1999 MAGAZINE COVER COMING TRUE TODAY?
Landover, MD-It was one of my favorite magazine covers and questions to ponder in 1999. Ring Magazine laid the faces of Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley side by side, questioning whether the then-undefeated duo were on a collision course. At the time, Mayweather was the king at 130 lbs., an ingÈnue in only his third year as a pro. Mosley was the self-made man, the top of the 135 lb. class who had built himself into a pound-for-pound claimant after narrowly missing the 1992 Olympic team. Both were undefeated and the future seemed endless with possibilities. Time has since moved on through multiple weight divisions, losses for Mosley and recent criticisms of Mayweathers lack of consistent, quality oppositionand yet here we are again.
LARRY MERCHANTS QUESTIONS GO UNANSWERED!
,
In the aftermath of his demolition of the faded Fernando Vargas, Mosley (43-4, 37 KOs) didnt sound as committed to the idea of a showdown with Floyd as HBOs Larry Merchant did. Merchant spoke likely for the suits at HBO, and definitely for the bulk of the fights fans, but what of the fighters? Mosley repeated what he had said before the fight, suggesting that he face the winner of a Floyd Mayweather-Antonio Margarito showdown next year. He also talked about vacation time with the family and a loose front tooth. The door was left open for a showdown as soon as November 4, 2006, but only a little. Boxings endless possibilities have led these two athletes away from one another before, and events of just this last weekend should serve as a reminder that it wouldnt take much for it to happen again.
STURM VICTIM OF SPANISH UPSET IN GERMANY
Top-ten middleweight Felix Sturm could likely write a novel today about possibilities. Saturday in Germany, he watched many of his disappear. Still riding the wave initiated in 2004 when many felt that he was robbed against Oscar De La Hoya, Sturm had picked up a belt at 160 (WBA) and some quality wins heading into his showdown with former World 154 lb. champ Javier Castillejo. He was assumed to be a heavy favorite and performed up to those expectations. With ten seconds left in the tenth round, a single left hook froze him in a fight he was leading commandingly, and three uppercuts made the scorecards irrelevant. The inability to capitalize on the momentum of the De La Hoya fight is now the regret of not securing big-money showdowns with Jermain Taylor and fellow German-based star Artur Abraham. Sturm will have his chances to rebuild, but sometimes second chances dont go well.
VARGAS A STUDY IN LOST OPPORTUNITIES
Vargas (26-4, 22 KOs) rose from the deck in the sixth round against Mosley as a testament to the failures of second chances and, in his case, third. A cautious rebuilding towards a superfight with De La Hoya followed his brutal war with Felix Trinidad in late 2000. When Vargas again lost a brutal bout, he found himself also answering questions about steroid abuse. He, like Mayweather (36-0, 24 KOs), was a seeming child prodigy on the 1996 Olympic team and found himself adorning magazine covers in his third year as a pro. The question will be forever askedwas Trinidad too soon? At least with Vargas, one cant say he didnt do everything he could to make the most of his time. His opponent list, unlike Sturms, Mosley and Mayweathers, can hardly be said to be missing much.
MANY GREAT FIGHTS SIMPLY DONT HAPPEN
Vargas at least will always know, and more important history will know, how Vargas stacked up against the best of his day at his only weight class (154) because they saw the bulk of the fights. Mosley and Mayweather cant say the same. While both have faced top names, there are some glaring misses. Mosley and Mayweather both skipped Stevie Johnston at 135; for various political and timing reasons neither faced Kostya Tszyu either; Acelino Freitas and Joel Casamayor for Floyd, Orzubek Nazarov for De La Hoya and Mosleyall names that mean something to history but dont show up on the records of these champions. Ultimately though, the greatest gap would be each other. They are two of the most gifted fighters of their time and their careers have crossed paths one time too many to excuse their not meeting each other. Its a money fight and most important a fight that isnt coming at a time where one man appears completely past his peak. It is a fight that could restore Mosley or solidify Mayweather. It is also a fight that remains exactly where it was in 1999safely nested only in the minds eye of the fan. Lets hope we can see it with our eyes open as well.
Cliff Rold
Note: 24-Karat Rold currently serves as Presidential Management Fellow alongside duties as a Board member and Director of Programs at the Centre for Global Diplomacy. He is also an award winning poet and recipient of a Masters degree in US Foreign Policy at the American University in Washington, DC. Comments regarding this submission can be left below.