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 Shane Stays Sharp
By Steve Kim (April 21, 2003)
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HOLLYWOOD — Well, look who was back in town. It was none other than Shane Mosley who was working out at Freddie Roach's Wild Card Boxing Club for the last couple of weeks. Not that it was unusual to see one of the game's premiere names inside Roach's gym, which regularly hosts a bevy of big-name prizefighters on a day-to-day basis.
It's just that it's been quite awhile since Mosley had actually gotten much work done in Los Angeles. Since rocketing to superstardom in the late '90s, Mosley, who was once a daily regular at the L.A. Boxing Club, has done most of his work in the skiing resort town of Big Bear where luminaries like Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas also make their training camps.
When he was just an 'urban legend' to West Coast boxing fans in the early-to-mid '90s, he could work out in a public setting without much distraction. But after becoming the IBF lightweight champion in 1997 with a 12-round decision against Phillip Holiday, and as his profile grew, so did the need to find a more secluded and private place to hone his skills.
Now, with some down time, he made the trek from his hometown of Pomona, California (about 60 miles east of L.A.) to Hollywood three times a week before he settles back down in Big Bear this upcoming week in preparation for his rematch with De La Hoya in September.
"The purpose of me getting back into the gym is to keep myself sharp, do what I did when I first beat De La Hoya and that's stay in the gym," Mosley told MaxBoxing in the dressing quarters of Roach's gym this past Thursday afternoon, following that day's training and sparring. "Keep my eyes sharp, keep focused and do all the things that I did coming up."
Mosley's last bout, in February, was aborted after less than three rounds due to cuts around Raul Marquez's eyes following a series of accidental headbutts. And this followed an eight month break following his second consecutive loss to Vernon Forrest last July. And with no interim fights before his rematch with De La Hoya, Mosley feels the need to get some sparring in even before getting back up to Big Bear.
"Definitely," agreed Mosley. "I wanted to get more work in there and I think that by me staying in the gym, (I'll be) keeping myself sharp. I mean, De La Hoya's in the gym right now training for Yory Boy Campas, which is probably not a hard fight, but you have to be careful because he can crack with his left hand. So I just want to keep sharp."
Another factor is that like anyone else that had a multi-fight agreement deal with HBO, Mosley became a semi-regular performer. With limited dates on the network, fighters like Roy Jones, De La Hoya and Floyd Mayweather, will fight about twice a year once they get to that lofty plateau. It's one of the drawbacks of earning a lucrative deal with the network. With irregular activity in live action, it's difficult to be as consistent as they once were coming up.
"I think so," agreed Mosley. "I've been watching some of my films, I haven't been throwing as many punches as I usually do. I think my defense was a lot better when I was a lightweight and even in my welterweight career and that's what I want to do. I want t get back to the basics of what I've been doing back in the day."
Mosley's greatest day as a professional came in beating De La Hoya as a welterweight, but most believe that he was at his best as a lightweight. A period in which he never exhibited great one-punch power but diligent body work and fast combinations. Now, there are questions as to just how good Mosley will be as a jr. middleweight.
"I felt good, I felt confident, I felt strong," Mosley said of his 154-pound debut against Marquez. "Unfortunately, the fight didn't go long enough where anybody could see anything and it might be a good thing for me because De La Hoya can't really see what I have to offer. So I think it's a good thing that it didn't go that far as things happening in the ring. Hopefully, it won't happen like that against De La Hoya."
It may be to early to tell just how effective he'll be as a jr. middleweight, but Mosley says he would like to go back to his style that he employed during his lightweight run. It's been awhile since we've since the quick, rapid-fire combinations that were once his trademark, along with his grinding body attack. Mosley admits that his blowout wins against the likes of Adrian Stone and Shannon Taylor may have given him a false sense of who he really is as a fighter.
"I think so, I think that by knocking out these guys out so easily, like Willy Wise, Stone and Taylor, these guys are good fighters but are they really the top world class championship fighters?" Mosley asked rhetorically. "So I want to revert back to when I was a lightweight, get those combinations off, also keep the power. We all know I have good hand speed and good power but I want to be focused and sharp when I get into the ring with De La Hoya."
In watching him spar with the likes of Kingsley Ikeke, Buddy Tyson and Bernard Dunne, it's clear that there is still plenty rust to knock off and he's long way from being at the level he needs to be to down De La Hoya a second time. You come away wondering if he's cut out to be a 154-pounder, especially if you were there when he used to routinely toy with guys like Genaro Hernandez, Hector Lopez, Hector Quiroz or any other recognizable name that used to spar with him at L.A. Boxing a few years back.
But you also have to remember that while Mosley is just looking to get some work in, the fighters he has been sparring with look at this in a much different light. For them, it's a chance of a lifetime or a way to make their mark and gain added confidence. Either way, it's a long ways from September 13th. A rematch that almost didn't happen with the insistence of Mosley that his financial demands be met. He would end up taking the offer from Top Rank that he had balked at so vociferously. Simply put, he had to, there was nowhere else for him to go.
"I had no other options at that point, it was kinda take-it-or-leave it. I had everybody against me and saying that we needed to make this fight. Meanwhile, Oscar's making $16, $17 million and I'm at four-and-a-half and I just don't think that's a fair ratio. Being that I beat De La Hoya the first time, but I mean if I have to beat him again, I'll beat him again. At least I'll have history on my side. I may not have the bank account but I have the history to say I beat De La Hoya twice."
