By Mark Vester

When Shane Mosley challenges WBA welterweight champion Miguel Cotto on Nov. 10 at New York's Madison Square Garden, he is not looking to win by decision. Mosley is going to test the chin of Cotto early and look for a knockout.

"I'm looking for a knockout.  When I fight these fights I don't go in there thinking that, I'm just going in one for 12 rounds and survive. When I fight, I'm going for the blood. And I'm pretty sure he's going to be doing the same thing. So the optimum in this fight, we're going for blood," Mosley said.

Mosley believes that a number of his past opponents were stronger and faster than Cotto, stating that Cotto's team is in denial if they feel their fighter is too strong for him.

"I mean, the guys that I've faced, I believe, allowing them to face be a lot stronger than Miguel.  I mean, Oscar, for one, I believe is a lot faster and stronger than Miguel Cotto.  Winky Wright is bigger and stronger than Miguel Cotto.  And Vargas is stronger than Cotto just go down the list. I mean, even Wilfredo Riveria was kind of strong at 147 54," Mosley said. "You know, these are a lot of big guys that I've been in the ring with. And Miguel coming up from 140 to 47 maybe he's strong. Maybe we're the same in strength. Maybe I can't see him being stronger than me. I've been in the ring with too many big guys to worry about a guy that's 140 to 47 being worried about him working me down and being stronger than me. I just can't see it."

Mosley gives Cotto a lot of respect, ranking the bout as one of the biggest of his career. He regards the upcoming fight with Cotto as being bigger than his bouts with Wright, Forrest, Vargas and the second bout with De La Hoya. He only views two bouts in his career as being bigger, his first bout with De La Hoya and capturing his first title when he defeated Philip Holiday.

"I rank it pretty high. But, Cotto is definitely a young fighter. He's a young, strong, and determined fighter. He's coming to fight, and me I've been up and down a little bit. And now I'm back up to the top.  So it just shows my longevity in this sport and how long I can be at the top of my game in this sport. I mean, I've been serving one type of fighter, the top fighter for now let's say 10 years, and it's a good fill in.  But this rates pretty high," Mosley said. "But I wouldn't say that it would rate as high as me and Oscar the first time or me and Philip Holiday from my first world title fight. But it definitely rates up there where people understand that Sugar Shane is still around and he's still a major force to be reckoned with."

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