Vegas Beat: Mayweather steps to the plate while his supporters strike back

A lot can change in 24 hours.

Just last night I penned a quick piece focusing on the fans’ frustrations with Floyd Mayweather Jr. and his reported reluctance to sign on to face Shane Mosley this coming May 1st in Las Vegas, Nevada. The remarks I gathered were venomous as well as being full of frustration and hate towards the undefeated fighter as the public had seemed to have enough with the whole situation.

Less than a day later and it has been reported that Mayweather has indeed signed on to face Mosley at the MGM Grand in a bout that will surely be one of the biggest of the year. Mayweather’s decision to move forward with the bout has come hand in hand with the emergence of his most vocal supporters defending their man, for whom Floyd says the fight is for.

"This one is definitely for the fans,” Floyd stated. “I wasn't going to waste anyone's time with a meaningless tune-up bout and asked to fight Shane immediately. I have said ever since I came back to the sport that I only wanted to fight the best. I think Shane is one of the best, but come May 1, he still won't be great enough to beat me."

Once again the plot has taken a turn and when browsing the forums and message boards online it’s Mayweather’s supporters who are now on the attack.

This is what everyone is saying about Mayweather’s recent signature…
(p4p champ @ BoxingScene.com)…
“No suprise here, he was just making Mosley sweat. Funny that people (mostly pactards) actualy thought he would walk away from the contract when he has already been going around and publicly stating he is fighting Mosley on May 1st.”

(Sportsworld3024 @ ESPN.com)…
“The Floyd haters are already saying that Shane is too old. If PBF wins the haters are going to say. Oh! Shane was over the hill.”

(johnny2x2x @ Mlive.com)…
“And here's what we heard from the haters 3 months ago, "Why won't Floyd fight Mosely, he's scared, this is the fight we would love to see and is a risky fight."
And here's what they're saying now, "Mosely? Who wants to see that fight, Mosely is too old and is no threat." Awesome fight. Pacman was afraid of needles so Floyd made the next best fight out there against the Best Welter in the World who just creamed Margarito. Mosely is big, strong, fast and skilled. I can't wait.”

(DJMySoul @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“Mayweather wins by TKO in the 10th or 11th round. Mosley would be too slow as from the 4th round and that's when Floyd is gonna start nailing him. Yes, Mosley will give a good account of himself early on by winning a round or two then drawing the next two before losing the subsequent rounds clearly and more clearly. His win against Margarito was impressive but who is Margarito boxing skills-wise, mh? How did Shane look against Mayorga? Lacklusture. Against Collazo? Average. Against Wright? Dismal! Against Mayweather? Deadman Walking!”

(Slystaff @ FightBeat.com)…
“We'll finially get to see floyd Mayweather jnr fight against Floyd mayweather jnr LITE!
Mosley be exposed once and for all as a cheap imitation of the true multi-dimensional superstar”

(Joe King @ BoxingFanatics.com)…
“People have no patience and are waiting for PBF to fail but he proves them wrong again. Now watch this fight be called a mismatch.”

(dagiantkilla69 @ ESPN.com)…
“All I know was everyone was hyped up and thought Hatton was going to kick Floyd's butt. But Floyd took him apart.”

(OG Triple @ BoxingScene.com)…
“money may was feeling the pressure”

(Old Yank @ EastSideBoxing.com)…
“Mayweather has a fine ability to adjust. I too see the bout as close in the first half. Hell, I gave Judah 3 of the first 4 rounds against Mayweather. I do not believe that Mosley (at this stage of his career) is faster than Judah was in his prime. Mosley can pop, but he's not a one-punch artist. Mayweather might need to play pot-shot artist (something he's good at), for the entire bout. Mosley has shown that he can be hit (see: Cotto/Mosley, De La Hoya/Mosley, Wright/Mosley, Forrest/Mosley -- hell, even Mayorga/Mosley). But hitting Mayweather is an entirely different matter. I do not see a stoppage in this bout. I see a chess match with Mayweather getting a one or two point nod at the end.”

(*Z* @ FightBeat.com)…
“Just because I don't like how his career has been going the past 5 or so years doesn't mean I don't recognize how good he is. I've said it a bunch of times, Manny loses to Mayweather. I have always said Mosley is the toughest fight for him at 147.
I have never ever said Mayweather wasn't a great fighter. Am I supposed to sit back like a f****** nuthugger and give him credit for the guys he's been fighting? Sorry, not going to happen.
If you're going to run around saying you're the best, prove it. That is my point and always has been. I just can't get along with Floyd nuthuggers, they have made a job out of defending his every move. Kind of Roy Jones fans pissed me off when he was fighting cops and garbage men. Because I complain of loyd lack of top competition I get lumped in as a Pacman nuthugger. It's f****** stupid. It's not one or the other.”

