Shane Mosley Jnr is more than a decade into his pro career, has fought 26 times during that span, and is 34 years old.
And he’s getting ready to fight for the WBC’s interim middleweight belt, which could set up the very first world title shot for the namesake son of the Hall of Fame fighter.
By contrast, Shane Mosley Snr was 25 years old and four-and-a-half years into his career when he won his first world title bout at lightweight. When the elder Mosley was 34, he’d also earned lineal championships at welterweight and junior middleweight.
Mosley Jnr and other sons and daughters of the best boxers know better than to try to fill their parents’ shoes. Rather, the younger Mosley, 22-4 (12 KOs), is focused on what’s tangible – his match with Jesus Ramos Jnr in Las Vegas on October 25 on the pay-per-view undercard of Sebastian Fundora vs. Keith Thurman.
“This is the biggest fight of my career,” Mosley said, “and I’ll be fully prepared to give it my all.”
It’s questionable that Mosley is receiving this opportunity, though it’s also remarkable that he’s put himself in a position to even be in consideration for it.
The primary WBC title at 160lbs belongs to Carlos Adames, who last fought in February, when he retained with a controversial draw against Hamzah Sheeraz. Many observers believe Adames deserved the victory.
Mosley is ranked 10th by the WBC and was awarded this interim title shot despite nine other middleweights being rated ahead of him. (Ramos is ranked third by the WBC at 154lbs.)
Yet it seemed likely just a handful of years ago that Mosley would fade away, having capitalized on his famous name until he reached his ceiling.
In 2021, Mosley dropped a majority decision to the limited Jason Quigley, suffering his fourth professional defeat after earlier losses to Marchristopher Adkins in Mosley’s third pro fight in 2014, the 10-0 David Toussaint in 2017, and solid fringe junior middleweight contender Brandon Adams in 2018.
But Mosley has since put together five straight wins, including a majority decision over Gabriel Rosado at super middleweight in 2022, a seventh-round TKO of the 21-1-1 D’Mitrius Ballard at middleweight in 2023, and a unanimous decision over Daniel Jacobs at super middleweight in July 2024.
Mosley became a promotional free agent in August 2024. When he steps in the ring on October 25, it will be his first fight in nearly 16 months.
And he’s in tough against Ramos, even though the 24-year-old Ramos is coming up from 154lbs.
Ramos, 23-1 (19 KOs), moved from welterweight to junior middleweight in 2021. He scored a decision victory over Brian Mendoza that same year and gave Joey Spencer his first loss in March 2023. That led to a fight with Erickson Lubin in September 2023; Lubin won a controversial unanimous decision.
Since then, Ramos has scored three straight TKO wins, taking out the 34-2 Johan Gonzalez in nine rounds, putting away the faded Jeison Rosario in eight rounds this February – that was at middleweight – and returning to junior middleweight to dispatch the 16-3-2 Guido Schramm in seven rounds this past March.
David Greisman, who has covered boxing since 2004, is on Twitter @FightingWords2. David’s book, “Fighting Words: The Heart and Heartbreak of Boxing,” is available on Amazon.
