Shane Mosley

Shane Mosley
Mosley at the American Music Awards of 2009
Statistics
Real name	Shane Andre Mosley
Nickname(s)	Sugar
Rated at	Lightweight Welterweight Light middleweight
Height	5 ft 9 in (1.75 m)
Reach	70 in (178 cm)
Nationality	American
Born	September 7, 1971 Lynwood, California, U.S.
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	60
Wins	49
Wins by KO	41
Losses	9
Draws	1
No contests	1

Shane Andre Mosley (born September 7, 1971),^[1][2] often known as "Sugar" Shane Mosley, is an American professional boxer. He is a former three-weight world champion, having held the IBF lightweight title, the WBC and WBA (Super) welterweight titles, as well as the WBC, WBA (Super) and The Ring magazine light middleweight titles. He is also a former lineal champion at welterweight (twice) and light middleweight.

In 1998, the Boxing Writers Association of America selected Mosley as their Fighter of the Year.^[3] He was also given the same honor by the International Boxing Hall of Fame in 2000. In 2000 and 2001 he was named the pound for pound best fighter in the world by The Ring.^[4]

Mosley has fought and defeated some of the most recognizable names in the sport, including Oscar De La Hoya (twice), Fernando Vargas (twice), Ricardo Mayorga (twice), and Antonio Margarito. He has also faced several former champions such as Winky Wright, Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, and Saúl Álvarez.

Early years

Mosley was born in Lynwood, California and raised in Pomona, California. He has two older sisters, Venus and Cerena.^[5] Mosley became interested in boxing after watching his father, Jack, box in street fights.^[2] Mosley has been trained and managed by his father since the age of eight.^[6]

Amateur career

Mosley was an amateur standout, capturing various amateur titles, including:

• 1989 United States Amateur Champion at Lightweight 132 lb (60 kg)
• 1989 World Junior Championships Silver Medalist in San Juan, Puerto Rico 132 lb (60 kg)
• 1990 United States Amateur Champion at Lightweight 132 lb (60 kg)
• 1990 Goodwill Games Bronze Medalist in Seattle (USA) 132 lb (60 kg)
• 1992 United States Amateur Champion at Light Welterweight 139 lb (63 kg)

Professional career

Welterweight

Mosley would make two more defenses of his title at lightweight, stopping both Golden Johnson and John Brown, before relinquishing his titles and moving up twelve pounds in weight to welterweight. He scored two consecutive knockouts, setting up a huge fight against Oscar de la Hoya for the WBC welterweight title.

De La Hoya vs Mosley

On June 17, 2000, Mosley met De La Hoya in Los Angeles for the WBC & vacant Lineal welterweight titles. After twelve rounds, Mosley emerged with a split decision victory. During the fight, neither man was in danger of going down, but both had badly swollen faces at the end and De La Hoya was bleeding from the nose for several rounds. Mosley earned a minimum of $15 million, while De La Hoya was guaranteed $35 million.^[7]

Light-middleweight

On February 8, 2003, Mosley's bout with former IBF light-middleweight title holder Raúl Márquez ended in a no contest when Mosley accidentally head butted Marquez twice in round three, which caused two very bad cuts above the eyes of Marquez.

De La Hoya vs Mosley II

Mosley and De La Hoya faced each other for the second time on September 13, this time with De La Hoya's Lineal/The Ring/WBC/WBA light-middleweight championships on the line. Mosley defeated De La Hoya by a controversial 12 round unanimous decision and joined the exclusive group of world boxing champions that have reigned in three or more divisions. Many fans had Oscar easily beating Mosley in this rematch but judges scored it differently regardless of De La Hoya landing over 100 more punches. Mosley testified in 2003 that he injected himself with the notorious doping agent EPO as he prepared for his light-middleweight title fight against Oscar De La Hoya, according to grand jury transcripts and doping calendars.^[8]

