Can Andre Berto upset the plans of the Welterweight division?

Undefeated WBC Welterweight champion Andre Berto faces off with Shane Mosley in a little over a months time and odds makers have him pegged as a heavy underdog.

The problem Berto has so far isn't a lack of talent or ability, but more the fact that he has yet to face another elite of the division. His biggest wins to date are Juan Urango and Luis Collazo, who are generally regarded as lesser fighters compared to the rest of the champions of the division.

Mosley has said recently that he intends to clean out the Welterweight division, and in doing so, beat Berto and secure big money fights for himself with Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

All of the above have also mentioned fighting Mosley after he beats Berto, but none have considered Berto actually defeating Mosley. That isn't to say beating Mosley is particularly easy, who even at 38 is still in his peak, having smashed the high flying Antonio Margarito in his last outing.

Mosley, said of fighting Berto at a recent WBC convention:

"I heard Berto was mad because I said I was gonna ruin his career, well I know the truth hurts sometimes," Mosley said. "I'm glad he signed the contract tho, so now I'm going to display what I started with Margarito. I'm dishin ass whupping's in 2010!"

Berto came right back with a message of his own for the highly regarded Mosley:

"It's just funny to me how Shane Mosley got so tough overnight, do you'll peep that? He's talkin crazy to me, he runs up on Floyd [Mayweather Jr]. But I know what it is though. I've done a little research on steroids and it says the drug makes you have crazy mood swings and feel bigger," Berto said.

"I hear his team is gettin it done on his end. So come Jan 30th I will retire Shane Mosley, I promise you that! Steroids is a hell of a drug! We can help you but the first step is to admit you have a problem."

Source: examiner.com

411 Boxing’s Pound for Pound Ratings 12.01.09: For Month Ending November

November is a wrap and that gives us the opportunity to get another look at our monthly pound for pound ratings. Has Mayweather unseated Pacquiao or does the Pacman’s win over Cotto solidify him at the top? What about Kelly Pavlik’s recent woes? Do they affect his standings? Come inside to take a look!

It's been a few months…we know, we know(!) that we've had an updated list of our pound for pound ratings. Since our last one, we've seen the return of Floyd Mayweather Jr. who re-enters our list, Vitali Klitschko pound on Chris Arreola, Kelly Pavlik postpone another fight, Pacquiao dominate Miguel Cotto and Shane Mosley remain on the sidelines among other happenings inside the ring.

You'll obviously see some changes this month as some fighters have been bumped off the list for various reasons such as Pavlik's abysmal 2009, Cotto's unbalanced performances, Ivan Calderon's bad performances and a brother simply showing up his younger sibling.

Bernard Hopkins remains on the list and you may say, "but 411…you just said Pavlik had an abysmal 2009 but Hopkins hasn't even fought this year; so why's he still rated?" It's simple…he crushed Kelly Pavlik and although he has not fought yet, is scheduled to fight this week. We previously stated that if he was inactive for the rest of the year, his position would be affected but alas, he's ready to go. He's also tentatively scheduled to take on Roy Jones early next year if they're both victorious before week's end.

But enough talking, let's get right into this month's ratings!

10. Arthur Abraham (31-0, 25 KOs) - Alter toiling around just on the brink of something bigger, Arthur Abraham finally had his coming out party when he nearly decapitated former middleweight champ Jermain Taylor in October. The two met as part of the first round of Showtime's Super Six World Boxing Classic and after a hard fought battle in which Abraham led on the cards, a brutal right hand ended matters in the 12th and final round. He's had a pretty solid 2009 with wins over Mahir Oral and Lajuan Simon but to do what he did to Taylor on the world stage that is the tournament literally put his face on the map. He was one of the favorites coming in and he's easily now one of the two top guys in the tourney. Abraham possesses lights-out power and a peek-a-boo defense that can be tough to figure out. He's going to be a tall mountain to climb at 168 and he's just getting started 29 years old.

Next Up: A tentative January 23 date with Andre Dirrell in Round 2.

9. Chad Dawson (29-0, 17 KOs) - Questions lingered about Dawson after his disputed decision win over Glen Johnson in 2008 but after months of chasing him around the sport, Johnson finally got his rematch. Unfortunately for him, Dawson came out and dominated the fight as he used his youth to his advantage by being too fast, too slick and too technical for Johnson to have a shot. For the first time, someone made "The Road Warrior" look old and having dispatched both Antonio Tarver and Glen Johnson twice, Dawson looks for new fish to fry. It was one of his better performances and we expect nothing less from "Bad" Chad from here on out. He had been close to making our top-10 list over the last year and a half but with an impressive victory that left no doubts about his talent, Dawson finally breaks through.

Next Up: Possibly a 2010 meeting with against WBC titlist Jean Pascal.

8. Vitali Klitschko (38-2, 37 KOs) - Vitali has leaped right over his brother Wladimir who previously occupied the 10th spot on this list. Simply put, Vitali has had a better year and against better opposition; not to mention he's looked more impressive. After dethroning Samuel Peter last year, Vitali has won two straight in ‘09, knocking out former cruiserweight titlist Juan Carlos Gomez and then highly touted Chris Arreola in September. In that fight, he outclassed Arreola in such a manner that you have to wonder if there's anyone that can stop him. Maybe his brother? Well we'll never know as neither seem to keen on fighting one another but if they were to lock horns, you can bet Vitali would be the odds on favorite. He says he doesn't have much time left in the game as he wants to go out on top and has proven his point about being one of, if not the best in the division – even after a four year layoff.

Next Up: A Dec. 12 date with American Kevin Johnson in Switzerland.

7. Nonito Donaire (22-1, 14 KOs) - The "Filipino Flash" moved up to junior bantamweight in August to take on Rafael Concepcion. It was a fight in which Concepcion failed to make weight, giving him quite a size advantage. Despite some rocky moments, Donaire took the fight to the bigger titleholder en route to a decisive decision win in Las Vegas. Donaire has quietly continued to build himself into the next Filipino star and should he keep up with his winning ways, it's only a matter of time before he goes on to bigger and better things. A short stint on a Filipino reality show also helped show off his personality which will only benefit him in the long run.

