Shane Mosley – Keys to Victory
By: José A Maldonado, MFA
One has claimed titles in three divisions and is on his way to the Hall of Fame; the other is making only the fourth defense of a belt he won when it was vacant. One has fought the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Manny Pacquiao, Miguel Cotto, and Floyd Mayweather Jr. while the other will try to get his biggest name yet onto his list of victims. Most importantly: one is 40 years old and the other is just shy of his 22nd birthday.
This weekend as part of the huge Cinco de Mayo PayPerView fight card, undefeated junior middleweight champ and rising star Saúl “Canelo” Alvarez (39-0-1-29 KOs) will put his title at stake as he takes on faded former champ “Sugar” Shane Mosley (46-7-1-39 KOs) at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.
While Mosley hopes for the upset to rejuvenate his career and get a few more big fights in before retiring, Alvarez will look to pass his first major test to further his case – in the US, at least – as a legitimate superstar.
Canelo is the huge favorite here, especially since many fight fans are wondering just how much Sugar has left after mediocre showings in his past 3 fights. And make no mistake about it: the only reason Mosley got this fight is because Golden Boy Promotions, who manages Canelo, sees him as a big name and small threat to their fighter. But what if the Southern California native can muster one last hurrah and put together a performance worthy of being called Upset of the Year? What if Mosley can dig deep into his veteran bag of tricks and hand Alvarez his first loss? The following are the keys to getting it done.
Put the Young Man to Sleep
No, not as in knock Canelo out (although that would be good too), but as in lull his opponent to sleep by making it a boring, low-action fight. Unfortunately, at a time when Mosley needs to jumpstart his career, this approach will not win him any new fans, but if he wants to win, it could be the most effective strategy. Mosley was once one of boxing’s most exciting, explosive fighters, but with age he has been unable to replicate his incredible athletic feats. Rather than fight both Alvarez and father time, therefore, Mosley should embrace his new role as the older fighter. Canelo is most dangerous when his adrenaline gets pumping and his opponent pushes him; otherwise, he often seems content to pose in the center of the ring, becoming very selective with his punches and seemingly trying to show off his defensive acumen. He has even been guilty of looking for the homerun punch rather than break down his opponent with effective combinations. If Shane can take advantage of this tendency, establishing a slow pace and slipping in enough punches without awakening Canelo’s wrath, he could put away a lot of early rounds in the bank without expending too much energy, early rounds that could prove costly to Alvarez should the fight go to a decision.
Don’t Get Caught
Canelo’s power has often been described as “thudding,” and rightly so. Though he does have the ability to stop a fight with one punch (just ask Carlos Baldomir), most of the damage his punches produces is a result of accumulation; which is exactly my point: Sugar cannot allow Canelo to accumulate too many punches on him. Mosley is already 40 years old and has taken part in many battles, so he can ill-afford to receive anymore punishment. The young champ, furthermore, is very effective once he gets warmed up and starts stringing together his punches. Many of his opponents have found out that Canelo’s combinations are a slippery slope that usually lead to a KO loss. To avoid this fate, Shane cannot let his pride get in the way. He must avoid exchanges at all costs and try to get in and get out in a hurry. If he can anticipate Canelo’s flurries, doing damage and getting out of range before the youngster can unload, he can frustrate the champ and make him commit mistakes that the veteran can then take advantage of.
Overhand Right
Of Mosley’s 46 victories, 39 have come by KO. Guess what punch has gotten him most of those wins? With the combination of speed, timing, and of course, power, Sugar’s overhand right (and, to a slightly lesser extent, right cross) is a truly devastating weapon. With age, ofcourse, boxers often slow down, their bodies unable to respond as quickly as their minds. Though Mosley has lost a bit of pop over the years – he hasn’t recorded a stoppage victory since his 2009 win over Antonio Margarito – his speed is still pretty decent and, as he showed against Floyd Mayweather Jr. in the second round, his timing is impeccable. As many have pointed out, one of the things that make Alvarez an exciting fighter is that, for all his skill, he is still vulnerable. We’ve yet to see him shaken too badly yet, but then again, we hadn’t seen anyone land such a clean punch on Mayweather before, either. Should Mosley land this punch, he’ll test Alvarez’ chin, and if he can’t pass the test, we’ll have a new champ Saturday night.
José A Maldonado is senior staff writer at punchrate.com and contributing writer for realcombatmedia.com
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