Return to welterweight

Margarito vs Mosley

Prior to one of the biggest fights of his career, Mosley began training with Naazim Richardson. Mosley regained the WBA(Super) welterweight title from Antonio Margarito on January 24, 2009 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Mosley, now 37 years old, came into the fight as a 4–1 underdog with the bookies^[9] after Margarito had spectacularly stopped Cotto 6 months earlier. Prior to the bout, very few gave Mosley a chance of prevailing, with the prevailing view that Margarito was too strong and young for Mosley. The conventional wisdom was that this was a mismatch, which would end in a brutal retirement-forcing stoppage for "Sugar" Shane. A comparison of their last fights; the aforementioned destruction of Cotto by Margarito and a last-gasp knockout by Mosley in a hard twelve round struggle against Mayorga did not bode well for Mosley. Some predicted a massacre. And it was – only it was Margarito that was ruthlessly clubbed about the ring, unable to land any meaningful shots.

Mosley eventually TKO'd Margarito in the ninth round, after appearing to win every round up until then, in a massive upset. Sugar Shane utterly dominated Margarito, using his superior hand speed, pinpoint accuracy, consistent body punching, countless huge right hands to the jaw and tying up when Margarito backed him into the ropes, to wear Margarito down and stop him—something that many seasoned boxing observers thought was nigh-on impossible. After knocking him down with a series of heavy overhand rights at the end of the eighth round, Margarito was unable to avoid punches during a heavy barrage from Mosley early on in the ninth, forcing the referee to step in as Margarito slumped to the canvas a second time. Margarito had never previously been stopped. It was a sensational win for Sugar Shane and propelled him back to the upper echelons of the welterweight division and the sport of Boxing, in addition to further cementing his legacy as one of the best fighters in his era.

The fight was marred in a controversy after Mosley's trainer, Naazim Richardson diligently spotted a gauze knuckle pad accessory in Margarito's hand wraps, illegal because it had been previously used, which had to be redone three times before the commission's officials were satisfied.^[10]

The fight was for Margarito's WBA title and the vacant Lineal welterweight championship of Cyber Boxing Zone (CBZ).^[11] The Ring did not recognize this bout for its vacant welterweight championship despite the fact it pitted The Ring #1 ranked welterweight, Antonio Margarito, vs. The Ring #3 ranked welterweight, Shane Mosley. Coming in the bout, Margarito had just TKO'd the previous The Ring #1 ranked welterweight and current The Ring #2 ranked welterweight, Miguel Cotto.^[12] After the fight, Mosley was named The Ring's #1 ranked welterweight.

Mayweather vs Mosley

On May 1, 2010, Mosley fought undefeated Floyd Mayweather, Jr.. Boxing purists had called for the fight for over ten years. Mosley's WBA title was not on the line because Mayweather refused to pay WBA sanctioning fees. On the fight night, Mosley stunned Mayweather with two right-hand shots in the second round. Mayweather recovered well and dominated the remainder of the fight with superior reflexes and his effective counter-punching style, eventually beating Mosley in a wide decision on the scorecards to win Mosley's Lineal welterweight championship.

On May 22, 2010, Shane Mosley was stripped of his WBA (Super) welterweight title, due to not making a mandatory defense, which in turn made WBA Champion Vyacheslav Senchenko the sole WBA titlist in the welterweight division.

Mosley vs Mora

Mosley at the Club Nokia in September 2010

Mosley fought Sergio Mora on September 18 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.^[13][14] The bout ended up being a highly disputed split draw, where many people thought that Mosley narrowly won the closely contested bout (boxing analyst website Boxrec had it 114-112 for Mosley). The judges scored the bout: Mora 115–113, Mosley 116–112 and 114–114.^[15]

Pacquiao vs Mosley

On May 7, 2011, Mosley lost the fight to Manny Pacquiao for the WBO welterweight title at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas. Mosley was knocked down in round 3. Due to Mosley's defeat, Pacquiao looked at a November 12, 2011 match-up, a third fight with Juan Manuel Marquez.^[16]

