Bulletin Classics: Sugar Ray Robinson vs Tommy Bell

The Boxing Bulletin is pleased to present a new feature series called Bulletin Classics, where we'll be taking an in depth look at some of the sport's greatest battles.

In this opening installment of the series, Andrew Fruman looks back to December 20, 1946, the night the legendary Sugar Ray Robinson finally got a crack at the welterweight title.

Sugar Ray Robinson pulled himself up onto one knee as referee Eddie Joseph barked out the count. Dazed, but coherent, Robinson could see Joseph’s fingers – Five… Six… Seven… Madison Square Garden had been thrown into delirium. The best fighter in the world, about to finally take his place as champion, was on the verge of a shocking defeat. It was a stunning moment.

In a neutral corner, Tommy Bell, the lanky heavy handed slugger from Youngstown, Ohio stood anxiously waiting for his chance to finish. Bell, given little chance by the experts and a sizable 5 to 1 underdog with the bookies, had called this moment. “Just watch - I’ll knock Robinson out,” he’d said to reporters the previous day.

As surprising as it was for the crowd to see Robinson in such desperate trouble, the same thing had happened six weeks earlier in his previous fight against Artie Levine.

In front of a sell-out crowd in Cleveland, Levine, a big punching young middleweight, had flattened Robinson with a left hook. By all accounts, Robinson was badly hurt when he struggled up at the count of eight, and had to summon all his ring guile to survive Levine’s follow-up onslaught. Robinson eventually recovered, but had to endure some more anxious moments, before taking control and knocking Levine out in the tenth round. It was the first time the sturdily built Levine had been stopped in sixty pro fights.

It was a close call, but even if Robinson had lost, except for a slight dent to his invincible reputation, it wouldn’t have mattered much. It was just a stay busy money fight. The second such contest Robinson had taken that week, as only five days earlier, he had beaten Cecil Hudson in Detroit.

This night was different though. After years of frustration, this was supposed to be Robinson's long awaited coronation as welterweight king.

Back in 1941, he thought he’d secured a shot at champion Freddie Cochrane, but negotiations never panned out. Then World War II put a moratorium on all titles held by servicemen, and with Cochrane in the navy, the title was put on the shelf.

After the War, it was expected that Cochrane’s first defense would have to be against Robinson, but instead the chance went to Marty Servo. Servo’s manager, Al Weill, had been quick to put up $50,000 for the title shot, and the New York State Athletic Association approved the bout.

Mike Jacobs, the promoter for Madison Square Garden, defended the decision arguing that a Cochrane/Robinson fight would be a flop at the box office because nobody felt Cochrane had a chance.

The National Boxing Association were trying to enforce a system where merit - not money - determined title chances and objected to the decision as Servo had already lost twice to Robinson.

Robinson and the N.B.A. were settled down by a stipulation in the Cochrane/Servo contract that the winner would have to defend the title against Robinson within 6 months. But after Servo claimed the title by knocking Cochrane out in four one sided rounds, he promptly injured his nose in a non-title fight against middleweight, Rocky Graziano.

Twice, championship fights between Servo and Robinson were signed, only for Servo to pull out due to suffering re-occurrences of the nose injury during training. Finally, after it became apparent to Servo that his injury wouldn’t heal sufficiently, he announced his retirement. This time the N.B.A. and N.Y.S.A.C. were in agreement - the title would have to go through Robinson. He’d waited long enough.

Ranked as the #5 welterweight in the world, Tommy Bell wasn’t originally approved as an opponent for Robinson. Eddie Eagan of the NYSAC possibly felt that Bell wasn’t marketable enough to sell the fight.

Bell had a few things going against him. For starters, he had lost to Robinson two years earlier in Cleveland, and while Bell had made a solid showing, nothing about the bout indicated he had much chance to win a rematch.

Bell had pressed the action that night, constantly moving forward, sticking his jab out and following it up with hooks and straight rights. Robinson had been too quick though, using lateral moment and his own fast sharp jab to prevent Bell from setting his feet and getting leverage on his power punches.

Only in the second half of that fight, did Robinson open up, and gradually ease his offense into high gear. This in turn provided Bell with some of his best moments of the fight, but Robinson still carried most of these later exchanges. In the 10th and final round, with the fight firmly in his control, Robinson put the finishing touches on his victory by sending Bell to the canvas. Bell got up at the count of 8, but was in rough shape, and only narrowly made it the final bell, having to survive a punishing onslaught that left him dazed and bloody.

