Pass the sugar, one lump or two?

So Shane Mosley has some gas left in the tank huh? I was one of the few people who saw him fight Mayorga at Home Depot in September of 2008. He looked a little sluggish for several rounds and finally started landing late in the fight. Mayorga, who no one respects as a fighter, took at least 4 to 5 rounds from Mosley before Shane knocked him out in round 12. I was calling for Shane to retire and when I heard he signed to fight Margs I was worried for his health. I love it when athletes prove us wrong. Shane still looks great and has speed, power and physicality. A few things that caught my eye going into the fight Saturday that I feel made a difference. The first was Tony’s weight. Why come in lighter than the smaller guy? Why not weigh in right at 147 and go up to 165-170 before the fight? You have to counteract the speed and footwork of Mosley who is also a very strong, physical man. By being “in shape” or lighter than Mosley it allowed Shane to dominate the clinches and actually push Tony around at times.

More importantly it allowed Shane to hold his ground. It can be argued that a heavier Tony would only slow him down but Tony is not known for his speed, he is known for his durability and pressure. A bit more muscle would not have hurt there. Second and most importantly it seemed Tony’s game plan was all wrong. In a Larry Merchant pre-fight interview Tony said Mosley would be boxing and looking to stay outside in the fight.

That is all wrong and not Shane Mosley at all. There is a myth that Shane is this slick boxer but he is first and foremost a brawler who looks to get off first and hit you with his shots. Look at the KO record, 46 wins and 39 by KO! That is about an 85% KO ratio and makes Shane a legitimate KO threat for any of his opponents. He may be a boxer puncher but he is a puncher first. Tony may have slightly underestimated how good and how strong Shane truly is. As for Tony, it is a bad loss but I don’t think he should hang them up. Physically, I believe he can bounce back and bring it again but the mental part is always unknown. I would think a Cotto rematch right away may not be the best idea but pride and currency are both strong factors and a win in the rematch would almost erase the sting of this loss. One funny thing about his fight, a lot of people in the Mosley camp talked about Shane wanting to prove something.

We all now know about his marital problems and I kept thinking I wonder if Jin wanted Shane to fight Tony? I bet not and how many times have you wished you could take your relationship frustrations out on someone? Shane was not going to lose this fight and he really had a huge chip on his shoulder.

This weekend also saw the “press” conference for Arce-Darchinyan on February 7th at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA. I say press in quotes because Arce did not show and the room was way over capacity with all the media in town for the Staples Center card. Shame on Arce for not showing and I think it speaks volumes about this fight. Vic is in his prime and if he can take the heat from Arce he should land the bigger shots.

Good undercard too with the very talented and likeable Tony DeMarco of Tijuana fighting Kid Diamond.