by James Slater – Not too long ago a number of boxing writers (this one included) were suggesting it may be time for the once sublime “Sugar” Shane Mosley to think about retiring. Never again, we thought, will the 37-year-old be able to recapture his former brilliance. However, as he proved to us all in stunning fashion against the hitherto unstoppable “Tijuana Tornado,” Antonio Margarito, Mosley is some special kind of fighter..
The concern now is not about whether or not Mosley can fight at the top level any longer – it is about who there is out there that wants to fight him. As promoter Richard Schaefer has said to The Ring online, Mosley looked too good for his own good against the fearsome Mexican welterweight, and now the top guys at 147-pounds are fearful of going in with him!
According to the web site article, Mosley wanted a rematch with Miguel Cotto, the last man to have beaten him, in his next fight. Yet the Puerto Rican star has instead opted to face IBF welterweight champ Joshua Clottey in his next outing. No-one, least of all this writer, is saying Cotto is afraid of Mosley – after all, he’s beaten him once already – but Mosley is left searching for a super-fight all the same.
Shane’s second choice after Cotto, Ring explains, is a shot at the winner of the May showdown between Manny Pacquiao and Ricky Hatton. However, Schaefer is doubtful either of these two fighters will want anything to do with Mosley.
“My feeling is that (the winner out of Pacquiao and Hatton) most likely won’t want to fight Shane either,” Schaefer said. “The fact is Shane looked spectacular in his last fight, almost too good for his own good. It’s funny how quickly one fight can change everything. Shane was labelled a wash-up or close to it by many writers. Virtually no writers picked Shane to win (against “Tony”). They felt he was past his prime.
“Suddenly, he puts on that performance and now he’s one of the best fighters again, in most people’s top three or four. He was so spectacular that people say,’ Oh, s**t, I’d really rather not fight Shane Mosley.”
Is Schaefer correct? Are the top men at welterweight or thereabouts less than keen on the idea of facing the remarkable 37-year-old? One cannot blame Cotto for heading into a unification bout instead of into a return with a man he beat quite handily and who he left swollen and in pain – in time, though, he and Mosley will surely get it on again. If, of course, Clottey – a guy who will fight anyone – hasn’t upset Cotto in June.
As for “Pac-Man” and “The Hitman”, surely Schaefer should let them get their mega-bout over with before he accuses either guy of perhaps not fancying a go at “Sugar.” Still, it will be interesting to see what Mosley does if he cannot get his first or second choice opponents in the ring with him next. Will he remain idle? Or will he take a smaller, less motivational fight just to keep busy?
Schaefer believes Mosley will get the big fights he craves sooner or later.
“Eventually all the guys who want a big fight will have to look to Shane Mosley,” Schaefer said. “It might not be today or tomorrow but it will come. There are basically two options – wait for a big fight to happen, or try to unify the titles.”
Would Mosley Vs. Andre Berto be a big fight, or merely a unification? This may well be the next fight that gets made for the man who has now and forever proven he is worthy of his sacred nickname.