By Robert Morales

"Sugar" Shane Mosley said he saw Zab Judah at a Las Vegas night spot Tuesday evening. Interestingly, Mosley said Judah told him about some of the things he told BoxingScene.com publisher Rick Reeno that appeared on this website about midnight (Eastern Standard Time) Tuesday.

"I just seen Zab last night at a club and he was pleading his case and why he said what he said," Mosley said Wednesday, speaking specifically about Judah allegedly turning down an offer to fight him Dec. 26 because he wasn't pleased with what was offered him.

"I told him that actually I didn't care about that. I told him I have to go out and find someone who wants to fight the No. 1 welterweight in the world," Mosley told BoxingScene.com.

Judah, however, perhaps went too far when he told Reeno, "I don't fight HGH patients." From Mosley's reaction, it doesn't appear he knew about that part of the story.

"The HGH, I never took HGH," said an animated Mosley, who tested positive for steroids after his second fight with Oscar De La Hoya.

"I don't do that. They can test me any time they want to."

Someone Needs To Man Up

It should be no surprise to anyone that Mosley could be nearing his wit's end.

"There are a bunch of cowards out there who don't want to fight," said Mosley, who became a two-time welterweight champion when he stopped Antonio Margarito in the ninth round in January in Los Angeles. "Everyone wants to say, 'Oh, there isn't enough money.' Everybody has excuses. They don't want to get their hands hurt, they don't want to get their ribs hurt.

"All these fighters, I don't know what they are. They are prima donnas who just want to fight for money. I'm a real fighter. ... I'm supposed to be an old man walking on crutches and s**t, and they are basically saying they want to fight everybody else."

"They" being Manny Pacquiao, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Miguel Cotto and now Judah.

"I heard Judah might be fighting (Paulie) Malignaggi," said Mosley, who turns 38 Monday.

Mosley bristled when talking about Mayweather, who will fight Juan Manuel Marquez on Sept. 19, less than two months before Pacquiao and Cotto square off Nov. 14.

"He (Mayweather) wants to be proclaimed pound-for-pound king, but he doesn't want to fight the No. 1 welterweight and former pound-for-pound king, if you will," Mosley said.

Schaefer Also Reacts

Mosley is promoted by De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions. Richard Schaefer, Golden Boy CEO, said there was never a firm money offer made to Judah through his father, Yoel. 

Zab Judah told BoxingScene.com that Schaefer had made an offer of $500,000 as well as five percent of the pay-per-view revenue. Well, first off, Schaefer said Wednesday a fight between Mosley and Judah would be on regular HBO, not on HBO pay-per-view. (They were scheduled to fight on HBO pay-per-view last year but the fight was canceled when Judah took about 50 stitches after reportedly falling through a shower door.).

Schaefer also said the money that was casually discussed was lower than half a million. Actually, Schaefer said, the whole conversation was casual.

"I just called Yoel and wanted to know why he (Zab) was not fighting (Antonio Diaz) on the Mayweather-Marquez undercard," said Schaefer, referring to Judah recently pulling out of that fight. "And I wanted to know what their plans are.

"He said, 'We don't really know.' "

Schaefer said Yoel Judah told him he wasn't thrilled about the way they were treated by Mayweather Promotions, which put together Judah's fight with Diaz. Schaefer said he then mentioned to Yoel Judah that he is still trying to get a fight for Mosley.

"He said, 'I'm sure Zab would interested,' " Schaefer said.

Schaefer said he explained to Yoel Judah that there was no formal offer on the table, that he still had not even discussed it officially with Mosley or HBO. Basically, Schaefer intimated, he was just fishing to see if there was any interest. 

Schaefer said Yoel Judah asked him what kind of money might be in the offering.

"I said, 'I don't know, maybe in the $350,000-$400,000 range,' " Schaefer said. "And Yoel said, 'No, no, we would never fight Shane for that.' "

Judah was scheduled to make $1.5 million last year to fight Mosley, but that was more than a year ago and economic times have changed, Schaefer said.

