Philippine Sports News and Updates

MANILA, Philippines – Undefeated fighter Floyd Mayweather, Jr. has found a new opponent in fellow American Shane Mosley, but he still has a mouthful to say about Manny Pacquiao, whom he was supposed to fight in March until negotiations crumbled.

“The question that people want to know is why didn’t Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather fight? It wasn’t my fault! I’m not duckin’ and dodgin’ nobody. 40 have came and 40 have came up short,” Mayweather said in a RadioPlanet.tv interview as quoted by Andre Zurbrug of FightHype.com.

Pacquiao and Mayweather were slated to fight on March 13 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena. Their blockbuster bout, however, did not push through as they disagreed on the drug testing procedure.

The Filipino boxing sensation will instead face Ghanaian Joshua Clottey on March 13 at the Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas while Mayweather will fight Mosley on May 1 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena.

The Mayweather vs Mosley deal is reportedly final, as Mosley already signed the contract, according to ESPN.com. Mayweather’s signature was to come “in the next few days.”

It is uncertain if Mosley, the World Boxing Association (WBA) welterweight super champion, will defend his title.

Mosley was supposed to take on Haitian Andre Berto in January but Berto pulled out because some of his family members died in the devastating magnitude-7.0 earthquake last January 12.

Both American boxers are said to be raring to get in the ring on May 1.

“It's a fight people have wanted to see for a long time, but never happened for whatever reasons,” Mosley’s lawyer Judd Burstein told the Los Angeles Times as quoted by ESPN.com.

“Now that it's going to happen, Shane is looking forward to doing what he and many of his fans have long thought he would do,” he added.

Mayweather’s adviser, Leonard Ellerbe, said that Floyd Jr. is excited. “He's waited 10 years for this opportunity to fight Mosley.”

• ABS-CBN News
• Philippine Sports Central