(DNash1972 @ ESPN.com)…
“MARGARITO only beaten Cintron and Andrew six Heads Lewis, No one new who he was when Arum tried to mae that fight. Baldomir had huge exposure when he beat ultra Popular Fighters in Judah and Gatti, he was the lineal champion and Ring Mag CHampion, Margaritp was a fringe WBO champ no one knew Arum threw 8 mil around because he told Floyd he could not make the Oscar fight. Knowing Floyd was leaving Bob sullief FLoyd name with no named at the time AM. Well FLoyd walked got 8 mil anyway to fight Baldomir, made 10 mil after ppv, and sold way more pv than a no name Margo would have done at the time”

(Derranged @ BoxingScene.com)…
“Thats a relief. Because I was this close to renouncing myself as a fan of his. Even though I kind had a feeling that him not signing the contract immediately was being blown out of proportion... Still..... I promised that if he didnt fight Mosley or Pac, I would no longer be a fan of his.”

(Pascals Wager @ FightBeat.com)…
“I actually salivate at the thought of the clash of styles between Pac-PBF way more, but I'm happy that this fight is happening.”

(Kobe2024 @ ESPN.com)…
“Yes Yes I am sooooo happy. Mayweather is the real P4P champ and everybody knows it. There are a lot of haters who just got into the fight game who play with PacRoid dolls. Just forget about that fight with PacRoid and who.....? LOL Its a shame that the stadium that they're fighting in out shines the fight itself. HAHA. Everythings big in Texas? Well not that PacRoid fight. Vegas is where its at with legendary hall of fame fighters Mayweather vs Mosely. Setting the stage for a precedence that real champions abide too, meanwhile glorifying the integrity of the sport. WOW this fight is so much better than that other one. THE DRAMA Mosely has been running from Mayweather for a while, THE STATUS Blood tests will set a standard. THE STAR SPANGLED BANNER This is an all-american fight and I guarantee you every freakin star is going to be there especially if they are black and into boxing. THE LEGEND This is where legends are made. They will break the record held by PBF and DLH and also set a record for the highest grossing fight between two black fighters toping Holyfield vs Tyson. Man I cant wait bring it on.”

(Attraction @ BoxingFanatics.com)…
“lol, now all the people who said floyd was too scared to fight shane will have to say that he was cornered into fighting shane and when floyd beats him they will have to say "well shane was old, and it was a boring defensive display, floyd struggled with a 38 year old mosley etc". lol.”

(Punk @ FightBeat.com)…
“Can't see Mosley winning really.
I think he'll make it competitive in parts but will ultimately fail - Floyd is too sharp right now. Hell, Mosley was outboxed by Cotto, is 380 years old and beat a slo-mo Marg, let's get real. Floyd is prime and fresh.
That said, Mosley is big, strong and has a great chin - but he'll just be winging for the fences while Floyd potshots him to death.”

(-Reflexes- @ BoxingScene.com)…
“Hi Haters!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Floyd back to Claim his Throne.
He will KO Mosley and KO Pac.”

(Pass the Shooga @ ESPN.com)…
“Big ups to Floyd for signing. I always said he needed to step up and fight the best, and now he will(if he doesn't bust a rib or whatever and cancel, which wouldn't suprise me). Much respect and good luck vs Sugar Shane.”

(Reloaded @ BoxingScene.com)…
“There was never any doubt for some , the haters were the only cats on a hot tin roof”

(SmoothSexxy @ ESPN.com)…
“When Floyd beats Mosely the rain of criticism will come showering down. I can't wait to see it. 3 months of Hate for 12 rounds of silence, then the hate machine will start again. Conspiracy theories, discredit, and no credit for beating SSM who is and will always be remembered as a great fighter. I hope Pac doesn't lose because the absolute non-sense we will hear about Clottey being the boogie man in boxing no one wanted to face will surface faster than witnesses in Mr. Vicks dog fighting case.”

(thephantom5 @ BoxingScene.com)…
“Floyd's gonna put on a show.
Can't wait.
Freakin epic!!”

(Bad Brains @ BoxingScene.com)…
“cotto outboxed shane mosley in the 2nd half of their fight, if he could do that, mayweather would do even more effectively. Remember, mosley's #1 problems are technical boxers who uses footwork. Watch him against winky.”


Source: examiner.com