Sugar Shane MosleyMosley Confident With Camp Underway
For Sugar Shane Mosley, his May 1 mega-fight against Floyd Mayweather cannot come soon enough. Having longed for this fight for many years, he is mentally and physically ready for battle, with training preparations well underway.
Following a three-city media tour which wrapped up in Los Angeles on March 4, Mosley immediately returned to Big Bear, Calif., where he owns a home and has trained since 1996. In the serene mountain environment, Mosley is relaxed, but working extremely hard in preparation for what he knows will be one of the toughest battles of his career. The fact that Mayweather steps into the ring with a record of 40-0 is not intimidating to the former pound-for-pound champ who is ready to take back his throne.
"I was 38-0 with 35 knockouts when I stepped into the ring and lost for the very first time," said Mosley. "So when you say 40-0, that doesn't mean a thing to me. All it means is that I'll be the one giving him his first loss. No disrespect, but I really don't think he's been in there with a fighter like me, and I believe that when I beat Floyd, I will send him into retirement. May first will be May's first loss."
Small Tribe, Strong Tribe
The calm, quiet, and relaxed atmosphere that Mosley is enjoying at camp has been coupled with intense workouts. He and the rest of the Mosley Tribe (as Shane refers to them) stay on the property Mosley has owned since 2000, which includes his private home and a boxing gym. There is also plenty of room for housing sparring partners recruited to help with training. Running begins by 7:00 a.m. each morning and is followed by work with fitness trainer and massage therapist Gustavo Satragni, who is in camp with Mosley for the second time.
Satragni, who has worked with the likes of Carlos Baldomir as well as some of the top soccer players from his native Argentina, concentrates his attention on improving Mosley's stamina, balance and flexibility. Then it is off to breakfast with his team and a small group of familiar faces including his trainer Naazim Richardson, his best friend from childhood and second assistant Hassan Abdulrahim Jr., Elliott Ness who handles personal security, sparring partner Karl "Dynamite" Dargan and most importantly, his son Shane Mosley Jr. eats healthy, though weight is not a problem. After doing media interviews and resting during the day, it's back to the gym in the evening, this time to concentrate on boxing training with Richardson and Hassan.
In addition to hitting the heavy bags, mitts, and sparring, the team works on a full arsenal of strategies. After boxing, Mosley's day wraps up with some additional stretching and a massage.
"I love Big Bear and have gotten very comfortable with the surroundings and the people who live up here," said Mosley. "It's quiet, peaceful, the air is clean and the altitude can't be beat. There is no other place that I could feel more relaxed and ready to prepare for a fight, particularly a big one like this."
Ready For 24/7
Mosley has been a fan of HBO's Emmy award winning 24/7 since the series debuted in 2007. With the shows first episode airing on April 10 at 10:00 p.m. ET / 7:00 p.m. PT, Mosley, along with Mayweather, who has appeared on the show three times before, has allowed cameras behind-the-scenes to capture moments the often reserved Mosley has never shared before. Mosley was asked if he was concerned about the expected on-screen battle with the entertaining Mayweather.
"People who watch 24/7 Mayweather/Mosley will get to see the real me. I'm not worried about being over the top and doing anything crazy like Floyd. He's playing a character and doing his thing. I'm just excited to let the fans in and give them a glimpse of my life and what it's like leading up to one of the biggest fights of my career."
See you at the Fights. Thank You for your time.
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