It's time for Part II of the Shane Mosley Greatest Performances Top 10. We already counted down numbers 10 through 6, and today we're moving on to the top 5.
Let's get to it...
5. Miguel Cotto - Lost UD 12 - November 10, 2007 - Madison Square Garden, New York
Yes, a loss makes the top 5. Well, kinda. Perhaps if I had been watching at home on television, this might not have made it so high, but I happened to be in the crowd that thrilling night at Madison Square Garden! I also don't believe Shane lost. I scored the fight a draw, although considering I had spent the entire day at various Manhattan watering holes sampling every type of beer I could get my hands on, you'll have to take my score with a grain of salt (or barley).
Still... fighting even (or almost even) for 12 rounds with a punishing body puncher like Cotto, in his prime, on his turf, is an accomplishment that a fighter and his fans can be proud of. It was a very good fight, and celebratory drinks were enjoyed for many hours after the show.
Star-divide
4. Winky Wright - Lost MD12 - November 20, 2004 - Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas
Another loss that I thought should have been a draw. I think it's fair to say that Wright controlled things tactically, and the rounds he grabbed may have been clear, but every time I score that fight, it comes out the same: 6-6.
Eight months earlier the bigger man totally controlled Shane with his snappy jab. This time out, Shane brought more to the table in terms of spunk. There was a point where Wright wanted to prove that he was the boss in there by sticking his chin out. He never did it again.
When it comes down to it, Mosley got back in there with a very good fighter who had beaten him up and he greatly improved upon a sluggish effort. It's his competitive spirit that made him into a fan favourite, and this fight exemplifies that trait.
3. Wilfredo Rivera - KO10 - September 25, 1999 - Pechanga Entertainment Center, Temecula, California
Rivera was better than most people remember. This is a guy who was able to make Sweet Pea Whitaker very uncomfortable over two fights and dropped Fernando Vargas flat on his face. He was a big, strong, well-schooled, accurate fighter who could really take a shot. Doesn't sound like a soft intro to a brand new weight division does it? I happen to think that he would do very well against this era's welterweights.
Mosley went old school in jumping from 135 to 147 and he looked like a stick of dynamite in the early rounds as he pounded away with some scary punches to the veteran's face. I remember watching it as a teenager and wondering how the Puerto Rican was still standing. Not only was he still on his feet going into the last round, but he had made it a close fight on the cards. Somehow Jack Mosley got word that it could go either way, and he told his son to let his hands go.
He didn't disappoint. What followed was a furiously violent assault that was finally rewarded when his foe hit the deck. A left uppercut to the chin was the finishing shot, but it was the previous 9 rounds of bruising action that made Rivera's knees give out.
If you didn't already know that you were watching something special, the tenth round left no doubt.
2. Antonio Margarito - TKO9 - January 24, 2009 - Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
Margarito was more machine than man. He couldn't be hurt and he only got stronger as the fight went on. The Tijuana Tornado would devastate Mosley who would hang tough, but probably get hurt permanently.
HA!
Every once in awhile boxing allows you to have a selfish moment, and this was mine. I'd been hearing that Shane was going to get stopped for the first time, it was the wrong fight for him to take, he was too old...
I'd had enough. In looking at the style match-up it became clear that Shane's speed would be the decider. Margarito was a tough guy, but he was used to having certain advantages. This time out, he was not the tougher man. He was not the stronger man, and he didn't have anything left by the time they reached the last third of the fight. Old Sugar Shane Mosley has a lot in common with old Sugar Ray Robinson and it showed.
Margarito got destroyed in every sense, and it's the disgraced Mexican who will never be the same. Forget all the suspensions and court dates, the justice that Shane laid upside Margarito's head was good enough for me.
1. Oscar De La Hoya - SD12- June 17, 2000 - Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
This was Sugar Shane's coming out party. The world was introduced to a brilliant, pure fighter who would stick around for years to come.
Going into this fight, both men had a lot to prove. It was Mosley's chance to join the elite of his generation. It was Oscar's chance to man up after the embarrassment of the Trinidad fight. Both men delivered.
Staples Center was packed with fight fans who came to see two long-time Califronia rivals go at it, and that's just what they did. Shane moved smartly, setting up his shots against Oscar who came forward behind a stabbing left jab. Anyone who has seen the fight will tell you it was the best of both men.
But when it came time to decide the winner, it was Sugar Shane who dug deepest. In another classic finish, he just went for it. Dozens of overhand rights bounced of Oscar's head and chin in the final frame, but he stood in and took the punishment. When the action came to a halt everyone knew who the better man was.
And I knew that Sugar Shane Mosley would be "my guy" for years to come.
Source: theboxingbulletin.com
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