by Scotty L of Predictem.com
When: Saturday, September 18, 2010
Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA
TV: PPV at 9:00 p.m. EST
Weight Class: Junior Middleweights: 12 Rounds
Shane Mosley, 46-6 (39 KOs), Pomona, California Vs. Sergio Mora, 22-1-1 (6 KOs), Los Angeles, California
Fight Odds: Shane Mosley (-350), Sergio Mora (+250)
Over/Under: Over 11.5 (+115), Under 11.5 (-135)
Preview: On Saturday, September 18, former champions Shane Mosley and Sergio Mora will do battle at the Staples Center. Both are residents of southern California and should have strong support. Mosley is the more accomplished fighterwith championship credentials going back to 1997. Mora, the winner of the most demanding season of the Contender show, has also added world title honors to his growing resume.
Most figure that while Mosley might not be what he once was, he will probably be too much for the underpowered Mora. When you look at some of the guys who have troubled Mosley in his career, there are similarities to Mora. Winky Wright and Vernon Forrest were both long and mobile boxerslike Mora. They were also probably more well-rounded and harder-hitting fighters. Nevertheless, Mora has the skill, mobility, and speed that theoretically can give major problems to an aging warrior like Mosley.
Mora deserves a lot of credit, as he has earned everything the hard way. He went through a tough group of fighters on the Contender, and then capped it off with a shocking decision win over the late Vernon Forrest to claim a world title belt. The manner in which Forrest defeated him in the rematch made the first fight seem like a bit of an aberration. After the Forrest loss in 2008, Mora has seen fights fall through, leading to a long period of inactivity, with only one fight in the past two years. At 29, he can still rebound, but this might not be an ideal way to enter a fight of this nature.
People keep waiting for Mosley to get old, but he keeps bouncing back. Considered faded, he shellacked heavily favored Antonio Margarito to claim a welterweight belt. A long period of inactivity followed, before Sugar Shane was decisioned by Floyd Mayweather in a blockbuster event from earlier this year. Mosley managed the rare feat of buckling Mayweather in the 2nd round with his still-formidable right hand, but was otherwise outboxed completely and comprehensively.
The jury is still out on what Mosley has left. He still fights at a high level, but he isnt what he once was. Perhaps too much was read into his win over Margarito. After all, Margarito had just been caught with loaded gloves in the dressing room. The fight was allowed to go on, but one must figure Margaritos mental state was compromised by the pre-fight controversy. The 39-year old Mosleys claim of being a top guy is highly tied to that win, but before that, there were signs that his days were numbered as a force in the game, following a loss to Miguel Cotto and a bad-looking performance against worn-out Ricardo Mayorga.
So while Mora presents some threats to an aging Mosley, there are issues. His inactivity is a cause for concern, though perhaps after a long run of tough fights, he will benefit from a period to refresh both mentally and physically. My biggest concern is the weight. During his series with Forrest, the complaints were abound how making 154 was too much of a struggle for him. Its very unusual that hes returning 2 years later at the same weight.
Scotty L’s Pick to Win the Fight: Shane Mosley has a lot on the line here. Another loss could put him in the role of gatekeeper. The former pound-for-pound entrant is fighting to maintain his headliner status. Mora is also eager to erase the bad memory of the past couple years with a win here. I expect a spirited encounter with both men fighting urgently.
I see Mosley getting to Mora with an early-rounds attack in an effort to take the younger man out of the fight. Mora, however, is very tough. He may not hit very hard, but hes smart and gutsy. If not drained by the weight making, he should give Mosley problems with his movement and long-range boxing skill. Mosleys power will keep Mora honest and give the impression that Mosley is making the fight. I see Mosleys early-round dominance giving him an edge on the cards that will see him through to the end in a close, tough decision win. Lay the 350 on Mosley and 135 on the over.
