By Rick Reeno

The hurdles continue to mount for a potential fight between WBA welterweight champion Antonio Margarito and former three-division belt winner "Sugar" Shane Mosley. Talks are still ongoing to make the fight happen at the end of January, but there are those in the mix who have serious doubts that HBO will put up enough money to make the fight a reality.
 
Margarito tells BoxingScene.com that he doesn't believe the fight will happen for other reasons. Margarito is not convinced that Shane Mosley is serious about fighting him. He feels Mosley is simply using his name to get some positive press. A few weeks ago at the Home Depot Center in California, Margarito sat ringside and watched Mosley knock out Ricardo Mayorga in the twelfth round. He wasn't impressed with Mosley's performance. In fact, he came away with more confidence of a devastating win.
 
"I was falling asleep during the fight. It's a good thing he knocked him out because Mosley was putting me to sleep. I heard fans start yelling and I woke up and was like 'hey, what just happened.' I'm going to host the Shane Mosley retirement party. If he fights me, I won't just be the first fighter to knock him out - I'll be the fighter to send him into retirement," Margarito said.
 
Last weekend, Bernard Hopkins, following his career-boosting win over Kelly Pavlik, told reporters that after Oscar De La Hoya beats Manny Pacquiao in December - Top Rank [who promote Pavlik and Pacquiao] will fall into a deep hole. Margarito says that Mosley is getting nervous about not being able to live up to the accomplishments of his partners.
 
"I hope that's not the reason - that Mosley won't take the fight because he's worried that he's going to be the only one to disappoint Golden Boy by not being able to beat a Top Rank fighter. If I need to sit down with Jin [Mosley's manager and wife] and get her permission [for him to fight], I'll be more than happy to do it. I didn't want to say anything during [the negotiations]. I wanted to keep my mouth shut, but this guy is afraid to fight me," Margarito said.
 
"Hey Shane, what happened to the fire? If Jin is a smart woman like she pretends to be, she'll demand Mosley take this fight to save his down-sloping career."

 

If Margarito is unable to secure Mosley, there is talk of February rematch with Miguel Cotto. Another possible option is a fight with IBF champion Joshua Clottey in early 2009, and then the Cotto rematch in June. Cotto is willing to take the fight in February, but Margarito says it's going to be a big mistake.

 
"It's going to be a mistake for Cotto to come into that fight after the beating he took in July, but I'm willing to do it," Margarito said.