By Jake Donovan - The fight could’ve taken place as originally planned 4 ?years ago or at any other point between then and this weekend. It might’ve been perceived as a closer fight back in the day than it is today.
But one thing that’s remained a common thought through the years ?whenever former linear welterweight champions “Sugar?Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga collide, high-octane entertainment will be sure to follow.
It is for that reason - and perhaps the only reason - that any semblance of anticipation comes with this weekend’s offering of high-profile prizefighting at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California (Saturday, HBO, 10:30PM ET/7:30PM local time).
Predictability in a fight panning out to be as good (or at least fun) as advertised is a good thing; not so much the anticipated shtick that has preceded the event in the pre-fight buildup.
A common misconception that unfortunately has taken over the way the sport is promoted is that every event needs a good guy and a bad guy. Such roles have always been easy to identify in this fight, even without either fighter uttering a word from the moment the fight was signed until the final bell on Saturday evening.
Mosley (44-5, 37KO) is one of the most respected fight personalities out there ?in his time and perhaps of all time. Rare is the occasion when a million-dollar smile doesn’t grace his face, or that he has anything less than a kind word to say even of his opposition.
The antics of Mayorga (29-6-1 (1 NC), 23KO) are by now well documented ?and all too predicable; pounding his chest, trashing his opponent (and their respective families) and guaranteeing nothing short of destruction.
With the bout shifting from an originally scheduled October pay-per-view to a late-September HBO World Championship Boxing telecast, there was less need for the additional bells and whistles, therefore less opportunity for Mayorga to play the role of bully.
That’s not to say the brash Nicaraguan wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to recite his tired act, as evidenced by Monday’s international conference call with the media. It’s not enough that most fans already believe this fight will be thrilling for however long ?or short- it lasts. [details]
But one thing that’s remained a common thought through the years ?whenever former linear welterweight champions “Sugar?Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga collide, high-octane entertainment will be sure to follow.
It is for that reason - and perhaps the only reason - that any semblance of anticipation comes with this weekend’s offering of high-profile prizefighting at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California (Saturday, HBO, 10:30PM ET/7:30PM local time).
Predictability in a fight panning out to be as good (or at least fun) as advertised is a good thing; not so much the anticipated shtick that has preceded the event in the pre-fight buildup.
A common misconception that unfortunately has taken over the way the sport is promoted is that every event needs a good guy and a bad guy. Such roles have always been easy to identify in this fight, even without either fighter uttering a word from the moment the fight was signed until the final bell on Saturday evening.
Mosley (44-5, 37KO) is one of the most respected fight personalities out there ?in his time and perhaps of all time. Rare is the occasion when a million-dollar smile doesn’t grace his face, or that he has anything less than a kind word to say even of his opposition.
The antics of Mayorga (29-6-1 (1 NC), 23KO) are by now well documented ?and all too predicable; pounding his chest, trashing his opponent (and their respective families) and guaranteeing nothing short of destruction.
With the bout shifting from an originally scheduled October pay-per-view to a late-September HBO World Championship Boxing telecast, there was less need for the additional bells and whistles, therefore less opportunity for Mayorga to play the role of bully.
That’s not to say the brash Nicaraguan wouldn’t jump at the opportunity to recite his tired act, as evidenced by Monday’s international conference call with the media. It’s not enough that most fans already believe this fight will be thrilling for however long ?or short- it lasts. [details]
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