Happy New Year – Sky Sports To Televise Mosley-Berto Live!

Shane Mosleyby James Slater – Arguably the first genuine super-fight in the making taking place in this new year of 2010, the WBA and WBC welterweight unification battle between “Sugar” Shane Mosley and the undefeated Andre Berto is to be shown live in the U.K on Sky Sports. Great news, then, for British fight fans, the potential classic will make a most welcome new year present.

Live from The Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas, the match-up between the 38-year-old likely future Hall of Famer and his 26-year-old rising star of an opponent will answer a lot of questions: how will the year-long layoff endured by Mosley affect him? Will the pressure of his first really big event affect Berto? Will the fight be a chess-match type affair, or a slugfest? Thanks to Sky, these questions and more will be answered right there in the living room of U.K fans lucky enough to have access.

Fans everywhere have missed the dazzling skills of the fabulous Mosley, 46-5(39). Despite his best efforts, “Sugar” was unable to land a fight, any fight, in 2009 after his shockingly brilliant upset win over Mexico’s Antonio Margarito.. A victim of being too good for his own good, or just unlucky in that all the top names were unavailable for one reason or another? That’s a question each individual fan will have to answer themselves, but I myself feel the correct answer is the former. In any case, Mosley has a great fight and a possibly great opponent to get his teeth into now.

The January 30th unification bout will tell us a lot more about Berto, 25-0(19). The undefeated talent has already proven his worth as a world champion and he has also given us at least one near classic already – his tougher than expected points win of a thriller over Luis Collazo back in January of 2009. But the Mosley fight is the real deal and Berto’s first massive test. Capable of boxing and slugging, the full-of-heart 26-year-old has shown he can dig deep as well as sparkle with his fantastic skills. But Mosley, despite being 38 and possibly a little ring-rusty, is without a doubt Berto’s toughest opponent yet.

It’s hard to see the fight being a letdown, and the action may well prove to be some of the best we see all year. Both men can box, both can bang and both are fiercely determined and driven. Add it all up, and we could have the fight of the year in 2010 taking place in the year’s first month. For what it’s worth, I go for Mosley to put in yet another stunning showing, as he wins either by late stoppage or on points. Berto, despite the loss, will come again though.