Next Up: He'll take on Gerson Guerrero on Feb. 13 in Las Vegas for Pinoy Power 3.

6. Paul Williams (37-1, 27 KOs) - After making it look easy against Winky Wright in April, Williams truly proved that he had the right stuff at middleweight. Kelly Pavlik was going to be the ultimate test but their fight was unfortunately postponed during the summer. Pavlik had a staph infection and needed some time to recover but then the fight was rescheduled for December 5th. All was good and well until Pavlik disappeared once again and pulled out of the fight, leaving Williams both confused and irate. Luckily for him, Sergio Martinez, the 154-pound titlist stepped in to take the challenge. Though the majority of the boxing community seems pretty upset about how things went down, a Williams-Martinez fight is still a bit tantalizing. Martinez is speedy, busy and fun to watch, while Williams as we know is a hard hitter, rangy and a workhorse. Should Williams make Martinez look like a tune-up, his stock will take another bump upwards.

Next Up: Sergio Martinez on Dec. 5 on HBO.

5. Juan Manuel Marquez (50-5-1, 37 KOs) - The lightweight champ took a little bit of a dive this month after being #2 for quite some time. His decisive loss to Floyd Mayweather Jr. in September made it quite apparent that "Dinamita" has no business competing at welterweight. He looked chubby, lethargic and without any type of power so this should be his only venture into the 147-pound division. He wasn't given much of a chance to win anyway and most figured that if he could be competitive or at least not get knocked out, his stock wouldn't drop too much. That's more or less how we look at Marquez. He was out of his element but back at lightweight, he's the king. He's certainly aging but he may have another 2-3 good fights left in him if he stays around his natural weight.

Next Up: Golden Boy Promotions is pushing for a Marquez-Hatton fight next year in the U.K.

4. Bernard Hopkins (49-5-1, 32 KOs) - 2009 has been awfully quiet for B-Hop who has yet to step into the ring. He had massive amounts of momentum coming off of his October 2008 shellacking of Kelly Pavlik but due to his inability to fight opponents, or ones who would fight for chump change, Hopkins was relegated to spectator which was unfortunate. Hopkins is still one of the game's master technicians and it was a shame to see him sit out most of the year even though he keeps spitting in Father Time's face. This week however, Hopkins will take a tune-up fight to prepare for a 2010 rematch with Roy Jones Jr. Jones of course has to get by Danny Green at cruiserweight as well but at least Hopkins has a sudden pair of fights. He'll be 45 in January and is already talking about fighting at heavyweight should the opportunity present itself but for now, let's just be happy "The Executioner" is back in the ring.

Next Up: A fight with Enrique Ornelas on Dec. 2. Then a March 2010 date with Roy Jones Jr. if all goes according to plan.

3. Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) - Here's another guy who sadly remained on the sidelines for most of the year. He destroyed Antonio Margarito in January to essentially resurrect his career but unable to get either Manny Pacquiao or Floyd Mayweather Jr. into the ring forced him to stay busy with the promotional side of things with GBP. Mosley looked fantastic in dispatching Margarito but he too is aging and if he wants to stay in the game for another 3-4 years as he's told 411mania, then he'll want to stay active to remain focused, sharp and effective. He does however have a fight coming up in January against fellow welterweight titleholder and speedster Andre Berto in Las Vegas. This should prove to be a dazzling display of combination punching from both men though the power advantage easily lies with Mosley. A year is a long time to be off, so let's see if it has any effect on Shane.

Next Up: A welterweight showdown with Andre Berto on Jan. 30 at Mandalay Bay.

2. Floyd Mayweather Jr. (40-0, 25 KOs) - He was the #1 pound for pound fighter in the world when he suddenly retired although Manny Pacquiao had been nipping at his heels. He took a long rest as he dabbled in other areas such as the WWE but boxing kept calling and in September, Mayweather finally returned. The thought however is that as any champion who relinquishes his belt to retire, he cannot come back and simply be handed that same belt over. He has to fight for it and that's exactly how most of us feel. Mayweather gave the previously #2 ranked Juan Manuel Marquez a schooling and as such, takes his spot here this month. In that fight, he demonstrated his elusiveness, coupled with his lightning quick hands and ring smarts as he had done in previous fights before stepping away from boxing. Now Mayweather must once again prove that he's the best in the world and the welterweight division has plenty of guys in which he can do so. Shane Mosley called him out but Mayweather hasn't taken the bait. Now with Pacquiao's big win over Cotto, the only fight that most fans want to see is Mayweather vs. Pacquiao. It's a fight that must be made for the sake of the sport. If that's what people want, we must give it to them. Negotiations have already begun but there have been some snags so we'll continue to sit on our hands and wait to see what develops.

Next Up: A possible May 2010 mega-bout with Manny Pacquiao.

1. Manny Pacquiao (50-3-2, 38 KOs) - Pacquiao hasn't lost a fight since 2005 when he lost a decision to Erik Morales. He subsequently improved his game ten fold, knocking Morales out twice in the process and has become boxing's best fighter in the world. If his recent victories haven't been enough then his November pounding of former welterweight titlist Miguel Cotto should be a reminder that we are in the presence of greatness. Pacquiao moved up in weight and won his seventh world title in a seventh weight class becoming the first fighter to ever do so. He looked as quick and as strong as we've ever seen him and there are no signs of slowing down yet. It's hard to imagine him losing at this point unless he loses desire to fight but that doesn't seem to be the case. He does have some political aspirations however in 2010 so that could possibly hinder his career but there's already talk about a possible May clash with Mayweather or a March date with Yuri Foreman as a back up. Should he face Foreman, he would be going for a title in a record setting eighth weight division. Pacman is on a roll – who will stop him?

