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"I think the peak is coming," Mosley said. "I'm getting better and better after each fight. I'm making these proper adjustments. I can just get better and better and better. It's almost like I'm going back in time. It's amazing."
anybody buying this? i hope he wins big tommorow.
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Has it really been 10 years since "Sugar" Shane Mosley burst on the world boxing scene to win a lightweight world title from Philip Holiday?
Mosley
"It has been a long time, hasn't it?" Mosley asked rhetorically the other day.
It sure has.
Back then, Mosley was a dynamic lightweight champion who would go on to dominate the division to the tune of eight title defenses, winning all by dominant knockout.
He was so good, so fast and so powerful, that sage HBO analyst Larry Merchant was bold enough to publicly compare him to the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson, widely considered the greatest fighter who ever lived.
A lot has happened to Mosley in the decade since.
He didn't become the next Sugar Ray Robinson, but he would reach great heights, seizing the welterweight title from Oscar De La Hoya in 2000 to earn wide recognition as the sport's pound-for-pound best, and the junior middleweight crown when he beat De La Hoya again in their 2003 rematch.
Mosley would also sink to deep lows, losing back-to-back welterweight title fights to nemesis Vernon Forrest and consecutive junior middleweight championship fights to Winky Wright.
But Mosley (43-4, 37 KOs) appeared to turn back the clock in 2006, scoring a pair of career-reviving knockouts of popular former two-time junior middleweight titlist Fernando Vargas.
Collazo
Coming off those fights, Mosley is returning to the welterweight division he once dominated to face speedy southpaw and former titlist Luis Collazo (27-2, 13 KOs) for a vacant interim belt Saturday night (HBO, 9:45 ET) at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Also on the card: former junior welterweight belt holder Vivian Harris (27-2-1, 18 KOs) faces Juan Lazcano (37-2-1, 27 KOs) in an elimination fight, with the winner earning a crack at titlist Junior Witter.
At 35, Mosley, the elder statesman, may have lost a step from his heyday. The probable Hall of Famer is perhaps in the twilight of his career, and maybe he isn't the same electrifying performer he once was.
"He's probably about 80 percent of his prime, and you know a lot of people still consider him one of the best, and that's better luck for me after I beat him come Saturday night," said Collazo, who during his amateur career became a fan of Mosley during his lightweight title reign.
"He's probably about 80 percent of his prime, and you know a lot of people still consider him one of the best, and that's better luck for me after I beat him come Saturday night."
Former welterweight titlist Luis Collazo, on "Sugar" Shane Mosley
"When I was coming up as a kid, I was always watching Shane, and I liked what he did," Collazo said. "Me and my trainer [Nirmal Lorick] always said I'd like to fight this guy one day, and it's crazy how everything is working out. Now I've got the opportunity, and I'm going to make the most of it."
Mosley, however, has other plans. He says he can still get better and he's as hungry as ever.
"I think I am even a little more up for this fight than when I fought Vargas either time," Mosley said. "I feel I am on a roll. I love to go to the gym and train and I can't wait to fight."
Mosley sounds like he is in a good spot mentally. He says he is enjoying himself at home, in his role as a partner in De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, and in the ring.
He also patched things up with his father, Jack Mosley, who returned to his corner for the Vargas rematch after a four-fight absence. He said their training camp in Big Bear, Calif., was just like old times.
It all has Mosley thinking about fighting for another five years.
"I'm fighting until I am 40," he said. "I've got five more years. I feel like I am 25 right now and I am ready to go. I love to fight and I want to fight. The way my body feels now, I know I can fight that long."
Mosley said Jack supports his plan. And his wife, Jin?
"Hell, no," he said, laughing with her sitting next to him. "She secretly doesn't know it yet, but she will support me. The five years will go by fast."
Jin Mosley, who has been outspoken about her husband's career for several years, said she didn't want him to fight that long, "but he's hardheaded. He says it now. We'll see."
She also sees her husband in a good spot.
"He's getting so involved now with [Golden Boy] and the fighters we are signing, and the gym we are in the process of buying [in Southern California], it will be easier for him to make the transition," she said. "If he does fight until he's 40, he stays in great shape and I am not really worried about it. He's so passionate about boxing."
Mosley, left, and De La Hoya have had legendary confrontations.
Mosley loves the competition, which is one of the reasons he decided to give Collazo an opportunity to fight him after original opponent Kermit Cintron fell out due to promotional problems.
It is not the first time Mosley has taken a dangerous fight he didn't need to. When no big-name fighters wanted to face Forrest or Wright, Mosley gave them both chances. He's doing it again with Collazo, the 25-year-old young buck trying to make a name for himself, although Mosley expects different results than the upset losses he suffered against Forrest and Wright.
"Collazo seems very confident in himself and in his skills," Mosley said. "I have nothing bad to say about him. He's a good boxer, but I feel I am the best and I will prove that. Later on in his career, Collazo can maybe be one of the best, but right now he picked the wrong time to fight me."
