V8: Mosley, Campbell, Pacquiao, Vitali-K, Hopkins and more!!!

Shane Mosley: Far From Failing, But Earns A "D"

Shane Mosley is easily one of the more genuine and stand-up guys in the sport. Despite recent antics, I don't see that changing, but what I do see is a few things that many of us would like to clear up and remove the growing doubt. Shane has routinely told anyone willing to listen that he wants to be the best, and go down as the best, and that Mayweather is not interested in being the best because he won't fight the best, he'll only take the money fights. My problem with that is this......There are 3 other champions on the welterweight level, yet Mosley has sat off for what's closing in on a full calendar year without facing any one of these guys. I'm not always right, but please, somebody tell me if this makes sense......Would it not have been more effective for his argument of being the best in the welterweight division to followup his victory for the WBA strap over Margarito with, say, maybe a bout in June to claim one of the other welterweight belts, then say, maybe another bout in November/December to claim the other welterweight belt; ending the year with potentially 3 belts, along with an undisputed status as the perinnial welterweight king, while also aligning himself for a rematch with the Cotto/Pacquiao winner who would then have the fourth and final strap and no other choice of opponent as a result? By doing things this way he would remove all doubt, and force Mayweather to face him because no one else would have a claim to that title of being the best in the division, including him (Mayweather). Once again, would that not make sense, rather than sitting around and WAITING for Floyd to have a change of heart? The fact that Mosley didn't follow this blueprint means either A.) belts are truly worthless in the sport....B.) He isn't after the undisputed legendary status he claims after all.....or C.) It has more to do with the money than all else. Personally, when you look at the options given, I'd have to go with "D", because no doubt, it's "ALL OF THE ABOVE".

What Does Arum Have Up His Sleeves?

Arum has recently come out and said that he thinks Floyd needs to go ahead and face Shane. To hear him say that, knowing that his fighter is on the brink of perhaps the largest fight in the history of the sport is quite telling. This statement was pretty telling, and it really leaves many possibilities relative to why he said it. Speculations can run everywhere from him no longer having faith in a Pacquiao victory after recent sparring sessions went bad.....it could boil down to him considering a rematch between Pacquiao and Cotto if neither man secures a KO....it could also boil down to giving truth to rumors that have recently circulated about the possibility of Margarito being licensed somewhere and facing the winner, which would allow him to keep the money mega fights in his stable again. Either way it goes, there's no question there was an agenda behind that statement. Unfortunately we'll have to wait until November 15th to find out.

Pacquiao Regaining Form

Word from the Philippines is that despite the brutally honest comments coming from Roach and Arum after Pacquiao's first full week of training camp, the tide has shifted. Pacquiao is said to be looking rather sharp, and back in fight form after giving his sparring partners hell. This return to normalcy serves two great purposes, and those purposes will appease both his supporters and critics. His supporters can benefit from the fact that we now know he will enter the ring for his stiffest test of his career totally focused and prepared. His critics will benefit from the fact that now that he's on track, there can be no excuses if he falls short in the end.

Vitali-K/Kevin 'Kingpin' Johnson

Rumors are swirling rampant about the 'Kingpin' facing arguably the sports most dominant heavyweight in years, Vitali Klitschko. After dispatching the man that many viewed as a true threat (Chris Arreola), Vitali will face another up-and-coming contender on the rise with much promise. Although Johnson has comparable height, standing at 6-5, the fact that he has only sent 9 opponents to the shower early out of 23 suggest to many that he won't have the necessary power to make the mountainous heavyweight king flinch. Johnson does have better than average boxing skills and what appears to be a big heart. It'll be interesting to see how this one ends. Lets just hope that Johnson brings his 'road warriors' psyche, because this one is apparently headed to Germany.

Nate Campbell: Simply Not Fit To Be (With) King...

The latest news to hit the mainstream about the 'Galaxxy Warrior' has removed all questions relative to how such a hot fighter and warm promoter could produce such cold results. Campbell has recently gone on record and made his inner-most feelings regarding the man who recently steered his career known. Doesn't take too much space to type out Campbell's comments verbatim, for the simple fact that most of the words he used can't be published. Typically, it pays to sit in the middle of the road and choose not to take sides, but when so many people yell the same song, things go from a whisper to a chorus of proven reality rather quickly. It's a bit hard to take aim at DK because I've never had a bad experience with him, but for the record, he's never signed my checks either. The one thing I can say in favor of Campbell, though, is the fact that in an era of the sport where few men even consider unifying a division, this is a man who has recently, and as a result, hasn't gotten one meaningful fight on the mega-fight platform. That says a lot, and I think all that it says is far from positive. Campbell has obviously decided to step forward in an effort to try and move on, making this a classic case of addition by subtraction.

Roy Jones/B-Hop: Just Do It

Both Hopkins and Jones have decided to take part in a showdown before their highly anticipated rematch, scheduled to take place tentatively in February, if sources speaking are correct. With such a great year of boxing, many wonder why didn't they decide to just get it on, rather than serving the public a dose of previews. Well, as much as we would love to see these guys make it happen, like always, there's a method to the madness, and apparently it shines light on one theory, signaling the end of at least one remarkable era of the sport. A victory over Green in Australia will allow Jones to make history - becoming the only boxer in the history of the sport to snatch every title between the middleweight and heavyweight ranks. Considering that he plans to move forward with that fight (Green) and not scrap it for the bigger 'catch' can only mean that if he wins against Green and defeats Hopkins the sun will indeed set on a very illustrious career. So although there's been no formal announcement, don't be surprised, and like L.L. Cool J. once said...."Don't Call It A Comeback" either....as I doubt Jones will risk retaining what would then be a revamped legacy. (Providing he wins those fights).

Collazo: Some Things Never Change...

After stepping aside and letting Andre Berto take on Juan Urango, it seems the shot Collazo had planned to get at a rematch with Berto is still sitting on shaky grounds. With a purse bid scheduled, Team Collazo was ready and willing. Suddenly, that purse bid has been postponed with no further information available, meaning there could either be a new development on the Berto/Mosley front, or something even more intriguing has been reached. Some feel the WBC should strip Berto, and although I don't see that happening, (or feel it should), there's no question, the unfortunate outcome in this latest delay is once again bad news for a man I'd consider a good guy.

Quintana/Clottey: Bridge Over Troubled Water

A deal has been between Puerto Rican Carlos Quintana and Joshua Clottey for the two to square off on the undercard of the December 5th Pavlik/Williams battle. The irony in this fight is that it pairs two men together that have far better than average ability, yet neither has been able to truly break the ranks of the division elite. Quintana is the only (welterweight) fighter to date to solve the Paul Williams 'puzzle', although a naturally bigger Kelly Pavlik will get his shot soon enough. Despite that super feat, Quintana has failed to get it done against all other heavy-hitters he's faced, (Cotto, etc), including a one round embarrassment at the hands of Williams in a rematch. Clottey, on the other hand, has had shots at Margarito, Cotto, and others, and despite making a very good name for himself, he has yet to have his hands raised when any of those battles were over. For both men, this fight undoubtedly serves as a 'bridge' to better days. Whichever man comes up short will learn precisely why this segment refers to their fate as 'troubled waters', as earning a place on a fight card outside of Friday Night Fights will be a lost cause.

(Vivek Wallace can be reached at vivexemail@yahoo.com, Youtube (VIVEK1251), Twitter (VIVEK747), Facebook, and Myspace).