Next Up: Floyd Mayweather is on the horizon in 2010 if the fight can be made.

Source: 411mania.com

Mayweather-Mosley, Pacquiao-Foreman Next: says Hopkins

Bernard Hopkins tells BoxingScene.com that he doesn't think a Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Manny Pacquiao mega-fight will come off. He is convinced that Bob Arum of Top Rank, and Richard Schaefer of Golden Boy Promotions will not reach a deal for the fight. He appears very sure that Mayweather will face Shane Mosley [should he beat Andre Berto on January 30] and Pacquiao will move up to 154 to chase an eight divisional title by taking on WBA champion Yuri Foreman.

"[Mayweather] will fight Shane Mosley before he fights Pacquiao. Pacquiao is probably going to fight the Jewish kid at 154, and Shane Mosley and Floyd Mayweather are going to fight. And then the winner will fight Pacquiao for all the marbles - by late next year. All of that is going to happen. I think so. That's my prediction," Hopkins told BoxingScene's Bill Emes.

Hopkins is partner in Golden Boy. He is very close to Schaefer. Hopkins tells BoxingScene that Arum doesn't want to make the fight. Does Hopkins know something that we don't? At a recent press conference, Foreman, also promoted by Top Rank, said he would fight Pacquiao.

"They all gonna talk but they ain't going to get no deal done, I don't think. Arum doesn't want to do a deal. We want to do a deal with Pacquiao or anybody. Schaefer has got good intent. At the end of the day, I think it's going to be Sugar Shane and Mayweather and the winner will fight Pacquiao. And Pacquiao will fight at 154. They are not going to get a deal. Pacquiao has nobody else to fight to make that money. He's going to fight Arum's fighter, that Jewish kid who won the title and Pacquiao is going to win a title at 154," Hopkins said.

Source: boxnews.com.ua

Shane Mosley gunning for Pacquiao, Mayweather and Cotto

Shane Mosley is a man on a mission, to defeat the remaining Welterweight champions and ensure his place among the all time greats of the division.

To manage this feat all he has to do is defeat two all time greats in Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao, and beat his former conqueror in Miguel Cotto, easier said than done for any fighter.

Mosley begins his quest on January 23rd, when he takes on WBC champion Andre Berto, which will give him two of the Welterweight titles and narrow the major divisions titles to between him and the winner of Money and Pac-man. Mosley is currently the favorite to face the winner of the mega fight, and if so will mark the last bout of Pacquiao’s career who is retiring after two more fights to become a politician.

Miguel Cotto would probably welcome a rematch with Mosley if he does indeed continue to fight after his recent loss to Manny Pacquiao. after what his two losses have taken out of Cotto however, Mosley will probably be a heavy favorite going into the fight, despite his prior loss to Cotto.

“I love boxing. I give myself about three or four more years and hopefully by that time I should be able to wipe out the division,” Mosley told BoxingScene.com. “Any fight at welterweight is going to be exciting for me. Any time I get in the ring it’s going to be exciting, it’s going to be a show, it’s going to be an event. I love fighting. I don’t care who it is as long as they are the top welterweights. I want to clean out the division.”

“I knew these guys didn’t really want to step in the ring with me. I was real frustrated but I was hoping that media would get behind it and push a little more and let the fans know that these guys are afraid to fight him,” Mosley said.

“I just wanted to get the message out that they don’t want to fight me so I’m going to fight these other welterweights. The reason they don’t want to fight me is because I’m the most difficult. I’m the best. I tried to give the fans what they wanted. Berto was always a possible opponent, even when I fought Margarito. They asked me who I wanted to fight, Berto or Margarito, and I picked Margarito because he was considered the best. That’s just the kind of fighter I am.”

Source: cotto-vs-pacquiao.com

Mosley: 'I'm Going to Clean Out the Welterweight Division'

WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley is on a mission to clean out the welterweight division. He feels that he started the process with his dominating knockout of Antonio Margarito at the start of the year. On January 23, he faces undefeated WBC champion Andre Berto in a unification bout. He plans to fight at welterweight for another three to four years and his goal is to beat every major name at the weight.

"I love boxing. I give myself about three or four more years and hopefully by that time I should be able to wipe out the division," Mosley told BoxingScene.com's Luis Sandoval. "Any fight at welterweight is going to be exciting for me. Any time I get in the ring it's going to be exciting, it's going to be a show, it's going to be an event. I love fighting. I don't care who it is as long as they are the top welterweights. I want to clean out the division."

Berto was not Mosley's first choice, or his second, or third. Mosley was trying to get fights with Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto and Floyd Mayweather Jr. But Mosley tells BoxingScene that Berto was always an option in the background.

"I knew these guys didn't really want to step in the ring with me. I was real frustrated but I was hoping that media would get behind it and push a little more and let the fans know that these guys are afraid to fight him," Mosley said.

"I just wanted to get the message out that they don't want to fight me so I'm going to fight these other welterweights. The reason they don't want to fight me is because I'm the most difficult. I'm the best. I tried to give the fans what they wanted. Berto was always a possible opponent, even when I fought Margarito. They asked me who I wanted to fight, Berto or Margarito, and I picked Margarito because he was considered the best. That's just the kind of fighter I am."

By: Mark Vester

Source: boxingscene.com

Q&A: Andre Berto

The next big fight in the welterweight division is the WBC-WBA title unification bout between champions Andre Berto and Shane Mosley on January 30th, 2010 — a clash of two generations. The possible outcome of this battle has the fans and pundits divided. Those who favor Mosley, a majority, point out that the future Hall of Famer has the edge in experience, skills, versatility and has fought high caliber opponents. Those who back the undefeated Berto speak of his strength, youth, speed and the possibility that Father Time may very well catch up withthe 38-year-old Shane. This is certainly the opinion of Lou DiBella, Berto’s promoter, who predicts that “on January 30th, the era of Shane Mosley ends and that of Andre Berto starts.” And what does Andre Berto himself think? The personable Andre answers a few pointed questions from Fightnews.

