UNION CITY, NJ– The fight of the decade (as of now) is finally over, and after much speculation, hype, drama, and philosophy out of the 24-7 screenwriters, the most probable of all outcomes came true— Floyd Mayweather (41-0, 25 KOs) won a tedious unanimous decision against Shane Mosley (46-6, 39 KOs), though Mosley weakened him like no one had done before. And Mayweather’s highly run-of-the-mill unanimous decision victory last night means thousands will be left salivating at the prospect of Mayweather-Manny Pacquiao. But before everyone starts speculating about the inevitable 12-round decision Mayweather will win against a drug-tested, sanctioning body-approved Manny Pacquiao (51-3-2, 38 KOs), it would probably be more productive to look at a more uncertain future: that of Shane Mosley.
MOSLEY GAVE MAYWEATHER HIS FIRST CHIN TEST
No one will remember that Mosley was very much in the fight in the early rounds, or that he disrupted Mayweather’s balance in a way that fans have never quite seen. His fatal error was not ending the fight in round 2, though that can be attributed to Mayweather’s speed and the ease with which he can avoid getting hit. That said, no one has tested Mayweather’s chin like Mosley did, not because they have had less punching power, but simply because they could not catch him. Sure, Mosley was tired and clunky by the fifth or sixth round, but that doesn’t erase the fact that, for a time, he was the fastest opponent Mayweather had ever encountered.
MOSLEY A SURE HALL OF FAMER
Mosley is at a point in his career where he could certainly retire at any time. He has made his contribution to the sport and solidified his place in history. He defeated Oscar De La Hoya (39-6-30 KOs)— twice— when the latter was still respectable. He could very well be attributed the demise of Fernando Vargas’ (26-5, 22 KOs) career. He defeated Antonio Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs) while possibly being pummeled with cement blocks, literally. And even his loss against Miguel Cotto (34-2, 27 KOs) was such a spectacular, even fight that it probably counts as more of a career victory than a technical loss. We would miss him, but he has little reason to stay.
NO SHAME IN LOSING TO MAYWEATHER
On the other hand, why leave when you’re still one of the pound-for-pound best? With the exception of Mayweather, chances are Mosley could do away with most in his field, or at least give them a fight worth having. There are no mismatches for Mosley in his division. It’s a similar situation to having someone like Andre Agassi still playing tennis at 35. He wasn’t winning any tournaments, but he was making the quarter- and semifinals at every single one, only to get knocked down by Roger Federer, and is it really fair to call someone washed-up for losing to Federer? Mosley has a lot of entertainment value left in him, if not victories. As long as he doesn’t overplay his cards a la Roy Jones, Jr. (54-7, 40 KOs), he could very well give the audience a couple of encore performances before he rides off into the sunset.
TOO EARLY TO DISMISS MOSLEY COMPLETELY
Mosley is undeniably the best and biggest challenge Mayweather has faced, and this victory the one that will cement his place in boxing history. As nice as it is that Mayweather defeated little Ricky Hatton (45-2, 32 KOs) from a division below him or an old, apathetic Oscar De La Hoya, Mosley is an extremely formidable opponent, indisputably one of the pound-for-pound best. Yes, he is 38 years old, but his self-admitted early life steroid use weighs against that, and the only sign of his age is his diminishing stamina—the power, speed, and ring intelligence are all still there. Mayweather deserves his place in the sun, but Mosley is undeserving of being left in the dust for losing a well-fought 12-rounder.