Comeback

Mosley announced he was coming out of retirement to fight Pablo Cesar Cano in Mexico. Mosley won the fight via unanimous decision with all three judges scoring the bout 115-113. Cano was able to win the first few rounds but Mosley took control of the later rounds and pounded Cano until the final bell, making Sugar Shane Mosley the vacant WBC International welterweight champion.^[17]

Mosley fought Australian boxer Anthony Mundine on November 27, 2013 at All Phones Arena in Sydney, Australia. Mosley lost the fight after Mundine scored a technical knockout during round 6. Before the seventh round, Mosley retiring due to back spasms giving Mundine the victory via TKO.^[18][19]

Second retirement

Mosley announced his second retirement on December 7, 2013. He stated that he plans to become a trainer, to train his son, Shane Jr., and other young fighters.^[20] In an interview with World Boxing News, when asked if he had any desire to lace up his gloves and return to the ring professionally, he said he would only consider a return to the sport against the very top welterweights in the world. He specifically named Floyd Mayweather Jr., Manny Pacquiao, and Juan Manuel Márquez. He also said in another interview in early 2015 that he was not sure if he would fight again, but that he wanted to come back and face a fighter of similar age and specifically named Juan Manuel Márquez.^[21]

Second comeback

On August 29, 2015, Mosley again decided to came out of retirement and defeated Ricardo Mayorga for a second time, winning the fight via KO in the sixth round.^[22] On December 17, 2015, Mosley faced off against Venezuelan boxer Patrick Lopez in a non-title match at Super Welterweight, scheduled for 10 rounds. Lopez was knocked down in the 2nd round and TKO'd in the last round, subsequently resulting in Mosley improving his ledger to 49 victories, with 41 of those victories coming inside the distance.^[23]

Professional boxing record

Titles in boxing

Major World Titles:

• IBF Lightweight Champion (135 lbs)
• WBC Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)
• WBC Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)
• WBA (Super) Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)
• WBC Interim Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)
• WBA (Super) Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)

Minor World Titles:

• IBA Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)
• IBA Junior Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)

The Ring/Lineal Championship Titles:

• The Ring Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)

Regional/International Titles:

• WBA Inter-Continental Light Middleweight Champion (154 lbs)
• WBC International Welterweight Champion (147 lbs)

BALCO scandal

In August 2002 federal agents initiated investigations into BALCO, a California-based laboratory suspected of selling banned performance-enhancing drugs to top athletes. Shane Mosley was among those named as a BALCO client, and he testified before a grand jury that he injected himself with the energy-boosting drug EPO and used undetectable steroids known as "the cream" and "the clear", acquired from BALCO, prior to his 2003 rematch with Oscar De La Hoya, which Mosley won by a unanimous decision.^[25] Mosley insisted that he did not knowingly take banned substances, and thought they were vitamins.^[26] He said he believed "the cream" was flaxseed oil, but under questioning he admitted it was probably something else. In 2008 Mosley launched a $12 million defamation lawsuit against BALCO founder Victor Conte, who claimed that Mosley knowingly took performance-enhancing drugs. The suit was dismissed with prejudice in November 2010.^[27]

Charities

In 2011, Mosley and his family established the Diamond's Love Foundation in honor of his late nephew Diamond Johnson. The foundation brings awareness to child and passenger car safety through programs and events within the Pomona Valley community. Diamond Johnson died in a car crash at the age of 3 for being in an improper car seat.

