By Vivek Wallace – Saturday night, fight fans around the globe will have the opportunity to see what should be a very intriguing showdown as jr. middleweights ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley (46-6, 39KO’s) and Sergio ‘Latin Snake’ Mora (26-1-1, 6KO’s) square off in the famed Los Angeles Staples Center on HBO PPV. Recently, fight fans have had to struggle with seeing marquee showdowns such as Mayweather/Pacquiao and Froch/Abraham flatline, yet looming in the backdrop comes another group of contenders anxious to mark their own territory, as Khan/Maidana, Bradley/Alexander, Dirrell/Ward, and Hopkins/Pascal all fill a once empty Fall/Winter lineup. As we prepare to embark on this busy Fall/Winter lineup, we take a closer look at the two men involved with Saturday nights showdown, as well as “Keys to Victory”, “Four to Explore”, and a “Final Prediction”:
SHANE MOSLEY – “KEYS TO VICTORY”:
Shane Mosley has entered the ring following defeat 4 times as a man in his prime, and once as a prime fighter showing signs of age, but neither carried the weight of the recent 6th and most decisive loss which left many viewing him as a legitimately over-the-hill fighter .. The lopsided defeat suffered at the hands of Floyd Mayweather jr. left the aging veteran questioning himself stronger than perhaps any other point in his career, and a questionable mindset could be Mosley’s biggest issue coming into this fight. Mora’s no Mayweather, but he is quite slippery, and he has a durable chin that allows him to walk through the occasional powershot that does happen to land. Mosley has trouble with boxers. Mora can box. He proved this against the late Vernon Forrest (RIP).
To win, Mosley will need to have three things: Championship round stamina – as this appeared to be absent late in the Mayweather fight. He will also need to bring a strong mindset, allowing him to weather the occasional storm. And finally, he’ll need a solid jab. All of Mora’s damage starts behind a ‘feel out’ jab with little power. Mosley will need to counter his with his own. One that gets Mora’s attention and stuns him long enough to allow Mosley to land some heat. If Mosley can setup his damaging blows he could get a late fight stoppage, but if not, he’ll still do enough to land a points victory.
SERGIO MORA – “KEYS TO VICTORY”
For Mora to find his way to a victory over Shane Mosley, the blueprint is actually quite simple. Shane Mosley is doubting himself more than any point in the past. Ever. It’s in the magazines, it’s on the boxing podcast, it’s in the media, and recently, it was even on the tip of his promoters tongue. Everyone realizes that be it true or false, Mosley isn’t quite perceived as the warrior he once was, and Mora will need to pull a ‘Mayweather’ and exploit Mosley mentally from the first bell. Mora is good for slipping shots and taunting a fighter in a very ‘Malignaggi’ type manner. Call it childish if you must, but a few combinations, followed by a tongue-lick here, and a sly grin there, and suddenly, we’re gonna see a desperate fighter who knows his time in the sport will be sealed with another loss.
A desperate Mosley was enough to get past a brawling Mayorga in the closing seconds, but Mora has enough poise to group his shots and execute enough defense to actually pull away on points if Shane isn’t careful. If Mora can set his traps to bait Mosley and use his slippery style, equipped with taunts and all to get him off of his gameplan, this is a VERY winnable fight for Mora.
“FOUR TO EXPLORE”
A.G.E. (A GREATER EXPERIENCE?) – Many downplay Mosley’s age and view it as a detriment. While it can be, there’s no way to truly overlook the huge difference in ring experience. Mora is far from a slouch, but his biggest career test saw him win a match and drop the other (Forrest I & II). While it’s great that he never lost to anyone else, the names that fill his resume pale in comparison to the list of greats on Mosley’s. How much of a factor will this experience be when the bell rings will be interesting to watch.
DEEP WATERS? – Touching on the experience factor once again, it’s important to note that Mora has only been past the 12th round twice in his entire career, and only has 7 fights on his resume scheduled for 10rds or greater. We know that he won’t hurt and stop Mosley, so this key note will truly be an element to watch. How well will Mora handle the championship rounds? Will he sink, or swim?
FAR FROM FLOYD? – Aside from the pandemonium Mosley stirred up in round two against Mayweather, EVERYTHING about their showdown went in the Mayweather direction. At this stage in his career, considering his level of pride and his fading ability, has Mosley distanced himself (mentally) enough from the one-sided shallackin’ he took against Floyd to weather a potential storm by another slick fighter who still possess youth? Or will the ‘Floyd’ factor cause flashbacks to interfere?
NEXT or N.E.X.T.? – In the eyes of some, Mora is just another half decent fighter who hasn’t been exposed. But listening to Mora, it’s more a situation of a very talented fighter who has yet to define his true greatness. Hard to say which is true, and the only certainty here is that by the end of the night, we’ll all be saying ‘next’. The operative question is will it be next as in who’s next? Or will it be next as in Nobody Ever Xpected This?!?!? Tonight, Mora will define this equation for all of us!
OFFICIAL PREDICTION/UPSET BAROMETER (1 – 5)
In the end analysis, I think this fight will be far more intriguing than many of us thought, and I really think (as strange as it may sound) this could become a “Fight of the Year” candidate. Reason being, you have an old lion trying to prove he belongs, against a young lion trying to accomplish the same thing. Neither man from either position will have the opportunity to flourish much beyond this affair if they fall on the short end of the stick. If I had to divulge what I see in the crystal ball, it would be a hard fought match with many ebbs and flows. Mosley will land his thunderous shots and look impressive in spurts. Mora will land his combinations and impress in spurts.
When it all boils down, I see remember the great trouble that Mosley had against a brawler like Mayorga, and it tells me that a young stud with great stamina and good skills could be the recipe for disaster. I like Mosley to win in a split decision, but the upset eagle is flying low, and I rate the upset barometer at a firm 4 of 5 vote, as a ready Mora is actually capable of pulling something unforeseen out of the bag of tricks.
MOSLEY VIA SPLIT DECISION (UPSET BAROMETER – A STRONG 4 OF 5)
(Vivek Wallace can be reached at vivexemail@yahoo.com, 954-292-7346, Youtube (VIVEK1251), Twitter (VIVEK747), Facebook, and Myspace)