Mayorga vs. Mosley
Written by: Brainiac
Mosley -900 vs. Mayorga
Over 9 1/2 rounds -40.
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One of the most anticipated fights of the year finally arrives on Saturday night when Shane Mosley (44-5, 37 KOs) battles Ricardo Mayorga (28-6-1, 22 KOs) in a light middleweight bout in Los Angeles that, best of all, isn’t on pay-per-view but on HBO.
Mosley has quite the resume, as he is a certain future Hall of Famer who has won titles in three classes. But he is 37, hasn’t held a belt since 2004 and will be facing a free swinger in Mayorga. Despite the fact that one punch from the wild Nicaraguan could end Saturday’s bout, Mosley isn’t exactly planning to run.
“I’m still just as fast as 154, and my power’s pretty good,” he said. “I don’t go in looking to knock someone out. If it comes, it comes, but I’m looking to have a very good night.”
Mayorga’s best chance is to keep punching and hope he catches the wily Mosley off guard.
“I am not afraid of Mosley,” Mayorga said. “I will show him I am the real man, I will stick my chin in the air for him to hit me just like I have done in the past to prove I’m the man. If he stands in front of me, I’m going to knock him out in the first round. If he runs it will take me two or three rounds. He’s going to be running, I know I’m going to be following him.”
This will be Mayorga’s first fight since a majority decision over Fernando Vargas in November of 2007. But Mayorga, who has fought just once a year for the last three years, says that the long layoff will actually work to his advantage.
“Certainly, it’s beneficial to me. Some fighters like to fight a lot, but for these big fights I like to have a lot of time because then I go into camp hungry and not tired of training,” said Mayorga, who will be 35 on Oct. 3.
Mayorga is actually Plan C for Mosley. “Sugar” Shane originally wanted a rematch with Miguel Cotto from their November 2007 bout (won in a unanimous decision by Cotto), but then couldn’t be made to work. Then Mosley was to fight Zab Judah in late May before Judah was injured. That led to this bout with Mayorga.
“I’m a little more psyched for Mayorga,” Mosley said. “He’s a better fighter than Judah. Against him, you can’t mess around. He’s bigger and stronger than Judah, he does have punching power. It will be a pretty good fight, but I believe I will knock him out.”
If you go by how these two fighters fared against Vargas, then Mosley should prevail Saturday. Mayorga, of course, beat Vargas as his most recent opponent.
“”I’m the one who won his last fight, not Shane Mosley,” Mayorga said. “I guarantee Shane Mosley is not going to win this fight.”
Mosley also beat Vargas.
“But I knocked him out,” said Mosley, who accomplished the feat twice.
Bet on Mosley-Mayorga at WagerWeb.com.
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