Former three-division boxing champion Shane Mosley has challenged Floyd Mayweather Jr. or Amir Khan to a future showdown if the pair aren't destined to meet each other in September.
Mosley, who is soon to exit retirement with an Aug. 29 rematch against Ricardo Mayorga, teed off on some of the sport's biggest names on Twitter: "Mayweather don't want to take on Amir Khan then Mosley will," he
wrote. "Anyone who wants these hands can get it."
"Everyone knows I will shatter Khan's jaw,"
continued Mosley. Khan
responded with a simple "haha," seemingly taking Mosley's verbal assault as little more than an idle threat.
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Mosley also pinpointed Kell Brook, a fighter whose 35-0 record needs to be challenged by facing elite opponents: "Man, Kell Brook didn't want to spar me,"
wrote Mosley, who suggested promoter Eddie Hearn is stopping Special K from receiving an "ass whooping."
The 43-year-old fighter then went all-in on Adrien Broner, who recently suffered his second career defeat in five fights against Shawn Porter:
However, Mosley wants a second opportunity at facing Mayweather, who beat him via unanimous decision at the MGM Grand in 2010. When asked if he could pick one opponent, Mosley replied:
Nobody has come closer to knocking Mayweather down than Mosley. Although Pretty Boy comfortably won their bout, he was forced to overcome a selection of power shots from his opponent in the second round. At one point, Mayweather's legs buckled and he appeared destined for the mat, highlighted below:
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Money fought surprisingly aggressively that night, landing 208 of 477 punches compared to Mosley's 92 of 452, as reported by the Associated Press (h/t
ESPN.com). He remained elusive after the second round and asserted the technical defensive style that has rendered most of his opponents useless, a factor underlined during his May 2 win over Manny Pacquiao.
Mosley's current record stands at 49-7-1, including a win over Mayorga, his next opponent. Mayorga made his comeback after a three-year absence in 2014, racking up wins over Allen Medina and Andrik Saralegui to regain his confidence.
The catchweight battle will see Mayorga enjoy a significant weight advantage at 157 pounds, with Mosley's natural fighting weight sitting 10 pounds lighter. "I am going to win but if I don't knock him out in three that is it. I am done boxing and no longer 'El Matador'," said Mayorga, reported
Ryan Burton of Boxing Scene.
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Mosley obviously anticipates beating Mayorga before moving onto more high-profile opponents. His attempts to lure Mayweather back into the ring are likely to be futile, even if the unbeaten star's final foe is yet to be officially announced for
September.
One has to question whether Mosley would be able to contend with Khan's speed at his age, too. We've seen fluctuating Khan victories in recent times—he brilliantly dismantled Devon Alexander and struggled to assert himself against Chris Algieri—stirring doubts toward whether he can beat the best.
His hand speed and accuracy could quickly be halted by a Mosley power shot if the ageing fighter is still capable of delivering bombs. Khan's response, however, suggests he isn't willing to give up on a potential encounter with Mayweather until the American makes his plans clear.
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Mosley is no doubt trying to make an impact ahead of his return. He has only emerged victorious in one of his last six fights, however, and should focus on taking down Mayorga before riling potential future opponents.
His talk will completely come undone if he doesn't beat the Nicaraguan who has a physical head start and more recent competitive record, key factors in Mosley trying to rekindle a late-career run.
