If a fan wishes to make a Top 10 list of the greatest-ever world welterweight title fights, chances are high the modern day classic that took place on this day back in 2000 will make the cut. Once-beaten superstar Oscar De La Hoya met an undefeated “Sugar” Shane Mosley at The Staples Centre in Los Angeles, and the fight dubbed “Destiny” gave us two electric performances that were full of speed, power, and boxing brilliance.
Both men were pretty much at their peak, De La Hoya being 26 years old, Mosley being 28. De La Hoya was 32-1(26) and the reigning WBC welterweight champion. Mosley was perfect at 34-0(32) and he had ruled as IBF lightweight champion for over two years. On the search for greatness, Mosley made the move to 147 pounds, having two non-title bouts at the new weight before tackling De La Hoya.
De La Hoya, who had lost his unbeaten record via close and hotly disputed decision in another huge fight, this one with Felix Trinidad, wanted badly to redeem himself and, against the skilled and lightning-fast Mosley, De La Hoya would have to lay it all on the line in an effort at winning. An expected return fight with Trinidad wasn’t made, and De La Hoya instead boxed Derrell Coley, winning the fight and later being reinstated as the WBC welterweight champ, Trinidad having made the decision to move up in weight.
So, De La Hoya-Mosley was on, and fans everywhere braced themselves for something special. They got it.
De La Hoya was the biggest star in the sport bar Mike Tyson, while Mosley was being showered with a ton of praise, with the great Gil Clancy stating how watching Mosley fight was “like looking at a fighter [from] back in the ’40s.” Roy Jones Junior, himself the P4P king in the eyes of many, called Mosley the best lightweight he had seen bar Roberto Duran.
Despite the glowing praise Mosley was getting, De La Hoya was a narrow favourite going in. Mosley, however, fought perhaps the best fight of his entire pro career. The fight was highly competitive in every round, with both men showing a great jab, a fine body attack, and super-fast combos. One man would sweep a round, before the other guy came back to win the next round. By the halfway point, De La Hoya seemed to be ahead, maybe even in control. But, as was the case in the Trinidad fight, Oscar wound up losing a number of the later rounds.
However, unlike in the Trinidad fight, where De La Hoya got on his bike in the closing rounds and neglected to throw anything like enough punches, this time Oscar battled it out with Mosley. The difference was, Mosley had a better late-rounds gas tank, his fire and venom seeing him win rounds 10, 11 and a truly thrilling 12th and final round. Both men gave their all, but Mosley had a little more to give.
The crowd on its feet, with a number of the rounds Round of the Year stuff, the fight lived up to all the hype. In the end, Mosley won a split decision, the scores being 116-112 and 115-113 for “Sugar,” the other score being 115-113 for “The Golden Boy.”
Mosley was the new star of the lower weight divisions, while De La Hoya, though he hadn’t won the fight, had succeeded in redeeming himself after the Trinidad loss. Nobody could question De La Hoya’s heart now. Nor could anyone question Shane Mosley’s brilliance.
The nickname “Sugar” was and is a tough one to live up to, to deserve to hand yourself. But “Sugar” Shane Mosley had proven he was special.
Later this year, on July 29, we will, hopefully, see another welterweight classic, this when Terence Crawford and Errol Spence collide. Will the upcoming fight make it into YOUR Top 10 greatest world welterweight title fights?