03.09.07 – By Mike Cassell – The Philadelphia boxing Report – We didn’t have to wait long for the new relationship between Top Rank and Golden Boy to prosper. Top Rank is putting up their number one commodity in Miguel Cotto 30–0, 25 KO’s, while Golden Boy is putting up their number one retread in Shane Mosely 44–4, 37 KO’s. Don’t get me wrong, Shane Mosely was a great champion, but his time has come and gone..
If Golden Boy Promotions wanted to really commit to their relationship with Top Rank, they would figure out a way to get Floyd Mayweather into the ring with Cotto. Shane Mosley’s speed was his greatest weapon, and time can catch up to even the most talented boxers.
As Golden Boy ascends to promotional greatness, we have to ask the question: How many times will the boxing public sit through a spectacular promotion, only to sit through a less than inspiring boxing match.
Bob Arum made Oscar De La Hoya. He knows him, and think he knows that a fight like this, is a very good thing for Top Rank. Although he isn’t getting Oscar’s best, Arum knows time is on the side of Top Rank. Oscar has names, big names, but they are old names. Arum has younger, tougher talent, that the boxing world is very excited about. On November 10th, the world will see another fighter with a big name, lose again.
Golden Boy’s fighters are a bit long in the tooth, and they seem to be content with the old “take the money and run” attitude, they have accused promoters of in the past. I can not help but be impressed with the quality of fights Top Rank has put on lately. They have been tough, competitive matches, that fans want to see. Bob Arum knows that styles make good matches, not names. Golden Boy has seemed to throw styles match ups out the window for name recognition, and PPV money.
As the year closes out, fans are looking for the matches that they have been teased with. They want to see Cotto fight the best. They want to see De La Hoya, or Mayweather step up. They want to see Paul Williams or Kermit Cintron fight Miguel Cotto. Bob Arum was quoted as saying, “Miguel Cotto will fight anybody, the other so called superstars will not.” Shane Mosley has lost to Vernon Forrest and Winky Wright twice. He beat Fernando Vargas, who is about to retire, and David Estrada, who has is extremely overrated. The real question I think the boxing world may be asking is, What has Mosley done lately to deserve this shot, besides being the sparring partner of Del La Hoya?
Mosley usually fights brawlers well, but that was a long time ago. Miguel Cotto is something we have not seen in many years. He personifies what a fighter is. He makes us want to watch him, because he takes pride in exposing the weakness of his opponent. This fight is worth buying, if only to see a true “Jake La Motta” like warrior in Miguel Cotto. I don’t really care who this guy fights, I am watching it. Except for Oscar De La Hoya, I can not say that about a single fighter with Golden Boy promotions.