WBA Welterweight champion Sugar Shane Mosley (65-5, 39 KO’s) discusses in detail his next fight against Mayweather, Pacquiao vs. Clottey, why he agrees with Oscar’s prediction of a Sugar knockout on May 1 and much more…
BoxingInsider: What happened with that shoving match at the New York press conference?
Shane Mosley: “We said a few things. He got nose to nose with me and I kinda pushed him back a bit. And then he said, Don’t put your hands on me. So I grabbed his hands. There’s a lot of money on the line – so we can’t fight now. But as you can tell, we’re both eager to get in there and mix it up.”
BoxingInsider: Is this the best time to fight Floyd?
Shane Mosley: “Any time is the best time to fight Floyd. I think the best time is now because the fight is so big. This is for the best pound-for-pound, then next, either one of us fights Pacquiao. So we have to figure out who is the best. This is the three best.”
BoxingInsider: What do you say about Floyd concentrating on your five losses. He keeps bringing that up.
Shane Mosley: “Well, I say about the losses – he has 40 wins – I have 39 knockouts. I’m one knockout away from having as many knockouts as he has fights. So I knock people out, that’s what I do.”
BoxingInsider: Oscar De La Hoya confidently said you will knock Floyd out. Do you agree?
Shane Mosley: “I agree, definitely. Definitely. That’s what I do.”
BoxingInsider: Your prediction on Pacquiao vs. Clottey?
Shane Mosley: “I think Pacquiao wins because Clottey is not a finisher. I’m not saying Pacquiao will knock him out or anything. He has good speed and power and defense but I think Pacquiao has more movement and throws a lot more punches and will – if he doesn’t get him – probably will win on points.”
BoxingInsider: What can we expect to see from you in the ring on May 1?
Shane Mosley: “You can expect me to be doing everything. It’s not just move forward, side to side, I’m not a one-dimensional type of fighter. Not in any kind of way. When I fought Margarito I had to back up a little bit and throw some combinations to break him down. I fought other people – I had to go forward. I can do both. I can knock you out with my left hook or my right. I knocked Vargas with my right hand the first time and my left hook the second time. So it doesn’t matter.”
BoxingInsider: Does it give you extra confidence knowing that Floyd didn’t really want to fight you and had to be forced?
Shane Mosley: “No. That won’t give me confidence. Confidence is the hard training. Believe in myself and the type of hard work that we do. That’s what gives me the confidence. Not that he didn’t want to take it. Sometimes a scared fighter is a dangerous fighter. So I gotta make sure that when I get ready for this fight, that we go over all the strategies we’re gonna do, and do it.”
BoxingInsider: What most concerns you about Floyd as a fighter?
Shane Mosley: “When I go in there I don’t care about what Floyd thinks. When I go into a fight with a fighter, it doesn’t matter what he’s thinking. It doesn’t matter what they think. It’s about what I believe, what I can do. And I’m gonna dictate. Not gonna be wrapped up in what he’s doing. I’m gonna take it to him.”
BoxingInsider: What is your main advantage over Floyd, do you think?
Shane Mosley: “Being that I’m a little bigger (one inch in height and two inches in reach) than all the guys he’s ever fought. Up to now. That’s gonna give him problems. Someone that can do the things he does and be able to counter. So he’s in a fight with a real guy that can really do some damage. If I want, I can close my eyes and swing and he might go down. If I hit him with a good shot.”
BoxingInsider: What do you think of Floyd’s repeated mentioning PED’s at the press conference?
Shane Mosley: “I think it’s his way to try and get under my skin. Deep down inside Floyd, if he fought the way he talks, he wouldn’t be fighting me. It proves because he didn’t fight Manny Pacquiao so he knows that I’m a clean fighter. He just wants to put that out there to get under my skin and let the fans hoo-rah about whatever they’re talking about.”
