By Tom Donelson
Winky Wright beat Shane Mosley. That is the headline for Saturday night fight. But in every fight, there are opportunities missed and opportunities taken advantage of.
The story of this fight shows that little things matter. Al Bernstein quipped after the fight, “Mosley left hook landed at will but he did not take full advantage.” That may have been the story. Before the fight, it was unanimous conclusion that Winky Wright would win. Or almost unanimous conclusion. Michael Katz was one of the dissenters. As he sat in the media room previewing the first fight, he concluded that Wright could be had if Mosley fought a different fight. “Wright fought as good as a fight as he could the last time but Shane didn’t,” Katz observed, “I am watching this fight and when Wright hit Mosley flushed, nothing happened. The first fight I went with Wright. This fight, I am going with Mosley.” Al Bernstein added before the fight, “This fight is going to be closer than anticipated, this is not going to be a rout or the same as the first fight. Mosley can win.”
Katz along with Max boxing fellow writer Tom Gerbasi swam against the tide and predicted a Mosley upset. My own view was that I favored Wright by a decision but saw scenario for a Mosley upset. I joined the herd that stated that when all the cards were counted, Wright would win. I was right but the dissenters had legitimate points. As Bernstein told me, if Mosley had taken a few steps to the left and hooked, he might have changed this fight. The key to a Mosley upset was whether Mosley could return to his original form that saw him become one of the best lightweight over the past 30 years and an excellent welterweight.
Katz added that Wright was going through the distraction of firing, hiring and firing managers. He left Jones and then forsaked Lou Dibello before signing with Don King. But the King marriage lasted as quickly as a Vegas marriage and he sued for annulment in quick order. There were rumors that Wright was heavier before beginning training for this fight as he ever been before. Was Wright out of shape and over confident? Katz said yes!
In the end, Wright won though not as easy as the first fight. While some felt that Mosley won, he didn’t for the same reason that he did not win the first fight. Wright turtle defense and jab kept Mosley off balanced for most of the fight. Just as his first fight, Mosley did not match his old accuracy. In his first fight, Mosley could connect on 27% of his punches and he was less accurate as he connected only on 24% of his punches in this fight. Wright landed 273 punches, which was the most ever landed against Mosley! Mosley did fight better and the data did not bear out the improvement in his fight. The data does show that Mosley did not win.
Mosley did find a home for his left hook and there were times in the fight that Wright appeared hurt. The fifth round, Wright went macho as Mosley nailed Wright with a serious of power punches that sent Wright back to the rope. Up to this point, the fight was following the pattern of the previous fight but suddenly, Mosley came alive. Halfway through the fight, Wright put his hand down and dared Mosley to hit him. Mosley obliged and nailed Wright with a left hook and right cross combo. Wright smiled, staggered and grabbed Mosley. So much for machismo. Wright put his title on the line for a little bit of machismo and despite the post fight bravado, Wright grabbed Mosley for dear life. The bluff did not work and Mosley was back in the fight. Wright’s corner exploded in between rounds. From this point, Mosley left hook became more of a factor as Joe Goossen commented after the fight, “I could see Dan Birmingham’s face (Wright’s trainer) and his exhortation of his fighter. He knew that his fighter was in a dog fight.”
This fight started to resemble in part the De La Hoya fights in which Mosley found his range for some of his power shots but unlike the De La Hoya fights, Wright defensive skills proved to be the deciding factor. The story of this fight was not Wright boxing skills but his turtle defense, which blocked many of Mosley’s straight shots. Mosley let his combination fly more often in this fight but most of them landed on Wright’s forearm and gloves. Very few of these flurries penetrated the Wright’s turtle defenses. Wright effectively went into his shell and deflected much of Mosley’s power. Mosley most effective weapon was his left hook to the body and to the head. While he could not go up the middle against the turtle defense, he could go around it. In this fight was that Mosley threw more combinations and his left hook proved more effective. There were times that the old Mosley hand speed was back. What decided the fight was Wright’s defensive prowess. Wright deflected most of Mosley power shots and many flashy combinations seen by the fans were blocked by Wright’s stubborn defense. Wright fought his fight and in the end, that was enough.
While Katz and Bernstein were right that Mosley would be better than in his first fight but Wright proved slightly better than Mosley and his style proved frustrating for Mosley. The fight ended because of a style match up in which Mosley found some answers but still could not find enough answers to win.
So what now for both fighters? Wright made it clear that the next fight better have some serious zeroes. “I am from the hood and I want to get paid,” Wright declared. Wright had the best line as he thanked Mosley for allowing him his opportunity and added, “Without Shane, I would still be fighting on ESPN.” Even Mosley and Goossen laughed at that one and the HBO executives must have loved the dig as well.
Interesting enough, De La Hoya was in town with his new business partner, Bernard Hopkins. Kevin Iole told me that Hopkins was joining Golden Boy and would essentially run Golden Boy East. Hopkins has managed to become partner with De La Hoya with De La Hoya putting up the capital. De La Hoya now has a major star to promote and now he is seeking to make his mark as next great promoter. (Sounds like a reality show in the making.)
