Mosley vs. Mayweather: The Perfect Storm

By Ted Sares

The middleweight showdown between Sugar Shane Mosley vs. Fernando Vargas II on July 22 at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas affirmed that, like a perfect storm, everything is coming together......just the right things in the mix and with just the right timing. Team Mosley is now running on all cylinders. It will be hard for anyone to slow it down......and that perhaps includes Floyd Mayweather and Antonio Margarito.

Let's break it down:

One, Sugar Shane dominated Fernando Vargas from the start and finished him off with one big and deadly left hook in the sixth preceded by a dazzling display of jabs and hand speed throughout the bout. Referee Kenny Bayless stepped in and stopped it 2:38 of the round. This outstanding piece of work was reminiscent of a prime Mosley. Arguably, some might pose the question: was Mosley that good or was Vargas that bad? The thinking here is that Mosley was that good.

Two, he is once again using feints,dazzling speed, quickness, and crafty head and body movement that served him so well in his two wins against Oscar De La Hoya and others.

Three, his creativity and ability to improvise in the ring has returned and adds to his potent arsenal of weapons.

Four, he seems very comfortable having his father, Jack Mosley, 61, back in his corner for the first time in two years and if the Vargas fight is any indication, it appears he is back to stay. After all, he is man who directed his son to three world titles and the biggest wins of his career. Unlike the strained relationship between Roy Jones Jr, and his dad, Roy Sr., Shane Mosley, 34, embraces having Jack in his corner. He also is visibly content being promoted by Oscar De La Hoya and Bernard Hopkins.

Five, Mosley, whose amateur record was an eye popping 230-12, knows his craft inside and out. He is a combination boxer-puncher but trainer Jack believes in power boxing, a method in which punches are thrown at a high rate of speed, most of them power shots with the hand speed generating the superior power. That style has worked well in the past as his son became a lightweight, welterweight, and junior middleweight champion.

Six, if Shane continues to fire wicked combinations that land with authority and if he is able to combine this with his trademark speed and reflexes, he will be every bit the formidable opponent for a Floyd Mayweather Jr who showed something to be desired in his last outing with Zab Judah. Again, a confluence of factors that come together to form a perfect storm.

Seven, a qualitative analysis and comparison of Floyd and Shane's respective opponents suggests that Sugar has fought the tougher ones. Vargas twice, Wright twice, De La Hoya twice, Forrest twice, Jesse James Leija, John John Molina, among others. Mosley has never been known for ducking an opponent.

Eight, Sugar Shane Mosley has his confidence back after his two losses to Winky Wright and an impressive win over strong David Estrada. More importantly, he has his swagger back.It’s crystal clear the 34-year-old Mosley is still on top of his game and that Team Mosley is turbo charged and aiming in the direction of the man with the heavyweight ego, Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather, Jr. For his part, Floyd says, "First, I'll beat Shane and then I'll beat his boss [De La Hoya]." Mayweather continues to dismiss a lucrative offer from Bob Arum for a date with tough and rugged Antonio Margarito.

At any rate, Mosley is back and that's great news for fight fans and bad news for other boxers in the welterweight division. With memories of Hagler, Hearns, Leonard and Duran looming in the background.....and with Margarito, Mayweather and Mosley now in the mix, it's time to............

"......let's get it on." Mills Lane

Ted Sares is a syndicated writer and boxing historian who can be reached at tedsares@adelphia.net