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by David P. Greisman - Though he had been a Southern Californian for all of his 37 years, the arena crowd, 20,820 strong, were not in his favor. This was not his home.
Though Sugar Shane Mosley had laced up the gloves in and around Los Angeles since his amateur days, fighting in the region for nearly half of his professional fights and headlining the first-ever boxing card at the Staples Center, he was the B-side in the main event. This was not his ring.
The hero, the favorite, was Antonio Margarito, a Mexican fighter who, like Mosley, had been born outside of the City of Angels. Margarito came in with newfound popularity, with the fame that long eluded him, the number-one welterweight in the world, the man who would shrug off punishment before closing in on his prey, who became a star by doing just so last year, thrilling the masses by making Miguel Cotto quit.
Margarito, 30, was younger and taller. He was seen as being toward the top of his game, rising up the mythical pound-for-pound ladder while Mosley had long since begun his descent from a similar standing. Margarito was the now the best at 147, the owner of a world title. Everything about Mosley was not now, but then a former world titlist at 135, the former world champ at 147 and 154.
This was not his home. This was not his ring. This was not his prime.
This was his night. [details]
Though Sugar Shane Mosley had laced up the gloves in and around Los Angeles since his amateur days, fighting in the region for nearly half of his professional fights and headlining the first-ever boxing card at the Staples Center, he was the B-side in the main event. This was not his ring.
The hero, the favorite, was Antonio Margarito, a Mexican fighter who, like Mosley, had been born outside of the City of Angels. Margarito came in with newfound popularity, with the fame that long eluded him, the number-one welterweight in the world, the man who would shrug off punishment before closing in on his prey, who became a star by doing just so last year, thrilling the masses by making Miguel Cotto quit.
Margarito, 30, was younger and taller. He was seen as being toward the top of his game, rising up the mythical pound-for-pound ladder while Mosley had long since begun his descent from a similar standing. Margarito was the now the best at 147, the owner of a world title. Everything about Mosley was not now, but then a former world titlist at 135, the former world champ at 147 and 154.
This was not his home. This was not his ring. This was not his prime.
This was his night. [details]
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