09.05.07 – By Ted Sares: Back in July 2006, I wrote that Sugar Shane Mosley’s KO of Fernando Vargas II was evidence that like a perfect storm, everything was coming together……just the right things in the mix and with just the right timing for him to fight Floyd Mayweather. Team Mosley was running on all cylinders and it seemed unlikely for anyone to slow it down. But that was then and this is now.
Since then, Floyd has vanquished Carlos Manuel Baldomir and Oscar De La Hoya. Mosley has beaten Luis Collazo in a fight where Collazo suffered a fractured left thumb and ligament damage in his left hand during the second round.
Sure, against Collazo, Sugar Shane showed a display of effective jabs and great hand speed, once again using feints, quickness, and crafty head and body movement that served him so well in his two wins against Oscar De La Hoya and Vargas. But Collazo is not Mayweather, and Vargas had taken brutal beatings at the hands of De La Hoya and Trinidad by the time he met Mosley.
Shane continues to seem comfortable having his father, Jack Mosley, 61, in his corner. After all, he is man who directed his son to three world titles and the biggest wins of his career. Unlike the strained relationship between Floyd Jr. and his dad, Floyd Sr., the 35 year old Shane embraces having Jack in his corner. He also is comfortable being promoted by Golden Boy Promotions.
However, as he gets older, Mosley’s many assets are jeopardized. Age has a way with impacting speed, quickness, hand-eye coordination, movement, and putting punches together. Moreover, the fact he has fought tougher opponents than Mayweather (Vargas twice, Wright twice, De La Hoya twice, Forrest twice, Estrada, Jesse James Leija, John John Molina, Philip Holiday, Collazo, among others), is not necessarily an advantage at this point. Indeed, the reputation for never having ducked an opponent can back fire and render a boxer’s body old overnight. That said, I no longer believe the 35-year-old Mosley is at the top of his game and I’m betting the ingredients for the perfect storm that existed a year ago have now dissipated. The momentum has shifted in Floyd’s favor.
While Team Mosley may be aiming in the direction of the man with the heavyweight ego, the effort does not seem as energized as it was a year ago. For his part, Floyd said, “First, I’ll beat Shane and then I’ll beat his boss [De La Hoya].” Now, it looks like he will have to reverse the order, assuming he does not retire (which is a sound assumption). And I believe he will win decisively.
Unless he beats “The Punisher,” tough Antonio Margarito no longer has the influence to force a fight with Floyd. With memories of Hagler, Hearns, Leonard and Duran looming in the background…..and with Cotto, Hatton, Clottey, and Williams in the mix, it’s time for Shane and Floyd to………… get it on.