Schaefer, speaking late Wednesday, said he had not read BoxingScene.com's story on all this, but he had heard about all the nasty things Judah said about him and Shelly Finkel, whom Schaefer said was nothing more than a go-between in getting him on the phone with Yoel Judah.

Judah said of the two, "They suck a d**k, preferably an HIV d**k.

"I got a call from Shelly that Zab was making some stupid comments," Schaefer said. "I'm not surprised."

Schaefer: No Problem

Mosley had a Dec. 5 date to fight on HBO, but Schaefer said HBO asked him to move it to Dec. 26 so HBO can do the Kelly Pavlik-Williams fight on Dec. 5.

"HBO asked me to move it and I discussed it with Shane, so it looks like that's what we're going to do," Schaefer said.

Williams' promoter, Dan Goossen, said Wednesday he was still waiting for the doctor's report that would give Pavlik - who is suffering from a staph infection on his left hand - total clearance to fight.

Arreola's New Digs

Lots of fighters like going to Big Bear Lake, Calif. - a mountainous community about 95 miles east of Los Angeles - to train because of the serenity and 7,000-foot altitude. Chris Arreola is not one of them. His trainer, Henry Ramirez, isn't too crazy about it, either. That's why they are training at Joe Goossen's Gym in Van Nuys, an urban-like city near Los Angeles. 

Arreola on Sept. 26 will try to make history when he challenges Vitali Klitschko for his heavyweight championship at Staples Center in Los Angeles. Arreola will be trying to become the first heavyweight world champion of Mexican ancestry.

"Actually, I came up with the decison because I didn't want to go to Big Bear and to be honest, neither did Chris," Ramirez said. "I'm not opposed to going, but I knew if we went it would ... you know, he doesn't like it and to be honest, if Chris doesn't like being somewhere he's not going to train. Period, point blank. 

"It could be me, it could be the good Lord himself. He's going to do as he chooses. And as opposed to staying home (to train in Riverside, Calif.), I figured we could come out here and be closer to (Dan) Goossen's office and closer to where I think the media was going to be accessible being in L.A. or close to L.A."

Ramirez said some fighters like being secluded when they train so they can think about the fight 24/7. Arreola is the opposite. 

"He likes his diversions, just any kind of diversion from the gym," Ramirez said. "When he's here he'll put the time and effort in. I think it's important to get his mind away from thinking solely of the fight."

Arreola spun it similarly.

"I really do like it, I enjoy being at Goossen's gym," Arreola said. "You actually see people and you see cars. When you like it where you're at, you can actually work out harder." 

Toney Not Going Away

The first thing that comes to this mind when the name James "Lights Out" Toney is mentioned is his fight with Tim Littles back in March 1994.

Toney was defending his super middleweight world title on the undercard of the Oscar De La Hoya-Jimmi Bredahl junior lightweight title fight at the famed Olympic Auditorium in Los Angeles. 

Toney was cut early over an eye. It was gruesome. Between the third and fourth rounds, referee Pat Russell warned Toney that he might only give him one more round before basically asking the ringside physician to advise him to stop the fight.

Toney went out in the fourth and absolutely destroyed Littles with one of the most vicious displays of punching one could witness. As Littles lay on the canvas being tended to, his wife stood quietly outside the ring. But Littles' brother was sobbing.

Afterward, Russell said it was one of the most extraordinary things he had ever seen from a fighter who knew if he didn't win by knockout, he would probably be stopped on cuts. Years later, Russell said he still had not seen anything like it.

The ferocious talent Toney showed that night was the sort that would leave an indelible mark on anyone's mind. But if you ask Toney what victory in his long career - which has included winning titles in three weight classes - is his most impressive, he doesn't mention the one over Littles.

"Iran Barkley and Evander Holyfield is a tie," said Toney, who a week from Saturday will be back in the ring when he tangles with journeyman Matthew Greer at Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, Calif. "When I fought Iran Barkley I was still wet behind the ears and everybody thought he was going to take my head off because of what he did to Thomas Hearns." 

