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He'll no. Take out his LW career and he's like 13 9 and 1. That's not even HOF worthy.
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I am not a big Mosley fan. He does way to much holding, clinching and wrestling. I think he could be considered an all time great because of his work at lightweight. I think he had about 8 or 9 successful defenses of his 135 pound world title and most or all of his title defenses he won by KO. Then he moved up to welterweight and beat Oscar for a world title at welterweight. He had some successful defenses of his welterweight title and many including Ring Magazine rated him the #1 pfp fighter in the world. Then he lost two fights to Vernon Forrest. He came back from the Forrest loses with many good wins including winning the 154 pound world title from Oscar and losing it to Winky Wright. I think if you study his whole career he is not be the best that ever was but he has probably done enough to be called an all time great.Comment
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He really only had three quality wins at 135 altogether, in Holliday, Leija and Molina. They were his best by a long shot, and while they are quality wins over champion level fighters, they are not great wins. Not nearly enough to be credited with being an ATG at that weight.
His top wins came above 135, where he often looked sluggish, tired and weight drained. When he moved up to 147 he looked a lot better than he ever did at 135 I think. He still had the speed and pop, but he could sustain it for a full fight.
Hall of Fame yes, ATG no.Comment
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Sugar Shane Mosley is an all-time great
His career defining fights didnt come until he was past his prime and his prime was squandered in the shadow of bigger stars like ODLH and Trinidad when he was dominating at 135
In his prime from the early 90's til the early 2000's he only lost to Vernon Forrest twice.
He would have actually benefitted from moving to 140-147 sooner in his career considering the weight classes were deeper than lightweight at the time. He was a bit of a tweener. A huge lightweight but a smallish welterweight.
Titles won at 3 weight classes...2 lineal at 147 and 154 and one of a few fighters to have won a major title at 135, 147, and 154. (Mayweather and Duran are the only others I can think of.
His longevity proved his greatness, but If his management was a little different, we would have saw him fight better fighters earlier in his career. He has defeated 9 champions and titlists and never strayed away from fighting the best.
At his best from 1997-2000 you would be hard pressed to find someone who could beat him at 135-147. All his losses came past the age of 30 which should also be taken into account.Comment
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definitely an ATG, i dont care how many times he lost, he brought the goods and he popped Margarito's chain. a little better matchmaking he may have had a more impressive resume.Comment
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The chin, the two-fisted power, the speed, the skill, what he was before his head movement and reflexes started to diminish especially, yes. I say yes. You can talk about his losses but it's the same way with ODLH, there really isn't anybody without several losses who had anything close to their roster of opponents that I can think of.
This is all the same guy who fought Forest twice, Wright twice, ODLH twice, Vargas twice, Cotto, Margarito, Pacquiao, Mayweather, Alvarez...I mean if I'm honest even my boy Mayweather fights all those guys all those times at the time he fought them and I can see him getting some losses. Shane Mosley may not be a cream of the crop for an ATG, but I think he squeaks in as one. That's just me, okay if I'm in the minority. I don't care. Prime Mosley was a beast, past prime Mosley was a hell of a fighter when the styles matched up well too. Champion in three divisions, spanning four, some pretty serious wins in there. I understand if you only see him as a HOFer but he is that at the very least.Comment
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I remember my father and I watching Shane coming up fighting at the Great Western Forum in Inglewood back in 93 and 94.
My father said "That kid has something, he kind of resembles Ray Robinson"
Watching him become who he did was fun and unexpected for me.
Great fighter but not an ATG.
EDIT: He was a destruction machine at Lightweight.Comment
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