WHO’S THE TORNADO PICKING? TONY PENECALE’S MAYWEATHER VS. MOSLEY IN-DEPTH PREVIEW AND PRE-FIGHT ANALYSIS

Posted on | April 27, 2010 | 1 Comment

MAYWEATHER VS. MOSLEY

** In-Depth Preview and Analysis **

By: Tony “The Tornado” Penecale

“Sugar” Shane Mosley wanted Floyd “Money” Mayweather in the ring. He interrupted Mayweather’s post-fight interview last September and challenged him in mid-ring. And when the potential mega fight between Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao fell through, Shane Mosley was granted his wish. Mayweather has the speed and technical ability to make world-class opponents look mediocre. Mosley has a combination of quickness, power, and physicality that can take Mayweather in those uncharted areas where he is on the receiving end of fistic combinations instead of dishing them out. Add in some personality differences and genuine dislike between the combatants and things are likely to get very interesting when these modern-day warriors step inside the 20×20 battlefield in Las Vegas. Money or Sugar? Who are you picking?

AGE, RECORD, AND STATS

Mayweather: Age: 33 years old
Record: 40-0 (25 Knockouts)
Height: 5’8”
Weight: 146 * * Weight for last bout (9-19-09)
Reach: 72”

Mosley: Age: 38 years old
Record: 46-5 (39 Knockouts)
Height: 5’9”
Weight: 147 * * Weight for last bout (1-24-09)
Reach: 74”

RING ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Mayweather:

1996 Olympic Bronze Medalist
WBC Super Featherweight Champion (’98-’02)
WBC Lightweight Champion (’02-’04)
Ring Magazine Lightweight Champion (’02-’04)
WBC Junior Welterweight Champion (’05-’06)
IBF Welterweight Champion (’06)
WBC Welterweight Champion (’06-‘07)
WBC Junior Middleweight Champion (’07)
Ring Magazine Welterweight Champion (’06-‘07)
Ring Magazine Pound-4-Pound #1 Boxer (’05-‘07)

Mosley:

IBF Lightweight Champion (’97-‘99)
WBC Welterweight Champion (’00-’02)
WBC Junior Middleweight Champion (’03-‘04)
WBA Junior Middleweight Champion (’03-‘04)
Ring Magazine #1 Rated Pound-4-Pound Boxer (’00-‘02)

STYLE

Mayweather:

A pure boxer with great speed who does everything well with an arsenal that includes a snapping jab, accurate right hand, and left hook that can be doubled and tripled with tremendous effect. Uses feint moves to freeze opponents and open punching lanes. Tucks his chin well behind his shoulder to roll with punches. Even on the ropes, he is a difficult target to land a solid punch. He doesn’t have great punching power. Most of his stoppage victories come from outpunching and outclassing his opponents but rarely scoring clean knockouts.

Mosley:

A well-schooled boxer with exceptional speed and power in both hands, Mosley boxes well from the outside, employing a strategy called “power boxing”. Is very effective with combinations and employs a solid body attack when in close. Is adept at controlling the pace, using angles and feints, forcing opponents into mistakes. Will roll his shoulders and use upper body movement to slip punches and freeze opponents. For most of his career, Mosley was trained by his father, Jack. They have since parted and veteran Philadelphia trainer, Nazim Richardson, most known for his work with Bernard Hopkins, is now manning the reigns in Mosley’s corner.

STRENGTHS

Mayweather:

* Experience – Boxing is in Mayweather’s blood since his childhood. Completed an extensive amateur career by winning the bronze medal in the ’96 Olympic Games. He has been competing successfully on a championship level for the past 12 years, facing and defeating all styles.

* Speed – Speed Kills. Mayweather has incredible hand and foot speed, which allows him to move inside, unload his offense, and dart out of range before his opponent can set himself.

* Ring Generalship – Mayweather knows every inch of the ring and how to control a fight. He knows when to attack, when to box, when to turn up the heat, and when to coast. Mayweather owns the ring when he is in there.

Mosley:

* Experience – Mosley has been a championship caliber boxer for a decade now, tangling with top names such as Oscar De la Hoya, Winky Wright, Fernando Vargas, Vernon Forrest, among others. He’s fought guys who are bigger, younger, and harder punchers before. There isn’t a style that he hasn’t faced.

* Versatility – Mosley can switch gears and make adjustments in the ring, being the aggressor and fighting inside or boxing and counterpunching from the outside.

* Durability – Mosley is a solid durable fighter with a good chin. He has been down once in his career and hurt only on a handful of occasions, even though he has faced several heavy-handed punchers.

WEAKNESSES

Mayweather:

* Brittle Hands – Mayweather has been plagued throughout his career with hand injuries. The soreness in his hands, especially the right hand, reduces Mayweather’s exceptional offense, often forcing him to rely on his foot speed to dance around and pitter-pat opponents.

* Distractions – There has been harsh feedback towards Mayweather since the failed negotiations to make a fight with Manny Pacquiao which includes constant controvery about blood-testing and finger-pointing. This is in conjunction with constant potential family disfunction including his off-and-on relationship with his father and legal issues for his trainer and uncle.

* Punching Power – Most of Mayweather’s stoppage wins have come from an accumulation of punches. The usual result is the referee or opposing corner stopping the bout to prevent further punishment. It is rare to see Mayweather finish a bout with one punch dating back to his days as a 130 lb boxer.

