Future Hall of Famer “Sugar” Shane Mosley (49-9-1, 41 KOs), from Pomona, California, will take on WBA World interim welterweight champion David Avanesyan (21-1-1, 11 KOs), from Pyatigorsk, Russia, Saturday night at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
Mosley’s legacy in the sport is ironclad, but the 44-year-old fights on as he looks to add another title to his long list of accomplishments. In Mosley’s last bout, he scored a 10th-round TKO victory over Patrick Lopez in December 2015 at the Arena Roberto Duran in Panama.
It was Mosley’s second straight victory since losing to Anthony Mundine via seventh-round TKO in November 2013. Mosley injured his back midway through the bout and a ringside doctor advised the bout be stopped. It is the only stoppage loss on Mosley’s record.
Twenty-seven-year-old Avanesyan won his title by stopping Charlie Navarro in the ninth round in September 2015. Avanesyan has won eight straight fights and he’ll be looking to keep his streak alive with another winning performance.
Mosley will be the biggest name on Avanesyan’s résumé, but it’s unclear how much the former champion still has left. It’s been a long time since he looked like the fighter that won five world titles in his career. Does Mosley still have enough to best a man 17 years his junior? That’s a question we’ll see answered this weekend.
Avanesyan’s interim WBA title will be on the line, but that’s not all.
According to WBA president Gilberto Jesus Mendoza, the winner of the Mosley-Avanesyan scrap will have an interesting opponent in their next fight. The man who emerges victorious from the much anticipated Keith Thurman vs. Shawn Porter bout on June 25 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn is mandated to face the winner of Mosley-Avanesyan.
That dynamic could create a conflict of interest of sorts for Mosley. He is friends with Porter and would prefer not to face him in the ring. Per BoxNation, Mosley said:
“I think that Shawn will win the fight,” said Mosley per BoxNation. “I’m not looking to fight him, he’s like my little brother. I can’t see myself fighting him unless they give us $10 million apiece!”
That payout probably isn’t realistic, so who knows what will happen if Mosley and Porter both win. Both are far from the odds-on favorites to prevail. As a matter of fact, Mosley is an underdog according to data available at Oddsshark.com.
In any case, Avanesyan will likely do everything in his power to prevent Mosley from having to make a tough decision.
Shane Mosley vs. David Avanesyan will be televised live on CBS Sports Net starting at (10:30 PM ET/7:30 PM PT).
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.
