Frank Warren

Andre Berto’s decision to pull out of his fight against Shane Mosley earlier this past week due to his grief over the earthquake and resulting tragedy in Haiti paved the way for Floyd Mayweather, Jr. to open negotiations with Mosley for a possible welterweight championship showdown in Las Vegas on May 1.

It also opened up the possibility for Mayweather and Mosley to take a stand for strengthened drug testing in boxing, moving the sport well ahead of most professional sports when it comes to trying to root out performance enhancing drugs among athletes.

Since Mayweather demanded that Pacquiao be subjected to the Olympic-style drug testing, he must make the same request of Mosley, who by his own admission before a federal grand jury has taken designer steroids called the “clear’’ and the “cream’’ and use EPO, a blood enhancing agent that is supposed to increase stamina.

If Mayweather doesn’t make the same demands of Mosley, then his demands of Pacquiao look like a scheme to get underneath the Filipino’s skin for some kind psychological advantage. If Mosley refuses to undergo those testing procedures then he falls under the same suspicion as Pacquiao.

It will strike a blow for what Mayweather called “a level playing field’’ which is why he deemed it necessary to request it of Pacquiao in their contract negotiations for the fight.

Mosley never tested positive for steroids, though he underwent the same testing procedures that all boxers go through in Nevada, California and New York. But those commission tests of urine only aren’t random and are mostly conducted after fights. They aren’t the gold standard for catching serious drug cheats.

If Mayweather and Mosley agree to fight and agree to take the Olympic style tests they could prove to Pacquiao that they believe it wouldn’t be as harmful to his abilities in the ring as he thinks. That would really be a big indictment against Pacquiao’s stance for not taking the random blood tests.

Leonard Ellerbe, the CEO of Mayweather Promotions and one of Mayweather’s closest advisors, said that they are going to request that Mosley agree to the Olympic style testing and that Mayweather will also undergo the testing. He said he doesn’t expect Mosley, who is represented by Golden Boy Promotions, which was representing Mayweather in the negotiations with Pacquiao, to balk at the testing.

With regards to the boxing side of a possible Mayweather-Mosley match title has been one of the most intriguing matches of the last five years. It has been a fight that Mayweather has been pursuing for the last 10 years. And Mosley made himself a pest in the ring after Mayweather beat Juan Manuel Marquez back in September, pushing for a fight with Mayweather.

Now it looks like it’s going to happen and it could have a bigger impact that Mayweather-Pacquiao, because Mayweather will be answering his critics who say that he always picks on little guys.

By fighting Mosley he will be going up against a legitimate welterweight who has fought the best of his generation. Mosley has beaten Oscar De La Hoya twice, lost to Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright twice and devastated Antonio Margarito, after discovering that Margarito was trying to fight him with loaded gloves.

I have always believed that Mosley would be the toughest fight of Mayweather’s career, primarily because Mosley is just as fast as Mayweather and is stronger and hits harder than anyone that Mayweather has ever faced.
If all things are even, this could be a spectacular fight. It will certainly have a bigger marquee value than Pacquiao-Joshua Clottey at Cowboys Stadium in Arlington, Texas on March 13. Primarily because not many people know who Clottey is.

Clottey is a default position for Pacquaio. But Mosley is a big event fight for Mayweather. Both Mayweather and Pacquaio are in dangerous fights and if either of them loses then they will have derailed the much anticipated match between them. And that would make them both big losers.

If Mayweather and Mosley agree to fight under the circumstances that Mayweather wanted Pacquiao to fight, then the big winner will be boxing. Mayweather and Mosley will have stood up and agree to Olympic style drug testing and move the sport forward with regards to taking a strong stand against the use of PEDs.

PUNCHLINES

It is completely understandable that Andre Berto’s mind was not going to be fully focused on preparing for his welterweight unification match against Shane Mosley on Jan. 30. So it was not surprising when he pulled out of the fight.

Berto was not born in Haiti but parents are from Haiti and he still has several relatives there. He said his uncle’s house collapsed during the 7.0 quake and eight people were killed. Berto said he was mentally and physically exhausted from the anxiety that has accompanied his concerns about friends and relatives there.

“Throughout the past six days, I have received an incredible outpouring of support, and I sincerely appreciate everyone’s prayers for the people of Haiti,’’ he said. “I hope that everyone will continue to keep the Haitian people in their thoughts and prayers as we work to rebuild this proud nation. The rebuilding of Haiti is not something that will happen overnight, but I am fully dedicated to helping the Haitian people recover from this catastrophic event."