Mosley:

* Sizzle – At times, Mosley’s offense will contain more sizzle than steak. As he has aged, he has adopted a style with more moving and feinting, and while his moves are slick and eye-catching; there is more style than substance which doesn’t score points.

* Age – Mosley is 38 years old and is several years past his prime. Over the last few years, while still competing at a high level, it is evident that Mosley has lost a bit of his trademark hand and foot speed.

* Inactivity – Along with the fact that Mosley is older is the compelling issue that he has not fought in 16 months. It might keep him fresher or could make him rusty against one of the fastest and sharpest fighters in the game today.

PREVIOUS BOUT

Mayweather:

(9/19/09) – Mayweather used his superior size and speed to outbox and outpoint the smaller but game Juan Manuel Marquez, winning a comprehensive unanimous decision. Mayweather floored Marquez with a left hook in the 2nd round but never came close to stopping his outclassed adversary.

Mosley:

(1/24/09) – Mosley turned in a masterful performance, decimating the favored Antonio Margarito and battering him into submission in nine brutal round. While the talk was about Margarito’s illegally wrapped hands, Mosley made it a moot point by boxing well early and picking up the pace late, scoring an emphatic KO over the historically iron-chinned Margarito.

3 BEST PERFORMANCES

Mayweather:
* Diego Corrales (1/20/01) – Experts were torn on who to pick in this one with many leaning towards Corrales to win by KO. Mayweather never let him in the bout, knocking him down five times before the bout was halted in the 10th round.

* Arturo Gatti (6/25/05) – Although Mayweather was a solid betting favorite, many expected Gatti to make things rough for Mayweather. It never happened as Mayweather floored Gatti in the 1st round and dealt out a severe beating before Gatti’s corner stopped the bout after six one-sided rounds.

* Ricky Hatton (12/08/07) – Hatton was undefeated coming into the bout and set a gameplan of constant pressure to wear out Mayweather. After a few uncomfortable rounds, Mayweather was able to find his range and take over, flooring Hatton twice in the 10th round and forcing a stoppage.

Mosley:
* Oscar De la Hoya (6-17-00) – Mosley had moved up from lightweight only nine months prior, skipping over the junior welterweight division, and challenged on of the sports top boxers. In a thrilling encounter, Mosley rallied down the stretch, out-punching the bigger champion in winning an exciting split decision.

* Fernando Vargas (7-15-06) – The first bout between these two warriors saw Mosley win when Vargas was unable to continue due to damage around his eyes. It was competitive enough to warrant a rematch. Mosley rendered the rematch a mismatch, keeping Vargas off balance, before flattening him with a homerun left hook in the 6th round, setting up the stoppage moments later

* Antonio Margarito (1/24/09) – Margarito was coming off a brutal demolishing of Miguel Cotto who had previously scored a close win over Mosley. Conventional wisdom favored Margarito but Mosley’s speed and ability negated Margarito’s offense and Mosley’s power left him battered and beaten in nine one-sided rounds.

KEYS TO VICTORY

Mayweather:
* Use angles and movement to keep Mosley from setting his feet.

* Keep the action in the center of the ring and stay off the ropes.

* Control the tempo and don’t get goaded into a slugfest.

Mosley:
* Jab to the body and force Mayweather back on his heels.

* Use feints to force Mayweather to punch first and open up opportunities to counter punch.

* Use a sustained body attack to slow Mayweather down.

QUESTIONS

Mayweather:
* Will Mayweather be overconfident coming into this bout?

* Can Mayweather’s legs stand up to Mosley’s pressure and body punches?

* Will the distractions in of the failed Pacquiao negotiations affect Mayweather’s performance?

Mosley:
* Can Mosley force Mayweather out of his comfort zone?

* Will Mosley be rusty after his long ring hiatus?

* Can Mosley adapt against a rare boxer faster than he is?

PENECALE PREDICTION

Mayweather will open the bout by boxing from a distance, using his footwork and angles to keep the bout in the center of the ring and Mosley off balance. Mosley will take the role of aggressor and move forward, trying to cut Mayweather off and trap him against the ropes.

Mayweather’s quickness and manuevering will allow him to keep the pace measured during the first two rounds while Mosley keeps advancing, flicking out probing jabs, trying to measure the distance between them. Mosley will try to gain the momentum in the 3rd round by employing more power boxing and stepping in harder with his jab and imposing his will on Mayweather with some single right hands to the body.

The tempo will start to pick up in the mid rounds. Mosley will be continuing to advance, using a double jab to Mayweather’s chest and torso but is unable to find a lot of success landing his trademark left hook and uppercut to the head. Mayweather will throw quick counterpunches that will score points, but not causing much damage. It will be evident that Mayweather is uncomfortable when Mosley presses forward and dictates the pace.

The closely contested bout will see various momentum shifts in the bouts second half. It will be Mayweather’s sharp rights and quick hooks, while he rolls and counters against Mosley’s deliberate punches that carry more force behind them.

The scoring will be tight as the bout reaches its final few rounds and with everything up for grabs in the championship rounds, Mayweather will rely on his advantages in speed and youth to outwork Mosley in close and thwart his offensive attack. Mosley will show desperation in the final round and will even connect with a few solid hooks to Mayweather’s head, but it will be just too little too late as the final bell rings.

As the decision is announced, it will go in Mayweather’s favor, in a unanimous nod, by close but accurate scores of 116-113, 115-113, and 116-112.

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