Boxing

 

Forrest-Mosley II - Sugar Comes Up Short


Ringside Report by Phillip Przybylo

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Specials thanks to Barbara Perenic

22.07 - All of the hype leading up to the most intriguing match-up of the year did little to impress spectators at Conseco Fieldhouse Saturday night. It was not exactly the most exhilarating welterweight contest in recent memory.

Much was made of the fact that both combatants had everything to lose going into the fight. Oddly enough, the bout between Vernon Forrest and Shane Mosley may leave both men in a much more exalted position. Fans never got the chance to see a fierce war between two of the best boxing has to offer, but they did watch two classy champions spar in a tactical battle that could have gone either way on the scorecards.

Mosley's building anxiety leading up to the fight was never more apparent in the opening seconds of the first round. Six months of frustration were packed into a left hook-straight right combination that shocked and shook Forrest. Mosley's anger took a back seat to caution, though. His attack would become infrequent from the middle of the first round on.

The two-time champion appeared to have won the majority of the first several rounds. Even when Forrest began to assert himself with jabs and body blows in the second and third periods, Shane showed no hesitation in blasting the champion with pinpoint left hooks. Mosley's jabs did not number high, but each one had more power and meaning to it.

The middle rounds took on a laboring pace. Forrest won the lion's share of rounds five through eight, but it was not pretty. He continued to establish the jab more, would connect with 1-2 combinations, and would land the left hook upstairs with some frequency. He would also continue to do the majority of the holding. Every twenty or thirty seconds, referee Lawrence Cole had to break up the fighters. In between clinches, the fighters were not ready to let it all hang out.

At end of the first minute of the eighth round, what had transpired the last three and a half rounds was made perfectly clear, if not already. The WBC champ came inside only to get clocked by a counter left hook that drew "ooh's" and scattered applause from the audience. It was the challenger's best punch in a couple rounds. Immediately afterward, Shane bounced back and refused to follow up on it.

Both men were simply afraid to commit to an offensive onslaught. It was as if one were watching two extremely educated experts (in this case, in the area of pugilism) square off. They postured, feinted, and bounced back and forth looking for openings and weaknesses. The two fighters were both so talented that they were always thinking two or three steps ahead of their opponent. The only problem is that they did not do anything in the meantime. The man on the other side of the ring would capitalize on any mistake.

The bout took a turn for the better towards the tail end of the ninth stanza. Shane momentarily stunned his counterpart with a piston-like straight right. Proceeding to jump on his opponent, the Pomona native threw a plethora of punches in the final seconds that looked to have an effect on the champion. Forrest smartly initiated a clinch at the first available opportunity. Another thirty seconds could have spelled disaster for "The Viper," but it was not to be for "Sugar" Shane Mosley on this humid, smother Indianapolis night.

The exciting finish to the last round set the stage for fireworks down the stretch. A subtle mix of desire and desperation to give the judges something to think about fueled heated exchanges between the two. Neither man wanted to give a little. They did not want to get hurt while landing their shots. Unfortunately for them, that was the only answer. Every time rapid fire punches were exchanged, each landed meaningful blows.

Rounds ten and eleven were very close in that aspect. The final round was easily won by the challenger as Forrest was content to play it safe. "It was a tough fight," Forrest sounded off. "When you fight a guy that is your equal, it's tough. I was frustrating him. He was frustrating me. But I kept my composure and just kept with it."

The judges did not see them as equals. Forrest retained his title with judges giving him favorable scores of 115-113, a reaching 116-112, and an outrageous 117-111. Eastside had it 114-114. Many close rounds seemed to have Shane's stamp on it via more impressive power punch connects. Coupled with Shane landing the telling blows of the bout in general, it would not have been a shocker if Shane would have been given the nod.

Jack Mosley, Shane's father and trainer, expressed his discontent with the scoring after the fight. "I thought (Shane) did a great job. I felt he won the fight. I wanted Shane to do a little more to solidify the win. I wanted him to go to the body more, I wanted to hurt him some more." Jack continued, "We're not going to cry about the loss. He won. But I felt Shane won. To have it that far apart--the judges--it's ludicrous as far as I'm concerned. The scores were out of range; it was crazy. I thought if anything it could have been a draw. At least give Shane that."

The Sugarman handled the loss with a quiet dignity that was quite simply admirable. "I still feel that I'm a great fighter," Shane explained. "And Forrest is the only fighter who could get away from the knockout. I applaud him on that. He fought a great fight; he fought hard. He was in there, battling. We were both battling back and forth. Whatever his strategy is, whatever he did, he did good at it. I just think it was a great fight and a good showing by both fighters."

After all the questions had been asked of Mosley, from the corner of the room in the post-fight press conference, a shout was heard, "I still think you're sweet, Sugar." Even some of the "objective" reporters began to applaud in a surreal moment. Mosley (now 38-2) will look for greener pastures in the junior middleweight division, but he may end up with more support and respect while he makes his move up even if he did not win. Ironically, Shane may have more love and positive public sentiment from his two losses.

