At 38, Mosley is near the end of an illustrious career that has seen him win titles from lightweight to junior middleweight, picking up big name scalps like Oscar De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas, and most recently Antonio Margarito along the way. But in Berto he faces a man unlike many he has faced. Younger, just as fast, and with the same upright, aggressive style (at least early on in his career) that made Shane famous. In some ways, fighting Berto will be like fighting a younger version of himself.
“The first time I saw Andre Berto fight,” said Davis, “he reminded me of a young Shane Mosley. When I saw Shane Mosley beat Antonio Margarito, he also reminded me of a young Shane Mosley. It should be a helluva night.”
“Three years ago,” agreed Berto promoter Lou DiBella, “Shane Mosley told me ‘I like this kid. He reminds me of me. He makes some mistakes but he has a lot of the same tools that I have.’ That’s a great compliment and what makes this fight so intriguing. The young lion vs. the all time great.”
Mosley is coming off a year long layoff following his blistering knockout of Antonio Margarito. In that fight, Mosley looked like the Shane of old. Moving, sticking hard jabs and right hands into Margarito’s face and following up to the body en route to a ninth round technical knockout. It was as good a performance as he had ever had.
“The Margarito fight showed his discipline, his dedication even at 38 which is the new 28,” said Mosley partner and promoter Oscar De La Hoya. “His focus and dedication is what sets him apart from all the other fighters out there. He fights for the fans and for his legacy which is rare in eth sport of boxing.”
While it was a sensational performance it was overshadowed by the discovery before the fight that Margarito’s trainer, Javier Capetillo, had loaded his fighter’s hand wraps with a plaster-like substance. It was an infraction that saw Margarito and Capetillo’s boxing license revoked and their entire careers together put into question. It’s because of this that the feeling from Team Berto is that with all that was going on behind the scenes, Mosley was set up to look a little better than he actually is at this stage of his career.
“You looked great against Antonio Margarito,” DiBella told Mosley following a long and glowing preamble where he called Shane a legendary fighter worthy of his nickname. “You looked sensational. But you had a guy who was tailor made for you. He stood right in front of you. He came right at you and had no speed. Right before the fight he got caught for the cheater he is. He found out that his gloves which were always loaded weren’t loaded anymore. When he walked into that ring, he walked right in front of you physically but was not there mentally. So as good as you looked, he let you look better than you are.”
“Shane fought a guy who had his tools taken away coming into the ring,” said a confident Berto. “He didn’t have that same aggression at all. Shane took advantage of it and he looked like a star. All power to him.”
What is overlooked in all the talk of Margarito’s wraps is the big addition of Brother Nazim Richardson to Mosley’s corner. QA long time assistant and trainer to Bernard Hopkins, it was Richardson who laid out the plan for Mosley and in many ways has reinvigorated Shane’s passion for the sport.
“I credit Nazim for my mentality in that fight,” said Mosley. “We both share the same views about boxing. Our chemistry is just great. Being with Nazim, watching fight tapes, talking about fights over and over again, I was just so ready no matter what Margarito did. We share the same philosophies about boxing. We’re both students of the game. We get into a lot of different moves. Jabs. Different positions you get into. Its fun sitting there and talking fights.”
While age may be against Mosley in this fight, it is the experience he has gained getting to this point that Richardson believes will be the difference.
“Every time you take a fight, you take away either experience or punishment,” explained Richardson. “Bernard Hopkins and Shane, they take experience and that’s why they are where they are today. The difference with these young guys in the ring is adjustments. With Shane, I can make adjustments in the middle of the ring because of his experience. A young fighter, no matter how talented they are will never be able to do that until they have gone through those experiences. When you look across the ring and you see a fighter, you see one thing. That’s a step and you get past it. When you look across the ring and you see a champion, that’s another step you take in your career. Then when you look across the ring and you see a legend, that’s another step. I don’t care who you are or what you are all you can do is speculate until afterward. We throw titles around a lot. Interim champion, special champion, whatever. Legend can be proven through your track record and [Mosley’s] definitely a legend and you will see that January 30.”
