Mayweather v Mosley: Creating History

Floyd Mayweather is preparing for what could be his toughest fight yet as he gets ready to face the experienced and powerful Sugar Shane Mosley on Saturday in Las Vegas.

This is set to be a classic fight that could go down in history as one of the greatest - should it be as exciting as it looks on paper.

Two fast-punching fighters going toe-to -toe - one with the tactical know-how to pick apart any opponent, the other with the power capable of knocking out anyone at his weight - is more than enough to whet the appetite of any sports fan.

However, while some fights that have the potential to be classics they don’t always turn out to be, but this bout is sure to go down in history for a another reason at least.

Mayweather against Mosley is the first professional boxing contest to include US Olympic style drug testing in the run-up and aftermath of the fight.

That means both boxers have been subjected to random blood and urine testing during their training camps and any failed test from either fighter will automatically mean the cancellation of the event.

Mayweather was keen to introduce the testing, claiming there are too many fighters dying in the ring due to ‘cheating’ and it led to the breakdown in talks between his promoters, and the representatives of Manny Pacquiao when they tried to set-up a super fight between the pair.

Pacquiao was reluctant to take the blood tests, deeming them likely to weaken him during his training but many questioned his stance, and questioned again if he was using steroids.

However, he would have put himself at risk as if he lost people would have claimed he can’t win without drugs, not everyone but some.

Mosley has no such worries apparently, he is confident of beating Mayweather and he is out to prove he doesn’t need drugs to succeed.

The WBA World Welterweight Champion spoke at the high-profile Balco case and admitted he took, unknown to him, performance enhancing substances.

More videos have emerged in recent days with Mosley admitting he did know he was taking EPO but this is irrelevant for this fight, there won’t be EPO and Mosley can put all that behind him IF he beats Mayweather.

It’s a brave decision by Mosley he is putting himself out on a limb as, like Pacquiao, even if he has been clean, a loss would raise questions.

If for some reason on the night he feels tired, lacks the power we have seen before or does not look like the Shane Mosley who has knocked out 39 of his 52 opponents then people won’t just question his age but also his honesty.

However, Mosley deserves respect for agreeing to the demands of Mayweather’s camp, albeit probably being slightly tempted by the huge pay cheque that comes with facing the self-proclaimed ‘biggest name in boxing’ being part of it.

Hopefully this will set a precedent in boxing and open the eyes of the sport’s authorities and they will enforce more stringent testing in the future.

That remains to be seen but one thing for sure is that Floyd Mayweather Jr against Shane Mosley will go down in history, for one, if not two reasons.

Croker closure is a mistake

So the IRFU’s time at Croke Park has ended on a somewhat sad note with the defeat by Scotland and the failure to claim the Triple Crown but this disappointment will be nothing compared to what the GAA must be feeling as they look at the accounts.

Since Croke Park finally opened its doors to ‘foreign sports’ back in February 2007 after years of political debate about the issue, it has been a revelation for Irish sport.

The GAA received a massive cash injection thanks to deals done with the IRFU and the FAI as well as any additional gate receipts they took as part of the deal.

The amount the GAA is reportedly to have raised by allowing the use of their stadium is €36million, and this came at a time of financial recession.

It also gave the GAA a use for Croke Park in the winter months when it is rarely used.

If the GAA had not been so stubborn over the past decade, and had they not voted no to a change in ‘Rule 42’ (a rule that only allows GAA sports to be played on GAA grounds) in 2001, then we may have continued to see rugby and soccer played at the country’s best stadium in the future.

The IRFU and FAI were forced to plan the redevelopment of the crumbling Lansdowne Road after the collapse of the Irish governments plan for a national arena and the GAA’s stance on the use of their headquarters.

They spent millions of Euros that could have been reinvested in developing both sports and building a smaller stadium that would be suited to hosting less glamorous internationals, AIB Cup finals,FAI Cup finals, etc.

Instead we will have the Aviva Stadium, no doubt a fine ground, but it’s 50,000 capacity is too big for the above mentioned finals and too small for Six Nations rugby and crucial soccer qualifiers.

In the past four years, rugby in Ireland has grown dramatically in popularity due to the success of the national team, and Croke Park was the venue as Ireland picked up their first Grand Slam in 61 years as Ireland beat France, England and Italy at GAA headquarters in 2009.

The fact that 82,000 people could watch those events obviously helped raise the interest in the game, while also creating a much louder atmosphere. The smaller attendance in the Aviva Stadium will obviously make it more difficult for fans to get to games and what the atmosphere will be like in the redeveloped, and so called ‘spiritual home', remains to be seen.

The same goes for soccer, while it has always been a popular game in Ireland, the move to Croke Park has allowed many more fans experience a competitive home international match rather than just a meaningless friendly when tickets were more easily available at the old Lansdowne Road. Maybe that chance helped young fans to become more proud of their country’s football team and not just the big English clubs they support.

