Jack Welsh
www.ringsports.com

It wasn’t intentional but it was a costly night for Sugar Shane Mosley when Raul Marquez could not continue after suffering cuts over both eyes from head butts, turning a 12-round super welterweight bout into a three-round no contest at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas.

It was much more than the debut at154- pounds for Mosley, the former WBC welterweight and IBF lightweight champion, who wanted a spectacular showing against Marquez in this HBO telecast to enhance his demand for more money than $4.25 million to meet Oscar De La Hoya in a September rematch.

In the countdown to the first bell, Top Rank promoter Bob Arum was firm that the offer Mosley
Agreed to in December would not be increased. It was pretty much a take-it-or-leave if package although the Pomona, Ca., puncher repeatedly reminded the media he earned $4.50 million when he took De La Hoya’s WBC title in June, 2000, in Los Angeles.

Having lost twice to Vernon Forrest for the WBC 147-pound crown last year, Mosley knew he would have to take the gamble since his pound-for-pound reputation was soiled. Top Rank was willing to lay out $1.3 million for Mosley to tune-up with the hand- picked Marquez, the ex-IBF junior middleweight king out
of Houston, TX., who got a $300,000 payday.

If Mosley needed an additional incentive, it was a loud message that Arum was enthusiastic about bringing Fernando Vegas into the mix, the latter having lost his WBA super welterweight belt to De La Hoya Sept.14 on a 11th round TKO at Mandalay Bay.

Marquez, a southpaw coming in with a 34-2, 23 KOs resume, considered this a solid opportunity if he could surface as a spoiler, having fought at the weight since turning pro in 1992 that Mosley was testing for the first time.

It was a highly-vocal crowd of 4,942 responding at the opening bell when Mosley dropped early hints he would like to make it a short night, trading right hands with Marquez and then scoring with a short left-right. After a short right to the jaw, Mosley jumped in with a combination and took a Marquez right before countering with a right-left-right. Marquez landed a left before catching a combination.

It was clear in the pre-fight hype that Marquez wasn’t in awe of Mosley’s big TNT reputation.

And he opened the second round with a left hook and a right-left to the body. But Mosley, working off his jab, scored with two rights. Marquez was there with two snapping lefts and then took a four-punch salvo to the head and body before moving in with a combination.

Marquez, who has had a tendency to cut via head butts, delivered the pressure early in round three with a left-right to the body. Mosley and Marquez, who almost banged heads early in the second round, came out of an exchange when Shane’s forehead caught Marquez over the right eye.

It was accidental but a deep cut. Mosley landed two lefts and Marquez got him with a headlock that prompted referee Kenny Bayless to talk to the fighters. The action resumed, each taking body shots
and then another clash of heads. This time Marquez was in error and got a second slice over his left eye.

With his head down, Marquez spun away from the fray and walked directly to his corner.

Although the audience would soon be screaming, “B.S. B.S.,” there was no question about the stoppage. Commission ringside Dr. William Berlin told the referee “stop it right now...the cut is deep down to the bone.” The end came at 2:4I but there could be no decision since the fight did not go the Nevada minimum of four rounds.

It’s purely academic but three judges Carol Castellano, Keith MacDonald and Dave Moretti gave Mosley the first two rounds, 20-18.

Ironically, the post-fight media conference ran much longer than the fight as Mosley and Marquez reflected on a fight that left everybody disappointed, particularly the former whose record is now 38-2, 1 NC, 35 KOs.

Mosley hasn’t had a victory since July 21,2001 when he knocked out Britain’s Adrian Stone in three rounds at Caesars Palace.

“I wanted a victory but it was no contest. We kept trying but it was a matter of styles. Marquez was great and he came to fight but it was a matter of styles.

He is a former champion. In the first round we both clashed together. In the second round, it was a right hand, not a head butt and we told the referee. I felt I would have had the victory if the fight went on,” Mosley opined.

“Marquez is a southpaw and I was throwing right-handed. But I was watching for it but Marquez was switching both ways. I’d like to fight him again, it that’s possible. I wasn’t thinking about a no decision, I just wanted to win. Marquez was trying all the tactics he could, we both use forearms and he tried to choke me once.”

Marquez, finishing with a bruised right cheek as well as cuts over both eyes, was irritated the fight ended with accidental head butts.

“I’m a warrior and I’d like to do it again. Shane did the first butt but I guess the second was my mistake. We were fighting in close. I think he felt my power and strength. If Mosley was hitting me with body shots, I didn’t feel a thing. I was backing him up, and he was breaking down. We are on our way back and I hope we can do it again,” said Marquez, 31,whose career also includes working as color boxing analyst for HBO’s Spanish cable network.

Robert Mittleman, managing Marquez, was pleased with the former champion’s performance.

“They were taking no chances early. When you’re in the minors and move back to the big leagues, it takes a while to get settled down. Raul fought very well and until the butts started, I had a feeling a great fight was about to break out.”

In the most explosive action of the night, Antonio Margarito, 146.5,Tijuana, MX., hardly let
Andrew “Six Heads” Lewis, 147, Brooklyn, NY, get untracked, retaining his WBO welterweight title with a TKO at 2:31 of the second round in a slated 12-rounder.

Margarito, improving to 28-3, 19 KOs, allowed the former WBO champion to dictate the pace with a looping left jab in the first round and then ;lowered the boom.

Making his second defense, Margarito drove Lewis into the ropes at mid-ring, shaking him with a right uppercut and used the same punch to knock his rival off balance.

Lewis couldn’t get his gloves up as Margarito drove home 12 unanswered punches that left Lewis sagging to the bottom rope strand where referee Joe Cortez, in his155th world title bout, wisely halted the rout. Lewis, who lost his WBA title to Ricardo Mayorga on a five-round kayo Mar.30, 2002, dipped to 22-2-1, 20 KOs.

Margarito, who won the WBO belt stopping Antonio Diaz on a 10-round TKO Mar.16, 2002,
wants to go on to what he calls “bigger things.”

“I’m pleased with this victory because I was in with a guy who came to fight. Lewis gave me some of his best shots in the first round and I didn’t feel a thing,” Margarito reflected.

“What I’d like next is Ricardo Mayorga, who surprised Vernon Forrest. He can do all that big smoking and drinking he wants, but after four rounds, he won’t know where he is. If I can’t get Mayorga, I’ll probably
move up to 154.”

Nelson Fernandez, who manages Lewis, had no alibis for his fighter: “Our game plan worked to perfection in the first round. ‘Six Heads’ just got caught, but that’s boxing.”

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist headquartered in Las Vegas.)