"I think he's a fighter that always worries about landing one big shot and he worries about who's extremely strong and I worry about being smart and winning. We approach fights two total different ways, always. I mean, I think Shane's main thing is loading up with wide shots and kinda using not really a forward jab; and I use a forward jab and, you know, when I shoot my shots, I look at, you know, I look at my opponents and I look where I'm punching at. You know, when Shane's punching, a lot of times, he closes his eyes if you go back and look at some of his fights. So I think we two total different fighters," stated undefeatd multi-division champion Floyd Mayweather Jr. as he talked about the differences between himself and his opponent, WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley, during a conference call leading up to their May 1 showdown. Check out what else he had to say about the fight, Shane Mosley, Manny Pacquiao and much more.
Opening statement...
Thanks for having me on this call today. I want to thank all the writers and all the media. I also want to thank Richard Schaefer and Golden Boy and I want to let Richard Schaefer know that they done a tremendous job with Shane Mosley's...later in Shane Mosley's career, but also with the rest of they fighters. I wish everybody nothing but the best. And I also want to thank Leonard Ellerbe, Kelly Swanson, Al Haymon and the rest of my team. I truly believe in my heart they've done a tremendous job with my career. I'm very very appreciative. I just want to thank all the writers and everybody. And May 1st, I know we're not that far away; I'm going to give the fans one hell of a fight. I mean I'm in tip-top condition and tip-top shape.
On whether or not this fight will enhance his legacy...
I think, every fight, at this point, it all depends on who the opponent is. At this point, it's about enhancing, so, you know, like I said before, I think, you know, Shane's a solid welterweight and he's been around the sport for a long time and he's done some things in the sport and I've done a lot of things in the sport. I've done a lot of things that a lot of fighters wasn't able to do in the sport and didn't do in the sport. So like I said before, I think with Shane Mosley, it's going to enhance, of course enhance my legacy.
On the differences between himself and Shane Mosley...
I think we're totally different. I think he's a fighter that always worries about landing one big shot and he worries about who's extremely strong and I worry about being smart and winning. We approach fights two total different ways, always. I mean, I think Shane's main thing is loading up with wide shots and kinda using not really a forward jab; and I use a forward jab and, you know, when I shoot my shots, I look at, you know, I look at my opponents and I look where I'm punching at. You know, when Shane's punching, a lot of times, he closes his eyes if you go back and look at some of his fights. So I think we two total different fighters.
On why he's not fighting for the WBA title...
I didn't want to fight for the WBA title.
Leonard Ellerbe: At this level, Floyd is not...it's not about belts. It's about fighting to, like he said, to improve his legacy and also it's about money. He's already the best fighter in the world. Why does he need to fight for a belt to prove that?
On some of the fighters he enjoyed watching...
I used to love to go watch Hagler, Hearns, Leonard, Duran, Larry Holmes, Alexis Arguello, Aaron Pryor, Pernell Whitaker, Roger Mayweather, Mike Tyson and the list goes on and on. I used to love just to go watch boxing. I was just, you know, I was just a fan of boxing. So I used to love just to go watch boxing, especially, and of course, the build-up to the fight before the two got in the ring on HBO. It used to be just so unbelievable. I don't know, I can't say how this fight matches up, but I think I'm a 15-round fighter.
On his conditioning...
You know, I think that I show the world that I'm always in tip-top shape and I'm in the best condition. You know, the guys on 24/7 say that they went to every other fighters, you know other fighters camp, and it ain't just some other guys camps, it's some mixed martial arts guys, and they say they always ask them, 'Well, who works the hardest?' They say, 'Hands down, Floyd Mayweather.' Don't nobody push it to the limit like I do, so, you know, I was happy when I heard that.
On Shane Mosley...
I think that Shane is out of character. That is not Shane Mosley, to be trash talking. You know, I've been doing that my whole career, so this is nothing new. You know, if you go back and do your homework, Floyd Mayweather has been doing this since I've been fighting on Tuesday Night Fights, since I've been fighting on, you know, HBO and ESPN, my early days, the 90s. I've never known Shane to be a big trash talker. And the thing that I think that is not cool is how Shane's talking about...what I didn't like on 24/7 was how Shane kinda downplayed Jack Mosley. That's not cool. Jack Mosley stuck by his son's side and Jack Mosley was a good trainer and a good father. And, you know, he helped his son, he stood by his son's side, through the ups and the downs of his career. And for him to say his dad wasn't giving him 100%, I didn't like that at all. I think Jack Mosley is a cool guy.
Like I always said before, and it's the truth, there's no remedy on how to beat Floyd Mayweather. There's no remedy on how to beat me yet. So the thing is this, everyone who tries to solve the problem, it's like a difficult math problem that can't no one solve. No one can solve. So, you know, the ultimate goal is try to solve the problem. How to beat Floyd Mayweather? That's the ultimate goal.
On why he thinks he's better than Sugar Ray Robinson and Muhammad Ali...
I got respect for Sugar Ray Robinson. I got respect for Muhammad Ali. But I'm no different from; I'm a man just like they a man. I put on my pants just like they put on they pants. What makes them any better than I am? Because they fought a thousand fights? In my era, it's totally different. You know, it's pay-per-view now, so things change. It's out with the old, in with the new. Things change. And so, I mean, Muhammad Ali is one hell of a fighter, but Floyd Mayweather is the best. Sugar Ray Robinson, one hell of a fighter, but Floyd Mayweather is the best!
On where he thinks Shane Mosley and Manny Pacquiao rank in history...
I can't see how a guy like Mosley can even call himself great or I can't see Mosley talking about putting himself as a Hall of Famer and this is a guy we don't know how long he was taking enhancement drugs. This is something that we don't know. And, okay, Manny Pacquiao struggled twice, which we really know he got beat, struggled twice with Marquez, which we know he really lost. Right? And we know he been knocked out twice and he got outboxed by Erik Morales, but then they still give him Boxer of the Decade. So that's another thing I don't understand. He beat a Miguel Cotto who just got pummelled with a cast, so, I mean, tell me what it really is? He beat a Miguel Cotto who got pummelled with a cast and he beat a Ricky Hatton that got stretched by me. So, I mean, I'm trying to find out what it really is. That's not for me to choose. That's not for me to put him in the Hall of Fame. All I'm saying is this, if you're a clean athlete, take the test. That's all I'm saying. That's all I got to say. If you're a clean athlete, take the test. Show the world. You know what? I'm a natural. Take the test, that's all I'll say.
On the differences between the two corners...
I think we got the Bomb Squad in camp. It's truly unbelievable. You know, I got my uncle Roger. You know, he's not just got experience as a trainer, but he got experience at being in the crunch; you know, being in a championship fight. My father, of course, like I said I before, he's got experiencee with being a top contender in the sport of boxing. The thing with Shane's trainer, if I'm not mistaken, when it comes down to crunch time, how can you possibly tell a fighter what to do if you've never been in crunch time? So, and the thing is this, when he was talking about, um, like Shane's trainer said he wasn't going to get into a debate, you know, a back and forth debate. But once again, we baited him in, so he's going back and forth, you know, and that's something that he said he wasn't going to do. He wasn't going to be trash talking, he wasn't going to go back and forth, he wasn't going to get baited into doing that. I guess we up one because we baited him in to, you know, to talking trash and he said that's something that he wouldn't do. He said he wouldn't stoop that low. Well obviously it's not that low if he stooped to that level.
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