Thursday, April 17, 2003 | 9:39 a.m.
With an opponent of borderline merit across from him Saturday night in Fresno, Floyd Mayweather Jr. figures to have it easy unless he gets caught looking ahead.
Undefeated in 29 professional fights and with 20 of those wins by knockout, the Las Vegas-based World Boxing Council lightweight champion is expected to handle the challenge of Victoriano Sosa.
They're scheduled for 12 rounds at what may be a sold-out Selland Arena, with HBO televising.
"I'm going to play with him," Mayweather said of Sosa. "I've got to be impressive."
Assuming he has done his homework, this is a fight that may not test Mayweather. Slick and strong, he brings a laundry list of attributes into any fight and has been only marginally threatened in his pro career.
That's why Mayweather yearns for bigger fights and seemingly has to force himself to be complimentary toward the opponent when it's a man of Sosa's caliber.
"He's a solid opponent," Mayweather said of Sosa, who is 35-2-2 with 26 KOs but is likely better known for being baseball star Sammy Sosa's cousin. "It's not a megafight but it's a fight boxing needs.
"He's in the top 10."
Sosa is ranked No. 5 by the WBC but is coming off a November draw with aging ex-champ Lamar Murphy and was beaten by Paul Spadafora in a previous title try. Sosa, 28, did have Spadafora down twice, yet one has to wonder if he'll get as clean a crack at Mayweather as he did at the International Boxing Federation champ.
"We hope Sosa doesn't come anywhere near hitting a home run," promoter Bob Arum said, his bias toward Mayweather readily apparent.
This is a fight Arum took to Fresno after casino properties in Las Vegas and Madison Square Garden in New York took a pass. With Fresno never having hosted a world championship fight, ticket sales are said to be good and a crowd approaching Selland's 10,132 capacity is expected.
Those in attendance are paying to see Mayweather, 26, who will receive $1.8 million for the bout. He's one of 10 current world champions with an undefeated record, but the only one looking to jump three weight classes to face an even bigger star.
As detailed in the Sun April 9, a Mayweather vs. Oscar De La Hoya fight at 154 pounds is being discussed for May 2004, and could conceivably happen even if De La Hoya has expressed some reluctance. He's not sure what there is to gain by fighting a smaller man, yet Arum can be persuasive and has said he'll work on De La Hoya in the coming months.
(Mayweather says his "walking around" weight is 145 and that he would weigh 150 for a fight with De La Hoya.)
Until then, Mayweather has to keep himself busy and his fight with Sosa will be followed by one against either mandatory challenger Juan Lazcano or ex-champ Stevie Johnston.
Arum said he offered Spadafora $1 million to fight Mayweather (with New York as the target site) but the offer was turned down.
"They'd rather take less money and fight each other than take a chance for more money and get knocked out by me," Mayweather said, referring to Spadafora and World Boxing Association champ Leonard Dorin meeting May 17 in Pittsburgh.
Mayweather was sounding rejuvenated as he completed his training in Las Vegas before making his way to Fresno.
"Ten more years," he said, when asked how long he might continue to fight. "I haven't taken any abuse and I feel I haven't fought yet. My head's telling me to stay in the sport and be the best I can be."
But he's obviously biding his time before a bigger fight, one on pay-per-view, comes along.
"When I get a big fight, that's when I really step up," said Mayweather, whose best win to date was a brilliant 10th-round knockout of archrival Diego Corrales two years ago at the MGM. "In the big fights, that's when I feel I have something to prove."
His fight with Sosa isn't a big fight, yet it's one he has to win to extend his championship reign and inch closer to De La Hoya if not immortality.
"Can't no fighter beat me," Mayweather said, comfortable that Sosa won't be the one to disprove that boast.
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