Saturday night the Forum in Inglewood, California, former three-division champion Shane Mosley (48-9-1, 40 KOs), from Pomona, California, KO’d former two-division champion Ricardo Mayorga (31-9-1, 25 KOs), from Managua, Nicaragua, at 2:59 of the sixth round.
They first fought in September 2009 when Mosley stopped Mayorga in the final second of the final round to win the vacant WBA Inter-Continental super welterweight title.
Much has happened since then. Both fighters have slid. But Mayorga has slid further and faster.
At the age of 43, Mosley, by stopping a 41-year-old who’d rather smoke, drink, and fornicate than train, might think he has a future in the sport. Hopkins has done it. So has Archie Moore. But those guys are anomalies, two of a kind, masters who slipped punches the way Mayorga slips a barmaid a Mickey Finn.
Time isn’t on Mosley’s side (whereas time has already caught up with Mayorga). Boxing is and will always be a young man’s sport. Shane may have stung Mayorga in the second. He dropped him to his knees in the sixth. He has silenced Father Time, for the moment. He has silenced Mayorga for a moment as well.
Mosley was phenomenal in his day: world class, pound-for-pound, a deserving marquee fighter. But he has lost a step, perhaps several steps, and there are more steps yet to lose. He has had a lot of fights. He’s had outside the ring distractions. Shane delivered against Mayorga, as promised, but has still lost four of his last seven fights, to Floyd Mayweather in 2010, Manny Pacquiao in 2011, Canelo Alvarez in 2012, and Anthony Mundine this year.
“All the fans wanted to see me fight,” said Mosley after the bout. “I’m glad I was able to put a fight on for them. I think this was a good fight for me. I think I was a C-plus, but I can do better. I have the speed and the power. I knew after the first punch that it was going to be a knockout. The head shots were so easy. I was really catching him with so many head shots.”
If Mayorga had moved his head it might have been otherwise.
“Mayorga was tough,” Mosley added. “Look out, I’m coming.”
Shane has a right to make a living, however he sees fit. He is family. But we never want to see family hurt.
Mosley vs. Mayorga 2 can be seen here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rt93P1dFSSE
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.