Likewise, Forrest was a gracious winner. The former Olympian will likely seek to unify the crown by taking on the WBA and IBF titlists. He has won two battles against one of the very best the sport has ever seen. He is on top of his game and has the respect of millions. And if anyone thinks he may have had a perfect style just for Mosley, Vernon begs to differ. "I don't have his number. What am I, 35-0? I have everyone I fought's number."

Tarver Drops By With Breakout Performance

In the semi-main event, number one light heavyweight contender Antonio Tarver put his status on the line against the only man to have ever beaten him, Eric Harding. The brave stand look to be a bad move in the early going. Harding swept the first three rounds based on his jabs and light combinations.

Harding may have gotten just a little more confident than he should have. When he came inside midway through the fourth, Tarver shot a perfect left hand counter. Harding stumbled and never had a chance after that. The 1996 Olympian did an exceptional job using his right hand to set up his devestating bread and butter punch. His straight left showed no mercy, refusing to miss Harding upstairs. Knockdowns at the end of round four and the beginning of round five bordered on brutality. Tarver was upset with the referee for not stopping it earlier. But, like a professional, Antonio finished the job with as little unnecessary punishment as possible. The referee called a halt to the bout forty-three seconds into the fifth.

Tarver (20-1) has managed to do something that Roy Jones, Jr., could not: put Eric Harding away decisively. He has more than earned his title shot. He beat the most heralded contender in the division in dramatic fashion. He has also put a string of solid wins against the best in the division. More importantly, he is more than ready for Roy. With his experience, poise and style, he may be Roy's toughest test yet. Needless to say, it would be criminal if Tarver did not get his shot within the next year.

Undercard results:

-In more light heavyweight action, Dimitrique Edwards defeated Patrick Lewis in the opening bout of the night.

-Heavyweight contender/journeyman Duncan Dokiwari defeated the overmatched Tim Knight to move up his record to 17-1.

-Jose Celaya retained his NABO welterweight championship over Hector Quiroz.

-Sherwin Davis lit up the crowd with a third round TKO over Michael Soberanis in junior middleweight action.

-Nick Cook won a decision over George Blades for the Indiana light heavyweight title.

-Large heavyweights collided when Enrique Ruiz scored a TKO victory over Nick Flores.

-Xavier Tolliver scored a TKO victory of his with a demoralizing and unrelenting body attack in the first round on Mark Scott.

-2000 bronze medalist Clarence Vinson looked sharp against journeyman bantamweight Jose Beltran. Winning nearly every round with quick combinations, Clarence could not quite put him away. Nevertheless, Vinson pushes his record up to 10-0 with an unanimous decision. He is definitely ready for a step up or two in class.

Photos © Barbara Perenic / Questions or comments? E-mail the author at: eastside_double_p@hotmail.com

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Illusions, Delusions and Conclusions Leading Up to the 'Rematch of the Century"


By Phillip Przybylo

17.07 - Six months ago, the welterweight division was Shane Mosley's. One of top fighters in the world, pound for pound, all the superstar needed was confirmation of that fact. The coronation was set for January 26 against the often avoided stalwart of the division. Instead of a crowning in front of a packed house of supporters at the MSG Theatre, Mosley was dethroned. The disastrous chain of events that night have set the stage for what might be the most dramatic fight of the year.

The word on Vernon Forrest half a year ago was that he was a solid fighter, had good mechanics, but did not necessarily have any "it" qualities. Proving doubters wrong must be an Atlanta thing. Vernon looked cold and calculating during the New York winter's night. He looked spectacular. The win, so shocking that it was the largest motivating factor for the rematch taking place this July 20 in Indianapolis, has catapulted to him to the upper echelon in the mythical pound for pound rankings.

Suddenly, it is "The Viper" waiting for his greatness to be acknowledged, the talented Mosley the underdog. Nevertheless, two of the very best in boxing's glamour division will square off to settle a burgeoning feud. In a year of exhilarating fights and in a period only three years old, this bout has the potential to live up to its billing as "The Rematch of the Century."

"The Butt" Not So Much a Factor

The outcome of the first fight sent a shockwave throughout the boxing public and a buzz throughout the US. The encounter began with the ever efficient champion, Mosley, power boxing his way to a 10-9 first round. Although Shane's opinion has been skewed since, the first stanza was still competitive, and not a domination of sorts. It was exactly that type of misguided thinking that led to his complacency. It also led to three minutes in which boxing was turned on its head.

