Boxing's Next Big Fight - Antonio Margarito Vs. "Sugar" Shane Mosley

With 2008's fight of the year over and done with, the next big boxing match fight fans have to look forward to is WBA welterweight champion, Antonio Margarito vs. former four-time world champion, "Sugar" Shane Mosley. These two fighters will meet at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, on January 24, 2008. Thinking about their fighting styles, it's easy for fight fans to assume that Margarito will dominate this fight.

Antonio Margarito is always coming forward and applies lots of pressure on his opponents, while Mosley, has very fast hand speed, and likes to go in and out. If Mosley wants to have any chance at winning this fight he's going to have to strategize, and figure out how to keep the fight in the middle of the ring and not get backed into the ropes. Mosley made some bold statements in a press conference on Dec. 9th, regarding the type of fighter Margarito is. "I will definitely win this fight, especially with the type of fighter he is. He is going to get knocked out because he'll come right at me and I'll catch him," said Mosley. Obviously, Mosley is expecting Margarito to pressure him as he does all of his opponents, but Mosley must not know that Margarito has a chin like a brick, and has walked through some clean, crisp punches in his 11^th round knock out win over Miguel Cotto, as well as his unanimous decision loss to Paul Williams.

Fight fans already know that Margarito is a big puncher, which Mosley also commented on. "If Margarito thinks he is a bigger puncher than I, he is delusional." Antonio Margarito stopped Miguel Cotto in 11 rounds, whom of which Mosley lost a 12 round unanimous decision to. That win over Cotto gave Margarito the popularity boost he needed, to get some bigger fights. His fight with Shane Mosley will make him even more popular, and one of the top fighters in the sport, as long as he wins.

This fight was originally suppose to go down in Las Vegas, but Margarito declined, due to the fact that he feels that he should get more money than Mosley. The original offer was for a 50-50 split. According to Top Rank chief Bob Abrum, HBO came through and put more money on the table for Margarito so he accepted. The reason they decided to do the fight in L.A. instead is so they don't interfere with the Super Bowl, which is a time when many people come to Las Vegas to spend the weekend.