How are you preparing for the biggest fight of your career against Shane Mosley next January? What are your thoughts going into that fight?

“This is obviously a huge fight for me. I am preparing in every way. I’ve been doing my homework and I’m looking forward to passing the test with an A+.”

Some sportwriters feel that you just are not ready for a potential Hall of Famer like Mosley? They argue that you haven’t faced the quality of opposition Shane has. One has even coined the word ” mismatch.” What is your response to these arguments?

“I don’t have to much to say about those those assumptions. I just plan to answer all those questions on fight night…in the ring”

Andre, you have your followers and your critics, which is normal. Among those critics , there some who say that you have moved away from being an exciting action fighter to one that hits and then clinches in your last fights. Do you feel this is true and what is your answer to these comments?

“This is the fight game. I’m a student of the game. I go a few fights being aggressive and exciting and then took a few fights to move around and box. I’m trying to be versatile and do other things. But I can promise you that January 30 is definitely going to be an exciting fight and everyone needs to tune in.”

You are the son of Haitian immigrants, born in Florida, one of 7 children. I know you credit your father, your tight-knit family and boxing for keeping you out of trouble. You want to talk about that?

“I have a strong family background. I think that’s what people need to stay focused and stay grounded and I’m blessed to have that. My father, a former Ultimate Fighter, instilled discipline and a strong work ethic in all of us. He talked to us about having a goal in life and doing our best to reach it.”

You had an impressive amateur career with Golden Gloves National and PAL titles, a bronze medal at the world championships. But you also a great disappointment, being disqualified in the US team trials, then reinstated only to have that decision overturned and not being able to represent the USA at the Olympics. What was it like going through that kind of experience?

“It was a tough situation, but I tell you what: adversity can destroy or make you stronger. The experience made me stronger and I enjoyed the possibility of representing Haiti at the Olympic Games. All this is in the past and I’m focused on my pro career.”

As a pro, what was your toughest bout? Many feel that Luis Collazo, in particular, gave you a very hard fight.

“My toughest bout was David Estrada. The Collazo fight was a tough fight also, but I feel like I came into the fight not fully prepared like I needed to be so I put that on myself for making it hard. I think the Estrada fight was still probably my toughest fight because I think it was my first major test as a young guy coming out. I had a guy in front of me who wouldn’t go with shot after shot, and kept coming and pushing me to the limit. He tested me and my heart and I think I broke through and I graduated.”

An aspect of your life that many people do not know is that you have used your success in boxing to further some charity work. You maybe feel uncomfortable mentioning it but could you talk about aspects of your philanthropic work?

“My charity involvement is very important to me. I am on the board of an organization called the Carma Foundation, founded by Melky Jean, Wyclef’s sister. The Foundation does a lot for the country of Haiti. We take trips over their to feed the kids and are sponsoring a few orphanages. I also work closely with the Citrus Center Boys and Girls Club in Florida. I grew up at the Boys and Girls club and I know how important it was for me and going back there and giving back is important to me.”

And you would like to continue in the future helping out those in need? You have visited Haiti right and done some charity work there?

“I definitely will. I think I am lucky to be in the position I’m in. It’s only right for me to give back to those who aren’t as fortunate as I am. I think it’s our purpose to go out and continue to help others. I believe that whole-heartedly.”

One Haitian newspaper reports that you mentioned that you would like to start a boxing program in Haiti. Would it please you to be seen over there as a symbol and role model for the youth? It is known that you are proud to be American but also proud of your Haitian roots.

“Definitely, that’s another plan that we have in the works is to start an amateur boxing program in Haiti. After I had the chance to go the Olympics and represent Haiti, it showed the kids there that they can do the same. There are a lot of young kids that aspire to be the next Olympic boxer and world champion from Haiti so it’s definitely our plan to go over there and help them to chase those dreams.”

If you do score the big win against Shane Mosley-and it would be an upset for many sportswriters, which opponent would you then like to meet? The winner of Cotto-Pacquiao? Floyd Mayweather?

“I’m one hundred percent focused on Shane Mosley and January 30th right now, and am not looking past this fight in anyway.”

With your upcoming clash with Mosley in mind, what do you have to say to the doubters out there, those who don’t believe that Andre Berto is for real?

“Tune in January 30th and hopefully I can make them all believers.”

By: Robert Coster

Source: fightnews.com

Andre Berto – The last great hope of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr.

On January 30th, 2010 Andre Berto will take on Shane Mosley in what is a unification bout for the World Boxing Council and WBA welterweight titles. Mosley, the WBA champion is a boxing legend who is recognized for his fast and heavy handed punches. Berto, the WBC champion is known to be the “future” of the sport, his signature right hook and powerful right hand are worry for any top fighter.

Now, although the fight will surely be a test for Mosley and Berto respectfully, one has to think. What happens to the Berto-Mosley winner? Mosley, the hands on favorite, has been calling out Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr for a long time. Everyone knows that if he gets passed Berto, his bark will only get louder in his quest to face either of the “p4p” fighters. Now, if the Mayweather and Pacquiao fight actually does get made then Mosley(if he wins), would have to wait atleast 6 months after his fight with Berto to even have an ATTEMPT to try and CONVINCE the Pacman-Floyd winner to face him.

I am no rocket scientist but, IF Mosley does win and considering his fashion of beating Berto, I doubt highly that Mayweather or Pacquiao would be so anxious to get him in the ring. Fortunately in this scenario for Mosley, the truth would be all too simple. At that time, Mosley’s (*Again, IF he wins) argument for a fight, would be too hard to ignore for anyone claiming to be the best! Mosley and Mosley alone has a stake in the legacy’s of both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. It is how badly Mosley wants to be recognized as one of the best that determines his possibilities of being the “third wheel” in the Mayweather-Pacquiao drama.