While Berto may not be near as experienced at the pro level, he was accomplished amateur and represented Haiti in the Olympics but was disqualified in the first round. But this was to be expected according to DiBella who had scouted Berto as more of a pro style fighter early in his amateur career.
“Before he left for the Olympics in 2004, I told him I don’t think you are going to medal,” explained DiBella. “You don’t have that type of style. But you’re going to be a great pro and I want to promote you. And it’s been a great pleasure promoting him. He has a great work ethic and he has terrific talent.”
Helping him keep that work ethic alive and kicking is young trainer Tony Morgan, an old friend of Richardson’s.
“It’s going to be a great fight,” said Morgan. “Shane has a good friend of mine next to him. We came up in the amateurs. Brother Nazim Richardson. I feel like I am going into a fight with him. It’s me vs. Naz. My game plan vs. his game plan. I’m excited. I think it’s going to be a big night. It’s going to be a fight of the year type of fight.”
Coming into the signing of this bout, both Mosley and Berto did a lot of trash talking back and forth. Rather, they did it on Twitter so I guess you can call it trash tweeting. In any case, when it was time to face each other both men had a lot to say about the other. While it was a bit heated most all of it was out of the earshot of the press. When it was time for round table interviews, both men kept it respectful and about the fight.
“I’m so excited to be in the ring again,” said a jubilant Mosley. “It’s going on a year. I feel like I was on the same year restriction that Margarito was on. [Berto] is one of the only men who stepped up to the plate with me. I always thought he fought like me and I did say he made a lot of mistakes. I believe that there are still some mistakes that he is making and I’m going to take advantage in the fight. I hope people get their money’s worth. They do every time I step in the ring.”
Looking trim and ready to Berto’s slightly portly shape, Mosley, who said he was 158 pounds, looked like he could fight right then and there.
“I feel ready to fight right now,” said Mosley. “I’m anxious to get in the ring. I’m anxious to show my skills and my talent. I feel real good moving around with just regular people. It doesn’t matter who is on the other side of the ring. The only focus I have right now if Andre Berto. The only thing I have right now is boxing. I live in Big Bear. I train with my son up there. I up there teaching and training and learning new things.”
Being the younger man with the fresher tools, the question was posed what type of fight Berto favored against Mosley.
“I don’t really think it matters too much,” said Berto. “I can brawl with him. I can box with him. I think I’ve shown I can handle anything he brings to the table. I think I will have a larger punch output than him. I think I’m going to force him to fight because right now he still feels he has a lot to prove. Which is a mistake with a young fighter like me. It would be different if it was Vargas or somebody. But a young fighter like me will give that punishment back real quick. I think my energy level will be better. But there is nothing that he can actually bring to the table that I haven’t seen before. I really don’t think so.”
When asked what he felt the difference would be, Shane answered “My skills. My speed. Tricks I have. Body shots. I haven’t studied him a long time but I have watched him for a long time.”
In two recent fights, against perennial welterweight contender Luis Collazo and 140 pound champ turned welterweight for one night Juan Urango, Berto had a fight of the year type of fight that many felt could have gone either way and a snoozefest where he failed to take advantage of his speed and size advantages. Even still, Berto feels those were learning experiences that will serve him going forward.
“I believe I am the faster fighter,” continued Berto. “My last two or three fights, I worked on some things, boxed a little bit. I think he has forgotten that aggressive style that I have. I think I have to give a little reminder about it. I am going to put everything together and show him what he was nervous about a few fights back.”
With months of training camp ahead, the buildup is just beginning. What a crossroads fight like this will ultimately mean remains to be seen.
“Father time is not any of our friends,” said DiBella. “And on January 30, as great as this man is I believe in my heart that the Shane Mosley era ends and the Andre Berto era begins.”
“The time is here. The time is now,” said Berto. “I’m looking for a mega fight. I have a hunger in my eyes. It’s going to be a tremendous fight. I can’t wait to step in there. I think its going to be an epic fight.”
“The fire in my stomach right now is crazy,” said a ready to go right now Mosley as he began shifting excitedly on the balls of his feet. “It’s crazy. I can’t wait to get in the ring and show myself.”
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