But it has to be noted that it's been almost two years since Mosley has notched a win and even at his highest ebb, he was never a box-office draw. While 'the Golden Boy' is riding high with his win over Fernando Vargas last year. But then again, $4.5 million isn't exactly 'chump change' as Mosley dismissed a few months back.
What is really at stake is Mosley's reputation as one of the game's best. If you think about it, it really wasn't that long ago that many pundits had Mosley atop their 'pound-for-pound rankings'. In the latest issue of 'The Ring', Mosley isn't even in their top 10. Mosley is fighting for respect as much as anything else.
"I think so," he admits of his lost stature in the sport. "I've got to regain myself up there by beating De La Hoya. It'll put me back in the 'pound-for-pound' ratings. It's funny how they forget that you are as good as you are. I'm a great fighter. I do so many good things in the ring and when you're down they kick you down but when you're up they're pushing you up further and further. So I'm not gonna to cry over spilled milk, I'm just gonna go ahead and get in the ring, beat De La Hoya and go about my career fighting all the great fights that are out there."
SIN CITY
So is Mosley concerned that his rematch with De La Hoya will be taking place in Las Vegas at the MGM Grand? You better believe it.
"I have a little concern about that, you gotta watch out for Bob Arum because he's stacking the deck on me," claims Mosley. "But I'm gonna train hard and I'm going to do my very best and when I get in the ring, I'll be very prepared. As long as the world sees that I am the better fighter, regardless of what the judges say or do. I fight for the fans and for the people and
history."
PRETTY ROUTINE
It was another victory for Floyd Mayweather who downed Victoriano Sosa this past weekend in Fresno. I thought Sosa was gallant and game, but 'the Pretty Boy' was the deserved winner. But it's clear that he is not a dominant lightweight and thoughts of moving up to face a De La Hoya are pipe-dreams. He'd get all that he can handle and more from jr. welterweight king Kostya Tszyu.
It's also evident, judging by the empty seats at the Selland Arena in Fresno, that Mayweather will never be a real big draw. Simply put, his personality outside the ring and his style inside of it, turn too many people off. Looking at all those empty seats I thought the WNBA had come to and settled on the
collective bargaining agreement and had started their season.
But give the guy credit, in his last five bouts he's beaten the likes of Diego Corrales, Carlos Hernandez, Jesus Chavez, Jose Luis Castillo (twice, although
their first bout was controversial) and now Sosa. That's a pretty solid list anyway you slice it. Now forget about moving up, how bout taking care of business against the winner of Paul Spadafora and Leo Dorin and unifying the whole division?
COTTO
Miguel Cotto notched another win in stopping journeyman Joel Perez. Cotto is a prized prospect but I wonder how he'd do against a guy who can give him movement and plant a jab on him consistently. I'd love to see him in with a Julian Wheeler-type.
THE UNOFFICIAL OFFICIAL
Was that a great segment on HBO's ringside judge Harold Lederman, or what? I've known Lederman for about seven years now and I can honestly say that not only is he one of the most passionate and knowledgeable people in the sport of boxing, but he's also one of the nicest. They broke the mold with Harold. He truly is one of a kind. I don't see how he gave Ali that third fight against Norton, but I still love the guy.
SMOKE SIGNALS
WBA featherweight titlist Derrick Gainer gave our editor Doug Fischer a call this past week. He was a bit miffed at what he thought was negative coverage of his fight and generally, of his career, after his win over Oscar Leon last week.
It seems he couldn't understand the negativity towards him. I guess he's never popped in a tape of one of his fights (outside of his anomaly against Kevin Kelley the first time out). But the Fischer-King says that he had a pretty civil conversation with Gainer. Doug truly is the diplomat. Could you imagine if he would have called Simon Cowell of 'American Idol'?
GAINER: "Simon, why all the harsh words about me?"
SIMON: "Derrick, I don't want to say that you're fights are dreadful but I've heard that the United States armed forces were reprimanded by the U.N. War Council for torturing captured Iraqi soldiers. It seems that they were putting them in theaters and making them watch various fights of your career. It was deemed cruel and inhumane punishment.
"But, I have to say, that by the time they got done viewing some of your fights, they were going to openly tell our military intelligence where they stashed all their chemical and biological weapons if they stopped showing your fights. You're awful.
PAULA ABDUL: (cutting in): Simon, that's terrible. I thought it was OK -- for a Derrick Gainer fight.
RANDY JACKSON: (just waking up): Yaaaaaawn. Dude, is his fight with Leon over yet?
RICHARD S-T-E-A-L: I've said it before and I'll say it again. Terrible stoppage by Richard Steele in the Chavez-Taylor epic. With what's on the line and with the effort that both men had put up, you don't stop that fight under that circumstance.
FINAL FLURRIES
After his loss this past Friday night, is there any truth to the rumor that Lou DiBella, in his quest to corner the market on stinky southpaws, has signed Hector Camacho Sr. and will get Emanuel Steward to train him?... Anyone see that commercials for 'Mr. Personality'? I have a feeling Jim Carrey is one of the contestants... By the way, has Teddy Atlas allowed Michael Grant to speak yet?... Believe it or not, heavyweight Courage Tshabalala is making a comeback.
For Questions or Comments
E-Mail Steve Kim at k9kim@maxboxing.com
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