30.01.04 – By Luke Dodemaide: Winky Wright ( 46 –3) has been craving a big fight for years, craving to fight the cream of boxing. On March 13th his wish becomes a reality, Winky Wright will fight Sugar Shane Mosley ( 39-2 ) for the undisputed jnr middleweight championship of the world. Winky Wright finally has the chance to prove himself, but can he take another step, and beat WBC/WBA jnr middleweight champion Shane Mosley to become the first undisputed jnr middleweight champion since Koichi Wajima over 29 years ago?
This is without a doubt Wright’s biggest fight, the only big name on his record is Fernando Vargas. In that fight Wright tested the (at the time) undefeated, young Vargas only to lose a majority decision.
Although Wright, 32, only really has the one big name on his record, he has attempted to lure others into a match up, Winky has called out Bernard Hopkins, Oscar De La Hoya and has asked Vargas for a re-match on several occasions.
To be the best, you got to beat the best, but Wright can’t get the best.
When a boxer fights another talented fighter such as Wright he wants to get paid a reasonable amount. Fighters these days only risk a loss, if there is a reasonable financial gain.
To be able to bring the money to the table, you got to have people who want to see you fight. People want excitement, the average Joe doesn’t enjoy the technical tactics used by fighters such as Winky Wright and IBF heavyweight champion Chris Byrd. They enjoy power, speed, charisma. Not twelve rounds of smart boxing. Harsh but true.
Without the money, nobody would opened the door for Winky Wright, that is until now. The same knock the that Hopkins and De La Hoya declined, Mosley has answered. The door is open for Winky Wright to step in with the big timers, but does he have the skill to enter?
When looking at Shane Mosley ,32, you got to remember, if you think that Oscar De La Hoya was robbed in September and Mosley really lost, then Mosley is a guy who hasn’t won since 2001. Forrest beat him, then Forrest beat him again, that was followed by a NC with Raul Marquez and after that Shane Mosley finally broke back into the big time with a unanimous decision victory over the Golden Boy, a fight which Mosley lost on many unofficial score cards around the world, including my own.
So how good is Mosley? Six months ago he was boxing’s fallen star, how much has he ascended since then? Winky Wright is going to give any fighter trouble, and almost certainly he is going to make fighters look bad. Because you will be missing punches, when Winky Wright is involved it is almost certain to be an ugly fight. I don’t see this fight living up to this billing, “The War at 154”. I believe we will see anything but a war.
Throughout Mosley’s career, amateur and professional, he would have faced a lot of awkward guys. But I’m guessing, none to the extent of Winky Wright.
A few years back Sugar Shane Mosley was the undisputed best pound for pound fighter on the dace of the earth. His speed was tremendous, unmatched.
How much of that speed does Mosley have left, in my opinion this is going be the deciding factor in the fight with Winky Wright. Another factor is how will Winky Wright handle the step up in class, great fighters become undisputed world champions. Is Winky Wright good enough to put himself in the company of the great ones? Either way Wright is going one on one with a great one March 13th. Mosley may not be at his blistering, devastating best but he is never the less a great fighter, Winky Wright is yet to prove himself as a great boxer.
But Winky has the opportunity, something Chris Byrd would die for.
Through talking to boxing purists and boxing fans, the opinions are pretty much split on who will be the next undisputed jnr middleweight world champion.
Betting site, www.centrebet.com has Mosley $1.25 favourite to beat Wright who is paying $3.55. For my tip, I lean towards Shane Mosley, Wright has not proved himself to me yet and I will go with the proven, but out of form, champion Sugar Shane Mosley. Just.
The 154 division is very exciting, and this fight is no different. In the ‘War at 154’ I believe we will see a very technical boxing match that will go twelve rounds.
So will we see Shane Mosley’s star rise to former heights, or will we see the birth of a new star Ronald ‘Winky’ Wright? Wright’s got the opportunity, but will Wright get it right?
Any questions, queries or comments can be sent to l_dodemaide@hotmail.com