Boxing: Money man will live up to name

The last time Floyd Mayweather jnr lost, it took a Bulgarian conspiracy to do him in.

That was before a character named Money even existed, before Mayweather had earned his first dollar in the ring. He was 19 and cocky, fighting for his country at the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta.

The man who taught him everything he knew about boxing gave advice by phone from a Michigan prison. He boldly declared he'd win if the gold wasn't stolen from him.

Mayweather's reading of Olympic history was correct. In the semifinal of the featherweight division, he lost a decision to a countryman of the Bulgarian in charge and the US lodged a protest.

"Politics, basically," Mayweather said. "But in a way I'm glad I got the bronze medal. It just made me work harder, made me want to become even more successful."

Fourteen years later, there's no more successful fighter. Mayweather is not only a pay-per-view superstar who has made more millions than he can count, but - in his eyes, at least - the greatest fighter ever.

He returns to the ring today (NZT) ready to earn many millions more. In the other corner will be a fighter who some think has the best chance to beat Mayweather since the days he was fighting for medals.

No, it's not Manny Pacquiao, but Shane Mosley may be the second-best thing.

"He couldn't fight Joe Blow," Mosley said. "He had to fight somebody good if he wants to be considered the best."

Mosley has won big fights and brings quickness and power to the ring. Mosley (46-5, 39 knockouts) is 38 but showed by stopping Antonio Margarito his last time out he still has the speed and reflexes he used to beat Oscar De La Hoya twice.

The Margarito fight, though, was 15 months ago. This may be Mosley's last chance to establish himself as one of the greats of his era. And while he's always in great physical shape, it may be the mental edge that proves most important as he tries to chase down the most slippery fighter around.

Judging from the subdued Mayweather and his camp at the final prefight press conference, Mosley believes he has that edge. He will go into the ring trying not to just earn his $7 million guarantee but the respect of boxing fans.

"My style can give him problems," Mosley said. "It's a different style from a lot of fights he's been fighting. He's going to have to adjust in the ring."

Adjustments have been the talk all week for a fight that promoters believe could end up being one of the top non-heavyweight pay-per-view events. The fighter who makes the right ones the soonest should have the upper hand. Oddsmakers make Mayweather a 4-1 favourite.

If Mayweather slips and slides and backpedals, it could be a long night for Mosley, which is one reason why his trainer, Naazim Richardson, has tried to goad Mayweather into trading punches.

"No matter what happens, I'm always in a no-win situation," Mayweather said. "All I've done over the years is constantly beat everyone they put in front of me but I'm never going to get my just due. When I beat Shane, they'll just say I beat an old fighter."

Indeed, the knock on Mayweather is that even though he has won all 40 of his fights, he has picked his opponents and opportunities carefully.

His biggest win was against De La Hoya, who had clearly slipped by the time they fought, and he backed away from a megafight with Pacquiao in a dispute over whether the Filipino would undergo blood testing for performance enhancing drugs.

It's hard to argue with his success cashing in on his boxing talents. Largely because he plays a bad guy named Money Mayweather on HBO's 24/7 series that air before his fights, Mayweather has parlayed his fame into sales that dwarf those of any other fighter today.

And it's hard to argue with Mayweather skipping a Pacquiao bout to fight Mosley, considering this fight should sell so well, Mayweather will make even more than the $22.5 million he is guaranteed.

The Pacquiao fight could still be made, possibly for November, if Mayweather prevails as expected.

If he doesn't, there's a rematch clause in the contract for a second fight. Either way, Mayweather will live up to his Money nickname.

- AP