Preview: Sugar Shane Mosley Vs. Ricardo Mayorga

This Saturday, September 27th, HBO's World Championship Boxing continues to stoke the heat in the exciting ranks of the welterweight division by matching two veteran contenders. The personal and pugilistic styles could not clash more when Ricardo Mayorga climbs through the ropes to meet only the third man to justifiably bear the sweet title "Sugar" - Shane Mosley. The winner will get a sure shot at a world title in 2009.

Shane Mosley (44-5, 37KOs)
37 years old
5'9" with a 74" reach
Former Lightweight, Welterweight, and Super Welterweight Champion

Shane Mosley is almost a legend in his own time. He won his first world title at Lightweight (135lbs) in 1997 by winning a lopsided decision against Philip Holiday of South Africa. He then went on to defend that title 8 times, winning all of those bouts by knockout, and against such luminaries as John John Molina and Jesse James Leija. He vaulted up to Welterweight (147lbs) in the same manner as another fighter who tore a hole through the Lightweight ranks, Roberto Duran: he skipped the intervening Super Lightweight division, and instantly became a feared contender. His first bout as a 147 pounder was against tough Puerto Rican Wilfredo Rivera. While Oscar de la Hoya was the first man to stop Rivera, that was on cuts; Mosley knocked the rugged Rivera out in the 10th, the first man ever to do so.

Mosley soon found himself in the ring with Oscar de la Hoya, and beat him by a clean Split Decision. He later won the rematch as well, and proved himself to be one of the few elite fighters around willing to fight anyone. Sugar Shane lost two fights each against old amateur rival Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright. Both men were naturally bigger, and both had styles that exploited Mosley's weaknesses. However, Mosley made a real fight with both men, and immediately sought rematches despite the difficulties. Now nearing the end of his career, he still has enough stuff to take a young lion like Miguel Cotto out to the limits.

Mosley is still one of the best examples of a balanced, all-around boxer-puncher out there. While he has slowed down a little, he still has excellent reflexes and is among the fastest fighters around today. He has a deep toolbox, and can even switch-hit if he needs to, and wields power in both hands.

Ricardo "El Matador" Mayorga (29-6-1, 23KOs)
34 years old
5'9" with a 70" reach
Former Welterweight and Super Welterweight Champion

"El Matador" is perhaps the most misleading moniker in the sport for Mayorga, because he is all bull, inside and outside of the Ring. Mayorga relishes the role of the bad boy, talking trash, smoking cigarettes and popping a cold one after a fight, and generally acting like a jackass. In the ring, he is a wild brawler who always comes forward, pushing the action and looking to land a wide, wrecking ball power shot.

The Managua wildman first won his first title when he kayoed Andrew "Six Heads" Lewis for the WBA title. Then he fought Mosley-conqueror Vernon Forrest, where his pressure tactics proved to be too much for Forrest. He won the first bout by knockout and the second by decision, and walked away with the WBC and WBA titles to his name. Then he fought the IBF champ, slickster Cory Spinks, to unify the title. Spinks frustrated Mayorga, as demonstrated by Mayorga's incessant hitting below the belt and holding and hitting, but Spinks weathered the storm of fouling and outpointed the Nicaraguan.

After contending with Lewis, Forrest, and Spinks for the welterweight title, Mayorga moved up to 154lbs and became a trialhorse for comebacking superstars. First Felix Trinidad knocked him out, and then Oscar de la Hoya. A much faded Fernando Vargas, already beaten up by Shane Mosely, tried the same thing but failed and was knocked out and retired for his trouble.

There is nothing subtle about Mayorga. He comes looking to brawl, knows next to nothing about defense, and relies on his cast iron jaw, heavy fists, and macho attitude to keep him out of trouble.

The Fight

Mosley's loss to Forrest does not mean much in this match-up. Although Mayorga crushed Forrest, the two fighters have nothing in common. Mosley's loss to Forrest shows us he does not do well against rangy, straight-punching guys who move around a lot, and that is not what Mayorga does. On the other hand, Mayorga's loss to de la Hoya does show us that a guy who combines skill, speed, and power will find the Nicaraguan an easy target.

Ricardo Mayorga will come out looking to brawl and land big bombs, just as he always does. He is very good at that, and will probably give Shane Mosley a hard time for a few rounds, or however much longer it takes Mosley time to time Mayorga and find his own rythym. However, eventually Mosley will take over, and when he does he is going to find that putting short, sharp counter-combinations through Mayorga's wide, sweeping punches easy. So long as he keeps his discipline and does not get over-eager to tattoo Mayorga or take him out, Mosley will have his way with him. However, Mosley does not pack the power of a Trinidad or de la Hoya left hook, and the Nicaraguan has one tough chin.

Prediction: Mosley wins by TKO in the 7th.

The undercard will include Andre Berto vs. Steve Forbes.

Sources: www.sugarshanemosley.com, boxrec.com; live fight broadcasts; old fight footage on YouTube.