Congratulations sports fans.  The American League Championship Series is four months early. 

The Phillies have beaten the Braves and are awaiting the winner of Yankees-Red Sox.  But the Yanks and Sox are not competing in a seven game series this weekend; they are fighting in the biggest welterweight boxing match since “Sugar” Ray Leonard and Tommy Hearns squared off in 1981. 

Floyd “Money” Mayweather is the New York Yankees; “Sugar” Shane Mosley is the Boston Red Sox.  Manny Pacquiao, the Philadelphia Phillies, looms in the background.  

An unofficial four-man elimination tournament has sprung about within the welterweight division featuring the three best pound-for-pound fighters in the world (the fourth participant in the tournament, Joshua Clottey, had a spot because, well, somebody had to play against the Phillies).  Mayweather-Mosley is the premier semifinal matchup. 

The May 1 mega-fight has been building for over 10 years.  Each time the two sides were close to agreeing to a fight (1999, 2003, 2005, etc.), talks broke down for whatever reason.  Mayweather claims Mosley didn’t want to fight him; Mosley says the same about Mayweather. 

But after a series of unpredictable events—the tragic earthquake in Haiti forcing the cancelation of Mosley’s January fight with Andre Berto, and Mayweather and Pacquiao’s inability to agree to terms for a March 13 fight—Mayweather and Mosley were both found in need of a dance partner.  The fight was finally made.

Many boxing fans were surprised that Mayweather agreed to fight an opponent as dangerous as Mosley, who is coming off a destructive knockout of Antonio Margarito in January 2009.  Despite being universally considered one of the top two boxers in the world, “Pretty Boy Floyd” has long been criticized for avoiding the top welterweights. 

He once turned down $8 million to fight Margarito (the very same Margarito that Mosley brutally knocked out), a figure that would have been the highest payday of his career at that time.  After knocking out junior welterweight Ricky Hatton, Mayweather chose retirement over a bout with then-undefeated Miguel Cotto.  The stubborn impasse between he and Pacquiao over drug testing only bolstered his detractors’ criticisms.

But if Mayweather is victorious against Mosley, his critics will be put to rest.  No longer can they say that he has never fought a top welterweight.  No longer can they say that Pacquiao has had better wins.  And no longer can they say that he is only the No. 2 pound-for-pound fighter. 

In just one night, Mayweather can eradicate years of negativity.  His legacy will finally be validated.

Saturday night is the continuation of a golden era for welterweights.  Mayweather-Mosley may not be the Pacquiao-Mayweather entrée that the entire world is craving right now, but it’s an excellent appetizer. 

Besides, sometimes the ALCS is better than the World Series anyway.