Los Angeles – There is a clear disconnect between the perception that Shane Mosley is an even money opponent against Floyd Mayweather Junior and the reality that the man dubbed “Sugar” is a betting underdog to “Money”.
One sports book has Mayweather a four to one betting favorite to win, while Mosley sits at a three to one underdog to walk away victorious.
Yet, if you read most media accounts or talk to most boxing fans, the general feel for Saturday night’s fight in Las Vegas, Nevada is that Mosley and Mayweather is close to a pick ’em affair.
Apparently the memory of some fight aficionados only goes back roughly a year and half to Shane Mosley’s one-sided destruction of Antonio Margarito. Mosley knocked-out a Margarito who had been caught with illegal hand-wraps moments before entering the ring and was only six months removed from one of the most violent bouts of the last twenty or so years against Miguel Cotto.
Shane looked impressive against Margarito, but how has the fared during his sixteen year career against other elite level fighters? The fighting pride of Lynwood stands at a respectable record of three wins and five losses against the best of the best – when they were near their prime.
Mosley holds to hotly contested, razor thin victories against Oscar De La Hoya in 2000 and the mentioned win against Margarito. Yet he was edged out twice by the late Vernon Forrest (2002) and Ronald “Winky” Wright (2004) and lose to Miguel Cotto (2007).
Talking heads have become myopic, stating that Mosley has quick hands and boxing skills. Mosley was once a fierce combination puncher, but that fighter left right around the time he was defeated by Forrest the first time. What was left is a Mosley who throws punches in spurts and loves to hold his opponent in between.
The 2010 version of Mosley is a quicker, slightly more refined version of Ricky Hatton. Remember Ricky Hatton? The Brit’ who was undefeated until Mayweather knocked him out cold?
Mayweather might not get knocked out by Mayweather, but Shane is a deserving underdog when facing one the greatest technical fighters in the history of boxing.
