Welterweight Saul Alvarez (22-0-1, 15 KOs) remained unbeaten with a hard fought ten round unanimous decision over Larry Mosley (15-3-1, 6 KOs) on Friday night at the Morongo Casino Resort & Spa in Cabazon, California.
Alvarez was fighting for the first time north of the Mexican border, fans cheered and welcomed “Canelo” Alvarez was viewed as the slight favorite, taking on the tough and rugged Mosley was no easy task.
The fight began slowly with both fighters trying to analyze each other. In the fourth, Mosley’s slightly swollen right eye was showing the effects of the one-two combos dished out by Alvarez. It seemed in this round though, that Alvarez was getting comfortable with keeping Mosley on the outside and throwing combinations. Much to his credit, Mosley was in the fight but having a difficult time establishing his rhythm.
Though seldom did more than one punch slip through either fighter’s defense, it was the Mexican’s power that made it easier to score. Alvarez showed good hand speed and good vision that allowed him to thwart Mosley’s combinations. But he boxes on his heels and sometimes it causes imbalance. However, at 18, he has time to adjust. Mosley began firing more punches and trading with the stronger punching Alvarez. But the judges favored the puncher more than the boxer at the conclusion. Scores were 96-94, 99-91, and 97-93.
“I was very hesitant,” admitted Alvarez, who is known as a pressure fighter but picked his spots against Mosley. “I could never hit him twice.”
“I thought I pressured him the whole fight,” said Mosley of Los Angeles. “I have no complaints, he was a good young fighter.”
Junior featherweight Antonio Escalante (18-2, 12 KOs) detroyed formerly highly rated Mike Oliver (21-2, 7 KOs). Escalante dropped Oliver three times in round one and got the KO win when he dropped Oliver again with a hard bodyshot at :33 of round three. The bout was a scheduled twelve-rounder for the NABO title.
All Photos By Raymond Rodriguez
