gov135

http://www.maxboxing.com/Gerbasi/gerbasi090903.asp

Just Another Mosley- De La Hoya Preview
by Thomas Gerbasi (September 9, 2003)

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Oscar De La Hoya vs. Shane Mosley - It’s the biggest fight of 2003, and when Saturday night rolls around in Las Vegas, De La Hoya may be the fighter most casual viewers will be tuning in to see. Why? Well, he’s the “Golden Boy”, boxing’s Justin Timberlake, capable of selling out arenas from coast to coast with a flash of his pearly whites, and the main factor of whether this fight does dismal or stellar pay-per-view business.

And that’s all before the bell rings.

But standing across the ring from the junior middleweight champion is the man who would be golden, 32-year-old Sugar Shane Mosley - a man so accustomed to the nickname favored by the likes of Robinson and Leonard that we even stopped putting quotes around his sweet moniker. And to the hardcore fans, he’s the more intriguing of the two combatants, the man they’ll be watching on their television screens.

It’s what makes boxing great, two of the top fighters in the world doing their thing - not against some mismatched mandatory contender – but against each other.

And though both fighters have made their bones on the world stage and against each other, this fight may be far removed from what we have seen lately from both fighters, and even further distanced from what happened in their first meeting, won by Mosley via decision in June of 2000.

On that June 17 night in 2000, a fight that was billed “Destiny”, Mosley (38-2, 35 KOs, 1 NC) fell behind on the scorecards early to the favored De La Hoya (36-2, 29 KOs), only to make some key adjustments in strategy midway through the fight and rally down the stretch to take a close, but well-deserved victory.

After that night, both men traveled on divergent paths to this rematch.

De La Hoya, at the time trying to juggle a musical career and various personal issues with his waning commitment to the fight game (which had seen him lose two of his last three fights - the other loss coming to Felix Trinidad), decided to re-dedicate himself to boxing.

It worked.

The 30-year-old De La Hoya has won four in a row since June of 2000, including stoppages of Arturo Gatti and Fernando Vargas. He settled down with and married Puerto Rican pop star Millie Corretjer, and launched his own promotional company (Golden Boy Promotions) in preparation for life after boxing. In other words, for all the talk of revenge, any wins for De La Hoya at this point are gravy on a stellar career entering its final stages.

After “Destiny”, Sugar Shane defended his newly won crown three times, all by knockout (against Antonio Diaz, Shannan Taylor, and Adrian Stone).

Then the roof caved in.

In January of 2002, amateur nemesis Vernon Forrest dropped and cut Mosley for the first time in his career en route to a lopsided decision win, and repeated the feat six months later. A February 2003 no decision with Raul Marquez at 154 pounds proved nothing, and Mosley enters this Saturday’s fight without having his hand raised for two years, one month, and 22 days.

But there’s more.

While De La Hoya straightened out his affairs outside the ropes, the squeaky clean Mosley’s life beyond the ring was the source of constant conjecture.

First there was the disastrous promotional deal with sports marketing giant IMG that saw Mosley’s potential for reaching the mainstream squashed again by a company that had little clue as to how to handle a boxer like Mosley, who has achieved a grass roots following but little else.

Next was Mosley’s marriage to longtime girlfriend Jin, which has not only produced two children (a welcome distraction to anyone), but endless gossip as to her affect (either real or imagined) on the fighter’s camp, especially when it comes to Shane’s professional relationship with his father and trainer Jack. For the record, all parties have come out publicly saying that all is well in the Mosley family, but the whispers remain, and it is no secret that throughout history, family issues have had a way of making their way into business matters.

Finally, Jack Mosley has been another object of speculation ever since the loss to Forrest, in which the former Trainer of the Year appeared to disappear further and further into the corner as the rounds progressed. Will he stay? Will he go? Can Shane win a big fight again with Jack in the corner? Does he even listen to his father in the corner anymore?

Amid this storm stands Sugar Shane, who still says all the right things, but who has also shown an edge to his personality not seen by the casual fans who may be seeing him for the first time in three years on Saturday.

He’s angry, something not helped by the fact that he feels disrespected financially by his rival - who left him with the short end of the fight purse. He even feels abandoned by the media, and though boxing scribes can be fickle, no one has had the press on his side like Mosley has – win or lose – over the years.

But while some fighters, from Mike Tyson to De La Hoya, have excelled in the midst of chaos, it remains to be seen if Mosley is one of them. And even at 100%, is Mosley the same fighter who we were polishing up for Canastota just three years ago?

“My mindset is getting back to the old way I used to fight,” Mosley told this reporter in January, shortly before his fight with Raul Marquez, “I want to incorporate some of the style I had as a lightweight with my welterweight style, put it all together and have a complete Sugar Shane at 154.”

It all starts downstairs.

No, not that far, because we all know that at the very least, Mosley is one of the gutsiest fighters to lace up the gloves today, a hardcore warrior ready to throw down with anyone. Nope, we’re talking about body punching, the weapon that made Mosley’s name back in the late 90’s at 135 pounds.

And that’s where the knockouts came from, eight in a row in lightweight title defenses. Mosley ripped hooks to the body savagely as a lightweight, leaving opponents not only incapacitated, but also wide-open for fight ending headshots.

