Outtakes from Mayweather-Mosley news conference
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We’ll have a story posted soon on latimes.com/sports covering Thursday’s Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Shane Mosley news conference at L.A. Live hyping their May 1 welterweight fight at MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Among the topics, beyond a Tecate girl fainting in the sun, an odd appearance by retired former champion Joe Calzaghe that hinted of a comeback and a long-shot claim that Mayweather-Mosley can generate 3 million pay-per-view buys (it’s not yet a sellout at the gate), there was this:
Mayweather was pressed as to why he so badly wanted Manny Pacquiao to submit to random blood tests before their planned March 13 mega-fight that ultimately crumbled because of the dispute. Why, Mayweather was asked, when he’d never asked for anyone else to agree to the conditions of Olympics-style testing?
‘I’m the face of boxing,’ Mayweather said. ‘It’s not about one particular fighter. Times change. I want to help clean up my sport. That’s what I wanted.’
It was an interesting exchange.
Mayweather, in pushing for more stringent testing for performance-enhancing drugs, raised a legitimate concern about a glaring loophole that exists in the sport. Did he do so as a legitimate advocate? Or was it gamesmanship intended to force a concession from his foe?
For what it’s worth, Mayweather seemed resolute in his belief Thursday. You don’t exactly think of him as the establishment, but Mayweather’s stance is being praised, including from the head of the World Anti-Doping Agency, David Howman, who told The Times this week that, ‘Boxing commissions are like an octopus: They have too many arms.’
There’s no uniform testing plan in place.
So where does that leave a possible Mayweather-Pacquiao fight? I was told beforehand that Mayweather wouldn’t discuss Pacquiao, but I asked anyway. Is the door closed on that fight ever happening? Mayweather promptly ended the interview.
‘I have to go sign autographs for my fans,’ Mayweather said, hugging me and grinning. ‘I still love you baby.’
Not the answer I was looking for.
Meanwhile, fans will appreciate that there are a few tickets still on sale, and that toolmaker DeWalt is offering a pay-per-view rebate program.
HBO will start a fourth appearance by Mayweather in another ‘24/7’ series that will begin April 10.
The best news conference performance was turned in by Mosley’s trainer, Naazim Richardson, who was especially outspoken. He admitted Mayweather’s movements are so elusive, ‘You can’t hit this guy in the [rear] with a handful of rice,’ but added, ‘Nothing’s impenetrable’ and warned Mayweather backers to stay loyal after his coming loss.
Mosley worked in his own crack, jabbing that ‘May 1st will be ‘May’s’ first.’
Mayweather trainer, Roger Mayweather, didn’t agree, smiling in the direction of Mosley’s family and declaring, ‘We’re going to do what we need to do.’
And thankfully for all, after fight promoter Oscar De La Hoya summoned emergency help when the Tecate girl fell down in front of the stage, we were told by De La Hoya, ‘She’s going to be OK. She needed some water.’
-- Lance Pugmire
