraps loaded with a plaster like substance. He also plans to make his return on the under card of the of the Pacquiao vs. Clottey fight on March 13th. Through bad luck and timing, Mosley will actually be fighting again after Margarito.

The message he had for reporters though is that he doesn't harbor any ill feeling for Margarito and that he deserved to fight again. At first glance this is a somewhat odd opinion for Mosley to have given that Margarito was potentially endangering him

Then again, Mosley himself was caught as a steroid user with the Balco scandal, so doesn't have a lot of room to talk when it comes to cheats being allowed to compete again. Margarito also used the same defense as Mosley when it came to getting caught, claiming he didn't know anything about the wraps and that his trainer must have loaded them without him knowing. Mosley said more or less the same thing with his steroid use, claiming he took various substances but didn't know what they were.

Alex Winters, Canton Ohio: "All these cheaters in boxing claiming they know nothing about what they took or what their trainers are doing to them, makes me sick. What kind of idiot injects themselves or drinks a mystery substance without asking what it might be?" (I'm inclined to agree with Alex here, I for one tend to read labels before I take any kind of medication)

At the moment Margarito is being quietly ushered back into boxing under the watchful eye of Bob Arum on the undercard of the Pacquiao vs. Clottey card. Because of one thing or another, most of the attention is being shifted away from Margarito and his return. It looks like he's being built up for a fight against Pacquiao later in the year though, or at the very least a backup opponent if other fights can't be made.

The real test for Margarito will come when he does climb back into the ring as the main attraction, and the public decide whether or not they want to see him fight anymore. The chances are that all will be forgiven by most of the fans, after all it isn't like Margarito is alone with his indiscretions.

Rumors continue to swirl around Oscar De La Hoya, and there have been calls from members of the press to make his drug test results public. Similarly Mosley admitted to using steroids, and Floyd Mayweather is known to use the widely banned Xylocaine for his brittle hands. So it isn't even as if Margarito is the only welterweight out there with a less than clean background.

I've gotten too many comments about Margarito to print all at once, but here's a taste of the general sentiment:

Chris Norton, Chicago Illinois: "The bottom line is anyone who sells and makes money can fight no matter what they did. Mike Tyson is a convicted rapist and bit off Holyfield's ear, and he got fights again no problem. Margarito isn't as bad and people are calling for him to be banned for life"

Peter Romanov, Pittsburgh PA: "Margarito is a cheater sure, but so is the rest of the division. Mayweather and Xylocaine, Mosley and Steroids, Pacquiao, no one is sure. If they can all get away with it then Margarito should be allowed to come back into boxing"

Tony Wise, Pittsburgh PA: "Theres no way Margarito should ever step foot in a boxing ring again. Steroids are bad enough, but they only give you a little edge. Loaded gloves could kill people and do permanent damage. He's already ruined the careers of Cotto and Cintron"

Author: Scott Heritage

Source: Examiner.com

Mosley: “This time Floyd’s fighting a real welterweight!”

‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley is attending Super Bowl week to promote his May 1 super fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and took the time to catch up with Yahoo Sports. See what he had to say as he prepares to defend his WBA welterweight title.

“It’s on for May 1. We’ve both signed. It’s a fight that should have happened a while ago and one the fans and the people want to see. This time Floyd isn’t fighting a lightweight or a junior welterweight… he’s fighting a real welterweight!”

“In my mind I wouldn’t say I’m the underdog. I’m going to take it to him I’m going to do what I’ve got to do. Mentally as fighters both Floyd and I know who’s who and what’s what. He’s not fighting the same fighters he has been coming up who’ve never seen it before. I have a lot of confidence and have been in this game a long time. I believe in myself and know I’m the best fighter out there.”

“I was in training getting ready for the Berto fight Jan. 30 but it didn’t happen because of the tragedy in Haiti. I sent my condolences to Andre and his family and then looked to move on.”

“Floyd is a very difficult fight. He’s a talented fighter. Even though the Berto fight was lined up, Floyd was really the fight I wanted so I’m excited that it worked out.”

Source: FightFan.com

Mayweather-Mosley–Official!

LAS VEGAS (February 3, 2010) – It’s official. Boxing’s biggest superstar and six-time world champion Floyd “Money” Mayweather made his upcoming fight with welterweight mega-star and five-time world champion Sugar Shane Mosley, official today when he signed the contract that pits the two fighters against each other on Saturday, May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in a mega-bout which will be televised live on HBO Pay-Per-View®.

“This one is definitely for the fans as I wasn’t going to waste anyone’s time with a meaningless tune-up bout and asked to fight Shane immediately,” said Mayweather. “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..”

“I have always wanted to fight Floyd and now it is finally coming true,” said Mosley, who signed his side of the deal last Friday in Las Vegas. “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.”

In addition to the fight being one of the most competitive and talked about contests in each of the fighters’ careers, Mayweather and Mosley have agreed to Olympic-style drug testing for the fight.

