Sharkie's Machine - Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Shane Mosley, Round by Round Coverage, Boxing Photos and More!
By Frank Gonzalez Jr., exclusive to DoghouseBoxing (May 2, 2010) Photos © German Villasenor, Doghouse Boxing  
Welterweight titlist Sugar Shane Mosley had a couple of good rounds in his big Pay-Per-View fight against Floyd “Money” Mayweather Jr. at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas . That actually sums up the whole fight.

There was some delay after the last under-card fight finished and the Main Event was due to start. Initially it was because Mosley’s corner took too long to dress his hands. 25 minutes later, Mosley was introduced as he made his way into the ring. Then Mosley had to wait in the ring for while, as Floyd took more even time deciding when to finally leave his dressing room. Of course all of that extra waiting time gave those ordering the PPV at the last moment some extra time to get their order in without missing anything.

Once they got into the ring, they touched gloves and the fight finally began.

Round 1

Mosley landed a few body shots, followed by some clinches. Mosley jabs, cross, then two more jabs to the body. Mosley pressured Floyd. Floyd landed a few in spots, a nice right counter for one. Mosley’s glove touches canvas. It was ruled a slip. It was a slip. Mosley jabs. Floyd jabs. They clinched. Mayweather right, left. Lot of posturing till the bell. 10-9 Mosley, who landed more.

Round 2

A shoving match ensued at the start. Referee Kenny Bayless restored order. FM landed a right. Mosley was on his feet, bouncing and landed a big right to Floyd’s face. Floyd clinched and then clinched again. Mosley, right. Another Mosley right buckled Floyd. Floyd looks hurt! Floyd tries to clinch. The crowd chants “Mosley, Mosley!” Floyd landed a left, right combo. Mosley clinches. 10-9 Mosley, who broke through Floyd’s guard to good effect.

Between rounds, Floyd’s corner says, “Keep boxing.” There seemed a sense of concern in FM’s corner that things weren’t going as planned.

Round 3

Floyd landed a right. Mosley to body. They box. FM landed a left, right and then another right. Shane running, bouncing and trying to adjust to the up tempo speed. Mosley landed to the body when Floyd came in. They traded jabs. Mosley missed a left hook. Floyd landed a left hook. Maweather lands another 1, 2. Floyd came back and won this round by out-boxing Mosley with an emphasis on counter punching. 10 - 9 Floyd Mayweather

Round 4

Floyd left hook. Floyd subtly the aggressor. Mosley bouncing in and out. Mosley to the body. Mayweather jabs up and to the body. FM clean right to jaw. Floyd wins the medium range exchanges with cleaner punches. Mosley right. FM presses Mosley into the corner. Mosley doing less, moving and waiting. Mosley jab, May counters. 10-9 Mayweather, who landed cleaner and more often compliments of his superior timing.

Round 5

They clinch in the first exchange. Mosley still nervously moving in and out. They jabbed a bit. Ref warns for too many tie ups. This round looks like a sparring session. Shane misses a right. FM lands a left hook. Floyd misses a right and then clinches. Floyd landed the cleaner shots. 10-9 Floyd Mayweather.

Round 6

They box. Floyd lands jabs and blocks, shoulder rolls, makes Shane miss. Floyd threw consecutive jabs to the nose of Mosley. Floyd landed a right to the face. FM jab sets up a right cross. Shane clinches. Floyd had taken over the tempo and Shane tastes another FM left. Mosley chased Floyd to cut off ring. Floyd skillfully counters with another right cross. Mosley clinches. Floyd left hook to the body. Mosley presses ineffectively and then slaps Floyd five at the bell. 10-9 Mayweather

Round 7

Mosley presses ineffectively. Mayweather owns the tempo and Mosley doing less and less. Floyd lands jabs and “power punches” with little power but racking up the points effectively. This round saw Mosley showing his age. Floyd lands another right to face. Mosley looked winded and confused. Mosley is hurt. Mosley tries to find something but is ineffective. Floyd’s jabs were crisp. Mosley was off key. Shane looked spent as he walked back to his corner. 10-9 Mayweather.

Richardson asks Shane to “Wake up for me. You look like you’re fading on me.”

Round 8

Floyd can smell the blood as Mosley looked disoriented. A little rough housing from Shane draws a hard warning from Bayless. Floyd right, left. Shane talking... Mayweather talking too. Crowd chants, “Mosley, Mosley!”…though he’s was losing yet another round. A Mayweather straight right rocks Mosley towards the other side of ring. Floyd is all over Shane, winning the inside exchanges as well as the outside exchanges. Floyd laughs to his corner, as Mosley looks less dangerous by the second. 10-9 Mayweather.

