Mayweather-Mosley undercard has some spice
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There should be some shame in not placing a world title fight on Saturday night’s Floyd Mayweather Jr.-Shane Mosley welterweight pay-per-view card, which is also not a title fight.
Speaking about Mayweather’s decision to avoid paying the World Boxing Assn. to sanction the bout (Mosley owns the belt), Mayweather advisor Leonard Ellerbe explained, ‘If it costs $1 million for the sanctioning fee, why not keep the money and split up $250,000 each among Floyd’s four kids?’
That’s how irrelevant world titles are now.
Yet, there is some curiosity to the undercard bouts, starting with the ongoing development of Santa Ana’s lightweight Luis Ramos Jr. (14-0, 7 KOs), who’ll fight an eight-rounder in the afternoon’s first bout. Salinas’ unbeaten junior-lightweight Eloy Perez is another interesting prospect, having sparred with Mosley.
At a media dinner Thursday, Ellerbe was touting the skills of welterweight Jessie Vargas (9-0), and Mayweather Promotions will also send out Michigan’s own Dion Savage (7-0) and Roger Mayweather-trained Cornelius Lock (19-4-1) in a featherweigt bout versus powerful southpaw Daniel Ponce De Leon.
Then, Oscar De La Hoya‘s Golden Boy Promotions will debut recent signee Saul Alvarez, nicknamed ‘Cinnamon Head’ and the ‘Mexican James Dean.’ Alvarez (31-0-1, 23 KOs) will fight Miguel Cotto‘s brother, Jose Miguel Cotto (31-1-1) in a welterweight bout scheduled for 10 rounds.
Alvarez is selling massive tickets in Mexico, promoters say, and driving impressive television numbers.
Also Friday night, Golden Boy will unveil a Solo Boxeo Tecate show at the Tropicana Hotel in Las Vegas, headlined by a main event featuring Gilroy’s Robert ‘Ghost’ Guerrero (25-1-1, 17 KOs) returning to the ring versus Roberto David Arrieta, who has 15 losses.
Guerrero hasn’t fought since August, spending time with his wife as she battles leukemia.
--Lance Pugmire
