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BOXING: NOTEBOOK; From 140 Pounds to 147, Mosley Wants It All
By TIMOTHY W. SMITH
Published: May 13, 1999
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Shane Mosley, the International Boxing Federation lightweight champion, has decided to abandon the 135-pound division and move up to 140 pounds with an eye toward a bout in December against Oscar De La Hoya, the World Boxing Council welterweight champion, at 147 pounds.
Mosley is preparing to make his debut at 140 pounds on June 19, but no opponent has been selected. Mosley might have to settle at 140 pounds for a while, because it does not appear that De La Hoya is interested in a match.
''It's a ridiculous fight,'' Bob Arum, the president of Top Rank and De La Hoya's promoter, said. ''He should be thinking about fighting Floyd Mayweather. I don't believe a fight with Oscar is competitive in any way. For me to sell it on pay-per-view, it's something I can't do.''
Arum has made an offer to Mosley to fight Mayweather at a weight of 137 pounds. But the 27-year-old Mosley has outgrown the 135-pound division and has been struggling to make the weight. He was dehydrated against John Brown in his last fight in April in which Mosley stopped Brown. Even though he got down to 135 pounds at the weigh-in for the fight, he ballooned to 151 pounds by the time he entered the ring.
On another De La Hoya front, Arum has offered Felix Trinidad, the I.B.F. welterweight champion, $10 million for a bout against De La Hoya on Sept. 18. Arum said he was not sure that Trinidad would accept the offer. Trinidad had insisted on getting purse parity with De La Hoya, but Arum said he had since dropped that demand.
''I don't know what he's going to do,'' Arum said of Trinidad. ''The $10 million offer is similar to the $6 million I offered Main Events and Pernell Whitaker and it's similar to the $4 million I offered Main Events and Ike Quartey. I think $10 million in this case is over generous.''
By TIMOTHY W. SMITH
Published: May 13, 1999
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Sign In to E-Mail
Shane Mosley, the International Boxing Federation lightweight champion, has decided to abandon the 135-pound division and move up to 140 pounds with an eye toward a bout in December against Oscar De La Hoya, the World Boxing Council welterweight champion, at 147 pounds.
Mosley is preparing to make his debut at 140 pounds on June 19, but no opponent has been selected. Mosley might have to settle at 140 pounds for a while, because it does not appear that De La Hoya is interested in a match.
''It's a ridiculous fight,'' Bob Arum, the president of Top Rank and De La Hoya's promoter, said. ''He should be thinking about fighting Floyd Mayweather. I don't believe a fight with Oscar is competitive in any way. For me to sell it on pay-per-view, it's something I can't do.''
Arum has made an offer to Mosley to fight Mayweather at a weight of 137 pounds. But the 27-year-old Mosley has outgrown the 135-pound division and has been struggling to make the weight. He was dehydrated against John Brown in his last fight in April in which Mosley stopped Brown. Even though he got down to 135 pounds at the weigh-in for the fight, he ballooned to 151 pounds by the time he entered the ring.
On another De La Hoya front, Arum has offered Felix Trinidad, the I.B.F. welterweight champion, $10 million for a bout against De La Hoya on Sept. 18. Arum said he was not sure that Trinidad would accept the offer. Trinidad had insisted on getting purse parity with De La Hoya, but Arum said he had since dropped that demand.
''I don't know what he's going to do,'' Arum said of Trinidad. ''The $10 million offer is similar to the $6 million I offered Main Events and Pernell Whitaker and it's similar to the $4 million I offered Main Events and Ike Quartey. I think $10 million in this case is over generous.''
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