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'Sugar's still got it'
When the various chairmen of the WBA boxing association return to their desks on Monday morning, no doubt their phones will be inundated with angry calls.
‘Bring back 15 round fights!’ they’ll say - and no doubt, they will all be Miguel Cotto fans.
In what was a darkly crowded Madison Square Garden, fans of the bullish champion Cotto, and swift challenger Sugar Shane Mosley, belted cheers back and forth across the arena.
Cotto came out strong, forging body hooks borderline, ripping through Mosley. As the first round ended, the pain was etched across the challenger’s face. He had been under the public lights before, sure of defeat, but had he ever tasted strength this frightening?
One got a sense that Mosley had misunderstood all of those pre-fight hype messages of Cotto’s animalistic power.
Mosley chose a more cautious progression through the middle rounds, imposing his footwork and boxing skills. At times, Mosley would tire, and shuffle onto the ropes, leaving Cotto to rake and tear into him with furious shots to the elbows and shoulders.
Puerto-Rican fans were up off their seats as the fight entered the championship rounds. Cotto pounded his way through to the final three minutes, accumulating the last few rounds on his belt.
Mosley looked weak, maybe even shot, sweat streaming down his face in the corner, his team working frantically to motivate him for the final and most important round. It looked like something out of a Rocky movie, the exasperated Mosley, a splitting image of Apollo Creed, slumped in his corner.
Cotto had come on strong and he was ready to seize the age advantage.
It was not to be however.
Sugar Shane played a finish one could call masterful, slipping out of range, and hanging away of those wide blows.
The tension was severe - A dead silence from Cotto’s league. The final ten seconds, and Cotto was bulling in, pounding through Mosley’s defence. For a moment, it looked as though the challenger was out on his feet, but then, glorious sound, came the bell.
Sugar Shane Mosley was announced the WBA Welterweight Champion by a close UD.
Speaking post-fight, Mosley said ‘He was unstoppable. I had to use all of my skills to duck and weave and make him miss. I admit I got tired. Maybe I’m feeling my age. (Laughs) No. I’m just happy I’m the champion, and I want to thank Oscar, Bernard and Golden Boy Promotions for all of their work on this fight.’
On Cotto, Mosley said 'He's young and hungry, but he came across me tonight, and any of my fans know I don't quit. Age ain't even a factor for me right now so forget about that. Let me tell you something, let me tell you - this guy is a true warrior, and he'll be firing up the world soon. He'll bounce back from this.'
While one man left the ring pleased, another was desperate and bemused.
‘I had him. One more round, I had him. He danced all night long. That’s not a champion. A champion doesn’t dance his way to the win.’ Cotto said.
On a possible rematch, Mosley was quick to throw a spanner in the works. 'We got to talk about that, but right now I think I beat Cotto decisively . I don't think a rematch is justified.'
And so, the WBA WW match-up is decided, but one can’t help wonder how this fight would have gone, with one more round.
When the various chairmen of the WBA boxing association return to their desks on Monday morning, no doubt their phones will be inundated with angry calls.
‘Bring back 15 round fights!’ they’ll say - and no doubt, they will all be Miguel Cotto fans.
In what was a darkly crowded Madison Square Garden, fans of the bullish champion Cotto, and swift challenger Sugar Shane Mosley, belted cheers back and forth across the arena.
Cotto came out strong, forging body hooks borderline, ripping through Mosley. As the first round ended, the pain was etched across the challenger’s face. He had been under the public lights before, sure of defeat, but had he ever tasted strength this frightening?
One got a sense that Mosley had misunderstood all of those pre-fight hype messages of Cotto’s animalistic power.
Mosley chose a more cautious progression through the middle rounds, imposing his footwork and boxing skills. At times, Mosley would tire, and shuffle onto the ropes, leaving Cotto to rake and tear into him with furious shots to the elbows and shoulders.
Puerto-Rican fans were up off their seats as the fight entered the championship rounds. Cotto pounded his way through to the final three minutes, accumulating the last few rounds on his belt.
Mosley looked weak, maybe even shot, sweat streaming down his face in the corner, his team working frantically to motivate him for the final and most important round. It looked like something out of a Rocky movie, the exasperated Mosley, a splitting image of Apollo Creed, slumped in his corner.
Cotto had come on strong and he was ready to seize the age advantage.
It was not to be however.
Sugar Shane played a finish one could call masterful, slipping out of range, and hanging away of those wide blows.
The tension was severe - A dead silence from Cotto’s league. The final ten seconds, and Cotto was bulling in, pounding through Mosley’s defence. For a moment, it looked as though the challenger was out on his feet, but then, glorious sound, came the bell.
Sugar Shane Mosley was announced the WBA Welterweight Champion by a close UD.
Speaking post-fight, Mosley said ‘He was unstoppable. I had to use all of my skills to duck and weave and make him miss. I admit I got tired. Maybe I’m feeling my age. (Laughs) No. I’m just happy I’m the champion, and I want to thank Oscar, Bernard and Golden Boy Promotions for all of their work on this fight.’
On Cotto, Mosley said 'He's young and hungry, but he came across me tonight, and any of my fans know I don't quit. Age ain't even a factor for me right now so forget about that. Let me tell you something, let me tell you - this guy is a true warrior, and he'll be firing up the world soon. He'll bounce back from this.'
While one man left the ring pleased, another was desperate and bemused.
‘I had him. One more round, I had him. He danced all night long. That’s not a champion. A champion doesn’t dance his way to the win.’ Cotto said.
On a possible rematch, Mosley was quick to throw a spanner in the works. 'We got to talk about that, but right now I think I beat Cotto decisively . I don't think a rematch is justified.'
And so, the WBA WW match-up is decided, but one can’t help wonder how this fight would have gone, with one more round.
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