Let it be known that I am a big boxing fan. And tomorrow night we will all be treated to a rare title fight for free. The economic downturn paired with contract quarrels has led to this fight being broadcast on HBO. Regular HBO, no pay-per-view. It's not really free in a sense that you pay for HBO, but for those that do have HBO available, I highly recommend tuning into this fight tomorrow night... Antonio Margarito vs. Shane Mosley for the Welterweight Title.
The Ledgers:
Antonio Margarito
Age: 30
Title: WBA Welterweight (2008-Present, 0 defenses)
Height: 5'11"
From: Tijuana, Mexico
Record: 37-5 (25 KO)
Record in Title Fights: 11-2 (9 KO), 1 No Contest
Previous Titles: WBO Welterweight (2002-2007, 8 Defenses), IBF Welterweight (2008, 0 Defenses)
Current and Former World Champions Defeated: 4 (Andrew Lewis, Kermit Cintron (twice), Joshua Clottey, Miguel Cotto).
Current and Former World Champions Defeated by: 2 (Daniel Santos, Paul Williams)
Shane Mosley
Age: 37
Title: None
Height: 5'9"
From: Pomona, California
Record: 45-5 (38 KO)
Record in Title Fights: 14-5 (11 KO)
Previous Titles: IBF Lightweight (1997-1999, 8 Defenses), World/WBC Welterweight (2000-2002, 3 Defenses), World/WBC/WBA Jr. Middleweight (2003-2004, 0 Defenses)
Current and Former World Chamions Defeated: 8 (Phillip Holiday, John John Molina, Jesse James Leija, Oscar De La Hoya, Raul Marquez, Fernando Vargas, Luis Collazo, Ricardo Mayorga)
Current and Former World Champions Defeated by: 3 (Vernon Forrest, Winky Wright, Miguel Cotto)
Fight Breakdown
This fight matches contrasting styles. Margarito is a relentless puncher, throwing tons and tons of shots. He has a renowned chin and can take a lot of damage. He is a plodding fighter, usually stalking his opponent about the ring. Mosley possesses amazing raw talent. His combination of speed and power once captivated the world. Although he has since slowed a bit with age, he is still a great example of the prototypical combination of speed, skill, and power.
The unanimous consensus seems that Margarito will be too much for the old fighter and will wear him down leading to a late round TKO. I'm here to pose another possibility. Mosley's speed should allow him to attack Margarito in the early rounds. His best defense will be his offense. Margarito is great at shrinking the ring and cutting off the circling game, so Mosley will have to use his jab-power combinations to force Margarito into respecting his space. Mosley should win the early rounds. In fact do not be surprised to see Mosley win the first 6 or so rounds. If this happens, Mosley can plan for the coming assault. Paul Williams used this exact game plan in a 2007 defeat of Margarito, winning the early rounds and surviving a vicious 11th round attack before Margarito tired in the 12th.
However there is a lot at stake in this fight. Margarito has scratched and clawed to become part of the boxing's "Elite," and will not want to exit this group. Mosley has been in this group for the better part of 15 years. Will Margarito be the hungrier fighter? Additionally, this fight will occur in front of 20,000+ fans in Los Angeles' Staples Center; a great location for two Southern California based fighters. The atmosphere will be electric and the setting perfect.
It is very difficult to predict a fight where the fighters are so different, and where both possess one punch knockout power. I'll make a prediction knowing full-well that it could be completely wrong. I think that Mosley will win the early rounds before slowing and Margario taking full control of the fight. However, I expect Mosley to have such an advantage on the scorecards that he is able to plan for and avoid the assault. If he is standing at the end of the 12th round, it means he's outboxed Margarito and has won numerous rounds. I also make this pick to go against the grain a little bit... All signs point to Margarito overwhelming Mosley, but I think the old vet has one last run in him.
The Pick: Mosley by Decision
So definitely tune into this fight. It's a non pay-per-view title fight, and a good one at that. Even the undercard is really loaded (but I won't bore you). HBO 10 PM on Saturday.
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