Of Jheri Curls, Confrontation: Mosley-Mayweather 24/7 P2
By Cliff Rold
Last week on 24-7, there were clips of shoving, shouting, and drug tests. Narrator Liev Schreiber doesn’t even get to the obligatory “This is 24/7.” One guesses with tensions being so high and all, the template is lost in the shuffle.
It is though.
Cue the real-timish recap because it is 24/7 and it begins with Floyd Mayweather…well…watching 24/7. That’s right; not only is it there to sell the fight on May 1st. It’s there to sell, subliminally, that episode one is still available any time on HBO On Demand.
In HD where available.
Mayweather rants about Mosley’s fighting-for-pride narrative in episode one and then explains the difference between talented and gifted. He allows that WBA Welterweight titlist Shane Mosley is ‘talented,’ but describes himself as “God-gifted.”
God is irrelevant in the dispensing of talents but not gifts then? Is that in the New Testament or Old?
The scene cuts right away to the Mosley camp where Mosley explains that Mayweather’s ‘barking’ could be a sign Mayweather is a little intimidated. “I don’t bark. I bite. And my bite is very deadly.” Mosley states, illustrating why Mayweather is so good at selling events and he, well, he just ain’t.
Mosley’s trainer, Brother Nazim Richardson, is pretty good though. Richardson goes off about how, for all his talk, Mayweather’s fighting family background probably excluded him from too many street conflicts as a kid. “I can get in front of the camera and talk like I’m from the block, but what’s real is real.”
Back at the Mosley camp mansion, old tape of the 2000 contest with Emanuel Augustus is on the TV with the whole crew watching the action; Richardson has worked his way to the first Jose Luis Castillo bout in 2002 by late night, alone and looking for answers to the undefeated “Pretty Boy.” Richardson continues to provide the insights of the episode, providing the analysis that he doesn’t agree with those who characterize Mayweather as “a talented coward” and that, when Mosley hits him, he expects to see Mayweather turn into a “dragon” in the ring.
These shows aren’t entirely linear so it can be presumed Richardson may have worked his way through the tapes to the 2004 DeMarcus Corley fight for evidence of that.
Next it’s a look at the life of the Mayweather security team and their gym time. It might be the most uninteresting segment of any episode ever. Moving on.
And it’s Mayweather mitt work, a staple of 24/7 whether it’s been the pre-fight hype for his showdowns with De La Hoya, Hatton, and Marquez, Mayweather going monologue in the background about being better, and why he’s worked hard enough to feel like he can say he’s better, than Ali and Robinson. Ali remains a topic as Floyd is seen joking with his Dad in the gym about whether Floyd Sr. ever lifts lines from Ali in his own fight hype poems.
Mosley takes his crew to a barbershop in his hometown of Pomona, California and leaves with nothing resembling the Jheri Curl Mayweather accused him of having on episode one. It’s all prelude to media time in Los Angeles, a press day and workout followed by couch time on the George Lopez Show with former foe, and promotional partner, Oscar De La Hoya.
Lopez says he thinks this fight, Mosley-Mayweather, is more intriguing that a Mayweather fight with Pacquiao would have been in the green room moment and then it’s on to show clips, the highlight being Lopez offering the fighters a pair of shows for Mayweather to wear with a “George Lopez Show” sticker on each sole.
The scene shifts again to Uncle Roger (Mayweather) taking his son out to Chinese food and a chance to remind the audience that Roger’s dark cloud, a domestic violence charge which could go to trial this summer, still looms. Roger explains his innocence and is seen carrying his sleeping son into a media obligation in the next scene.
The obligation is a press conference call with trainers and handlers on center stage, leading quickly to Richardson and Roger (and Mayweather advisor Leonard Ellerbe) going back and forth about whether Mosley takes steroids, whether Mayweather injects painkillers into his hands before fights etc. No resolution is reached.
Back at camp Mosley, Shane is shown training Shane Jr. between his own sessions, both of them shown doing road work together (in slow motion of course). Shane’s dismissal of his own father as his trainer a few years ago is touched on and Jack Mosley is quickly interviewed to say he supports his son despite Shane saying his father lost his 100% focus on the sport.
Family remains the focus back in the Mayweather gym (along with some jokes about tax problems which may have played a part in Mayweather’s truncated retirement). A kid named Floyd Diaz works the mitts and it’s so cool it get’s the kid into the review.
Rock on little man.
Mayweather gives life lessons to his daughter before the music begins to rise and both men share the screen in quick cut, a sign the episode is almost over. A few more quotes from both guys and it is.
Final Thoughts: Sorry for anyone who enjoyed this week’s episode, but something was missing. Accepting that this show is all a giant commercial, that it isn’t to be taken serious, it still can be entertaining.
It just wasn’t this week….with one exception.
Richardson is turning into the star of this 24/7, a fatherly vibe and sincere sense felt every time he speaks. Mosley just isn’t a salesman so Richardson stands in for him, his trainer and personality by default.
Mayweather came off well in the first episode but seemed more routine this week, if only because there weren’t any good laugh lines.
Oh, and if the show can add weigh-in footage on the day of an episode, why wasn’t there any mention of the leaked footage of Mosley’s deposition in the lawsuit with BALCO? That happened a solid couple of days before this episode hit the air.
