by James Slater: Due to the way he was soundly and comprehensively beaten in his May 1st grudge-match with pound-for-pound #2 Floyd Mayweather Junior, fans wondered aloud if 38-year-old “Sugar” Shane Mosley would announce his retirement from the sport. For though he managed to shock “Money” in the 2nd-round a few weeks back, catching the unbeaten 33-year-old with two big right hands to the head, Mosley was otherwise never in the fight.
Looking on the verge of exhaustion, with his mouth hanging open in the later rounds, Mosley appeared to be as close as he’s ever been to being stopped in a fight since his first battle with the late Vernon Forrest. Mosley, who fell to 46-6(39) with the wide UD loss, looked both old and tired; and the thinking in many places was that he should walk away, his dignity and reputation intact.
However, as Dan Rafael has reported over on Espn.com, Mosley, who will turn 39 in September, is not retiring; instead looking ahead to a return to action sometime in the fall. Perhaps putting the lopsided loss to Mayweather down to the ring-rust he’d picked up whilst being unable to land himself a fight and keep it (Shane had been out for well over a year before facing Floyd – with bouts against Andre Berto and Joshua Clottey falling through), Mosley is in talks to engage in at least one more big fight before he’s through.
Reportedly, the former lightweight, welterweight and junior-middleweight ruler is in talks with Richard Schaefer about facing either Berto (who Mosley would have met in January of this year, had the horrible Haitian earthquake not occurred, thus forcing Andre to pull out), Sergio Gabriel Martinez or Sergio Mora in the fall.
All three fights, the Berto and Martinez fights especially, are potentially exciting ones, but has a 38/39-year-old “Sugar” got enough left in the tank to win against either guy? Weights-wise, the Berto fight would take place at 147, with Berto’s WBC crown on the line, while the potential fights with Mora and Martinez would have to be at a catch-weight, at around 155-pounds or so – with Argentine Martinez’ middleweight title being on the line if that fight took place.
Without being disrespectful to former “Contender” star and former WBC light-middleweight champ Mora, it is this fight that looks the more winnable of the three options for Mosley. Now fighting up at full middleweight (Mora has a bout with J.C Candelo set for July 23rd), it’s possible “The Latin Snake” will be persuaded to drop back down a few pounds to get it on with “Sugar” Shane (although it’s been reported that Mora can no longer make 154).
Unless he has left everything he has in the ring, I would tip Mosley to beat Mora, possibly even by stoppage – but what would such a win really do for the future Hall of Famer? Aside from perhaps being viewed as a top-level “farewell” fight, there wouldn’t be too much for Mosley to really shoot for. The Berto and Martinez fights, however, that’s a different story. How much would it add to his already considerable legacy if Mosley were to claim himself a victory over either guy?
Beating Berto, currently a red-hot, potential star of the future, would be a big deal, and of course Mosley would become a “world” champion all over again. While it’s obvious a Mosley win over middleweight king Martinez would be a really big thing for the once dazzling Californian.
Let’s see how the Mosley-Schaefer talks develop.