19.09.04 – WINKY WRIGHT, the first undisputed super welterweight champion in 29 years, will defend his title in a rematch against SUGAR SHANE MOSLEY, one of boxing’s most exciting stars, as they respectively try to repeat or rewrite their history together, fighting once again for the world super welterweight title, Saturday, November 20, at Mandalay Bay Resort & Casino in Las Vegas. The world championship bout, promoted by Gary Shaw Productions, LLC., will be televised live nationally on HBO’s “World Championship Boxing,” beginning at 9:45 PM ET / 6:45 PM PT.
Tickets for this exciting evening of boxing are priced at $600, $400, $200, $100 and $50, and go on sale Saturday, September 18, at Noon, at the Mandalay Bay Box Office and all TicketMaster outlets. To order tickets by phone, call (702) 632-7580.
“The class of the super welterweight division is encapsulated in this fight,” said Shaw. “In Sugar Shane, you have the only many to beat Oscar De La Hoya — TWICE. And in Winky, you have the first man to ever unify all three major belts in the history of the super welterweight division. These two stepped up and made history when they first fought on March 13. Now we will see if Winky will repeat history or if Sugar Shane will rewrite it. If it is one thing boxing fans have learned from rematches, expect the unexpected and enjoy a great fight! This fight belongs at Mandalay Bay, which has hosted the most memorable fights in the history of boxing, including the first Mosley-Wright fight. Tony Alamo deserves all the credit for bringing the fight to this magnificent property.”
Wright, 47-3 (25 KOs), a native of Washington, D.C., now residing in St. Petersburg, FL, is in the third year of his second tour as world champion. Forty percent, (20 to you non-math majors), of Wright’s fights have been on foreign soil earning the supremely self-confident champion the moniker “International Man of Misery” (to his opponents!). Wright has fought professionally in eight different countries on four different continents. He captured his first world title in 1996, defeating WBO jr. middleweight champion Bronko McKart in McKart’s hometown. Wright then traveled to England, successfully defending his title three times in succession against the top world-rated British contenders. Wright lost his title to South African Harry Simon via a highly controversial majority decision in 1998. The fight, which took place in South Africa, was first announced a “Draw,” but after a so-called “error” was discovered in the addition of one of the scorecards, Wright was informed in his locker room that Simon was awarded the title via a recalculated majority decision. After losing another controversial majority decision to then-undefeated IBF jr. middleweight champion Fernando Vargas in 1999, a fight the vast majority of the media and spectators alike thought Wright won handily, Wright regrouped and captured the IBF title vacated by Felix Trinidad in 2001. He successfully defended it five times, including his victory over Mosley.
“Shane Mosley and I made boxing history and personal history on March 13,” said Wright. “Shane and I were the only two people in this division man enough to risk it all to become the undisputed world champion. Trust me, I know. I offered the same opportunity to De La Hoya and Vargas over and over and over again. Shane gave me the opportunity to fight for the undisputed title and I have no problem returning the favor and making my first title defense against him. But mark my words, history WILL repeat itself and I will leave the ring on November 20 the same way I came in – as the world super welterweight champion.”
Mosley, 39-3 (35 KOs), from Pomona, CA, captured his third world title in as many different weight classes, September 13, 2003, in front of a sellout crowd in Las Vegas, NV, when he overpowered WBC/WBA super welterweight champion Oscar De La Hoya en route to a 12-round unanimous decision in their long-awaited rematch.
The fight, which was televised by HBO Pay-Per-View, was the second-highest non-heavyweight pay-per-view in history, with over 975,000 buys and $50.2 million in pay-per-view revenue. It was the second time Mosley had dethroned De la Hoya from his world title perch, having beaten him in 2000 for the WBC welterweight championship. Mosley held that title for nearly two years, successfully defending it three times.
Mosley captured his first world championship, the IBF lightweight title, in 1997. Mosley’s lightweight title reign lasted two years through eight successful defenses – all by knockout — before vacating to move up two divisions to welterweight.
“I have accomplished a lot in my career,” said Mosley. “No one has defeated De La Hoya twice and not many can boast three world titles in three different weight classes. Winky may have won the first fight, but he is not facing the same Sugar Shane. My new trainer, Joe Goossen, has taken me to new heights. Like Sugar Ray Leonard did in his rematch against Roberto Duran and Sugar Ray Robinson did in his rematches against Gene Fullmer and Carmen Basilio, I am coming back to rewrite history and reclaim the world super welterweight title. History is always a little sweeter when you add some Sugar to it.”
“This fight between two world-class champions has all the elements of the classic rematches that have made this sport so great,” said Tony Alamo, Sr. Vice President of Mandalay Resort Group (Mandalay Bay’s parent company). “Mandalay Bay is proud to host this world championship event as it represents what we strive to deliver to our customers above all else – Boxing at its Best.”
Before Wright unified the title in March, the last time the 154-pound division had an undisputed world champion was when Koichi Wajima reclaimed the title from Oscar Albarado via a 15-round decision, January 21, 1975, before the IBF was established, in Tokyo, Japan. Since then, the title has been splintered with only Terry Norris, Felix Trinidad, and De La Hoya ever holding two of the three belts simultaneously.