By Mark Vester
WBA welterweight champion Antonio Margarito picked up the biggest win of his career when he stopped previously unbeaten Miguel Cotto last July. When Shane Mosley steps in the ring against Margarito on January 24 at the Staples Center in California - he plans to pull off the big upset by showing the world that he is the stronger, more experienced and overall better fighter. Mosley claims to have given Margarito the blueprint to beat Cotto. He believes Margarito studied a tape of his fight with Cotto and saw how constant pressure at close range gave Cotto problems.
During the course of his career, Mosley has seen it all. He plans to surprise Margarito when the Mexican champion tries to overwhelm him.
"I think I showed Margarito how to beat Miguel Cotto. Margarito probably saw the tape of my fight with Cotto. What most people get fooled is that inside the ring I'm physically stronger than I look. I didn't get 38 knockouts because I can't hit," Mosley told writer David Avila of The Press-Enterprise. "I know Margarito's going to try and overwhelm me with punches. I'm not going to panic like other guys did against him. I adapt real quickly because I've seen it before."
Mosley was brought up inside the tough gyms located in California. He knows Mexican fighters and their style of fighting better than most. He believes that experience will help him in big way when he faces Margarito.
"Since I was a kid I was facing tough Mexicans in the gym who fought the same style," Mosley said. "Guys like Zack Padilla, Julio Cesar Chavez and Genaro Hernandez. I had to adapt to the Mexican style of fighting. They'll take a punch to give you two in return. They don't care about getting hit. They want to hit you."
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