Shane Mosley Turns Back The Clock

shane mosley26.09.07 – By Matthew Hurley: There is something both comforting and refreshing about Sugar Shane Mosley. He’s a no nonsense prize fighter who happens to be blessed with tremendous physical tools and he’s willing to get it on with anyone even when conventional wisdom would dictate another path. On top of that he’s a personable, articulate and extremely likable guy.

Now, as he closes in on the end of his career Mosley is, almost miraculously, at the top of the heap again when it comes to big time boxing fights. His scheduled bout against rising star Miguel Cotto on November 10th at Madison Square Garden is a must see event, not just because of the names involved, but because it’s a stylistic match up that promises to be a very entertaining fight. And old man Mosley has a very good chance of pulling off the upset.

After his two victories over a depleted Fernando Vargas many were thrilled to see Mosley back in the winners circle but also a bit hesitant to decree that “Sugar” was sweet again. After all, everyone new Vargas was a just a shell casing – there were no bullets left in his arsenal. The only thing Vargas had left was heart. But in keeping his weight below 154 pounds Mosley looked fast again and now, dropping back down to his natural weight of 147, Mosley should be even faster. The two Vargas fights may not have provided a proper gauge of just where Mosley really is as a 35 year old fighter but both of those stoppages provided tremendous confidence to a rather a shaky mindset. Those two wins, along with the return of his father as head trainer, at the very least, erased any lingering doubts in his mind.

Those doubts had been drubbed into his head by one Winky Wright who dominated him once and then beat him again in the return match. It’s to Shane’s great credit that when he’s lost he has demanded to get back in the ring with his conqueror regardless of whether or not his opponent’s style would prove nightmarish for him. Both Wright and Vernon Forrest simply had his number. It doesn’t make them better fighters, although it certainly enhances their records and makes them as good as Shane (and at least in Wright’s case probably superior in the long run) but Mosley possesses one intangible that the two fighters to defeat him don’t have. He’s fun to watch. He’s always fun to watch because his style matches his will and sheer enthusiasm. Shane loves to fight and loves to please the crowd so he throws tons of punches in beautiful combinations and can also take a punch which bodes well for him in his upcoming showdown with Miguel Cotto.

“I feel great,” he remarked recently. “This is the weight (147) that is most comfortable to me. I honestly don’t think anyone can beat me at this weight including Floyd Mayweather. He didn’t want to fight me. Cotto was my second choice, but I’m not looking at him as a second choice. I know what he brings. It will be a great fight.”

Cotto represents the flipside of this intriguing bout. He brings none of Shane’s charm or flashiness to the table. He never even smiles. What he does bring is a dogged tenacity and a wicked left hook. He’s also reaching his peak and if his fight against Zab Judah proved anything, other than how relentless he is, it is that he can cut off the ring against a faster fighter and make a boxer like Judah or Paulie Malignaggi, fight his fight. Mosley is far better than both of those fighters but he’s also older and other than the worn out, weak chinned Fernando Vargas he hasn’t knocked out anyone since Adrian Stone in 2001.

It all adds up to what should be a raucous night at Madison Square Garden. A venue where Cotto has proven he can put butts in the seat. Couple him with Shane Mosley who has a huge, loyal fan base of his own and this fight is a guaranteed sell out. If Cotto and Judah made the Garden open the Mezzanine this fight should blow the roof off the building. Both fighters should also be applauded for stepping up and giving boxing fans what they need and want – a stellar match up between two terrific fighters who are determined to be the best in the division. With several candidates for fight of the year already on the ballot, this late entry has the potential to top them all.