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Jack Welsh On Boxing
OSCAR, SHANE VIE FOR ‘REDEMPTION’ AT
MGM
It’s hyped as “Redemption via Revenge”
and that’s the perfect sobriquet for boxing’s richest
non-heavyweight fight as Oscar De La Hoya and Sugar Shane Mosley
go forth to prove who is the better man Sept. 13 in the MGM Grand
Garden Arena.
This heralded rematch was more than three years in the
making but it took only three months for a virtual live sellout
of 16,500, plus another 24,000 seats in Las Vegas hotel-casinos
for HBO’s pay-per-view telecast at $50 a copy.
De La Hoya, 30, East Los Angeles, Calif., is risking
his WBC/WBA super welterweight crowns against Mosley, 31, Pomona,
Calif., who took the former’s WBC 147-pound title June 17,2000
,but couldn’t keep it two years later on double losses to
Vernon Forrest.
Nevada‘s licensed bookmakers obviously weren’t
concerned De La Hoya had bruised his left hand sparring more than
three weeks ago and have installed the Golden Boy as a minus $2.40
choice with Mosley a plus $2.00 underdog. Veteran gamers on and
off the Strip are confident this super competitive 12-rounder will
generate six-figure action on both fighters once the sport’s
high rollers arrive in the Valley of the Dollars.
Top Rank promoter Bob Arum and Mark Taffet, HBO senior
vice-president of sports operations and pay-per-view, are highly
confident early pay-per-view sales across the country will exceed
the record 1.3 million buys when Felix “Tito” Trinidad
won a highly-controversial majority decision in De La Hoya’s
first loss Sept.18, 1999 at the MGM Grand.
Top Rank’s innovative chairman indicated HBO’s
PPV sales on De La Hoya-Mosley II could possibly produce the largest
purses of their championship careers.
“Going in, Oscar is guaranteed $17 million, and
if the pay-per-view sales continue as we expect, De La Hoya’s
total could reach $24 million. For Shane, the guarantee is $4.5
million and if he wins, Mosley’s gets $500,000 from De La
Hoya’s purse. And if the HBO sales are strong enough, Mosley’s
total money could reach $9 million.”
Mosley won his second title when he upset De La Hoya
on scores of 116-112 and 115-113 while the deposed champ’s
lone tab was 115-113 before 18,000 bi-partisans at the Staples Center
in Los Angeles.
Previously, the Pomona power puncher won the IBF lightweight
crown from Philip Holiday on Aug.2, 1997 and made eight defenses
before challenging for the 147-pound diadem.
Much of the media elevated Mosley high in the pound-for-pound
sweepstakes after his late rally to upset the Golden Boy. After
defenses against Shannon Taylor and Adrian Stone at 147, Mosley
made the untimely move on Forrest in New York Jan.26, 2002.
Shane was dropped twice in the second round but hung
on to lose the championship in 12. Instead of taking a breather,
he came right back against the slick Georgian, staying on his feet
but losing again on July 20 at Indianapolis. After that double shock,
cynical scribes dropped the shelled Shane from the pound-for-pound
derby like he was tied to an anvil.
Lady Luck wasn’t too sweet to Shane when he came
back last Feb.8 against Raul Marquez in Las Vegas. On an accidental
head butt in the third round, Raul could not continue and the bout
was ruled no contest.
Mosley, dominating the action, did not protest the decision,
but in recent weeks his detractors in print and broadcast media
have noted the two-time champion hasn’t won a fight in more
than 25 months.
“I didn’t dwell on the Forrest fights, that‘s
all in the past, so you know I didn’t waste any time on that
no contest. I didn’t focus on whether Oscar’s hand was
bruised or not. Maybe he’s setting up an early alibi when
I beat him again. As far as the critics rapping me, I don’t
pay any attention because they are going to say what they anyway,”
“Maybe Oscar’s people feel my self-esteem
has probably dropped, but my self-esteem has never dropped. They
don’t know that I’m not vulnerable, but I’m also
at my strongest at 154, the extra weight is no problem, I feel a
little faster and I know I’m hitting harder.
Mosley, with a 38-2,1 NC, 35 KOs resume, is aware De
La Hoya has won four straight since their original but the other
day he didn’t sound too impressed at his Big Bear, Calif.,
camp in reflecting on his upcoming opponent’s punishing 11th
round TKO over Fernando Vargas last Sept.14.
“Vargas is just too light and he couldn’t
sustain the tempo. When I reviewed the films of that fight, I felt
that De la Hoya’s hand and foot speed has slowed down a bit.
Oscar was getting hit with some more good shots. And Vargas is a
lot slower than I am. I’m a different type of fighter and
I don’t think De La Hoya is preparing himself for that kind
of fight. I tried for a knockout too much against Forrest,”
Mosley opined.
“I feel that beating Oscar again is just another
win. It will be a big win only because you media guys want to see
it, to see what Sugar Shane has left, what I have inside. It’s
for the media, the fans too, who want see what Sugar Shane is about.
I beat Oscar at 75 pounds when we were kids and I’ll beat
him again for the third time even easier. Beating De La Hoya again
will mean a little more because a lot more people will know Sugar
Shane is definitely the better fighter.”
De La Hoya, with 36-2, 29 KOs credentials, was straight-forward
honest during the last media day session at his mountain facility
in Big Bear, Calif., regarding the mistakes he made against Mosley
the first time.
“I had the wrong plan because I figured I had four
fights left in my career and I wanted to win them all in spectacular
fashion for my place in boxing history. If I didn’t get all
knockouts I wouldn’t be satisfied.
When Floyd Mayweather, Sr., became my trainer after the
only fight I ever left I lost, he straightened out my thinking about
knockouts. My left hand appears to be sound after I quit sparring
for five days. I feel I can do anything I want in that ring now,
and a lot Shane won’t be expecting,” De La Hoya advised.
“With my height and reach, I won’t fight
him short like I did in the first fight. I’m going to let
him come to me if he wants my titles. I’ll be throwing a lot
of jabs and I’ll triple it up. I’ll be throwing plenty
of right hands which he didn’t see from me in the first fight.
Mosley will be surprised with my body shots.
“My mentality to knock him out the first time was
all wrong. I should have stayed with my normal style instead of
trying to be a power puncher. I kept trying to knock Mosley out
and I couldn’t do it. If I didn’t get him in one round,
I said I’ll get him in the next one. The rounds went by and
I was desperate. Then it was the 12th round and I had run out of
time.”
The Golden Boy wants to be golden again and this potential
Fight-Of-The-Year, Oscar won’t even have a knockout on his
mind...just going out and winning.
Prediction.....This can be any kind of showdown....like
De La Hoya and Mosley both being on the canvas in the middle rounds.....down
the stretch, Oscar won’t repeat what he did at Staples Center
in 2000 and that should be enough for a decision in 12.
(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in
Las Vegas and a regular contributor to Ringsports.com and other
fine websites.)
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