By: Sean Crose
“I will be the first man to defeat Mayweather.”
Many have said it, or so it seems. No one, however, has been able to best now retired great Floyd “Money” Mayweather, be it in a professional or an exhibition bout. Still, the largely unknown Don Moore has uttered those exact words in the leadup to his exhibition match this weekend against Mayweather…which will go down on a helipad in Dubai (no one said Mayweather wasn’t a showman). Although the former pound for pound great is well into his forties and clearly past his prime, even an exhibition win against Mayweather would be a feather in any fighter’s cap – something Moore is clearly aware of.
“I’m going to stay on Mayweather’s chest and it’s going to be toe to toe action,” Moore, whose last professional fight was in 2016, said. “This is an exhibition, but he’s trained hard, I’ve trained hard. We’re going to give the fans a great fight, a great performance. It’s going to be toe to toe in the center of the ring. Pure boxing. You’re going to see similar styles. You’re going to see ferociousness from both fighters. This is unfinished business – Floyd knows I’m a problem and he can be beaten like any other fighter. I’m humble but I’m also a fighter, so this is business not personal.”
Needless to say, Mayweather himself doesn’t have much use for those who might criticize him for facing as obscure an opponent as Moore – or for pretty much anything else for that matter. “I was able to leave boxing on my own terms,” Mayweather told The Mirror, “and now the boxing critics are upset that I am still able to milk and finesse the sport of boxing by throwing exhibitions.” With that in mind, it’s clear that Mayweather is carefully choosing who he gets in the ring with these days. His last battle was with the popular but largely inexperienced Logan Paul. Yet Moore makes it clear this is all more than a paycheck to him, as he’s worked with Mayweather before.
“I have the blueprint,” Moore said. “The most exciting thing about it is that I’ve been in the ring with him and I’ve been in camp with him day in and day out. So understand ‘Dangerous’ Don Moore has what it takes to actually be victorious over him because I know his style. I know what’s coming for me. I know how to adapt. I know how to adjust. I’m no Logan Paul, so you’re not going to be able to fight me like you fought him. I’m a boxer. However he brings it, I’m going to bring it right back to him.”
Although the main attraction of the pay per view event, aside from Mayweather himself, may be the helipad atop Dubai’s Burj Al Arab Hotel, Moore promises action. ” Don’t go get no popcorn,” he said. “Don’t blink.”
* Don Moore’s quotes first appeared on the Betway Insider US blog