Shirts were removed. A woman’s derriere was slapped. Shoes were thrown. A near-riot ensued. No, “Jersey Shore” didn’t have a reunion episode. I hear some of them have other things going on. This was much more disturbing. It was a press conference for the rematch between Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga, airing this Saturday night on Integrated Sports Pay-Per-View. And really, the fact that the fight is actually happening at all comes as a bit of a surprise.
From the moment this bout was announced, reactions ranged from amusement, to horror, to can’t-look-away-from-the-fucking-train-wreck intrigue. The odds seemed stacked that this thing would implode like the Toronto Maple Leafs in late winter. Matters weren’t helped when whatever is still holding Don King together showed up to stop Mayorga from fighting. But you know what? Sometimes the boxing gods smile upon us, my friends. This fight is going down. For the very low price of 50 bucks, we can watch two 40-year-old men battle it out in a rematch of a bout that wasn’t all that great seven years ago.
While the fight stands a decent chance of being fun, we knew damn well the press conferences would be some serious entertainment. They’ve lived up to the hype, spawning two soon-to-be infamous slaps – one landing on Shane Mosley’s girlfriend’s ass, the other landing perfectly on a cigarette dangling from Mayorga’s mouth.
This rematch was basically created through social media, and although several pundits have expressed concern over the fact that Mosley (who is serving as the promoter) stands to lose a great deal of money, the man just wants to fight. And he really, really wants to fight Ricardo Mayorga. The Nicaraguan psychopath has the uncanny ability to piss off every fighter on the planet. And although he’s years removed from relevance, and several pounds higher than is probably ideal, the main is entertainment personified.
And unlike the old Mosley, this one is in no mood for his fuckery. When he says he despises Mayorga, we believe him. Watching Mayorga grope his woman like a drunk frat kid at a Jets game certainly didn’t ease the enmity. But really, who the hell lets their girlfriend, wife, child, grandmother or pet anywhere within five feet of that guy?
As is usually the case with a fight feeding off of a circus-show atmosphere, rumors have been flying out of everywhere. The latest one, which gathered steam late yesterday, was that Mosley would be picking a new opponent for Saturday’s comeback fight. But with King defeated in court, Mayorga will be the man tasting Mosley’s hands. Probably frequently. And probably on purpose a whole bunch of times.
Is it irrational to be fairly interested in this fight? Probably. But there will be several hundred thousand fans purchasing a PPV fight on September 12th, and they all know exactly how that one will turn out. Saturday’s fight? Nobody has a clue. It really wouldn’t be all that surprising if fans on Sunday morning are discussing the fact that alcohol and livestock ended up in the ring. During the fight.
So the unpredictability of two faded warriors is fueling the interest. So what? This is boxing. Weird shit happens all the time. Normal here is weird everywhere else. If you decide to tune in, you might be surprised. You might enjoy yourself.
And if not? We’ll always have The Slap.
(photo via)
