WINKY EYES TITO IN NEXT MEGA WAR

Winky Wright was so impressed with Shane Mosley’s near-miss Saturday, there might be a second rematch.

If it happens at all, it will be later since the undisputed junior middleweight champ made it two in a row over Mosley at the Mandalay Bay and wants bigger mega-buck pairings in his instant future.

The super hero in the wings long before Wright and Mosley took the ring for the second time since Mar.13 is the comebacking Felix “Tito” Trinidad.

After 29 months of uncertainty, Trinidad gave boxing a super transfusion when he dropped ex-champ Ricardo Mayorga three times in an eighth round kayo Oct.2 in Madison Square Garden.

And that outing left Wright spellbound about fighting Trinidad if he didn’t have any trouble with the improved Mosley who lost a bruising majority decision with scores of 114-114. and 115-113 (twice) while giving as good as he got.

“I want Trinidad because he looked the best of everybody. Me and Shane, me and Felix would be great, great fights And there is me and Bernard (Hopkins) or even De La Hoya. I want whatever of them three want to step up,” Wright reflected.

“I’d love to give Shane another shot
because this was a great fight. The fans loved it and every time I want to give the
public what it wants to see.”
Wright, who has one of the best right jabs in the game, handles it like it is a spear, using it early and late to stall Mosley’s middle round rallies.

One of the Floridian’s greatest
assets is the way he uses his gloves
high to work inside for combinations
to the head and body. And when he works off the ropes, Wright is usually spearing the adversary with his right to back him up.

The moving Wright, with that slick angled stance, won three of the first four rounds on two judges’ cards and two of four on the other officials.

Out quick in the fifth round, Mosley caught the champion with two lefts to the head and then a wicked hook the body. Two rights caught Wright slightly, stunned off balance and he pitched forward but never went down.

“I really thought I won the fight I was attacking and making Winky back up.
plus landing some heavy shots to the head and body,” said the Pomona power man.

The ninth round ended reading: Mosley 86-85, (twice) and Wright 86-85.

Loading up the pressure, Wright won the 10, 11, and 12 rounds on one judges’ card and then put the decision out of reach by taking the 9, 11,12 heats, plus the third official’s vote gave him the 11 and 12 round.

In the Compu punch stats, Wright dominated in all categories, especially being accurate with 273 on target of 662 thrown for 41 percent. Mosley scored a strike with 154 punches of 642 for 24 percent.

In jabs thrown, Winky hit on 138 of 389 for 35 percent while Shane landed 46 thrown of 281 for 16 percent. In power punches thrown, Wright was on target with 135 for 49 percent while Mosley hit on 108 of 361 thrown for 30 percent.

Wright,32, out of St. Petersburg, Fla., and Mosley, 33, from Pomona, Calif., were both on the division limit of 154 pounds. and none struggled to make it.

There were knockdowns but both combatants more than earned their money in a scenario where the volume from a crowd øf 8,103 actually sounded double.
Wright, in his 14th pro season, earned $1.6 million in raising his resume to 48-3, 25 KOs. Mosley, a world champion at 136,147 and 154, collected $1.9 million as his credentials dipped to 39-4, 1 ND, 35 KOs.

In brief comments on HBO-PPV before leaving the ring, Wright declared,”It was a great fight and Shane was a great fighter. He gave me an opportunity and I gave it back to him. I just wanted to show that I could take a punch and now I want Trinidad.”

Mosley, who had Joe Goossen as his trainer after firing his father, Jack Mosley in March, added “things happen. He’s tough and has a great jab Winky has a great southpaw stance that makes it tough for you to get inside. I was in there giving it my all, trying to bang with a good fighter and it just didn’t work out.”

(Jack Welsh is a syndicated columnist now headquartered in Las Vegas and a regular contributor to Ringsports.com and other national sports magazines.)