However, it is not the fault of the IRFU or the FAI that this has happened. Some have said more pressure from them on the GAA may have helped to keep Croke Park open to other sports but it would have been too late - the redevelopment had begun, the investment was made and the GAA had made its bed when the success of the move had become apparent.

Obviously, the GAA would have had to vote again on the issue but given the success of the past few years, it is unlikely they would have said no.

The GAA has shot itself in the foot. They may say they have not budgeted for the additional income from international events but the fact of the matter is rugby and soccer internationals created a massive amount of revenue and also indirectly increased the popularity of Gaelic Games.

When fans travelled from different countries to watch their nations do battle with Irish rugby and soccer teams at Croke Park, many returned to visit the stadium’s museum and no doubt grew to appreciate the importance of GAA to Ireland’s culture.

So now when the likes of Kerry, Kilkenny, Cork and Dublin are not bringing the crowds to Croke Park then the GAA will have to turn to Westlife and Bono rather than Brian O’Driscoll and Robbie Keane to keep the money rolling in at Headquarters.

And it’s a shame that they would rather glitzy pop stars swagger in front of Hill 16 rather than Irish sporting heroes competing against the world's best.

Reds should be wary of the Knights

So the Red Knights are attempting to ride into Old Trafford on a crusade to apparently save Manchester United from the American cowboys that have slung one of the world’s biggest football clubs into a £700million debt.

The Glazers are reluctant to sell. Mainly because they bought United for one reason, and one reason only - to earn a profit - but they have been unable to do so yet because of the global recession.

Therefore, in any normal business sense, it is too big a loss to ‘cut and run’ yet so they are prepared to ride the proverbial storm until they can potentially reap the rewards of the huge financial risk they took to take the club off the stock market in 2005.

January saw Red Football Ltd, the parent group of Manchester United FC, announce a huge £700million debt that sparked an outcry from Reds fans who were led to believe that the deficit had grown by £200m from the £500m figure that was mooted about when the Glazer’s purchased the club. In fact, the figure has never risen, in fact it has dropped, not by enough but it has.

The ‘Green and Gold Until Our Club Is Sold’ campaign begun and has been of relative success – making a point to the owners that the fans are not happy but also still getting behind the team.

I agree that the Glazers need to be pushed out to secure the future of United as the large debt they have amassed, along with their hit and miss success rate in business, has left the club in a precarious position.

However, are these ‘Red Knights’ the people that can pull the club out of their poor financial state? What are their intentions? Have they got the finances? Will they be able to continually strengthen the team?

These are just some of the questions that fans need to ask before giving them their support and backing them.

Supporters will also have to realise that while these Knights in red shining armour, who are out to rid the club of all things Glazer, claim to be lifelong United fans, if they get invest heavily into the club then their business heads will be put on straight away.

They will be successful business men if they have the cash to stump up an offer for one of the biggest football clubs in the world, thus they will have all the attributes that go with financial success including ruthlessness and the constant want for profit.

So those fans who are thinking that because the ‘Red Knights’ wear the red shirts they will automatically do what every fan wants, think again. Don’t think they won’t raise ticket prices. Don’t think they will buy Kaka. Don’t think they will drop the price of merchandise. They will do what is best for their pockets.

If they have the financial muscle to provide what United fans want then they will be good for the club, there is no doubt about that.

The main worry I have with this consortium is Keith Harris being in control. The financing wheeler dealer who shares the name with the ventriloquist famous for the Orville The Duck puppet has been sounding like a muppet.

In January when the news broke of the apparent increase in debt, Harris was straight in heaping blame on the Glazers and calling for the fans to protest. He also claimed that a group was already set-up to look at a bid to buy the club.

More recently, when Harris spoke out about the ‘Green and Gold’ campaign, he called for fans to do more and start boycotting games.

Boycotting games? Stop buying merchandise? Why? Isn’t it starkly obvious? Harris is trying to remove some of the prestige around the club so that the Glazers will look to sell and at a lower price. Harris seems to be more of the ‘Green and mould’ campaign.

United fans have to remember that the club is not like Manchester City or Chelsea who have been made mega-rich by the owners.

Granted the Reds have always had a strong financial backing that is more than most other clubs but the brand of the club, and the success in the stock markets, was built on the 90’s domination of English football that made United a world renowned successful club that was attractive for investors and sponsors.

Why should fans who have spent a lot of money on season tickets, who enjoy going to a game at the weekend and who have built their social lives around football just stop going to games? It won’t make any difference to the Glazers.

Ticket revenue makes up a fractional amount of United’s huge profits. Sponsorship and merchandise sold worldwide is what brings in the big bucks.

United need continued success to ensure that the sponsorship keeps coming. If fans start dropping off from going to support their team, apart from being unfair on the players, it could also have an effect on results on the pitch.

It seems to be that Harris, who played a pivotal part in the takeovers of Manchester City, West Ham and Aston Villa, has seen the money signs ringing again and has jumped at the chance of adding to his fortune.

He may be a United fan but as mentioned above, he’s an experienced business man and financial success will come first for him.