If Berto wins on the first month of the new year, then he will be doing a gracious favor for both Pacquiao and Mayweather. Regardless of how the fight is won, he will have single handlely picked away a MAJOR concern and worry as both Mayweather and Paquiao can say they dont have to fight Mosley. Mosley, if he loses, surely would be back tracked and probably would still try to get a fight from Pacquiao or Mayweather. However, his reach for history will be long gone as I am cofident Mayweather or Pacquiao wont fight him once/if he loses.

Therefore, Shane Mosley has a lot on his plate coming into the new year. He has the chance to not only make history but to erase the plans of “P4P” for either Pacquiao or Mayweather Jr. Berto who is by no means an easy fight for any fighter, will be stepping into the ring to make a statement. If he wins, I doubt Pacquiao and Mayweather will fight him as I can see them saying his record is too young and he needs more experience to be considered a liable opponent. However, a win over Mosley is surely a good look and major step for Berto’s career as he can make even bigger fights and get more notice down the road. Given Berto’s God given ability, he can very well be victorious. Make no mistake, this is not an easy task for Mosley or for Berto.

On January 30th, 2010 I guarantee you that regardless if a Mayweather-Pacquiao fight does get made, both fighters will be watching Berto-Mosley, and If I had to make a bet. I would undoubtedly say both Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. will be hoping Berto gets the “W.”

By: Jorge Lugo
Source: boxingnews24.com

Andre Berto Not Impressed With Mosley's Margarito Win

WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto is not impressed with Shane Mosley's huge win over Antonio Margarito from this past January. Berto feels the win is misleading because Margarito's mind was somewhere else. About 30 minutes before the contest, two inserts with a plaster-like substance were discovered in Margarito's handwraps by an official with the California State Athletic Commission. Berto faces Mosley, the WBA champion, in a unification bout on January 30 in Las Vegas.

"Yes [it's misleading]. I saw Margarito's last last couple of fights before that and he didn't look too hot at all. [Mosley] was in front of a guy who was extremely slow. He was in front a guy who got his tools taken away from him about 15 minutes before he entered the ring. He didn't have that same aggressive style at all because that [handwraps incident] was on his mind. Mosley took advantage of it and it made him look like a star," Berto told BoxingScene.com's Bill Emes.

Berto and Mosley traded words over the internet for weeks. He confronted Mosley at their Las Vegas press conference and says Mosley refused to engage when they were face to face.

"He just had some thing to say in a couple of interviews in the past, they were on the internet. I just wanted to come face to face and 'you're in front of me now, what do you have to say.' Everybody knows who Shane is. That's not Shane. There is nothing tough or gangsta about Shane. I just wanted to clear that up. I was like 'what do you have to say' and he went to his smiling and the things that he does," Berto said.

Berto told BoxingScene that he doesn't think Mosley's long layoff will hurt him in the fight. Berto doesn't think Mosley will be able to deal with a faster fighter and one who has a higher punch output.

"He's a seasoned veteran. Maybe the time off will hurt him a little bit but he knows how to adapt pretty quickly. This fight will be my longest layoff also. I think I can brawl with him. I can box with him. I'm sure I [can deal] with anything that he tries to bring to the table. I'll be bale to handle it," Berto said.

"I think my punch output is going to make a big difference. I think I'm going to force him to fight. He thinks that he has a lot to prove. I think it's a big mistake to think you can prove something with a young fighter like me. I think I'm going to the fastest fighter that he's ever fought."

By:Mark Vester
Source: boxingscene.com

Sugar Shane Mosley: The Most Sought Out Man In Pro Boxing?

With the imminent mega-fight of all mega-fights looming between Manny Pacquaio and Floyd Mayweather Jr., Shane Mosley takes on a less competitive and lucrative fight with World Boxing Council title holder, Andre Berto. But is Shane really on the outside looking in?

I don’t think there is any doubt that Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather will eventually get it on. But the question is when? With all the potential problems that can keep this fight from materializing in the near future, Sugar Shane Mosley is left with a potentially great opportunity.

The biggest issue surrounding the mega-fight between “Pacman” and “Money” is money! This being not only the biggest fight of next year but as Max Kellerman so eloquently stated, historically, this will be the most significant match since Pernell Whitaker vs. Julio Cesar Chavez. It hasn’t been since those two legends fought, that a fight consisted of the undisputed number 1 and 2 best fighters in the world. Neither man will stand to make more money with each other than with anyone else.

After the historical fight between Manny Pacquiao and Miguel Cotto that has already been reported to have pulled in 1.25 million ppv buys (and that’s only domestic purchases), Team Pacquaio will demand and stay firm on a 50/50 split. This will not go over well with Floyd and his team.

After this fight, neither man will ever make this kind of money again in a single fight. You can bet that Floyd and Manny will fight tooth and nail to get as many percentages on their side as they possibly can. As young as they are, and as talented as they still are, both careers are winding down.

One man has his trainer pushing him to retire after this fight and has so many other financial options outside of boxing. The other has already retired once before and also has many financial options after boxing. Rest assure, before this fight gets done, with so much money on the line and the egos who’ll be participating in this matter, their will be a serious breakdown in the negotiations.

Enter Shane Mosley.

Now, even if talks breakdown, it doesn’t mean that Shane will get a fight with one of these two warriors. But he will be used as a bargaining chip. The next big fight, if Floyd and Manny doesn’t get made, you can be sure that Shane Mosley will be the other name on the marquee. Not only does he present another PPV blockbuster, but if he loses, the other fighter can go back and say they did 1 million ppv buys for the second time in a row, say that they bring in the numbers (Shane isn’t a huge draw) and get what they want when negotiations restart.

Whether this opportunity comes to fruition for Sugar Shane, he is much closer now to his dream mega-fight than he was after defeating Antonio Margarito last January.

