Tempers flare at Shane Mosley-Ricardo Mayorga rematch bout press conference

August 9, 2015


Reporting from Las Vegas, Nevada -- On an eventful weekend in which the Nevada Boxing Hall of Fame celebrated the induction of several new members, Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga also held a press conference at Caesar’s Palace for their upcoming August 29th bout.  The fight will be held at the legendary Forum in Inglewood, California.

The Mosley-Mayorga non-title fight is a rematch of their first bout back in 2008 when Mosley famously dropped the wild-swinging Nicaraguan with a huge left hook with just one second remaining in the 12th and final Round.

So why do it again?

“It all started with a twitter battle," said Mosley.  "He said he was angry with me that he got knocked out by me with one second to go the last time. And, he’s still in shape and he said he wanted to fight me.  He was really the only one that wanted to fight me, everybody else was caught up with promotional beefs. Either it's I can’t fight you I’m with this guy over here, can’t fight him, he’s with that guy over there. But now, he doesn’t have a promoter and I am a promoter so, lets go."

Although both fighters are past their primes, this fight is notable for the all-out, go-for-broke power-punching style that both employ.

“I think I just realized that I’ve still got it," said Mosley. "I’ve still got the punching power, I’ve still got the speed, and I could still do it, why not. I don’t need the money, I don’t need anything right but I’ve still got love for the game, I still love to fight, so why not? When I’m done with it, then I’m done with it.”

Mayorga is not making any concessions to Father Time either.

"I’m going to do better than you did," said an animated Mayorga. "You have a lot of losses and you’ve taken a lot of shots to the head. The day of the fight, just drop your stuff off at my house, because you’re not going to have a wife anymore, just go straight to the cemetery. I’m going to hit you like a man. Don’t worry I’m not going to hit you right now, you wait until the 29th. It took you 12 rounds to knock me out, I’m going to do it in one round. I beat you for 11 rounds and 2 minutes. I’m going to come forward, while you are running.”

At one point, things went beyond mere trash talk and became a little heated when Mayorga, well-known for his press conference antics, lit up a cigarette and blew smoke in Mosley's face.  Mosley responded by smacking the cigarette out of Mayorga's mouth. Members from both camps then held the fighters back, although both men, now wiser and in their 40's, did not seem too inclined to take up fisticuffs and risk an injury at that moment.

“The people that believe in me should bet on me to knock him out in the first round, because I’m going to do it," said Mayorga. "Even if he (Mosley) runs more than Mayweather, he’s still not gonna escape me, I’m going to knock him out! Hopefully Mosley will come to fight, not like Mayweather but fight like a man." 

While these two veterans battle on pay-per-view, a much-anticipated bout will be competing simultaneously with Mosley-Mayorga across town at the Staples Center, as Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares will clash on the same night .

“I had the date first, it was actually my date first, August 29th," said Mosley. "And I actually booked the Staples Center first, or, put it aside. And then Al Haymon came in and grabbed it from under me. But it's ok we were thinking about doing it back and forth between the Forum and Staples Center. We was gonna do that fight before. But that’s okay, like I said I know Santa Cruz and I know Mares too. So I have nothing bad to say about them, it's just that certain circumstances. Their fight, they do what they do, and I do what I do.”

Mosley nevertheless understands his remaining days in the ring are limited, as he was not only reflective of his career, but also looking forward to the next chapter.

“Well I know I’m gonna be amongst the best, and not many can stand here and say, 'I’m Pound-for-Pound the best,' and, well that’s kind of a hard thing to do," said Mosley. "And I’ve done it in my boxing career. When I’m finished with my boxing career, then it’s about uplifting the boxing game, and making this sport better for the fans to be able to enjoy, and for the fighters to be able to, so the fighters can get paid for their work in the ring. They work hard, they fight hard, so you know I’m all for that.”


Bonus Interview: Trainer Kenny Porter

Also on hand at the press conference was Kenny Porter, who in addition to being the father and chief second to his son, welterweight contender Shawn “Showtime” Porter, is also now working in Mosley’s corner, along with Mosley's father, in preparation for this fight.