Toney had gone 6-0-1 in middleweight title fights before moving up the super middleweight. In his second fight there, he challenged Barkley for his title in February 1993. Barkley had a third-round technical knockout victory over Hearns in a middleweight title fight in 1988 and a split-decision victory over Hearns in a light
heavyweight title fight in 1992 to his credit.

Barkley relinquished the light heavyweight crown and came back down to defend his super middleweight belt against Toney. Thirteen months before he would bomb out Littles, Toney stopped Barkley in the 10th round to take his title.

As for his 2003 ninth-round technical knockout of Holyfield, Toney said he liked that one a lot because many experts figured Holyfield would simply be too big and too strong for him.

Not enough, Though

Toney won titles in the middleweight, super middleweight and cruiserweight classes. But he has not been able to realize his dream of winning a heavyweight title. Yes, he beat John Ruiz to win his belt in 2005, but it is as if that fight never happened because Toney tested positive for steroids. He was stripped of the belt and the bout was ruled no-contest. 

Toney recently turned 41, and he has not abandoned his vision.

"I want to fight until I unify the heavyweight division," Toney said.

Toney last fought in December, winning a narrow decision over Fres Oquendo in Cabazon, Calif. Toney admitted during a telephone interview Tuesday that he did not look that hot against Oquendo. 

But he said training is going very well at the 360 Gym in Reseda, Calif., and he knows exactly where he wants to go should he dispatch Greer.

"Right now my goal is Greer and I don't really want to think about nothing after that," Toney said, "but we want the winner of the Klitschko-Arreola fight."

Toney is back with promoter Dan Goossen after a brief time away. There was no problem, Toney said, but his contract with Goossen had run its course and he wanted to try and get things going with his "Lights Out Promotions."

"We went out and tried to do a few things, but some people didn't do what they said," said Toney's manager, John Arthur, who said Toney still has a couple of fighters under his promotional banner. Well, Toney being back with Goossen might be a good thing for all parties. If Arreola takes Klitschko's belt, it might be easier for Toney to get another shot at a heavyweight belt since he and Arreola have the same promoter.

Of course, it could work the opposite way if Goossen decides he wants to keep them apart so as to get Toney a shot at a different champion for monopoly purposes.

Toney and Arreola are somewhat friendly, so Toney said he is rooting for Arreola to beat Klitschko. And, he said, Arreola will win if he attacks Klitschko.

"I think Arreola could knock out Klitschko because the Klitschkos can't stand pressure," Toney said. "It could be over in three, four rounds. But if he stands out there and lets Klitschko throw that robot jab, it could be a long night for Arreola."

That said, Toney came off like part of him wants Klitschko to win.

"The fans want to see me fight Klitschko, but the networks ain't seeing that," he said. "And Klitschko has been fighting stiff after stiff."

Actually, Toney would like to fight either of the Klitschkos - Vitali or brother and fellow champion Wladimir. He said as big as his victories over Barkley and Holyfield were, one over a Klitschko would stand head and shoulders above them.

"What would make my career go ka-boom would be a victory over one of the Klitschko sisters," Toney said.  

Ramirez: It's a No-Brainer

Ramirez agreed with what Toney said about how Arreola must deal with Klitschko.

"It's this: If we're not able to close the gap and somehow be dictated by the jab, we have zero chance of winning and there's no secret about that," Ramirez said. "With that being said, Chris is not going to be jabbed to death. He's just got so much fight in him, he's not going to allow himself to just be kept at bay with that jab. It's not going to happen.

"I know his mental make-up, I know his physical make-up. It's just not going to happen. It's gotta be consistent, constant, intelligent pressure from the opening bell. Not just recklessly, not just whaling in without any kind of game plan."

Robert Morales covers boxing for the Los Angeles Daily News, Long Beach Press-Telegram, and BoxingScene.com.