By: Joseph Torres
Source: boxingnews24.com

Berto-Mosley: Shane will continue to be avoided if he wins

38-year-old World Boxing Association welterweight champion Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO’s) will likely continue to be avoided in the future by the top welterweights in the division should he get by WBC welterweight champion Andre Berto in their unification bout on January 31st at the Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino, in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Mosley, who has had huge difficulties in trying to line up fights against big named fighters in the division since capturing the WBA title with a 9th round knockout win over Antonio Margarito in January 2009, has had to settle for a fight against Berto instead of a big mega payday against the likes of Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mosley is in a no win situation with the Berto fight.

If Mosley loses, then Pacquiao and Mayweather will likely use that as an excuse to not fight him. But if Mosley wins, especially in an impressive manner, then Pacquiao and Mayweather will probably continue to steer well clear of Mosley. In other words, it doesn’t pay off to look to good in beating an opponent. Mosley would be better off letting the Berto fight end up closely contested.

However, Mosley can’t afford to fight that way because Berto has fast hands, good power and youth working for him in his fight with Mosley. This isn’t going to be an easy fight for Mosley for a variety of reasons. Berto is much younger at 26 compared the 38-year-old Mosley, and Berto is perhaps a little faster than Mosley at this point in Shane’s career.

By the time the two step foot in the ring in January, Mosley will have been out of action for an entire year. It may be a good thing to rest of from damaging fights every now and then, but it can’t be a good thing to take this amount of time off at Mosley’s advanced age.

The good thing that Mosley has going for him, however, is that Berto has looked nothing short of horrible in his last two fights against Luis Collazo and Juan Urango in 2009. Berto used to be a brilliant fighter who used his fast hands to throw dazzling combinations to dominate his opponents.

However, Berto has evolved into a punch and grab fighter in the past year, and barely escaped with a win over Collazo in January. This is the same Collazo that Mosley totally dominated in beating by a one-sided 12 round decision in November 2007. But it’s unclear whether Mosley is the same fighter he was back then. Mosley looked great in his last fight against Margarito, but with the year off from boxing, you never can be too sure what Mosley has left in the tank.

But for the sake of argument, if Mosley does get by Berto with ease, Mosley may find himself in the same exact situation where is right now with Mayweather and Pacquiao, the two biggest names in boxing, ignoring him. Mosley doesn’t have the time to wait for them to pick each other off and look his way because by the time that does happen, if it ever does, Mosley might be over 40-years-old, and not young enough to have much of a chance to win.

By: Jason Kim
Source: boxingnews24.com

Sugar Shane Mosley vs Andre Berto Jan 30 Las Vegas

It began as a war of words fought on internet websites and on Saturday, Jan. 30, welterweight superstars Sugar Shane Mosley and Andre Berto will take their dispute from cyberspace to the ring at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas. The 12-round bout will air live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing and will determine once and for all the King of the 147-pound weight class.

“Andre Berto’s a good young fighter but he’s bitten off more than he can chew with all the talking he’s been doing,” said WBA Welterweight Super World Champion Mosley. “I’ve forgotten more about the fight game than he knows and the world will see that in January.”

Berto, the WBC Welterweight World Champion commented, “This is the fight I’ve waited my whole career for and now it’s finally a reality. Shane Mosley made me chase him for a while, but he won’t be able to run when we get into the ring on January 30, and I can’t wait.”

Mosley vs. Berto, a 12-round welterweight bout, is presented by Golden Boy Promotions and DiBella Entertainment. The bout will air live on HBO’s World Championship Boxing from the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas, Nevada, beginning at 10 pm ET / 7 pm PT.

Tickets priced at $300, $200, $150, $100 and $50 are now on sale and available for purchase at all Las Vegas Ticketmaster locations (select Smith’s Food and Drug Centers and Ritmo Latino). Ticket sales are limited to eight (8) per person. To charge by phone with a major credit card, call Ticketmaster at (702) 745-3000. Tickets also are available for purchase at www.mandalaybay.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

President of Golden Boy Promotions, Oscar de la Hoya said, “Mosley-Berto is the first big fight of 2010 and it’s the perfect way to kick off the boxing year. Mosley fights his best when the challenge in front of him is greatest. Berto is one of the most talented fighters in the world, so I expect Mosley to be at his very best in a great fight on January 30.”

“This is one of those can’t miss fights in terms of action and Berto and Mosley won’t have to look too hard to find each other in the ring,” said Lou DiBella, President of DiBella Entertainment. “I think this fight represents the passing of the torch from the old lion in Mosley to the young lion in Berto and I’m expecting an early Fight of The Year candidate. With respect to a first ballot Hall of Famer, the Shane Mosley era ends on January 30.”

Richard Sturm, President of Sports & Entertainment for MGM MIRAGE, said, “We are proud to kick off 2010 with Golden Boy Promotions, DiBella Entertainment and HBO Sports and welcome the return of both Shane Mosley and Andre Berto to Mandalay Bay. This will be an exciting fight for not only our customers, but boxing fans around the country.”

Kery Davis, senior vice president of programming of HBO Sports said, “Beginning the new season of HBO’s World Championship Boxing with Shane Mosley vs. Andre Berto is a spectacular way to start the year. Boxing fans need to mark down January 30 right now on their calendars.”

A future Hall of Famer with five world titles to his name, Sugar Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KO’s) has ruled the lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight divisions over his storied 16-year career. However, 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.

One of boxing’s top young stars, 26-year-old Andre Berto (25-0, 19 KO’s) first made his mark on the worldwide sports scene as a member of the 2004 Haitian Olympic team. However he already has surpassed those accomplishments as an unbeaten professional and world champion.

The owner of wins over Cosme Rivera, Michel Trabant, Steve Forbes, Collazo and Juan Urango, the Winter Haven, Fla. native won the WBC Welterweight World Title in June 2008 with a seventh round stoppage of Miguel Angel Rodriguez and has since defended his crown three times. No victory would be bigger than one over Mosley on January 30.

