By Roney Antoine
Money said he is better than “Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard, and even Sugar Ray Robinson”. He might be right!, however his ongoing legacy has yet to be proven to be Great. Tonight, boxing will give him the stage to dispel all rumors, and validate his position on top of the totem pole of boxing, and back up his words as he steps into the ring with Sugar Shane Mosley. Floyd has always been touted as a great talent. He also claims he should be ranked at the top amongst the all time Greats. Strong words from a fighter whom most spectators feel has avoided top opposition for years. Who am I to dispute his self proclaimed greatness…. I’m just a boxing fan who loves the art. Nonetheless, my skepticism questions that.
Got an Opinion? Submit Your Article to be posted on Nowboxing.com
I know of another man who believes he is also part of a Great lineage. Sugar Shane Mosley. Shane Mosley has always been the one to challenge his own limitations, going up in weight at different times in his career to attempt to capture moments only Greats live to tell. At 38 years old, he is no longer at his physical peak. Nonetheless, lack of physical prowess does not necessarily mean your career is over. It simply means you have to be smarter about utilizing your skills in the ring. Shane is under the right tutelage with Naazim Richardson as trainer; Naazim having been a key element in Bernard Hopkins Hall of Fame career. Richardson is teaching him about the science of the game. Showing him he can still be a threat despite his older age. He is reinforcing the importance of throwing efficient jabs, something Mosley previously lacked. Naazim changed all of that, taught him another school of thought, which led to an educated destruction of Margarito. Shane did it when most thought he couldn’t.
Floyd might be all he says he is, however his road to the top was paved in glory and is currently motivated by money… and that path is not necessarily the path to take for credibility in the sport. Instead, Floyd decided to take the road more appealing to him, the money road. He gained great success at being one of the biggest pay-per-view draws we have seen, while Mosley dragged his knees along the desert sands to get where he is now. At the forefront of greatness, it will be Mosley’s job to serve as a tour guide and take Floyd to the dry desert where he is not accustomed in being. In a “sand storm”, only locals can survive.
Floyd is as good as he say he is, he will walk through it with great confidence and courage, and evade any potential lethal attacks Mosley might throw at him. All the same, a desert is not his familiar surrounding. So certain things can happen when you’re in a situation you’re not usually in, or rarely have been in. His lack of quality opposition might not prepare him for what’s at stake tonight. Floyd will have to be alert for all threats only someone like Mosley can impose. He has to be prepared for things he might not anticipate happening. Tonight, anything can happen.
Stamina will be a factor, like any other fight that involves 12 rounds. Boxers get tired all the time, but real fighters overcome that and remain focused over 12 rounds. Shane needs his legs more than ever to get into range to inflict pain. There’s no fight if Mosley allows Floyd to fight him in the middle of the ring. He’ll need to Jab, Jab, Jab his way in, doubling up on them to avoid Floyd’s sneaky overhand rights. Shane will have to be alert and constantly apply intelligent pressure. Floyd often “chin checks” his foes by throwing super fast leaping left hooks from the outside. If your defense is shaky, he will certainly land it. One other point to mention, Floyd’s best weapon is his brain. If you let him think long enough to contemplate his next move, he will dismantle you. However, if Shane constantly finds ways to keep Floyd busy on defense, cut the ring off and hit him everywhere a target presents itself, Floyd might lose rounds if he doesn’t execute on offense, so Shane has to put in that hard work if he hopes to win that decision.
Mosley is one of the few welterweights who can walk through your punches to land his own, expect interesting exchanges. I think he has the style, the character and the experience to make it a much closer than most might think. Floyd has a unique talent, losing tonight is not an option. Only his great talent will carry him through. So if he is that Great, the boxing world will benefit enormously from a career-defining performance against a very hungry and legacy-driven Mosley. All the stars will have to be aligned for Mosley to win…and in my heart, I hope to see him see reach the top. I love boxing.
Got an Opinion? Submit Your Article to be posted on Nowboxing.com
JOIN the NOW BOXING FORUM to discuss this and other boxing news topics (membership is FREE)
