Don't miss all the action this Saturday, September 18, as former jr. middleweight champion Sergio Mora faces 5-time world champion "Sugar" Shane Mosley at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, California and televised live on HBO pay-per-view at 9PM ET/6PM PT. What's at stake? How will the fight play out? Check out the FightHype Breakdown to see why you don't want to miss this fight!
WHAT DOES IT MEAN...
Seriously, can you remember a year where the sport disappointed its fans more than 2010? I mean, this is what constitutes a pay per view fight?
In all honesty, I don't really know what this fight means. Neither guy sits atop their division, and interestingly enough, this fight is taking place in a division that neither fighter was campaigning in. The last time we saw Shane Mosley, he was getting beaten soundly for 33 or 34 out of a possible 36 minutes against Floyd Mayweather, and Sergio Mora was stopping the previously stopped Calvin Green after a near two-year layoff. Yes indeed, pay per view at its finest!
If Sergio Mora were to prove the oddsmakers wrong and come out with a victory, I think Golden Boy Promotions will have achieved their goal of validating the former "Contender" winner. Every day that passes, it looks like Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is less and less likely, so someone has to fight these guys. From the moment this fight was signed, I thought that Golden Boy was looking to groom an opponent for Floyd to fight next, whenever that may be. Sergio Mora had a mainstream name at one time, though it is safe to say any momentum he once enjoyed has since died down, but it may be possible for him to regain some of that. A win against Mosley would put a name on his resume that would certainly not hurt, and if he looks good and the fight is entertaining, Oscar and company may be on to something. If Mora were to lose, who knows what it would mean for him. He has a difficult style, so I don't think he would be much of a gatekeeper, and odds are, people wouldn't be lining up to fight him.
For Shane Mosley, a win here means that he beat a guy who once beat the late Vernon Forrest. He couldn't do it, but at least he beat the two guys who were able to do it in Sergio Mora and Ricardo Mayorga. I am not really sure what a victory sets up for him though. Will he go back to 147 and try to fight Andre Berto? Will he stay at 154 and go after Alfredo Angulo? Perhaps a Margarito or Cotto rematch? Maybe he tries to get Sergio Martinez to come down and fight him? I really have no idea how GBP is looking to maneuver Shane Mosley, which is why I will defer to my previous point...he is here to help Sergio Mora take that next step. A loss for Mosley should be the end of the line. Sugar Shane hasn't been all that sweet in a while; if you look at his performances, it's hard to say that he even looks like an eroded version of his top form. Mosley has accomplished a lot in the sport; one would hope that at 39, he would give serious thought to hanging them up. Fans really don't want to see him using up HBO dates any longer, and he really has nothing left to prove. Say so long, maybe take a farewell fight against a no-hoper, and be done with it.
WHEN THE BELL RINGS...
At this point in time, I think Shane Mosley is about as predictable of a fighter as you will find. Mosley's performances are impacted solely by his opponents and their style, not what he does in there.
Sugar Shane can still let his hands go quickly and with power, but he doesn't really set anything up. He will paw with his jab, throw a big overhand right, and if you get close enough, he will flurry before holding. On his way in, Mosley has very little head movement, pretty poor defense, and his footwork has eroded to the point where he bounces and then plods...bounces and then plods.
If you are willing to walk straight to Mosley without a solid jab, any angles, or a slick defense, he will beat you up in there. But if you are awkward, or have a jab and some movement, or can defend yourself well, you will cause some problems for Sugar Shane. As we look at Mosley's opponent here, Sergio Mora is very awkward, he has a solid jab, he uses his legs well, he switches between conventional and southpaw seamlessly, and he is decent defensively; not really what we want to see Mosley in with. If there is one potential pitfall to keep an eye on, it is The Latin Snake's willingness to sit on the inside and trade, no matter who he is fighting.
Throughout the course of the fight, expect Shane Mosley to alternate between looking confused and having some success on the inside when Mora looks to trade with him.
As the rounds go by, it will be clear that Mora's style, combined with his size advantage, are what he needs to maintain control of this fight. The real question will be if his bravado ends up being his undoing. Stamina is not an issue for either man, but while Mosley can be discouraged in there with the type of movement and angles Mora will present, he can also be encouraged by the desire of The Latin Snake to grind it out on the inside at times.
Could there be a little drama in there as we reach the championship rounds? Perhaps.
THE CALL...
It should take a couple rounds, but after some in and out movement, a handful of jabs, a little body work, and some southpaw to conventional back to southpaw stance switches, expect Sergio Mora to seize some control in there. For Shane Mosley to have the kind of success he is looking for, body work is exactly what he will need, but as I have said before, it is up to Sergio Mora if Sugar Shane will be able to work as much as he needs to in there.
Mora will prove to be the more effective boxer, while Mosley proves to land the harder shots...granted, they will be sporadic, but I am sure they will catch the judges eyes at times.
With a lead going into the championship rounds, Sergio Mora will find himself trying to box more, but in doing so, he will also be fighting his desire to grind inside a bit. In the end, I actually expect that this fight will be pretty entertaining, but that still doesn't mean it belongs on pay-per-view.
Call it a close but probably clear decision for The Latin Snake as Golden Boy Promotions achieves its goal and makes Sergio Mora a legitimate opponent for anyone in that junior middle to middleweight range. 115 – 113...116 – 112...maybe even a close draw gets thrown in there for good measure.
BONUS PICKS...
Carlos Baldomir is still fighting? Really? Saul Alvarez is the next big thing for Golden Boy Promotions, and they know full well that Baldomir doesn't present much of an issue for him. The only real concern is that Canelo might hurt his hand on his opponent's ridiculous hard head. Alvarez by a clear and wide decision! Who knows, maybe he even pours it on late and gets a stoppage.
Vivian Harris should not be fighting anymore. His chin is as shot as his legs, and he just does not take punches well at all. Victor Ortiz is regaining confidence, learning to be a little more economical and boxing more, but I don't expect that to be necessary here. After making sure that the right hand isn't going to find a home and catch him cold, Vicious Victor will begin putting combos together and hurting Vicious Vivian. In the battle of the Vicious V's, give me the younger, fresher, better, faster, not shot version. Victor Ortiz by early to middle round stoppage; let's say the 4th or 5th.
Questions...comments...agree...disagree? Send me an email at jdemaria@fighthype.com.