Richardson tells Mosley he needs to “Get him outta here”. Translation, you’re losing big time and need a KO to win.

Round 9

More of the same. Shane can’t hit Floyd. Lot of clinching. Floyd warned for elbow. Floyd then stuck an elbow into Shane’s face. Floyd lands a left hook. Mosley inept, missing and not even able to throw as Mayweather’s agility didn’t allow many openings. Both lean in with their heads. Floyd pushes off on Mosley and draws a warning. 10-9 Floyd. Mosley ineffective.

Round 10

Floyd gets off first. Backs up, sets Mosley up for the counters. Mosley lands a left. Floyd landed a combo right upstairs followed by left to the body. Mosley holds. Mosley left. Mosley looks spent. Floyd lands a left to the face, then a right. FM right, clinch, Floyd taunts Mosley, who is unable to mount any offense. 10-9 Floyd.

Richardson says, “Don’t make me do something I don’t want to do.” As he barked final instructions to his beaten fighter.

Round 11

It was more of the same as Floyd pressed and Mosley retreated, bouncing and occasionally throwing a punch. Floyd stood firm and always countered when Mosley started to throw. FM lands another right. Mosley has no jab to speak of. Mosley looked like a bouncing punching bag for Floyd, who moved ever forward, always in control. Floyd lands another right. Mosley doing nothing but wasting energy bouncing and getting punched. Mercifully the bell rang. 10-9 Floyd.

Round 12

Mosley left hook to the body. Floyd left hook, right cross, jab to body. Mosley clinches. Shane’s only hope was to score a KO but that wasn’t even close to happening at this point. Mosley had little left in the tank. Mayweather wins the little exchanges during clinches. Mosley inept. Floyd blocks Shane’s attempt to close the show and then pops him with clean shots. 10-9 Mayweather.

The official scores were 119-110 twice and 118-110 all for Mayweather, who won a Unanimous Decision.

During the Post Fight Interview, Mayweather said, “I wanted to give the fans what they wanted to see.” Then he thanked God and didn’t do much boasting. He even credited Mosley for being a good fighter.

On being stunned in the second round, he said, “You suck it up and fight on like a warrior. I’m happy me and Shane got to fight.”

On drug testing and a fight with Pacman, Floyd said, “If you’re clean, take the test.”

Larry Merchant: Pacquaio will do what the commission says; does that mean you won’t fight him?

Floyd: “Let Pac take the tests or we have no fight.

LM: You finally fought one of the toughest fighters out there. You’ve been criticized in the past. How satisfying is this?

FMJ: “I want to fight the best out there. If it’s Pac, I’ll fight him. I just want to be treated fair.”

LM: Congratulations on an outstanding fight.

During his interview, Shane Mosley said: “After the big right in the third, I played into his hands. I tried to box around him but I got tight.

LM: Why are you tight in a fight like this?

SM: “He was able to avoid the punches.”

LM: Was he just too good?

SM: “He surprised me, I couldn’t adjust and he did. That’s why he won the fight.

LM: What are your thoughts now after this fight?

SM: “If Manny takes the blood test, we can see them two get it on. I’ll think about my career when I get home.

Ultimately, this was a terrible mismatch. Mosley came on tough and won the first two rounds but then Mayweather demonstrated the power of being a great boxer as he out boxed Mosley for the next ten rounds. No doubt about it, Floyd dominated this fight and deserves high praise for his boxing prowess, conditioning and ring intelligence. He may not be a likeable sort but there’s no denying his boxing acumen. His body intelligence is impressive and his execution of ring generalship, even under pressure, was equally impressive.

A lot continues to be made of the possible match between Floyd and Manny Pacquaio but I can’t see it ever happening since Manny isn’t one to allow Floyd to dictate all the terms. That Manny isn’t so keen on all those drug tests may raise a few eyebrows. Clearly Mosley was “clean” Saturday night at the MGM Grand and he didn’t have the stamina or the strength to keep up with Mayweather.

The way Floyd picked Mosley apart demonstrates that Floyd can beat legit Welterweights, so why not fight the other top Welters out there? After what Floyd showed Saturday night, I can’t imagine there’s anyone in the top ranks of the 147 division he can’t beat.

Congratulations to Floyd Mayweather Jr. who beat another great fighter at the twilight of his career.

There is one guy at Jr. Welter I’d like to see Floyd fight next and that’s Tim Bradley. For the hell of it, he should dethrone the pedestrian WBC Welterweight titlist, Andre Berto. But since Floyd considers himself the best pound for pound fighter in boxing, wouldn’t it be great if he took on the man many think is one of the true best pound for pound fighters in boxing; Sergio Martinez.

Time will tell.

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Comments, Questions, can be emailed to dshark87@hotmail.com.





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