Miguel Cotto vs Sugar Shane Mosley
WBA Welterweight Title Fight at Madison Square Garden
Billed as "Fast and Furious" Cotto and Mosley battle on Saturday, November 10, 2007, at the "Mecca of Boxing."
In another potential "fight of the year" candidate in one of the best years of boxing in recent memory, Miguel Cotto (30-0, 25 KOs) and Shane Mosley (44-4, 37 KOs) square off in what is surely considered Cotto's home turf, Madison Square Garden. The Puerto Rican star enjoys a rabid following among New York's City's large Puerto Rican population as did his predecessor, Felix Trinidad, and other Puerto Rican fighters before him.
Shane Mosley, 36, has seen it all in 48 professional fights and isn't likely to let the crowd's preference for his opponent bother him. With Cotto in his chest all night, he'll have enough to worry about.
Mosley's Resurgence
Following four losses--two against Vernon Forrest and another pair to Winky Wright--Mosley was all but written off by boxing writers several years ago, but since then has reeled of five straight victories including two TKOs over Fernando Vargas, and more impressively, a unanimous decision win over highly regarded Luis Collazo. Mosley credits his resurgence to leaving the weights on the rack dropping down to a more natural 147 lbs. The change has improved his speed and invited comparisons to the Mosley who jumped from the lightweight division to beat Oscar De La Hoya back in 2000.
Cotto Has Heart
Cotto finds himself in the unique position of being nine years younger, at 27, and the defending champion, but giving up supremacy in just about every other relevant category: speed, power and chin--which explains why the odds-makers have this fight a virtual dead heat. Then there is that intangible that determines every evenly matched fight--heart.
The WBA champion isn't exciting to watch simply because he has power, is a devastating body puncher, or presses every fight-- it's because he can be hurt early but has always come back to win. His style practically guarantees drama.
Ricardo Torres had him down in the 2nd round of their 2005 scrap, only to get knocked out by Cotto in the 7th. Most recently, Zab Judah had Cotto buzzed in the first and second rounds of their June 2007 fight at the Garden. Each time Cotto was hurt he responded with what many considered intentional low blows in order to buy himself some time. The referee took a point away from him in the second, but ultimately it made little difference as he took the fight to Judah and knocked him out in the 11th round of a fight that had both men swollen and bleeding.
Cotto and Mosley Press Conference
A September 10 press conference at the House of Blues in Hollywood, CA showed both men to be fit and close to fighting weight a full eight weeks early. Regarding his training habits, Mosley told Suite 101 that he has made some concessions to age.
"I don't spar as many rounds as I used to, it takes longer to recover now," said Mosley. "My Dad (and trainer, Jack Mosley) will tell me, 'Do some more rounds,' but I'm like naw; I know my body by now."
The elder Mosley seems to think it's a simple fight for his son and future Hall of Fame resident.
"I think he (Cotto) will doe what he does and come forward and maybe change up (to southpaw) once in a while, but once Shane hits him he's in trouble," said Jack. "He'll come forward, I'll give him that, but I think with Shane's power and speed, Cotto's gonna have a long night."
Cotto interviews like he fights-- straight ahead and to the point.
"Shane's a good fighter, a great fighter, and I have respect for him, but it's my time and I will win," he said.
The fight can be seen on HBO Pay-Per-View on Saturday, November 10, at 9PM ET / 6PM PT
