Interview by John Martinez, IronBoxing.com: December 22, 2009 – Shane Mosley was given the nickname “Sugar” early in his career. A nickname that in boxing is usually designated for only the greatest of fighters to ever step into the squared circle. Prior to Mosley, Ray Robinson and Ray Leonard were two of those men that carried the moniker “Sugar”.
Mosley, recognized for his prowess in the boxing ring has proven to be a rare fighter that possesses a combination of lightning quick hands, catlike reflexes, and power in his punches that have enabled him to defeat many of his foes since early on his career.
It was those skills that allowed him to dominate the lightweight division and storm through a welterweight class before suffering his first loss of his career almost nine years after turning pro at the hands of Vernon Forrest in January of 2002.
Since that loss, Mosley has notched seven victories, four losses and one no contest in both the welterweight and junior middleweight divisions. In September of 2003, he bested Oscar De La Hoya, for the second time, taking De La Hoya’s WBC, WBA, and IBA junior middleweight title belts.
On Saturday, January 24 live from the STAPLES Center in Los Angeles, CA, HBO’s World Championship Boxing will televise Shane Mosley’s next assignment in the ring. It will be for the WBA welterweight title that is currently held by the widely regarded best 147-pound fighter in the world, Antonio “Tijuana Tornado” Margarito.
“I know the kind of guy Margarito is. He’s like a Genaro Hernandez. A pressure fighter that throws a lot of shots and tries to wear you down with volume punches. He knows what he’s doing. He learned this from his days of sparring with Hernandez, but I know too, exactly what he’s doing. I know he is going to try and walk me down with slinging his shots to the body, but hopefully he is fully prepared for what I am bringing to the table.”
What Mosley brings “to the table” this go round is a new trainer and renewed love for the combat sport.
Mosley told me that, “ with my father training me (Jack Mosley) we couldn’t focus. He would clash with me a lot on personal things and it was taking away from what we were suppose to be doing.”
“I just had to do something different. With Nazim Richardson (new trainer), he allows me to get back to the basics and work on the things that might be my weaknesses while he breaks down my opponent’s style. I love it.”
Along with a new trainer, Mosley will enter this fight with a refurbished approach to his career. He informed me that retirement is not coming anytime soon. “I’m feeling sharper than ever right now. I feel like I can go for seven more years (fighting), which I probably will do because I love fighting that much and it’s in my blood. I feel real good right now.”
“People say I should retire. I’m 37 years old, but I haven’t been this sharp in a long time and being at welterweight is real good for me and I can’t wait till this fight so I can put some work in.”
Mosley can talk about strategies and confidence, but what about Margarito’s daunted punching power? Does Mosley have enough power in his shots to keep Margarito honest? As Tyson once said, “ we all have a plan until we get hit.”
“I actually think that I hit harder than Margarito. He is a volume puncher, not a knock out puncher. He slings his shots and fires them in a relaxed form which makes the shots look harder than they are, but they really aren’t. He does not have that kind of power.”
“I shoot them straighter and I am much stronger than he is. I hit harder than he does and we are just going to have to get in the ring. I can’t wait.”
On January 24, we will see if Shane Mosley can stop Father Time from knocking on his door, by channeling his former youth to beat, decisively, a powerful, hungry, and determined champion in Antonio Margarito.
Though there are many uncertainties in boxing, one thing is not. This fight will surely be an action fight. Two fighters will enter the ring that night with a lot riding on the outcome of their clash.
Margarito, the champion, will seek to prove to the world that he is still the boss of the welterweight division thereby securing a rematch with Miguel Cotto later in the year.
Shane Mosley? He will hunt for recognition that the “Sugar” in Shane Mosley has only gotten sweeter and the best is yet to come.
john@ironboxing.com