“Floyd has been trying to make this fight for the last 10 years, so he is extremely excited about the opportunity to face Shane,” said Leonard Ellerbe, CEO, Mayweather Promotions. “He can’t wait to extend his undefeated record and perform at the highest level. More importantly, he is also happy to set the precedent for random blood testing in order to ensure fair and safe contests for all fighters.”

“When two champions of this caliber meet in the ring, you can expect nothing but excellence and that is what we are going to see on May 1,” said Richard Schaefer, CEO, Golden Boy Promotions. “Shane Mosley is one of the greatest fighters of this era and I commend him for not only agreeing to the fight against Mayweather, but also agreeing to participate in a testing process that can only help the integrity of the sport.”

“Mayweather-Mosley is a showdown of superstars that fans have been talking about for years”, said Mark Taffet of HBO Pay-Per-View. “It has all the elements of a pay-per-view mega-fight.”

A 1996 Olympic Bronze medalist for the United States, Floyd Mayweather (40-0, 25 KO’s) has since gone on to strike Gold in the professional ranks, winning six world titles in five weight classes to firmly establish himself as one of the most elite fighters of his era. With dominating wins over the likes of world champions Diego Corrales, Jose Luis Castillo, Arturo Gatti, Zab Judah, Oscar de la Hoya and Ricky Hatton, Mayweather was on a meteoric rise to hall of fame greatness when he announced his retirement from the ring in 2008. But he left the door open for a return if the right challenge presented itself and after 18 months of a much needed physical and emotional break from the ring, he returned to boxing on September 19, 2009 with a dominating and spectacular victory over future Hall of Famer Juan Manuel Marquez.

A future Hall of Famer with five world titles to his name, Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO’s) has ruled the lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight divisions over his storied 16-year career and at 38 years old, the Pomona, Calif. native seems to be getting better and better as the years pass. Winner of seven of his last eight fights dating back to 2005, Mosley has defeated the likes of Fernando Vargas (twice), Luis Collazo and Ricardo Mayorga, but his most recent victory also was one of his most spectacular — a ninth round stoppage of Antonio Margarito in January 2009 to win the welterweight world title for the third time.

The 12-round welterweight battle is a highly competitive match-up that already has sports fans across the world buzzing to see two of the sport’s biggest names meet in the squared circle in the premier boxing match-up of 2010.

More information on Mayweather vs. Mosley, including ticket prices, HBO Pay- Per- View information and press tour dates and cities, will be announced shortly.

Source: boxing24.com

Shane Mosley signs contract to fight Floyd Mayweather Jr. on May 1

Shane Mosley's attorney confirmed to The Times today that the Pomona world welterweight champion has signed a contract to fight unbeatenFloyd Mayweather Jr. on May 1, most likely at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.

Mosley's purse for the 147-pound fight will be his "biggest ever," attorney Judd Burstein said, declining to reveal terms. Mayweather has yet to sign his own deal agreement, but Burstein said he has been assured by the boxer's lead advisor,Leonard Ellerbe, that the signature would come sometime "in the next two days."

It is unclear whether the fight will be for Mosley's World Boxing Assn. welterweight belt, Burstein said.

Mosley, said Burstein, drove himself Friday to the Hard Rock Hotel in Las Vegas, where a Burstein-represented fighter had a bout, and signed his deal in a hotel room.

"It's a fight people have wanted to see for a long time, but never happened for whatever reasons," Burstein said. "Now that it's going to happen, Shane is looking forward to doing what he and many of his fans have long thought he would do."

The fighters, who each spent the last decade ranked somewhere among the top in the lists of the best pound-for-pound boxers in the world, have won world titles in eight different weight classes.

The deal was struck with Mosley agreeing to all of Mayweather's stipulations for a stringent drug-testing protocol that will subject him to random blood and urine tests for performance-enhancing drugs all the way to fight night. Burstein said Mosley agreed to the arrangement "as long as Floyd takes the same test at the same time."

Mosley's 2003 decision victory over Oscar De La Hoya was tainted by his acknowledged use of designer steroids "the cream" and "the clear" and energy boosting EPO in the days before the bout. Mosley later explained that he took the substances unknowingly, believing they were legal supplements. He met with BALCO founder Victor Conte before using the substances.

Mayweather's push for drug testing resulted in the scrapped plans for him to fight Manny Pacquiaoon March 13 in Las Vegas. Pacquiao will now fight Joshua Clottey in a welterweight bout on March 13 at Dallas Cowboys Stadium in Texas.

The 38-year-old Mosley was originally supposed to end a one-year layoff tonight after beatingAntonio Margarito by ninth-round TKO last January at Staples Center, but his opponent Andre Berto had to withdraw because of the devastation of the earthquake in Haiti, where has family members.

Mosley prodded Mayweather and Pacquiao to fight him last year to no avail, as Mayweather (40-0) accepted a comeback fight that he won handily against the lighter and smaller Juan Manuel Marquez.

Mayweather, earlier this decade, suggested Mosley was dodging him, and after Mayweather's fame was boosted by a 2007 victory over De La Hoya, Mosley has claimed Mayweather was ducking him.

Now, with a Mayweather autograph, the long-awaited bout will happen.

Author: Lance Pugmire

Source: latimesblogs.latimes.com