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Trainer insists Shane Mosley comeback is for real, predicts KO

Fighters Network
28
Aug
Ricardo Mayorga (R) and Shane Mosley square off in their first fight, on Sept. 27, 2008. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images.

Ricardo Mayorga (R) and Shane Mosley square off in their first fight, on Sept. 27, 2008. Photo by Harry How/Getty Images.

Regardless of what you think about the promotion surrounding Shane Mosley’s return to the ring after a two-year hiatus against Ricardo Mayorga, the fact remains that there will be a fight at The Forum in Inglewood this Saturday. The 43-year-old has been adamant that this isn’t a desperate money-grab and is ready to prove that he can still compete with some of boxing’s best.

Although facing a well-past-his-prime Mayorga (31-8-1, 25 knockouts), in a grudge match on pay per view – while the more appealing showdown between Leo Santa Cruz and Abner Mares takes place on free television at Staples Center – might not be the best way to make a comeback, Mosley (47-9-1, 39 KOs) has apparently been taking this road back to boxing relevancy quite seriously.

RingTV caught up with Mosley’s co-trainer, Kenny Porter, who also is the trainer and father of welterweight Shawn Porter, to discuss whether Sugar Shane’s comeback is worth talking about.

Porter says that the working relationship came about after Mosley was brought in to assist Team Porter’s preparation for Adrien Broner earlier this summer.



“We knew we were going to deal with a lot of holding so we brought Shane in to show us some techniques to stop that,” Porter said. The result was his son getting a unanimous-decision victory in the “Battle For Ohio.” Afterwards, Mosley reached out to Kenny Porter to help prepare him for his comeback against Mayorga. Porter says that he was surprised with what he saw.

“You know what? He can get better than he is right now because I haven’t had him for an extended period of time,” Porter said. “But his speed and quickness are both still there and his power is really unbelievable.”

Porter says that he brought his son in to help emulate Mayorga’s wild style and sharpened up Mosley with a few techniques. “Instead of throwing as hard as he could, I would have him place punches on the chin or the liver,” Porter continued. “He was able to actually stop Shawn in his tracks a few times because he was coming so wild.”

Realizing that there is bad blood between the two camps – he suggested that the mild fracas at Tuesday’s press conference wasn’t a staged affair – Porter doesn’t expect Mayorga to last very long on Saturday night.

“This is a good comeback fight for Shane and I can see Mayorga lasting for about five or six rounds,” Porter said. “We’re letting the bull come to the matador in hopes of getting a spectacular knockout to say that Shane is back. That’s what I’m hoping for.”

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