On August 29 at the Forum in Inglewood, California, former three-division champion Shane Mosley (38-8-1, 39 KOs), from Pomona, California, fights a rematch with Ricardo Mayorga (31-8-1, 25 KOs), from Managua, Nicaragua.
Their first fight, on September 27, 2008, was for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental super welterweight title, which Mosley won by KO in the final second of the 12th and final round.
Forty-three-year-old Mosley was lured out of retirement by the 41-year-old Mayorga’s ragging on Twitter.
“Mayorga was talking s—,” said Mosley, “and I ran into him in Vegas. Things escalated and, boom, rematch. He’s been mouthing off on Twitter for months now. He needs to be shut up. If there’s anybody that needs his ass kicked, it’s him. I’m ready to beat him just like I did last time. I’ll fight him as soon as he can stumble into the ring. I’ll beat him down again.”
Since losing to Miguel Cotto in 2007, Mosley has gone 3-4-1, with losses to Floyd Mayweather in 2010, Manny Pacquiao in 2011, Canelo Alvarez in 2012, and Anthony Mundine in 2013, in what many thought was his final fight.
Mayorga, by contrast, during the same time period, has gone 4-2, with losses to Mosley in 2008 and Cotto in 2011. His last fight was in December 2014.
Boxing has been good to Mosley. He has never lost his love of the game. He has stayed in shape. He is also navigating the career of his son, Shane Mosley Jr.
“I’m planning to show the world what [almost two years of retirement] did for me,” Mosley told ESPN.com. “They think I’m finished? I’m far from finished. I am in the best shape of my life. I feel bad for Mayorga. No one knows how good I really am. I am going to kill him.”
Mayorga, not surprisingly, embraces the same kill-or-be-killed ethos as Sugar Shane.
Mayorga says he’ll knock out Mosley in the second. Shane has predicted a sixth round KO.
“I could do it in less,” said Mosley, “but I want to give a real show. All action all the time on this one. I plan to surprise a few people. I’m younger than Bernard Hopkins and more deadly.”
Shane Mosley vs. Ricardo Mayorga will be on pay-per-view at a cost of $49.95.
This article was penned by the author who is not related to the WBA and the statements, expressions or opinions referenced herein are that of the author alone and not the WBA.
