Margarito not taking Mosley lightly
Posted Dec. 9, 2008 at 11:57pm
By Doug Fischer
|
LOS ANGELES – After witnessing Shane Mosley struggle against Ricardo Mayorga in late September, most in the boxing media said the 37-year-old veteran couldn’t compete with a strong, young mauler like Antonio Margarito.
But when it looked like Margarito would not sign to fight Mosley because of a dispute over his proposed purse, many of those same boxing writers wrote that the 30-year-old titleholder from Tijuana was afraid of the aging former champ.
Margarito, who eventually got the extra money he was looking for and signed to fight Mosley on Jan. 24, says the media was wrong on both counts.
“When you get right down to it, the money was important, of course, but I’m also very proud. I want to fight the best,” Margarito said through interpreter Ricardo Jimenez at Tuesday’s press conference at Staples Center, where the HBO-televised bout will take place, “so when the opportunity was there to go back to the (negotiating) table, I said ‘fine, let’s just get it done.’”
Margarito, who won the WBA welterweight title from previously undefeated Miguel Cotto this past July in a dramatic, bloody clash that instantly earned him pound-for-pound recognition, wanted more than the $2 million that the promoters and network were offering him.
“All I wanted was my just due, what I thought I was worth,” Margarito told THE RING. “It took awhile to get them to agree to an acceptable level, but they did. I was never afraid of Mosley. I’m here as you can see and I’m ready to fight.”
There are still a lot of fans and fight scribes who wonder whether the fight should have been made given that Mosley looked all of his 37 years as he pecked, poked and grappled with the faded Mayorga for 11½ uneasy rounds before catching and putting away the Nicaraguan tough guy in the closing seconds of the bout.
Given the manner in which Margarito brutally chopped down Cotto, who outpointed Mosley last November, and the fact that both the Mexican pressure fighter and Mosley have excellent chins (neither have ever been stopped), most observers believe the older boxer will absorb a frightful extended beating in January’s showdown.
Margarito disagrees.
“He might not be the fighter he once was, but he has a lot of experience and a lot of heart,” he said. “I’m not going to underestimate anyone, especially Mosley.”
Margarito’s longtime co-manager Sergio Diaz also believes it would be a mistake to look past Mosley.
“I don’t care what boxing writers or people on the internet say, he’s still Shane Mosley,” Diaz said. “He’s still fast, and he’s never been knocked out. I have to laugh when I read fans on message boards saying things like this is an easy fight or that Tony’s going to knock Mosley out in three or four rounds. Give me a break. That’s nonsense. Mosley’s going to be tough, and he’s going to take Tony into the late rounds.
“We’re not letting the Mayorga fight fool us. Every fighter has a bad night. Margarito had a bad night when he fought Joshua Clottey. You couldn’t base how Tony would do against Cotto by watching that fight; same thing with this fight.”
Like his January opponent, Margarito is a dedicated professional who doesn’t allow himself to get out of shape between fights. Both fighters have already begun their training camps. Mosley, who trains at his home gym in Big Bear, Calif., has already begun sparring. Margarito, who trains in Montebello, will begin sparring next week.
“I have to prepare for Mosley the same way I prepared for Cotto,” Margarito said. “I have to be very respectful of what he’s done in the sport. He’s a very experienced fighter. He’s got two big wins over Oscar De La Hoya. I know he’s every bit as tough as I am, so I have to be ready.”
But when it looked like Margarito would not sign to fight Mosley because of a dispute over his proposed purse, many of those same boxing writers wrote that the 30-year-old titleholder from Tijuana was afraid of the aging former champ.
Margarito, who eventually got the extra money he was looking for and signed to fight Mosley on Jan. 24, says the media was wrong on both counts.
“When you get right down to it, the money was important, of course, but I’m also very proud. I want to fight the best,” Margarito said through interpreter Ricardo Jimenez at Tuesday’s press conference at Staples Center, where the HBO-televised bout will take place, “so when the opportunity was there to go back to the (negotiating) table, I said ‘fine, let’s just get it done.’”
Margarito, who won the WBA welterweight title from previously undefeated Miguel Cotto this past July in a dramatic, bloody clash that instantly earned him pound-for-pound recognition, wanted more than the $2 million that the promoters and network were offering him.
“All I wanted was my just due, what I thought I was worth,” Margarito told THE RING. “It took awhile to get them to agree to an acceptable level, but they did. I was never afraid of Mosley. I’m here as you can see and I’m ready to fight.”
There are still a lot of fans and fight scribes who wonder whether the fight should have been made given that Mosley looked all of his 37 years as he pecked, poked and grappled with the faded Mayorga for 11½ uneasy rounds before catching and putting away the Nicaraguan tough guy in the closing seconds of the bout.
Given the manner in which Margarito brutally chopped down Cotto, who outpointed Mosley last November, and the fact that both the Mexican pressure fighter and Mosley have excellent chins (neither have ever been stopped), most observers believe the older boxer will absorb a frightful extended beating in January’s showdown.
Margarito disagrees.
“He might not be the fighter he once was, but he has a lot of experience and a lot of heart,” he said. “I’m not going to underestimate anyone, especially Mosley.”
Margarito’s longtime co-manager Sergio Diaz also believes it would be a mistake to look past Mosley.
“I don’t care what boxing writers or people on the internet say, he’s still Shane Mosley,” Diaz said. “He’s still fast, and he’s never been knocked out. I have to laugh when I read fans on message boards saying things like this is an easy fight or that Tony’s going to knock Mosley out in three or four rounds. Give me a break. That’s nonsense. Mosley’s going to be tough, and he’s going to take Tony into the late rounds.
“We’re not letting the Mayorga fight fool us. Every fighter has a bad night. Margarito had a bad night when he fought Joshua Clottey. You couldn’t base how Tony would do against Cotto by watching that fight; same thing with this fight.”
Like his January opponent, Margarito is a dedicated professional who doesn’t allow himself to get out of shape between fights. Both fighters have already begun their training camps. Mosley, who trains at his home gym in Big Bear, Calif., has already begun sparring. Margarito, who trains in Montebello, will begin sparring next week.
“I have to prepare for Mosley the same way I prepared for Cotto,” Margarito said. “I have to be very respectful of what he’s done in the sport. He’s a very experienced fighter. He’s got two big wins over Oscar De La Hoya. I know he’s every bit as tough as I am, so I have to be ready.”
