Love for the sweet science keeps ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley in the ring

APTOPIX Mosley Pacquiao Boxing

“Sugar” Shane Mosley takes a punch from Manny Pacquiao during their May 2011 welterweight title fight in Las Vegas won by Pacquiao/AP file photo by Mark J. Terrill

 

“Sugar” Shane Mosley was laughing, getting a big kick out of how antsy his trainer – all-time great fighter Roberto Duran – is for Saturday. That’s when Mosley will take on David Avanesyan of Russia in the welterweight main event from Gila River Arena in Glendale, Ariz. (on CBS Sports Network).

“Yeah, it’s almost like we’re both fighting,” Mosley said. “He’s getting so excited and, not that he’s nervous, but he’s like, ‘Oh, my God,’ you know, like he’s getting ready to fight.”
Mosley said he tells Duran, “You gotta calm down a little bit, Roberto.”

Guys like this don’t calm down. That’s why Duran is one of the best ever. That’s why Mosley, who has won titles in three weight classes, is one of the best of his era and will join Duran in the International Boxing Hall of Fame five years or so after he finally hangs up the gloves.

It seemed Mosley was done when he had to quit after seven rounds against Anthony Mundine in November 2013, no thanks to severe back spasms. But he came back after 21 months off, won two fights against so-so opponents – a washed-up Ricardo Mayorga and journeyman Patrick Lopez – and now he’ll be challenging Avanesyan for his interim world title. Did we mention that Mosley, of Pomoma, is 44?

Yup. Mosley knew he’d fight a long time. Maybe not to 44, but …

“I kind of did,” he said Thursday via telephone. “I wanted to be a great fighter and I loved boxing so much, so I wanted to fight for as long as I could.”

Ego is involved. Mosley admits that.

“For respect,” he said, when asked why he’s still fighting. “I get a lot of respect and I am legendary and all that stuff. It’s because I love the game, I love to fight and I could still do it. I can still beat these guys. And I want to prove that, you know what I mean?”

Avanesyan is just 27, and Mosley believes a win over him would demonstrate he can still beat a young world-class fighter. Interestingly, if Mosley wins Saturday and takes the interim title from Avanesyan, Mosley (49-9-1, 41 KOs) would then be in line to fight the winner of the title fight between champion Keith Thurman and Shawn Porter on June 25 in Brooklyn.

If Porter were to emerge victorious, Mosley said he would not want to fight Porter because Porter “is like a little brother to me.” He would, however, take on Thurman should Thurman retain his belt.

“Yeah, of course I’ll take the fight with Thurman,” Mosley said, in confident tones.
That sounds scary because Thurman (26-0, 22 KOs) is very good and hits hard. And he’s just 27.

Mosley would be better off taking on guys his own age, or at least close. He would prefer that. Rematches with Miguel Cotto, Manny Pacquiao and Floyd Mayweather Jr. would be fine. A fight with Juan Manuel Marquez would be cool, too.

“I would take Juan Manuel Marquez, Floyd Mayweather and Manny (Pacquiao),” Mosley said; those three are 42, 39 and 37, respectively; Cotto is the baby at 35. “At the time, I think Manny and Floyd are kind of retired, so I would go over to cotto and Marquez if they would like to fight. And, you know, just a few more and then I’ll probably be done.”

Well, maybe. Duran fought until he was 50.

“We both have that same desire,” Mosley said, “that desire to get in there and win.”

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Fight between Shane Mosley and Anthony Mundine has been canceled

Golden Boy Promotions on Monday announced that Wednesday’s scheduled bout between “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Anthony Mundine in Mundine’s native Sydney, Australia, has been canceled because of what Golden Boy termed a “breach of contract” by the co-promoter, Millennium Promotions.

“I’m very disappointed with this turn of events because I was planning on making a big statement by beating Mundine, but I was left with no choice but to withdraw,” Mosley said in a statement. “The fans in Australia have welcomed me with open arms, and I hope to return to fight for them one day in better circumstances.”

Richard Schaefer, CEO of Golden Boy, intimated there was no choice but for Mosley to pull out.

“It’s unfortunate that this fight will not be taking place, and we apologize to all of Shane’s Australian fans, but there are contracts in place for a reason, and when the terms are not adhered to, we have no choice but to protect our fighter, and that’s what happened here,” Schaefer said.

Mosley, .42, is coming off a unanimous decision over Pablo Cano in May in Mexico. He had been in retirement for a year prior to that fight, having lost a wide decision to Saul “Canelo” Alvarez in May 2012 at MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mosley is 47-8-1 with 39 knockouts.

Mundine, a former interim junior middleweight champion, is 38. He has a record of 44-5 with 26 knockouts.

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‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley to meet with fans at Friday’s Showtime card in Indio

“Sugar” Shane Mosley of Pomona will be on hand Friday at a Golden Boy Promotions card at Fantasy Springs Casino in Indio, and he will sign autographs from 6 to 7 p.m. inside the Fantasy Springs Special Events Center. Those with a ticket to the fight will have this opportunity.

Mosley, 41, recently came out of a 1-year retirement and won a unanimous, yet narrow decision over Pablo Cesar Cano in May in Cano’s native Mexico.

Mosley, 47-8-1 with 39 knockouts, has won titles in three weight classes and he is expected to be a first-ballot selection into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. But that can’t happen until he’s been retired for five years, and he’s still going.

Friday’s main event will see heavyweight Deontay Wilder (28-8, 28 KOs) trying to keep his knockout streak alive when he takes on former champion Sergei Liakhovich (25-5, 16 KOs) of Belarus in a fight to be televised by Showtime.

Tickets for the event are priced at $25, $35 and $45. They can be purchased by calling 800-827-2946, or by going online at www.fantasyspringsresort.com.

 

 

 

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“Sugar” Shane Mosley victorious in comeback with narrow victory over Cano

“Sugar” Shane Mosley of Pomona on Saturday won for the first time in over four years when he took a unanimous decision over Mexico’s Pablo Cesar Cano in Cancun, Quintana Roo, Mexico.

Mosley, 41, won by three scores of 115-113. The last time he won a fight was in January 2009 when he stopped favored Antonio Margarito in the ninth round at Staples Center. Mosley is now 47-8-1. Cano, just 23, is 26-3-1.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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