Collazo opened many eyes last May with his strong performance against British star Ricky Hatton. Although Collazo lost his title via decision, it was controversial.
Many thought Collazo deserved the victory, and it was such a tough fight for Hatton that he gave up the title and returned to junior welterweight.
Mosley said fighters like Collazo deserve opportunities to be seen by the masses.
"The thing is I love the sport and I want to see it go to another level," he said. "So give these younger fighters an opportunity. There are a lot of great fighters out there who need an opportunity. The same thing happened to me. When I fought Oscar the first time, he didn't have to fight me, but he gave me the opportunity.
"These are the types of fights and challenges I have to get up for. I know he's a young guy looking to make it big. I know I am in great shape and ready to go, so if he is victorious, it would mean he is a great fighter."
Fighting Collazo is not nearly as big an event as Mosley facing Floyd Mayweather Jr. would have been. After Mosley knocked out Vargas in the sixth round of their July rematch, there was a window of opportunity to make that fight for the fall.
Mosley, however, decided to take the rest of the year off to the surprise of many. Eventually, Mayweather made a deal to fight De La Hoya.
Mosley said he does not regret letting the fight get away, even though he could have earned an eight-figure payday.
"I'm very happy with the way the schedule played out," he said. "I had to deal with my [five] kids and I mentally probably wouldn't have been ready to fight Mayweather. I had done back-to-back training camps for the Vargas fights and been away for [most of] six months."
"Later on in his career, Collazo can maybe be one of the best, but right now he picked the wrong time to fight me."
Mosley
Instead, Mosley said he needed time to rest and recharge after the Vargas fights. He said his family also needed him, including 16-year-old son Shane Jr., who has taken an interest in amateur boxing.
"The kids wanted to see me and have me around and I wanted to see them and be around for them," he said. "There are family things that can drain on you when you are away so much. You want to give them attention. That's why I knew I couldn't take the [fall] fight with Mayweather.
"It would have been too much time away from my family. I was basically gone for six months and I had to give the family some time, which they deserve. If I had gone right back to camp, it wouldn't have worked. If I am fighting Mayweather, I need full concentration and focus on that fight. So Oscar is fighting him instead, which is cool."
Win or lose against De La Hoya, Mosley does hope Mayweather will return to the welterweight division and fight him down the road. It would be one of the sport's biggest fights.
It's one of many future bouts Mosley is looking forward to because of how good he feels right now.
"I think the peak is coming," Mosley said. "I'm getting better and better after each fight. I'm making these proper adjustments. I can just get better and better and better. It's almost like I'm going back in time. It's amazing."
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.
anybody buying this? i hope he wins big tommorow.
-----------------------------------------------------
Has it really been 10 years since "Sugar" Shane Mosley burst on the world boxing scene to win a lightweight world title from Philip Holiday?
Mosley
"It has been a long time, hasn't it?" Mosley asked rhetorically the other day.
It sure has.
Back then, Mosley was a dynamic lightweight champion who would go on to dominate the division to the tune of eight title defenses, winning all by dominant knockout.
He was so good, so fast and so powerful, that sage HBO analyst Larry Merchant was bold enough to publicly compare him to the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson, widely considered the greatest fighter who ever lived.
A lot has happened to Mosley in the decade since.
He didn't become the next Sugar Ray Robinson, but he would reach great heights, seizing the welterweight title from Oscar De La Hoya in 2000 to earn wide recognition as the sport's pound-for-pound best, and the junior middleweight crown when he beat De La Hoya again in their 2003 rematch.
Mosley would also sink to deep lows, losing back-to-back welterweight title fights to nemesis Vernon Forrest and consecutive junior middleweight championship fights to Winky Wright.
But Mosley (43-4, 37 KOs) appeared to turn back the clock in 2006, scoring a pair of career-reviving knockouts of popular former two-time junior middleweight titlist Fernando Vargas.
Collazo
Coming off those fights, Mosley is returning to the welterweight division he once dominated to face speedy southpaw and former titlist Luis Collazo (27-2, 13 KOs) for a vacant interim belt Saturday night (HBO, 9:45 ET) at Mandalay Bay in Las Vegas.
Also on the card: former junior welterweight belt holder Vivian Harris (27-2-1, 18 KOs) faces Juan Lazcano (37-2-1, 27 KOs) in an elimination fight, with the winner earning a crack at titlist Junior Witter.
At 35, Mosley, the elder statesman, may have lost a step from his heyday. The probable Hall of Famer is perhaps in the twilight of his career, and maybe he isn't the same electrifying performer he once was.
"He's probably about 80 percent of his prime, and you know a lot of people still consider him one of the best, and that's better luck for me after I beat him come Saturday night," said Collazo, who during his amateur career became a fan of Mosley during his lightweight title reign.
"He's probably about 80 percent of his prime, and you know a lot of people still consider him one of the best, and that's better luck for me after I beat him come Saturday night."
