Win or lose Shane Mosley fought a lot of guys twice in his career – the late Vernon Forrest, Oscar De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas and Winky Wright, yet for reasons beyond the understanding of many fans who enjoyed the prime Mosley, the washed up and shot to pieces version goes into battle for the second time against Ricardo Mayorga on August 29th in a much maligned fight that will set American fans back a hard to justify $49.95 on PPV.
Thankfully curious Brits keen to watch the fight can via Boxnation as part of their normal monthly subscription, though how many on both sides of the Atlantic will when it goes head to head with the PBC on ESPN Leo Santa Cruz/Abner Mares fight on the same night is anybody’s guess.
Speaking about the contest to fighthype.com, the now 43 year old Mosley appears to be longing for his glory days of fifteen years ago, when he was rightly considered one of the best fighters P4P on the planet.
Even seven years ago when he knocked Mayorga out in the dying seconds, he was past best, though he still considers the unpredictable Nicaraguan as ‘dangerous’ and is convinced fans will buy into the fight.
Referencing events from between 8 and twelve years ago, he said;
“I can’t wait to get in the ring with Mayorga. Man, I feel so good and I’m strong. Mayorga’s dangerous, a dangerous fighter and anything can happen with him. He knocked out Vernon Forrest, he beat Fernando Vargas and he’s probably gonna be a lot bigger than me when he gets in the ring.”
“He loves to fight, I love to fight and that’s why I picked him. It’s gonna be a brawl.”
Asked how he sees this fight in terms of his wider career, Mosley is somehow convinced he can fight on by avenging previous losses, and he struggles to understand why he is considered old when guys of similar ages and older are still fighting.
“My mindset is to beat all the guys that beat me. I can’t beat Vernon Forrest as he’s not alive anymore – God bless the dead – but you have Mayweather, there’s Pacquiao, there’s Winky still out there if he wants to come back? Canelo? There’s a lotta guys out there to fight.”
“People say ‘oh, he’s (Mosley) old’ but Bernard’s (Hopkins) getting ready to fight, he’s 50 years old. When I was 38, 39 years old I was considered old, but Mayweather’s 38 and Pacquiao’s 39 or 38 (sic, he’s 36) and they’re not considered old, so why do I get the ‘old man’ title when I probably look the youngest of all of them?”
“I love the rematches. I want a rematch with Cotto. I love the rematches. If he wants a rematch, let’s do it. If Oscar wants the rematch, let’s do it. Whoever wants the rematch, I’m all for it.”
Mosley hasn’t boxed since November 2013 when he injured his back and retired against Anthony Mundine in Australia, although the fight was recorded as a TKO loss.
Twitter @Undilutedpoison
