Antonio Margarito vs. Shane Mosley: The Battle for Los Angeles

The boxing match Saturday night between Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley has the feel of a fight that could have taken place in any era, in any venue in modern boxing history. 

The Southern California setting, The Staples Center in Los Angeles, to be exact, is supremely appropriate for these two California fighters.  Fighters being the key term in that though both of these men can box, it’s their collective desire to fight that will bring them together this weekend.

When this fight was originally put together there was a period when Margarito balked at his proposed share of the purse and refused to sign the contract.  There really wasn’t any doubt that the fight would get done, but Margarito made a point:  He’s the man now and he doesn’t have to take a backseat in negotiations anymore. 

He feels, and rightfully so, that he earned that respect.  The hard way.  Margarito has fought anyone placed in front of him and with his dramatic victory against Miguel Cotto last July; he cemented himself as a superstar. 

Beating Cotto gave him some cache because of Cotto’s name, but the manner in which he did it, the relentless brutality that made Cotto submit, made everyone, if they weren’t already aware, stand up and take notice.

One man who did take notice was Shane Mosley.  And he still wanted to fight Margarito.  He even went so far as to call him out every time there was a microphone put in front of his face.  "Sugar" Shane watched the same fight that we did last July, but did he see the same fight that we saw? 

My only conclusion can be that he saw something that we didn’t.  I’m convinced that Shane Mosley believes in his heart of hearts that he has the formula to beat this merciless man, Antonio Margarito.  And I’m not sure he doesn’t.

First, I want to make it clear that just because Margarito beat Cotto and Cotto beat Mosley, doesn’t necessarily mean that Margarito beats Mosley.  Styles make fights and fighters make fights.  One fight doesn’t have any bearing on another in that sense. 

If you look at their records, it’s Mosley who’s been in with the bigger names and the bigger fighters for that matter, he fought a long time at junior middleweight, one division north of the division that Margarito has come to dominate, welterweight.  Mosley will not be intimidated by the pressure put on by Margarito.  Boxing is as much about being mentally tough as well as physically tough.

Margarito is a volume puncher.  That’s not to suggest that he’s a pitty-pat puncher either.  He throws his hands often and with a contemptible malice.  His style is like a war of attrition.  He keeps coming and dares the man across from him to keep fighting.  This fight will be about will power. 

Margarito broke Cotto’s will in their first encounter.  Cotto could’ve won the fight if he’d only had the will to fight the right fight.  Cotto couldn’t believe that Margarito walked through everything he hit him with.  That’s mentally damaging.

Shane Mosley is an old pro now at the age of thirty five and I believe he has the will to do what he says.  I’m not sure, however, if he has the legs.  His last fight against Ricardo Mayorga showed that.  Mayorga’s a tough hombre to be sure, but going in to the fight I didn’t figure he’d last six rounds with Mosley. 

That was the first time that Mosley had visibly slowed down since I’ve been watching him fight professionally.  Though the fight ended with a dramatic, last second knockout, it just seemed like it was harder than it should’ve been. 

Conventional wisdom would say that a good jab is needed to keep a fighter like Margarito off of you.  Shane Mosley rarely utilizes a jab.  He fights in flurries.  If this will be his tact he’ll need to flurry and move.  He will have to frustrate Margarito and keep him out of his hard march forward; keep him going sideways. 

Margarito will just have to be the same Margarito that we’ve seen recently.  One more thing to keep in mind is that win or lose, Margarito will fight Cotto again in another big money fight this summer.  That couldn’t possibly douse the inferno that is Antonio Margarito, could it?

Expect a tremendous fight this Saturday.  I know I do.