Source: vegasenews.com

Shane Mosley Next For Mayweather if Pacquiao Crumbles

Leonard Ellerbe, advisor to Floyd Mayweather Jr., told the Los Angeles Times that Shane Mosley would be their prime target if negotiations to make a fight with Manny Pacquiao fall apart. Mayweather is looking for the biggest financial opportunities out there, and the two biggest are Pacquiao and Mosley. Bob Arum of Top Rank and Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy Promotions [acting on behalf of Mayweather] are going to do their best to make a deal for a Mayweather-Pacquiao bout. Mosley has to win his January 30 welterweight unification with Andre Berto to keep the Mayweather possibility alive.

"If the fight can't be made [with Pacquiao], we'll fight Shane Mosley if he can get past Berto," Ellerbe said.

Negotiations for Mayweather-Pacquiao will be tough. Mayweather wants the bulk of the money, and so does Pacquiao. Ellerbe doesn't seem to care if Pacquiao's pay-per-view with Miguel Cotto lands a higher buyrate than Mayweather's bout with Juan Manuel Marquez. He stands with Mayweather's position of Marquez bringing very little to the table in terms of pay-per-view buys.

"It's no secret the camps don't see eye to eye, but this is bigger than boxing," Ellerbe said. "We understand the magnitude of this."

"The numbers don't lie, people do," Ellerbe said. "[Pacquiao] had good numbers, God bless him, but he had a dance partner [Cotto] this time."

By: Mark Vester
Source: boxingscene.com

Mosley Called Out Floyd, Pacquiao Better Be Nicer About It

Floyd Mayweather's seven paragraph statement released late Monday night borders on being hysterical and a bad joke at the same time. It's amazing after being taken apart by RA The Rugged Man over the phone a couple weeks ago that he has the gall to say Manny Pacquiao hasn't called him out.

For starters Pacquiao is a likable guy who doesn't go out of his way calling anybody out. Remember, it was Oscar De La Hoya who requested to fight Manny Pacquiao, not the opposite. And the last guy who called out Mayweather to his face in the ring was Shane Mosley; how'd that work out for Shane? Not too good. It resulted in a promise that he would never fight the fighter who until Pacquiao's showing against Cotto this past weekend was thought to have the best chance to take him down and see to it that his "O" will go.

This is typical scripted Mayweather. He knows now more than ever before that his only role in a potential fight with Pacquiao is to don the black hat and incite boxing fans and play the bad guy. That's Floyd's best suit and it's obvious that Pacquiao's showing versus Cotto has infuriated him and made him envious.

As Mayweather watched Pacquiao-Cotto Saturday night he had one thought going through his mind and it wasn't "I could never beat Pacquiao." No, it was more on the line that as sure as he was that he'd beat Cotto, he knows he never could've taken him apart as decisively as Pacquiao did. Not once in ten fights even if he dragged Cotto down to 144. And that's obviously eating at him based on his ridiculous press release.

Inside Mayweather is frustrated that as great as he looked versus Juan Manuel Marquez in September, Pacquiao's showing versus Cotto makes his seem like a six week old ghost. It seems no matter what Mayweather says or does he's upstaged by Pacquiao's showing in the ring versus an opponent he had more trouble with, or just so happened not to get in the ring with.

Pacquiao-Mayweather will be promoted as the good-guy versus the bad-guy as it should. Mayweather will go out of his way to tear Pacquiao down, while Pacquiao will just sit back and let the demand for the fight rise as he becomes the bigger fan favorite with each passing day.

Mayweather saw some things Saturday night that he hadn't seen before from Pacquiao and they're a big concern for him. So instead of acting like he wasn't impressed he'll scream Pacquiao is just a media creation and knows inside he can't beat Floyd Mayweather.

The question is what does Mayweather say when Arum holds a press conference to which Pacquiao steps up to the podium and calmly calls him out? Maybe Pacquiao should confer with Shane Mosley and be sure to ask to fight but not come across so confident... or it won't happen.

By: Frank Lotierzo
Source: thesweetscience.com

The Mosley-Berto Winner - The Best Option For Pacquiao If Mayweather Fight Fails To Come Off?

There's no doubt about it, the next man we want to see the superb Manny Pacquiao get in the ring with is the boxer he took over from at the top of the pound-for-pound charts; Floyd Mayweather Junior. Enough has already been written about how much boxing needs this mega, mega-fight. All we can do now is hope the fight gets made.

However, if for any reason (and there could well be a few) the fight doesn't happen, Pacquiao and Mayweather will have to move on and find someone else to fight. In regards to the man of the moment, Pacquiao, who would he possibly be interested in, and who would you be interested in, him fighting instead of "Money?"

An intriguing welterweight unification bout will take place in January, as WBA champion "Sugar" Shane Mosley and his WBC counterpart, Andre Berto will clash in Las Vegas, the site of Pacquiao's great fight with and even greater win over Miguel Cotto.. How much motivation would "Pac-Man" get from a chance to beat either Mosley or Berto and add two more belts to his WBO 147-pound crown?

Sure, Pacquiao Vs. either Mosley or Berto would be a poor second to Manny Vs. Floyd, but as a secondary option, such a match-up would be as good as could be found. Mosley has called out Pacquiao a number of times already, and the young and ambitious Berto would surely like the fight also. Mosley even offered to come in at a catch-weight of 143-pounds to get a fight with the pound-for-pound king, and it's possible Pacquiao would want another fight just below 147 next (another possible reason why the Mayweather fight could fall apart).

Berto is big for a welterweight, but for as much money as a fight with Pacquiao would net him, it's probable that he too would agree to drop a couple of pounds. Or maybe by next summer, Manny will have added even more muscle to his frame, and he will be willing to box a welterweight at the full welterweight limit. Either way, if Mayweather is out (please, no!) the Mosley-Berto winner is the most attractive option for him; in my opinion anyway.