We had a chance to speak with the very gracious Porter, who expressed his thoughts on a wide-ranging variety of topics.

On the possibility of a Shawn Porter-Adrien Broner rematch:
“Its open for consideration. But, I haven’t received ONE phone call in regards to Adrien. I highly doubt he wants to take that fight again. You look at it, other than one punch in the last round, I’m pretty sure that Shawn dominated him, as I went back and watched the fight, he dominated him for eleven rounds, as much as could be done. The game plan in the beginning of the fight was to kind of let Adrien get comfortable. So we didn’t go after him in the beginning of the fight, we wanted to get him relaxed a little bit."

On the strategy they employed versus Broner, and whether they factored in Broner’s questionable stamina:
“No, it was based on the fact that we knew he was gonna hold us. Or, he was gonna hold us or run from us so we didn’t want to give him too much at the beginning of the fight. Hoping that he would box with us a little bit. But I highly doubt he want to take it. He won’t take it. But its open for consideration on our end. We want a much bigger fight.”

On possibly tangling with Danny Garcia in their next fight:
“Danny Garcia said our name, said that Shawn was tailor-made, so we took a red eye flight out to New York to see him and Paulie Maglinaggi."

On the Garcia TKO win over Maglinaggi:
“He did his job. It was more of a workmanlike (performance). He didn’t dominate the guy, it wasn’t exciting. He didn’t put the guy down. Danny did his job, what he was supposed to do. But you can’t compare that fight to what Shawn did to him. Just like you couldn’t compare what Shawn did to Paulie with what Adrien did to Paulie. There’s no comparison. But if Danny’s interested, we are definitely interested. He said he was the far superior boxer to Shawn I would love to have that opportunity for you to show that you are far superior boxer to Shawn."

On the prospect of a fight with Keith “One Time” Thurman:
"Beyond that, big fight, Keith Thurman. I hope it happen sooner than later. He says he wants one before the year is out and he said Shawn’s name so, we’re looking forward to getting that phone call. I’m making the phone calls, but nobody’s answering. I’m calling, but nobody’s answering. I’ve been calling, nobody’s picking up the phone."

On if Shawn was ever given serious consideration as an opponent for Floyd Mayweather:
"Floyd has no interest in fighting Shawn. None whatsoever. They asked him, would you fight Shawn Porter, he said ‘No.’ Just like that, 'No." The youtube video is right there, he didn’t hesitate, he said 'No.'"

On Floyd ultimately selecting Andre Berto for his (allegedly) final fight:
"Andre Berto, Great kid, love him. Big fan of his, root him on, We’ll be rooting him on that night.”

On the possibility of a return fight with current IBF Strap holder Kell Brook:
“Kell Brook has no intention of fighting Shawn. He got through that (fight with Porter) by the hair of his chinny chin chin and they (IBF) dropped us out of the rankings so we wouldn’t get a rematch, and then he’s taken two fights already with guys that you can’t even remember their names. So obviously he’s not interested in giving us a rematch.”

On Shawn’s weight going forward:
“You know what, Shawn is walking around, as of yesterday he was 157 lbs. That’s 10 pounds to the fight weight. So in actuality we shouldn’t be moving up. We should stay right where we at and we can make the weight no problem. We just pulled off 144 and he hasn’t been 144 since he was 14 years old.”

On training strategies and methods for training a fighter:
“Education information. Listen, learn, watch, see, and work hard. When a kid comes to me with speed, Shawn had it, power, Shawn has it comes to me with quickness and agility, and experience, and all of these accolades from the amateurs…Shawn National Champion, numerous times, Pan Am Team, Olympian and all that, the first thing I tell them is, I ask them, 'Are you willing to work hard? And are you willing to work hard for the next 5, 10, 12 years that your career lasts?' Because if you’re not, you’re not going to be successful. You can check the speed, quickness, power at the door. Just give me a hard worker. So that’s it. Get that information, get that education, about the nutrition, about your body, about your energy systems, and then work hard.”

By Kweku Turkson
Reporter for TheDailySportsHerald.com

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