The Glazers need to go but Manchester United supporter groups should be wary of who they back in a bid to buy them out.

Boxing needs to knock out the cheats

It’s time all governing bodies of professional boxing began to clean up the sport and dispell any chance of cheats prevailing in the game.

It is amazing how, with so much money ploughed into the sport, that testing is so easy-going in comparison to other sports.

Cycling and athletics are often referred to as ‘dirty’ with the highest rates of failed drugs tests.

However, while at university I produced a drugs and sport publication that, with interviews from across various sports, proved that whilst they may have the most failed samples, cycling has the most stringent of testing procedures.

It’s selective as well as random, meaning that less competitors can miss or avoid testing with both blood and urine samples mandatory.

However, in professional boxing they do not follow similar 'Olympic-style testing' and do not insist on blood samples -instead they just take urine samples in the run-up, and straight after contests.

Cycling has tarnished its imagine by cleaning it up in the hope it will cleanse the sport from the cheats, while ensuring fair and rewarding competitions for honest competitors.

Professional boxing needs to follow cycling’s example and ensure that fans can watch the sport confident that the champions that are being crowned are true winners.

The recent spat between Floyd Mayweather Jr and Manny Pacquiao has brought this situation to light and, while I agree it would have been unfair on the latter to submit to the demands put forward, blood testing has to come into play soon.

Victor Conte, the man who supplied Dwain Chambers and many other athletes with performance enhancing substances that for years went unnoticed, has come out and said that professional boxing testing is useless.

“The testing that is being utilised in boxing is virtually worthless," Conte told BBC Radio 5 live. The testing that is being utilised in boxing is virtually worthless," Conte told BBC Radio 5 live.

"I don't believe they want to know how rampant the use of drugs really is," said Conte. "Testing in boxing is completely and totally inept."

While Conte’s comments are not good news, what the head of World Anti-Doping Agency (WADA), David Howman has said is even more worrying for fans of boxing.

He said: "Professional boxing is not in compliance and has made no effort to comply.

"They give the boxer every opportunity to hide what they may have taken previously and that is not the way the world operates these days."

The fact that professional boxing organisations are refusing to comply may mean that there is plenty to hide.

The governing bodies may be worried what effect a string of failures could have on the sport’s image that has already been tarnished by the amount of corruption prevailing in the game.

However, if they fail to bring in tougher testing then fans are going to start doubting the credentials of the fighters competing, especially after the claims by the Mayweather camp about Pacquaio’s apparent steroid use.

Of course, the amount of money on the line at the top level must mean that the purses are fairly won, but testing should also be much more strict because of the health danger that is carried by participating in boxing.

If a boxer is going into the ring against someone who has used a performance enhancing substance then their life is more at risk due to the fact that the drug may have made the cheating opponent stronger and/or fitter than they should be, thus giving the ability to cause more damage.

It is time professional boxing cleaned up and followed the examples of the amateur side of the game, athletics, cycling and other sports that follow 'Olympic-style testing' for the sake of the promoters that financially back it, the health of the fighters that compete and the fans that pay the money that helps keep the sweet science going.

Not Keane on Celtic move

Robbie Keane’s loan move from Tottenham to Celtic was a bit of a shock but, while it may have lit up a drab final day of the transfer window, it is not going to reignite the Republic of Ireland captain’s career.

The Dubliner has changed club’s more than most, but while not all his moves have worked out, like joining Inter Milan before he was ready and signing for Liverpool despite Rafa Benitez not wanting him, joining Celtic could be his biggest career mistake.

Having struggled to cement a place in Tottenham’s starting line-up since returning to White Hart Lane 12 months ago, a move away was a good idea, and a loan move an ideal chance to impress Harry Redknapp.

However, while Keane may believe he can score plenty of goals in the SPL and impress Redknapp, or maybe another Premier League manager, while also helping Celtic stage a dramatic comeback in the title race, he is kidding himself on both accounts.

First of all, no matter how many goals he scores, he won’t suddenly force Redknapp to change his mind and put the Dubliner in front of Defoe or Crouch.

Secondly, Celtic lie 10 points behind Rangers in the league table and have been far too inconsistent this season to stage a realistic title challenge. Wayne Rooney, even in his current form, would struggle to save The Bhoys.

The growth in the gulf in class between the SPL and the Premier League over recent years means scoring goals in Scotland is not as impressive as it once may have been.

In truth, Keane would have been better off joining Sunderland or another club in the Premier League who are not competing with Tottenham for fourth spot.

It’s doubtful that Celtic are coughing up Keane’s £65k a week wages, so he was surely affordable to other clubs.

Going out and scoring vital goals to keep a club in the Premier League would have been far more impressive - and a much tougher challenge that would improve him as a player.

And if it was Keane’s dream to wear the hooped shirt, then he should have followed in the footsteps of his namesake and gone to Celtic Park at the end of his career.

For the sake of the Republic of Ireland's chances of qualifying for Euro 2012, let's hope I'm wrong.