Shane Mosley is one of the best fighters in the world. He's the guy who destroyed Antonio Margarito with ease in a January shocker to win a welterweight championship and stamp himself as the top 147-pounder on the planet for the second time in his career.
That fight did huge business as well, drawing an arena-record crowd to the Staples Center in Los Angeles and generating strong ratings on HBO.
So why is it that Mosley can't find a dance partner for a big fight?
When Floyd Mayweather Jr., who retired last year and vacated the welterweight title when he did so, announced he was returning, he opted to fight the lightweight champion, Juan Manuel Marquez.
Miguel Cotto, who owns a close, exciting victory against Mosley, elected to fight the dangerous Joshua Clottey on June 13, although he could have offered Mosley a rematch. I'm not in any way knocking the Clottey fight, which I love. I'm just saying that it means a Cotto-Mosley rematch is out of the picture for now.
Manny Pacquiao knocked out Ricky Hatton on May 2 and hasn't committed to his next fight yet, but Top Rank's Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, has said numerous times that they are looking at Cotto if he beats Clottey.
Of course, a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight looms as a mega-event. If that happens, neither man would be available to face Mosley.
Mosley could pursue fights with Paul Williams or Andre Berto, as long as Berto beats Juan Urango on Saturday night, but neither presents Mosley with a fight all that big or lucrative.
But Mosley is trying not to get discouraged about the situation. He went on "SportsCenter" last week to call out Mayweather should he defeat Marquez on July 18. Mosley is also interested in fighting Pacquiao.
One of the biggest issues in that fight is the weight. Mosley is a former 154-pound champion and the reigning 147-pound champion. Pacquiao, whose first title came at 112 pounds, won the 140-pound title from Hatton. In his only welterweight fight, Pacquiao sent Oscar De La Hoya into retirement in December in what was supposed to be a one-shot deal for Pacquiao in the 147-pound division.
Mosley, however, says he is not going to let weight stand in the way of a fight with Pacquiao, so he is willing to make concessions.
For the first time, Mosley said he is willing to drop below 147 pounds and meet Pacquiao at a catch weight.
"I want it to be known that I want to fight Pacquiao and I want to fight him now," Mosley said. "I'm willing to meet at a catch weight to make that happen. I know this is what [Pacquiao trainer] Freddie Roach wants as well, as he has previously stated this to press. I am the best fighter in boxing and I am ready to reclaim the title of No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter."
Mosley didn't make it clear how low he would be willing to drop, but you have to figure he would need to make at least 144 pounds. Mosley weighed 146 for a few welterweight fights, but hasn't been lower than that since 1999, when he made his last lightweight title defense at 135 pounds.
If you ask me, I'd love to see Mosley get Mayweather. I've wanted to see that fight since back in the day, when Mosley was lightweight champion and Mayweather was junior lightweight champion in the late 1990s. But I also really want to see Pacquiao-Mayweather, which is easily the biggest fight boxing has to offer. It would match the pound-for-pound king (Pacquiao) against the guy who gave it up by retiring but never lost it in the ring (Mayweather). I hope that fight happens and that Mosley is waiting for the winner.
Unfortunately, Mosley may have to take a smaller fight between now and then.
That fight did huge business as well, drawing an arena-record crowd to the Staples Center in Los Angeles and generating strong ratings on HBO.
So why is it that Mosley can't find a dance partner for a big fight?
When Floyd Mayweather Jr., who retired last year and vacated the welterweight title when he did so, announced he was returning, he opted to fight the lightweight champion, Juan Manuel Marquez.
Miguel Cotto, who owns a close, exciting victory against Mosley, elected to fight the dangerous Joshua Clottey on June 13, although he could have offered Mosley a rematch. I'm not in any way knocking the Clottey fight, which I love. I'm just saying that it means a Cotto-Mosley rematch is out of the picture for now.
Manny Pacquiao knocked out Ricky Hatton on May 2 and hasn't committed to his next fight yet, but Top Rank's Bob Arum, Pacquiao's promoter, has said numerous times that they are looking at Cotto if he beats Clottey.
Of course, a Pacquiao-Mayweather fight looms as a mega-event. If that happens, neither man would be available to face Mosley.
Mosley could pursue fights with Paul Williams or Andre Berto, as long as Berto beats Juan Urango on Saturday night, but neither presents Mosley with a fight all that big or lucrative.
But Mosley is trying not to get discouraged about the situation. He went on "SportsCenter" last week to call out Mayweather should he defeat Marquez on July 18. Mosley is also interested in fighting Pacquiao.
One of the biggest issues in that fight is the weight. Mosley is a former 154-pound champion and the reigning 147-pound champion. Pacquiao, whose first title came at 112 pounds, won the 140-pound title from Hatton. In his only welterweight fight, Pacquiao sent Oscar De La Hoya into retirement in December in what was supposed to be a one-shot deal for Pacquiao in the 147-pound division.
Mosley, however, says he is not going to let weight stand in the way of a fight with Pacquiao, so he is willing to make concessions.
For the first time, Mosley said he is willing to drop below 147 pounds and meet Pacquiao at a catch weight.
"I want it to be known that I want to fight Pacquiao and I want to fight him now," Mosley said. "I'm willing to meet at a catch weight to make that happen. I know this is what [Pacquiao trainer] Freddie Roach wants as well, as he has previously stated this to press. I am the best fighter in boxing and I am ready to reclaim the title of No. 1 pound-for-pound fighter."
Mosley didn't make it clear how low he would be willing to drop, but you have to figure he would need to make at least 144 pounds. Mosley weighed 146 for a few welterweight fights, but hasn't been lower than that since 1999, when he made his last lightweight title defense at 135 pounds.
If you ask me, I'd love to see Mosley get Mayweather. I've wanted to see that fight since back in the day, when Mosley was lightweight champion and Mayweather was junior lightweight champion in the late 1990s. But I also really want to see Pacquiao-Mayweather, which is easily the biggest fight boxing has to offer. It would match the pound-for-pound king (Pacquiao) against the guy who gave it up by retiring but never lost it in the ring (Mayweather). I hope that fight happens and that Mosley is waiting for the winner.
Unfortunately, Mosley may have to take a smaller fight between now and then.