This strategy disappeared when Mosley moved up to 147, where he scored stoppage wins over Wilfredo Rivera and Willy Wise before the first De La Hoya fight. And once Sugar Shane looked at his record - which at the time made him the world champion with the highest knockout percentage in boxing – he fell in love with his punch, and forgot what got him all those knockouts.

So is it too late to bring back the old Sugar, who still has the edges in speed and footwork to get things done against De La Hoya? Mosley told me earlier this year that from a technical standpoint, it was easier to get around his opponent’s elbows to dig in bodyshots at lightweight because he was longer in frame than most of his opponents, a luxury he doesn’t enjoy at 154 pounds.

How does he win, then? The old adage ‘speed kills’ is a handy one for Mosley, but De La Hoya also has deceptive speed, a sturdy chin, and edges in size and power. He has also learned from Vernon Forrest how to beat Mosley – by smothering his rushes and using a stiff jab and right hand.

And the speed?

“The way you neutralize speed is knowing how to throw your punches at the right time,” said De La Hoya in a teleconference two weeks ago. “Not just throwing very fast punches and hoping one lands. You have to have good timing and use a lot of jabs.”

But what about those funny little creatures known as intangibles? Despite what he may say about avenging his second loss, this fight has little pressure for De La Hoya. If he loses, he can chalk it up to the “styles make fights” adage, and just admit that Mosley has his number, ala Mosley and Forrest. And if the loss is lopsided, and De La Hoya decides to walk off into the sunset, he’s got more than enough to keep his life and bank account healthy in the coming years, and his legacy is secure.

In other words, Oscar De La Hoya doesn’t need boxing, and he doesn’t need this fight as much as Mosley does. But what does that translate into? Mosley was fired up and in supreme shape for the Forrest rematch, wasn’t he? Yet once the bell rang and Mosley ran out with an initial burst of fury, he settled into a lackluster groove that kept him from victory.

But this is different.

Mosley knows he can beat De La Hoya, having done it once.

Mosley has lingered in the shadow of the “Golden Boy” since the two were amateurs, except for the brief interlude when Sugar Shane was the toast of the boxing world. A win over Oscar gets all that back.

Mosley is just a fighter, though ‘just’ shouldn’t have a negative connotation in this instance. What that means is that when boxing is over, Mosley doesn’t have promotional companies, endorsements, and an eager public waiting on his next move. If he loses on Saturday, he has to start over. For someone who had to come up the hard way, paying his dues in obscurity on the Southern California fight circuit, that is not option.

Desperation or calm security?

Repeat or Revenge?

A return to form or a flash in the pan?

It’s always the questions that make a fight great. This one has all the question marks you could ever want. The winner?

The guy in the short pants.

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Personally, the 50 bones this fight costs is a bit rich for my blood. But HBO paid 1.5 million for the delayed broadcast rights, and I'll be all over that.

But the questions are - Who do you like? Will there be a knockout?

I'm gonna say De La Hoya in a twelve round decision. It seems every time he is needs to take it up a notch he does. He isn't as quick, but his strength and good chin make up for it.

crewsor

I say lights out for Mosley in the 6th.

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docbungle

No way will this be a knockout. Both fighters are too cautious for that. I'm a fan of both fighters, and have a hard time choosing a winner. I will be happy for whoever wins, and sad for whoever loses.

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Bad Luck City

crewsor

Mosley (38-2, 35 KOs, 1 NC)

De La Hoya (36-2, 29 KOs)

Looking at their past knockout ratios, I would have to say a K.O. is more than likely.

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docbungle

Lol, against each other, no one was even dropped in the last fight. Toe to toe for 12 rounds. They both have solid chins. Mosley was dropped by Forrest, but DeLaHoya would have fell getting hit like that, too. Thet will both protect themselves. If there is a ko, it will be very late in the fight.

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Bad Luck City

maximus

mosley, its no contest. de la hoya is a washout

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DownwardSpiral

I think De La Hoya will win this time, by a knockout late in th fight. He's probably more determined this time around, and won't want a repeat of the last confrontation with Mosley.

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Porkchop

Me too docbungle. Quite like both fighters. I think De la hoya may just edge it though. Should be interesting.

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Hrothgar

I ordered it on Pay Per View. I'm pulling for De La Hoya so he can win and retire.

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The fortunes of war favored Hrothgar.

gov135

I believe he has hinted he will retire if he loses... not wins.

But you'll find out tonite you lucky, rich dog.

crewsor

Well you were right. No knockout. De la Hoya won that fight though. I couldn't believe they gave it Mosley. I didn't even think it was close, whatever happened to having to earn the title.

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We all have wings, some of us just don't know why.

SAM821

That was bullshit.... De la Hoya flat out won that fight.... Goes to show that these fights are rigged... there is no way that mosely should have gotten the descision, nonetheless a UNAMINOUS one!?

doctorphibes

The fight was rigged? In BOXING?? I'm shocked and appalled.

It might have something to do with De la Hoya getting something like three times what Mosley received. Gee, pay-off much? That whole "500,000 if I lose" thing just makes it more hinkey.

edmos1

yeah, that decision is a travesty, no way did mosley win more than 5 rounds, and that is being generous

canucker

DTV spunked on my card...fuc$n' fags, missed the fight!

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