Maybe amongst the million dollar smile he flashed so often, the hype, and the yearning for more mainstream plaudits, Shane Mosley forgot what it meant to be hungry. Unfortunately for Sugar, Vernon Forrest was the very personification of it. In the second round, the seemingly ordinary 6'0" welterweight blasted the champion with a right hand midway through. Mosley was visibly shaken for the first time in his career. The unmerciful uppercut that followed against the ropes is etched in the minds of many; for it led to one of the top rated boxers in the world going down for the first time. Shane eventually went down a second time in the period, and the writing was on the wall.

The challenger picked Mosley apart for the rest of the fight. Every time Pomona native dug deep and marshaled his strength to shift the momentum of the battle, Forrest countered with a couple of reminders of his power (it is a little surprising that Shane is still not short of breath after the relentless body attack that occurred in the tenth). While the beaten champ has been known for his spirited finishes every fight he has contested in, he could only muster an ugly showing that barely won the last round.

However the unanimous decision loss effected the former lightweight king physically and emotionally pales in comparison to the psychological damage that has taken place. It might be the truth. It might be a way to psyche his opponent out. It might be motivation manifesting itself in the form of denial. But Shane Mosley's account of the their first encounter is getting more lopsided in the months and weeks coming into the bout. He has attempted to turn a landmark victory by Forrest into a perverse story of dirty tactics, which include excessive holding and an intentional loaded head butt.

"Well, I know what happened," Mosley said last week. "He hit me with a head butt and I think that it was on purpose, because I rounded him up in the first round and he couldn't do anything to stop me, so, that was his way of knocking me off course and he did a good job. I mean, I guess if head butting is part of the boxing plan, then that's good.

"It was designed, because if he wouldn't have did it on purpose, he would have did the exact same thing, hit me with the head butt again, but he knew when to do it, and I think that's how he has a lot of people fooled."

Most would say the aforementioned head butt was nothing more than an accident. The 1992 Olympian's career was stalled for almost a year because of a head butt and subsequent no-contest with Raul Frank. Why would he risk the biggest fight of his career for an illegal tactic? Why wouldn't he try it again if it was on purpose and could get away with it when he was having trouble putting Mosley away for good?

Even more contrary evidence presents itself when reviewing the tape of the fight. It is Augusta native, not Mosley, that is more shaken by the clash of heads. Shane only seems concerned about a small cut on his forehead. Any inflicted concussion dealt to the former champ could have been easily confused with the right hands that followed less than a minute later.

Mosley refutes all of this. He claims it was an act on Forrest's part, and that the media is not giving him enough credit for his trickery. Either way, he's ready for anything next time around. "He tricks the media. He tricks the public. But this time I'm in very great shape, and he won't be able to trick anybody this time."

Forrest: It's Personal

The new welterweight champion has gotten very annoyed at the tainting of his win. Mosley crossed the line when he was humble after the fight only to scream bloody murder a little later. "To defeat him again will solidify what I did the first time," opined Forrest in a conference call earlier this month. "I think it already has been solidified, but this is a personal thing now."

"A lot of times a guy, you know, even though he may get beat or dominated, in his mind he don't believe what actually happened. So, until it happens again, then that's when he will finally believe that hey this guy, he's just better than I am."

Vernon may have to wait and see if he truly is the better man, but some facts are clear:

-Forrest looked downright menacing in the first fight. He used his size and power to perfection. It may be wise to expect more of the same.

-Mosley is already looking to move up to the junior middleweight division (154 lbs.) after the upcoming event. This after being a lightweight three years ago. Perhaps, making weight will cause a problem or two. While Forrest has been a welterweight his whole career and knows his body well.

-Shane did not seem too interested in making many adjustments according to his own account last week. Believing that a lack of a head butt the second time around will make the difference is a definite risk. What if the case is as "they" say: Vernon's style is perfect for Shane's?

With two focused and angry champions, expecting something less than "The Rematch of the Century" could be a mistake. Albeit a mistake that most fans would not mind making if proven wrong.

History Lesson

Every generation, a Sugarman has to prove his worth, overcome defeat.

The legendary Ray Robinson had his chance against Randy Turpin. Later on, he also stunned pundits at the time when he defeated Fullmer and Basilio in rematches. A couple of decades later, it was Ray Leonard who tested his mettle against Roberto Duran. The rematch included Leonard making a 180 degree turn in terms of style from the first bout, only to have the frustrated Duran turn to the referee with the infamous line, "No mas."

It is now Shane's turn. This scribe believes it not only to be possible, but likely. The rematch between the two top notch fighters will be hard fought, and probably so much so that both men will prefer soft touches for their next bouts (re: no immediate "three-match").

Mosley's speed cannot be equaled but by a few. It is his desire, though, that is harder to touch. His twelfth round against Oscar De la Hoya and tenth round against Wilfredo Rivera were moments to behold. The man wants to win and look good while doing it, no matter what the cost. And even if he does not look good this time around, his will can carry the day to a close, yet decisive, unanimous nod in his favor by the judges.

Questions or comments? E-mail the author at: eastside_double_p@hotmail.com

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