US sportsbooks (US sportsbook reviews) were banking on a fight between Floyd Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao as being the biggest fight in the history of the sport. But that fight broke down, and Mayweather will take on Shane Mosley instead. Fight fans and online betting players alike will be treated to a match between two of the best welterweights on the planet, and this is a fight Mosley has wanted for a while.
Mayweather vs Mosley odds – Saturday, May 1, 2010
“Money” Mayweather (40-0-0, 25 KOs) was due to fight Pacquiao in a megafight, but Pacquiao wouldn’t agree to Mayweather’s demands for Olmypic-style testing. Mayweather returned to the ring after a 10th-round knockout of Ricky Hatton in December 2007, after which Mayweather decided to retire, but he then came back for what most people thought was a shot at Pacquiao. Mayweather destroyed Juan Manuel Marquez, who has drawn with Pacquiao as well as taken a loss in a highly controversial split decision, but to be fair to Marquez, he was really a lightweight moving up to fight Mayweather, who looked much bigger (and was indeed bigger after he failed to meet the official weight of 144 points, fighting instead at 146 points, for which he paid a $600,000 penalty) than Marquez.
Shane “Sugar” Mosley (46-5-1, 39 KOs) has won titles in three weight classes, and currently holds the WBA’s welterweight title, which he’s putting up in this fight. He’s bounced back since a pair of losses to “Winky” Wright, and even his loss to Miguel Cotto was a very good fight. Mosley still has his famous hand speed, although he’ll be pressed to show it off against the lightning-quick Mayweather. Mosley took the WBA belt from Antonio Margarito, dominating the former champion in January 2009 to show that he’s still one of the best.
Early sports betting odds are backing Mayweather at -130, and this fight got started when Mosley stormed the ring after Mayweather’s beating of Marquez and asked for a fight. Mosley has been looking to fight Mayweather for years, and there’s always been a stigma of Mayweather avoiding the world’s best welterweights so he can keep his perfect record. It’s not like Mayweather has been fighting bums, beating Oscar De La Hoya, Hatton and Marquez, but let’s be real: De La Hoya was on his way out of boxing, and Hatton and Marquez were well overmatched, while Mosley has gone to war with the Cottos, the Margaritos, and he also beat De La Hoya in his prime. People thinking that Mosley has no chance haven’t watched boxing, because he hasn’t lost that much hand speed, and he has enough experience to offset Mayweather’s defense. Mayweather may have to actually let his hands go, which will make for an exciting boxing betting experience.