On September 12, 2014, Mosley received the "Advocate Award" from the Face Forward foundation for Commitment to Combating Domestic Violence.^[28]

In 2010, Mosley teamed up with PETA to protest dog fighting and to protest the seal fur trade in Canada.^[29][30]

Personal life

Mosley has been married once and has four children. He has a son, Shane Mosley, Jr., from a previous relationship. Mosley, Jr. is also a boxer, who currently has a record of 4-1 (4 KO's).^[5] In November 2002, Mosley married Jin Sheehan.^[31] The couple had three children before divorcing in 2010.^[31][32]

See also

• Ring Magazine pound for pound
• List of boxing triple champions
• List of sportspeople sanctioned for doping offences

References

1. Johnson, Rafer (2009). Great Athletes 10. Salem Press. p. 111. ISBN 1-587-65481-4.
2. "Shane Mosley Biography". biography.com. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
3. Christ, Scott. "BWAA awards". BWAA. Retrieved October 14, 2012.
4. "The Ring Magazine's Annual Ratings". Retrieved 14 February 2014.
5. Lima, OJ (October 2001). "The Sweetest Scientist". Vibe (Vibe Media Group) 9 (10): 126. ISSN 1070-4701.
6. Henderson, Ashyia N. (2002). Contemporary Black Biography: Profiles from the International Black Community. Gale/Cengage Learning. p. 124. ISBN 0-787-65913-4.
7. "Mosley accused of doping". Sports Illustrated. September 28, 2007. Retrieved May 23, 2010.
8. "Mosley testifies he injected himself with EPO". International Herald Tribune / New York Times. December 3, 2008. Retrieved December 4, 2008.
9. "Margarito-Mosley: The $25 world title fight – Saturday, Jan. 17, 2009 | 2 a.m.". Las Vegas Sun. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
10. Christ, Scott (January 25, 2009). "Wrap controversy casts cloud over Margarito's reputation". Bad Left Hook. Retrieved March 22, 2010.
11. "The Lineal Welterweight Champs". cyberboxingzone.com.
12. Rold, Cliff (January 15, 2009). "Margarito, Mosley, and The Welterweight Crown". boxingscene.com.
13. Satterfield, Lam (June 30, 2010). "Mosley-Mora Finalized For September 18 at Staples Center". BoxingScene.com. Retrieved July 1, 2010.
14. "Fighthype \\ Fighthype". Fighthype.com. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
15. "The Fabulous Forum". Los Angeles Times. September 18, 2010.
16. "Manny Pacquiao vs. Juan Manuel Marquez Trilogy Planned for November. Shane had reported after the fight that he had injured his Achillies tendon before the fight.". Bleacher Report. February 13, 2011. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
17. Blears, James (May 19, 2013). "Shane Mosley Edges Pablo Cesar Cano in Cancun". boxingscene.com. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
18. "Shane Mosley quits after Round 6". espn.go.com. November 27, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
19. "Mosley Loses by a TKO Because of Back Spasms". nytimes.com. November 27, 2013. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
20. Smith, Tim. "Shane Mosley retires: "It's a young man's game"". Retrieved 12 February 2014.
21. Smith, Tim. "Shane Mosley reflects on Anthony Mundine loss, not planning boxing return". Retrieved 12 September 2014.
22. Mosley Ko's Mayorga
23. Mosely tko's Lopez
24. "Shane Mosley". Boxrec.com. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
25. Boxer Shane Mosley, sprinter Dwain Chambers take different paths after BALCO allegations
26. 'Sugar' Shane Mosley told grand jury of EPO use
27. Shane Mosley drops $12M defamation suit against BALCO founder Victor Conte, ending long legal battle
28. "Face Forward Foundation to Honor 'Sugar' Shane Mosley at "Venetian Masquerade" Gala". 1888pressrelease.com. September 12, 2014.
29. "'Sugar' Shane Mosley KOs Dogfighting". Secure.peta.org. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
30. "'Save the Seals' Celebrity Ad Series". PETA.org. Retrieved June 17, 2011.
31. Henson, Joaquin (January 13, 2011). "Phenomenon of longevity". philstar.com. Retrieved January 25, 2015.
32. Pugmire, Lance (February 28, 2009). "Shane Mosley's wife files for divorce". latimes.com. Retrieved January 25, 2015.

External links

• Shane Mosley Fight-by-Fight Career Record
• Professional boxing record for Shane Mosley from BoxRec
• Boxing-Encyclopedia