Former welterweight titlist Luis Collazo, on "Sugar" Shane Mosley
"When I was coming up as a kid, I was always watching Shane, and I liked what he did," Collazo said. "Me and my trainer [Nirmal Lorick] always said I'd like to fight this guy one day, and it's crazy how everything is working out. Now I've got the opportunity, and I'm going to make the most of it."
Mosley, however, has other plans. He says he can still get better and he's as hungry as ever.
"I think I am even a little more up for this fight than when I fought Vargas either time," Mosley said. "I feel I am on a roll. I love to go to the gym and train and I can't wait to fight."
Mosley sounds like he is in a good spot mentally. He says he is enjoying himself at home, in his role as a partner in De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions, and in the ring.
He also patched things up with his father, Jack Mosley, who returned to his corner for the Vargas rematch after a four-fight absence. He said their training camp in Big Bear, Calif., was just like old times.
It all has Mosley thinking about fighting for another five years.
"I'm fighting until I am 40," he said. "I've got five more years. I feel like I am 25 right now and I am ready to go. I love to fight and I want to fight. The way my body feels now, I know I can fight that long."
Mosley said Jack supports his plan. And his wife, Jin?
"Hell, no," he said, laughing with her sitting next to him. "She secretly doesn't know it yet, but she will support me. The five years will go by fast."
Jin Mosley, who has been outspoken about her husband's career for several years, said she didn't want him to fight that long, "but he's hardheaded. He says it now. We'll see."
She also sees her husband in a good spot.
"He's getting so involved now with [Golden Boy] and the fighters we are signing, and the gym we are in the process of buying [in Southern California], it will be easier for him to make the transition," she said. "If he does fight until he's 40, he stays in great shape and I am not really worried about it. He's so passionate about boxing."
Mosley, left, and De La Hoya have had legendary confrontations.
Mosley loves the competition, which is one of the reasons he decided to give Collazo an opportunity to fight him after original opponent Kermit Cintron fell out due to promotional problems.
It is not the first time Mosley has taken a dangerous fight he didn't need to. When no big-name fighters wanted to face Forrest or Wright, Mosley gave them both chances. He's doing it again with Collazo, the 25-year-old young buck trying to make a name for himself, although Mosley expects different results than the upset losses he suffered against Forrest and Wright.
"Collazo seems very confident in himself and in his skills," Mosley said. "I have nothing bad to say about him. He's a good boxer, but I feel I am the best and I will prove that. Later on in his career, Collazo can maybe be one of the best, but right now he picked the wrong time to fight me."
Collazo opened many eyes last May with his strong performance against British star Ricky Hatton. Although Collazo lost his title via decision, it was controversial.
Many thought Collazo deserved the victory, and it was such a tough fight for Hatton that he gave up the title and returned to junior welterweight.
Mosley said fighters like Collazo deserve opportunities to be seen by the masses.
"The thing is I love the sport and I want to see it go to another level," he said. "So give these younger fighters an opportunity. There are a lot of great fighters out there who need an opportunity. The same thing happened to me. When I fought Oscar the first time, he didn't have to fight me, but he gave me the opportunity.
"These are the types of fights and challenges I have to get up for. I know he's a young guy looking to make it big. I know I am in great shape and ready to go, so if he is victorious, it would mean he is a great fighter."
Fighting Collazo is not nearly as big an event as Mosley facing Floyd Mayweather Jr. would have been. After Mosley knocked out Vargas in the sixth round of their July rematch, there was a window of opportunity to make that fight for the fall.
Mosley, however, decided to take the rest of the year off to the surprise of many. Eventually, Mayweather made a deal to fight De La Hoya.
Mosley said he does not regret letting the fight get away, even though he could have earned an eight-figure payday.
"I'm very happy with the way the schedule played out," he said. "I had to deal with my [five] kids and I mentally probably wouldn't have been ready to fight Mayweather. I had done back-to-back training camps for the Vargas fights and been away for [most of] six months."
"Later on in his career, Collazo can maybe be one of the best, but right now he picked the wrong time to fight me."
Mosley
Instead, Mosley said he needed time to rest and recharge after the Vargas fights. He said his family also needed him, including 16-year-old son Shane Jr., who has taken an interest in amateur boxing.
"The kids wanted to see me and have me around and I wanted to see them and be around for them," he said. "There are family things that can drain on you when you are away so much. You want to give them attention. That's why I knew I couldn't take the [fall] fight with Mayweather.
"It would have been too much time away from my family. I was basically gone for six months and I had to give the family some time, which they deserve. If I had gone right back to camp, it wouldn't have worked. If I am fighting Mayweather, I need full concentration and focus on that fight. So Oscar is fighting him instead, which is cool."
Win or lose against De La Hoya, Mosley does hope Mayweather will return to the welterweight division and fight him down the road. It would be one of the sport's biggest fights.
It's one of many future bouts Mosley is looking forward to because of how good he feels right now.
"I think the peak is coming," Mosley said. "I'm getting better and better after each fight. I'm making these proper adjustments. I can just get better and better and better. It's almost like I'm going back in time. It's amazing."
Dan Rafael is the boxing writer for ESPN.com.