Second episodes are usually pretty dry on 24/7. This was no exception. Grade: B
By Cliff Rold
Last week on 24-7, there were clips of shoving, shouting, and drug tests. Narrator Liev Schreiber doesn’t even get to the obligatory “This is 24/7.” One guesses with tensions being so high and all, the template is lost in the shuffle.
It is though.
Cue the real-timish recap because it is 24/7 and it begins with Floyd Mayweather…well…watching 24/7. That’s right; not only is it there to sell the fight on May 1st. It’s there to sell, subliminally, that episode one is still available any time on HBO On Demand.
In HD where available.
Mayweather rants about Mosley’s fighting-for-pride narrative in episode one and then explains the difference between talented and gifted. He allows that WBA Welterweight titlist Shane Mosley is ‘talented,’ but describes himself as “God-gifted.”
God is irrelevant in the dispensing of talents but not gifts then? Is that in the New Testament or Old?
The scene cuts right away to the Mosley camp where Mosley explains that Mayweather’s ‘barking’ could be a sign Mayweather is a little intimidated. “I don’t bark. I bite. And my bite is very deadly.” Mosley states, illustrating why Mayweather is so good at selling events and he, well, he just ain’t.
Mosley’s trainer, Brother Nazim Richardson, is pretty good though. Richardson goes off about how, for all his talk, Mayweather’s fighting family background probably excluded him from too many street conflicts as a kid. “I can get in front of the camera and talk like I’m from the block, but what’s real is real.”
Back at the Mosley camp mansion, old tape of the 2000 contest with Emanuel Augustus is on the TV with the whole crew watching the action; Richardson has worked his way to the first Jose Luis Castillo bout in 2002 by late night, alone and looking for answers to the undefeated “Pretty Boy.” Richardson continues to provide the insights of the episode, providing the analysis that he doesn’t agree with those who characterize Mayweather as “a talented coward” and that, when Mosley hits him, he expects to see Mayweather turn into a “dragon” in the ring.
These shows aren’t entirely linear so it can be presumed Richardson may have worked his way through the tapes to the 2004 DeMarcus Corley fight for evidence of that.
Next it’s a look at the life of the Mayweather security team and their gym time. It might be the most uninteresting segment of any episode ever. Moving on.
And it’s Mayweather mitt work, a staple of 24/7 whether it’s been the pre-fight hype for his showdowns with De La Hoya, Hatton, and Marquez, Mayweather going monologue in the background about being better, and why he’s worked hard enough to feel like he can say he’s better, than Ali and Robinson. Ali remains a topic as Floyd is seen joking with his Dad in the gym about whether Floyd Sr. ever lifts lines from Ali in his own fight hype poems.
Mosley takes his crew to a barbershop in his hometown of Pomona, California and leaves with nothing resembling the Jheri Curl Mayweather accused him of having on episode one. It’s all prelude to media time in Los Angeles, a press day and workout followed by couch time on the George Lopez Show with former foe, and promotional partner, Oscar De La Hoya.
Lopez says he thinks this fight, Mosley-Mayweather, is more intriguing that a Mayweather fight with Pacquiao would have been in the green room moment and then it’s on to show clips, the highlight being Lopez offering the fighters a pair of shows for Mayweather to wear with a “George Lopez Show” sticker on each sole.
The scene shifts again to Uncle Roger (Mayweather) taking his son out to Chinese food and a chance to remind the audience that Roger’s dark cloud, a domestic violence charge which could go to trial this summer, still looms. Roger explains his innocence and is seen carrying his sleeping son into a media obligation in the next scene.
The obligation is a press conference call with trainers and handlers on center stage, leading quickly to Richardson and Roger (and Mayweather advisor Leonard Ellerbe) going back and forth about whether Mosley takes steroids, whether Mayweather injects painkillers into his hands before fights etc. No resolution is reached.
Back at camp Mosley, Shane is shown training Shane Jr. between his own sessions, both of them shown doing road work together (in slow motion of course). Shane’s dismissal of his own father as his trainer a few years ago is touched on and Jack Mosley is quickly interviewed to say he supports his son despite Shane saying his father lost his 100% focus on the sport.
Family remains the focus back in the Mayweather gym (along with some jokes about tax problems which may have played a part in Mayweather’s truncated retirement). A kid named Floyd Diaz works the mitts and it’s so cool it get’s the kid into the review.
Rock on little man.
Mayweather gives life lessons to his daughter before the music begins to rise and both men share the screen in quick cut, a sign the episode is almost over. A few more quotes from both guys and it is.
Final Thoughts: Sorry for anyone who enjoyed this week’s episode, but something was missing. Accepting that this show is all a giant commercial, that it isn’t to be taken serious, it still can be entertaining.
It just wasn’t this week….with one exception.
Richardson is turning into the star of this 24/7, a fatherly vibe and sincere sense felt every time he speaks. Mosley just isn’t a salesman so Richardson stands in for him, his trainer and personality by default.
Mayweather came off well in the first episode but seemed more routine this week, if only because there weren’t any good laugh lines.
Oh, and if the show can add weigh-in footage on the day of an episode, why wasn’t there any mention of the leaked footage of Mosley’s deposition in the lawsuit with BALCO? That happened a solid couple of days before this episode hit the air.
Second episodes are usually pretty dry on 24/7. This was no exception. Grade: B