"Sugar" Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather, Jr. kicked off their nationwide press tour with some fireworks as they nearly came to blows during Tuesday's media conference at the Nokia Theater in New York City.
As the two pugilists faced off, the verbal jabs quickly began and was soon followed by a shoving match between the two.
Oscar De La Hoya and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions were quick to step in and prevent the scuffle from escalating while Mayweather adviser Leonard Ellerbe was knocked down during the ordeal.
Mayweather and Mosley are set to officially square off on May 1 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
"May 1 symbolizes something. After this fight, it is going to be clear. It is going to be the date of Mayweather's first loss," WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley stated.
Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) has been out of action since January 2009 when he shocked the boxing world with his nine round destruction over Antonio Margarito. A unification bout between Mosley and Berto fell through as Berto pulled out to look after his family dealing with the aftermath of the earthquake in Haiti.
"I just want to say I am going to take my hat off to Mayweather. For a minute I wasn't going to get a fight from any of these top fighters and now I will. I would like to say that it is going down May 1 and it is going to be me and Money Mayweather.
"It has been a long time since I have had a chance to show the world that I am the best fighter. I have wanted to be the best and have people understand that I am the best," Mosley added.
Mayweather, whose moniker is "Money," said this of Mosley, "I am able to generate millions of dollars. They say Shane is the WBA Champion, but we all know that belts do nothing but collect dust.
"I am not only in the fight business; I am in the check cashing business," he added.
In addition to Mosley's bout with Berto falling apart, Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao's proposed mega fight never came to fruition as the two sides could never come to an agreement when it came down to the terms of pre-fight drug testing.
"When it comes to performance enhancement drugs, I stepped up the plate. I want to show the world that my sport is clean," Mayweather proclaimed.
Ironically, Mosley was linked to steroid usage after his 2003 rematch with De La Hoya.
De La Hoya, who is promoting the fight and has shared the ring with both men, feels the bout will rank amongst some of the greatest sporting events of recent memory.
"We are here in a big mega fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Sugar Shane Mosley. This fight reminds me of Sugar Ray Leonard-Thomas Hearns, the classic fights we used to watch on TV.
"It's like watching the Super Bowl or the NBA Championship. It's boxing's version of the World Series. It is the fight to watch for this year because not only are you going to get a great event, but you are going to get a great fight.
"I fought both fighters and I know what is going to happen. Do you want to know what I think? I know there is going to be a knock-out and it ain't going to be pretty!"
Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions shared the same enthusiasm as his boss De La Hoya.
"I wasn't kidding when I said we would make one million homes for Mayweather vs. Marquez. I wasn't kidding. We did. This fight is going to break many, many records.
"This is the fight where one plus one equals three...the three stands for three million homes. We will break all PPV records with this fight!"
While I appreciate his optimism, my humble opinion is that this fight being televised in three million homes is quite a stretch.
Regardless, if the fight turns out anything like the initial press conference all those watching will be in for an exciting night.
