Mayweather's talk proves easy to trash

Mayweather’s talk proves easy to trash Web Posted: 02/14/2010 12:00 CST John Whisler In announcing the Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Shane Mosley matchup, Mayweather adviser Leonard Ellerbe said his fighter is “happy to set the precedent for random (drug) testing in order to ensure fair and safe contests for all fighters.” Later, Mayweather, presumably with a straight face, claimed he's trying to clean up boxing. “I'm trying to clean up sports, period,” he said. “Pretty Boy” Floyd, formerly the best pound-for-pound fighter in the world, is now an anti-drug crusader. Who knew? All this is completely laughable, of course. Mayweather, whose insistence that Manny Pacquiao submit to random blood tests for PEDs killed their proposed megafight, made the same demands of Mosley during talks for their May 1 bout in Las Vegas. Mosley accepted the terms and signed the contract, giving Mayweather complete control over the drug testing to be implemented, over and above any testing that is required by the Nevada State Athletic Commission. For years, many experts have advocated establishing a federal commission to oversee the sport. As of today, we have no federal commission. But, apparently, we do have a federal commissioner. How comforting. Can't wait for Money May's next move as the nation's new boxing czar. Mayweather does deserve credit on a couple of fronts. He stepped up and agreed to fight Mosley, who even at 38 is generally considered one of the best welterweights in the world. And the blood-testing demands Mayweather made of Mosley matched the ones he made of Pacquiao. But let's not get carried away here. Mayweather's motives weren't altogether pure. If there's anything we've learned about Mayweather over the years, it's that he's highly sensitive to criticism. He's been accused of handpicking his opponents throughout his career in order to avoid fighting the best of the best. And if the blood-testing demands of Mosley were not the same ones he made of Pacquiao, then the Pacquiao demands would ring hollow and appear to be nothing more than a silly ploy to get under the Filipino fighter's skin. Or worse, it would look like Mayweather was ducking Pacquiao. So Mayweather and his promoter, Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, have done an excellent job of reading the tea leaves and anticipating public perception. That's the bottom line and the primary motive behind Mayweather's actions. Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy, which also promotes Mosley, lauded his fighters for “paving the way for big money fights to be above reproach, with no possibility of either fighter being dirty.” Baloney. Mosley is so desperate for a major payday and a chance to repair his tainted reputation that he agreed to Mayweather's demands. Mosley, you might recall, admitted to a grand jury that he used PEDs prior to a 2003 victory over De La Hoya. Mayweather is merely trying to save face after screwing up the Pacquiao negotiations. He simply overreacted to Pacquiao's contract demand for a $10 million penalty for each pound either fighter weighed in over the 147-pound limit. In September, Mayweather was fined $600,000 for weighing in 2 pounds over the 144-pound limit for the Juan Manuel Marquez fight. Mayweather should have demanded the clause in the Pacquiao contract be removed. Nothing more. Nothing less. And then there's this: If Mayweather is so intent on cleaning up sports, why did he wait so long — 40 fights into his career — to launch such a noble crusade? jwhisler@express-news.net http://www.mysanantonio.com/sports/columnists/john_whisler/84326722.html