As to who that winner will be, I go for Mosley, even though he's 38 and will have been out of action for a solid year by the time he climbs through the ropes inside The Mandalay Bay Arena to meet his unbeaten, 26-year-old rival. So, if my prediction of a "Sugar" victory turns out to be correct, could we see either Pacquiao-Mosley or Pacquiao-Mayweather next summer?

Though it's "Money" we all want, a battle with Mosley would also be some damned good fight for Pacquiao to take. The welterweight division has never looked this good since the days of Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns!

Source: eastsideboxing.com

All roads lead to Sugar Shane Mosley!

By Jorge Lugo: Freddy Roach has been saying along with many other people that he wants Floyd Mayweather Jr. next for Manny, and given his impressive stoppage of Cotto, it actually looks like this fight might take place. Unfortunately though, all this talk of a Manny Pacquiao vs. Mayweather Jr. fight needing to take place to prove who’s the best lead’s me to further ask the what if’s? If Manny Pacquiao beats Floyd Mayweather jr regardless of fashion, should he retire and continue into politics like so many say he will?

Or what about Floyd Mayweather Jr., if he beats Manny Pacquiao, should he retire from boxing and continue in his other interests like so many feel he will? I am almost positive that it may look like that may be the best thing for both fighters if either one wins as they say there is nothing left but, there is one thing that people are SHOCKINGLY missing!

That thing is called “Sugar” Shane Mosley, the CURRENT welterweight champion! Just like Cotto was recognized going into his fight with Pacquiao as a dominant force in the welterweight division, so is Shane Mosley recognized! Now, people may say “But Mosley lost to Cotto”, this may be true as he DID. But what people need to realize, and this is one of the reason’s Shane Mosley is still talked about in the sport today, is that he didn’t get destroyed by Cotto, he lost a very competitive and close fight with Cotto!

Antonio Margarito, the man that gave Cotto his first brutal loss, was demolished earlier this year in the same but QUICKER fashion than Miguel Cotto by Manny Pacquiao. Therefore Floyd Mayweather Jr and Pacquiao to simply fight each other and claim to be the best would be redundant without fighting Mosley! If you look at Mosley’s boxing record, his loses came from slug fests with Vernon Forrest(RIP), Winky Wright, and of course Cotto. These men all shared actual fights with Mosley and actually weren’t strategists as Pacquiao was (To Pacquiao’s benefit). However, as Wright and Forrest where in bigger weight classes, Mosley had to go up in weight to fight them. Now even though he lost those fights, the fact is that just as with the Cotto fight, Mosley still made his other loses in a heavier weight division very competitive! A weight division that Manny Pacquiao says is too much for him! Shane never gave a boring moment in those fights with bigger and stronger men. Strength I believe that Pacquiao can not afford to obtain without giving away a significant amount of his much needed speed to Mosley. Speed I believe, that Mosley has that is significantly equal or even faster than Floyd Mayweather Jr!

In September of this year, Shane Mosley stepped into a ring and called out a supposed best boxer of his time and what happened? A scared Floyd Mayweather Jr would take his anger out on the ring anouncer and later downplay a challenge everyone feels he should take! Strange enough, 3 months before that. Sugar Shane Mosley would make a challenge to the talked about sensation Manny Pacquiao. Offering to go down to 140 POUNDS to face him! Sadly, Shane Mosley’s plea would be unanswered as Manny would wait 1 MONTH to challenge a Miguel Cotto. Thus making a fight with Cotto official, ONE month after Cotto’s fight with Clottey. I am sorry, but Mosley has the most recognized belt in the welterweight division and has been off for a yr begging for people to fight him! For two of the best fighters out there to simply avoid him makes things clear, they know what Shane Mosley can do to them!

At the age of 38 years old, with 52 fights, 38 KO’S, 1 No contest and 5 competitive loses(2 to Wright, 2 to Forrest and 1 to Cotto). Shane Mosley has proved that he is def a needed fight for any fighter that wants to call them self the best. Anyone who feels otherwise is flat out lying! No matter what people say about his steroid scandal people can’t take away the truth. The fact is, before and after every fight the boxing commission tests ALL professional fighters! Mosley tested positive for steroids once and that was in his second fight with De la hoya(The first first I might add, Mosley beat a De la hoya in his prime). When asked about this, Mosley had no problem admitting to injecting himself with what he did NOT believe to be steroids and said it would never happen again. This injection was given to him by his trainer and physician! So regardless on whether he knew or not(which I believe he didn’t), Mosley tested positive one time and has not come up since.

Having wins over better opponents than Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr’s records respectively, Shane Mosley has got to be the best P4P fighter out there next to Manny (since he beat Cotto). If he happens to get past a true up and comer that is Andre Berto(which many believe he will), there should be no reason why the winner of Pacquiao-Mayweather Jr. shouldn’t fight him. Say what you will, love or hate him, ALL ROADS LEAD TO “SUGAR” SHANE MOSLEY!

Source: boxingnews24.com

It's official: Shane Mosley and Andre Berto to fight in January

In what many will view as a warmup fight for a possible bigger payday, "Sugar" Shane Mosley will take on WBC champ Andre Berto in a welterweight match January 30 at the Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.

The bout will be broadcast on HBO's World Championship Boxing.

For Mosely, it's the type of fight he needs to keep himself tuned up just in case he gets a shot at Floyd Mayweather, Manny Pacquiao or another shot at Miguel Cotto.

"Andre Berto's a good young fighter, but he's bitten off a little more than he can chew with all the talking he's been doing," Mosely said. "I've forgotten more about the fight game than he knows and the world will see that in January."

Berto, fresh off a unanimous-decision win over Juan Urango in May, thinks he's ready to battle the future hall-of-famer. "This is the fight I've waited my whole career for and now it's finally reality," he said. "Shane Mosley made me chase him for a while, but he won't be able to run when we get into the ring on January 30 and I can't wait."

Source: newsday.com