by Norm Frauenheim

LAS VEGAS – Who R U Picking?
Dumb question.
Turns out, Shane Mosley picked the wrong guy. He picked Floyd Mayweather Jr. as an opponent. But it’s hard to beat a legend, which is what Mayweather became Saturday night at the MGM Grand with a unanimous decision that backed up years of bragging about how he deserves a share of the fame that belongs to the greats who fought before him.
Mayweather, 41-0, 25 KOs) survived a dangerous second round and went on to dismantle Mosley (46-6, 39 KOs) in a fashion that was thorough as it was surprising. Mayweather didn’t knock out anybody but his critics. But his one-sided victory said it all, over and over again. Other than perhaps Manny Pacquiao, there is nobody better than Mayweather.
“If he wants to fight,’’ he knows where to find me,’’ Mayweather said of a showdown that didn’t happen in March because Pacquiao would not agree to Olympics-style drug testing.
Mayweather said again that he would fight Pacquiao only if he agrees to random drug testing. It looks as if a resumption of resumption of the controversial talks with Pacquiao will be Mayweather’s next fight. For now, there is only his latest addition to his claim that he has to be considered the best in today’s pound-for-pound world. It’s safe to say he will gte no argument from Mosley, who lost by 119-109, 119-109 and 118-100 on the scorecards.
“I did what the fans came here to see, a toe-to-toe’’ Mayweather said. “That’s not my style. But I wanted to do it.’’
In expectation of Mayweather’s promise, the building buzzed for about 30 minutes before Mosley and Mayweather left their dressing rooms and made that ritual walk, down the aisle, up the steps and through the ropes. Muhammad Ali was there. Sugar Ray Leonard was there. Mike Tyson was there. Thomas Hearns was there. Anticipation was everywhere.
Mosley was the first to enter. His robe was trimmed in a light blue that matched the turquoise shade of his eyes. On the back, there was the image of warrior mask sewn into the silk.
Then, there was Mayweather, choreographed like a concert and overdone like a circus. First, there were the OJs, singing an old-school version of rhythm-and-blues with the emphasis on Money, Mayweather’s nickname. Then, there were clowns and dancing girl on stilts tossing bills of what had to be – what else? Money. Finally, there was Mayweather, who didn’t look as if he was embarrassed by any of it.
Mayweather’s showmanship was predictable. His first round wasn’t.. At the opening bell, he began moving forward, instead of waiting for for Mosley to come to him. If it wasn’t out of character, it was dangerous.
In the second round, Mayweather found out just how dangerous. Mosley landed a head-rocking right. It hurt, hurt enough for Mayweather to hold on for several seconds. Then, there was a left-right combination from Mosley. The combo’s power buckled Mayweather’s knees.
For the first time in Mayweather’s pro career he staggered and stumbled, almost as if he were about to embark on his first fall to the canvas. He didn’t. He stayed upright even on uncertain feet that moved across a padded surface that must have felt as if it were shaking from a quake in some unseen fault line.
That triumph over momentary adversity set the stage for the victory that backs up so much Mayweather’s claim on being a legend. He overcame what many though he could not. He was still stading. Everything else, or at least the next 10 rounds, would belong to him.
From round to round after the dramatic second, Mayweather employed a right hand that grew progressively more accurate against Mosley, whose jab appeared to become as progressively erratic. Stinging rights, one after another, seemed to fuse Mosley. If he had foreseen a plan, he didn’t see anything but that right whistling at him from the fifth until the twelfth.
In the end, there were no surprises. Mosley looked like an old man and Mayweather, still unmarked, looked like the legend he said he has always been. read more