By Geoffrey Ciani: After Shane Mosley lost a closely contested battle against Puerto Rican pugilist Miguel Cotto, it appeared he had a limited number of options left on the table. A bout with pound-for-pound king Floyd Mayweather seemed out of the question, a rematch with Cotto was seemingly not in the works, and it appeared Paul Williams, Kermit Cintron, and Antonio Margarito were all pursuing different pathways. Additionally complicating matters was the fact that, at age 36, ‘Father Time’ is clearly catching up with him..
Oftentimes in boxing, the entire landscape can change with a single punch, and as a result, a fighter’s future is often dependent upon many factors that are outside his control. In light of this weekend’s surprising upset which saw Carlos Quintana expertly tame the high work rate of Paul Williams en route to capturing the WBO crown, things have suddenly taken a turn in Mosley’s favor. After what appeared to be a set-back against Cotto, Mosley may have actually expanded his base of viable options.
Even prior to Quintana’s upset victory over Williams, Mosley was not entirely without options. More specifically, there were rumors of potential showdowns against Zab Judah or Ricardo Mayorga, both fighters who still garner notable name recognition. Both would be good options for Mosley, and a victory over either would probably put him back in line for the highly coveted opportunity of getting a crack at Mayweather. However, barring Mayorga’s two victories against Vernon Forrest, Judah and Mayorga typically find themselves on the losing end whenever they step up in class, so a Mosley victory would not guarantee him a follow-up mega bout.
Quintana’s upset victory against Williams can be viewed as a huge opportunity for Mosley, and if I were Shane, I would do everything in my power to try and secure that match-up as soon as possible. If that means first having to beat Zab Judah, so be it, but the important thing is for Shane to eventually land the Quintana fight sometime in the near future. Style-wise, Mosley matches up very well against Quintana, and a victory against him would help make a strong case for his deserving a shot at Floyd or even a rematch with Cotto.
Right now, the welterweight division is still the most interesting in all of boxing, and Shane Mosley is still a factor on how this will play out. With Margarito scheduled to face off against Cintron, Cotto slated to face Alfonso Gomez, and Mayweather inexplicably pursuing a rematch with Oscar De La Hoya, Mosley versus Quintana would be a natural conclusion. It makes sense for Mosley, it makes sense for Quintana, and it makes sense in the context of a division rich in talent with numerous possibilities to bring excitement to the fans.
No doubt that a bout between Mosley and Quintana would help add to this aura of excitement.
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geoff@eatthemushroom.com
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