With De La Hoya working with Hopkins, it means that De La Hoya is looking for the marquee’ match up for Hopkins. Can Wright convince a boxing public that he is the big draw for Hopkins next big event? My own guts tells me that this is the first step to a Trinidad-Hopkins event and for Wright, it now may mean that the biggest draw for him may be off the table. Would Trinidad risk a showdown with Wright if he can get the eight-figure match with Hopkins? Remember Mosley gave up a similar purse when he lost the first fight with Wright. For Wright, this was supposed to be the fight that put him in line for the Hopkins sweepstake. The real question is whether he has the value to convince the public to shell out PPV fees.
As for Mosley, Goossen stated very clearly what fight he wants for his fighter- De La Hoya. The Mosley that fought last Saturday night would be more than match for De La Hoya, or at least the De La Hoya that lost to Hopkins and “won” against Strum( Even though his victory over Strum is somewhat tainted with a little controversy.) Mosley’s better showing at least keeps him in the picture for a big money fight with De La Hoya and for De La Hoya, this may be his only big money fight available.
Unless De La Hoya moves down to welterweight and then a few more options open up. But at 154 pounds, there is only name that is available to De La Hoya and that is Shane Mosley. For the moment, Trinidad is angling for Hopkins and vice a versa. As a promoter, De La Hoya will still profit from a Hopkins-Trinidad. De La Hoya doesn’t need to fight Trinidad to make money off him.
Goossen told boxing writers that Mosley was back and “If you noticed, my fighter did not come to this press conference with sun glasses and that this fight was close.” The scorecard had Wright winning two of the three judges while drawing on the other. The judges had this fight closer than the first fight and for Goossen, this was a moral victory. He pushed this to the hilt and made it clear, “Mosley is back!” (I had the fight 116-112 for Wright and HBO had the score similar to Wright’s margin in the first fight, 117-111.)
Now some editorial notes- many pundits have been quick to disparage Mosley and his place in boxing history. Mosley has been a good fighter in the ring and good for boxing outside the ring. This is a man who has won three weight division and could possibly been one of the best lightweights since Duran. As a lightweight, Mosley overpowered fighters with superior boxing skills and power. As he moved up, the power did not translate into the same deadly efficacy but Mosley did manage to win two more titles.
As a lightweight, he was great. As a Welterweight and Super welterweight, he was very good. Mosley has a hall of fame career and we often forget that Mosley’s whole body of work has been impressive. He was at his best as a lightweight and his career has similarity with Duran. As a lightweight, Duran was one of the best but when he moved up, he was very good but not the best. Leonard, Hearns, and Hagler all beat Duran. He was a great fighter who was at his best as a lightweight. Mosley is the same.
As for Wright, he showed that he is presently the best 154-pound fighter in the world. He may not be as good as Trinidad or Hopkins but he would still be the favored over the other 154-pound fighters including De La Hoya.
There were other fights as well. For the vacant NABC Super Welterweight Championship, Tokunbo Olajide fought Ian Gardner. Sometimes in boxing, contrasting styles can produce a classic fight or they can produce a real stinker. These two men bout belong in the latter category. The only thing that you can say about the result is that one of these men had to win. Gardner moved and boxed while Olajide pursued ineffectually. Gardner is one of those slippery boxers in the league of Cory Spinks or Chris Byrd, but without their skills. As for Olajide, he failed to cut off the ring or consistently hit the body. He had one opportunity to win this fight when in the eleventh, he landed a clean hook. Gardner’s leg went wobbly and Olajide had 30 seconds to finish off his foe but he failed to deliver the final knock out blow and Gardner won a close decision that could have gone either way. Not that it would have mattered. Neither man have us dreaming of a rematch.
Jose Celaya in a scheduled eight round under card fight showed the efficacy of hooking to the body. Against Alphonso Williams, he unleashed a barrage of left hooks. In the first round, Williams appeared to have an edge until Celaya nailed Williams with a couple of nasty hooks at the two-minute mark. In the second round Celaya continued his barrage as he slowed Williams. Williams nailed Celaya with a perfect left hook to the head but this only delayed the inevitable. It was his only big shot that he landed. In the third round Celaya doubled Williams over with a series of left hooks. After the second time that Williams hit the canvas, the fight was stopped.
Carlos De Leon, Jr. superior technical skill was the difference in his victory over James McCallister. McCallister switched from southpaw to orthodox throughout the fight but it did not matter. De Leon jabs, straight punching and occasional left hooks to the body proved decisive against McCallister, who simply was not in the same league. McCallister had heart and was willing to fight. For that he was given a draw on one card but this was De Leon fight to lose and he did not.
What can we take away from this evening? Mosley fought a better fight but it was still not good enough to beat Wright. Mosley is still one of boxing’s best and he is still a top five Junior Middleweight but he is not the best. He lost to the best in the division twice. There are still good fights for Mosley and he is not yet out of the picture.
De Leon, Jr. is a good prospect but the jury is still out as he out fought a game but out gunned McCallister and neither Gardner or Olajide has yet to demonstrate that they are close to challenging the elites of the division. Winky Wright may be the best in the junior Middleweight, he did not enhance the feeling that with this performance that he could actually beat Hopkins much less Trinidad. Wright is a awkward fighter who has a very mechanical style. He is not fluid performer and he is not a heavy-handed slugger. He won’t overwhelm a fighter with his power but he does have an effective jab along with a stout turtle defense that is not easy to penetrate. He is becoming a more confident fighter with his two victories over Mosley. But is he ready for Hopkins or Trinidad? That is the big question for those are the two big money fight on the horizon for him. Did he enhance his appeal to a wider boxing audience based on his two victories over Mosley?