Being based in Ohio certainly didn’t help Bell’s profile, nor did the fact he wasn’t on a flashy winning streak, and while black fighters were getting more opportunities, they still weren’t on equal footing when it came to getting title chances.

For Eagan, nothing jumped out about Bell that said this is the guy the public will want to see Robinson in with. But with the help of a few prominent New York sportswriters, Bell’s tough talking manager Ernie Braca convinced Eagan otherwise.

Bell had only fought a few times in New York, but two of those bouts had been crowd pleasing battles with top middleweight contender Jake LaMotta. Giving away almost a dozen pounds each time, Bell had stood his ground and gone toe to toe with the Bronx Bull. He had lost both decisions, but his efforts had won him the admiration of the local press and stamped him as someone the fans could count on to get their money worth.

The bout was approved, and on Friday October 4, 1946, Madison Square Garden's promoter Mike Jacobs announced the fight had been signed. Having secured the opportunity of a lifetime, Bell didn’t sign on for any stay busy fights, and a few weeks later headed to Summit, New Jersey for his training camp.

Robinson would also eventually head off to his training camp in Greenwood Lake, New York, but not before hitting the road for fights with Ossie Harris, Cecil Hudson, and of course, Artie Levine. Staying busy, despite having a title fight coming up was a fairly common practice at the time. Few fighters turned down good paydays when they could get them, and Robinson likely needed the money as he was in the expensive process of opening up a restaurant in Harlem called Sugar Rays.

Much to the chagrin of his manager George Gainford, Robinson kept leaving Greenwood Lake and heading back to the city to check on how renovations to the restaurant site were going. Plans were to have the grand opening coincide with the night of the championship fight, but despite work being done around the clock, there was still too much to do to make that plan a reality.

On the morning of the fight, both fighters weighed in slightly under the welterweight limit. Neither was reported to have had any trouble making the weight, as Robinson tipped the scales at a comfortable 146 ½ pounds, while Bell came in a half pound less at 146. This was a little heavier than the weights for their first meeting, when both came in at 145 ½ pounds.

On fight night, Madison Square Garden was the place to be in the boxing world, although rain and snow kept the bout from being a sell-out. A total of 15,670 fans were in attendance, paying anywhere from $1.50 for general admission tickets to $12 for ringside seats. Included among the spectators were such fistic luminaries as Joe Louis, Gene Tunney, Jack Dempsey and a host of other former and current fighters.

Not in attendance were three members of Tommy Bell’s traveling Youngstown contingent, his brothers Shelton and Isaac, and his former trainer, navy veteran Major Hall. The three had been involved in a car accident in Reading, Pennsylvania on the way to the fight. Tragically, Hall would pass away a couple days later due to his injuries. The Bell brothers' injuries weren't nearly as serious, but still required hospital care, as Shelton suffered a broken arm and Isaac injured his leg.

If Bell was aware of the seriousness of the accident, it no doubt must have weighed heavily on his mind, but he could not afford to let his focus waver. His strategy was clear – apply pressure and land something meaningful early. He didn’t have the skills to outbox Robinson and knew he had to hurt his man, to have any chance of winning.

Robinson could punch too, but his exceptional hand and foot speed meant that he could win rounds without risky exchanges. He had followed this plan to perfection in the early rounds of their first fight, before turning up the heat late.

The first round followed the expected script, with Bell forcing the fight, but Robinson countering with the cleaner more effective punches. Fighting out of a tight upright stance, with his gloves up high, Bell pressed forward, leading with his jab, and following up with menacing hooks and right hands. Robinson boxed out of a much looser stance, with his left hand lower, as he used his superior speed and head movement to slip shots and counter, before dancing out of harm’s way.

The second round started off much the same way as the first, with Robinson handling Bell’s pressure. There were no advance warnings of what was about to come. No near misses. No glancing blows that drew gasps. Much like their first fight, Robinson was looking comfortable, appearing to be dictating the fight on his terms.

Bell was known for his right hand – and perhaps Robinson was looking for that. But a perfect left hook did it. It was quick, and delivered with force. If Robinson saw it all, it was too late to do anything about it. The punch landed flush on the jaw.

Robinson went down hard.

His head seemed to hit the canvas before the rest his body. When he rose, just before referee Joseph could reach eight, his legs were unsteady and it was apparent his head wasn’t quite clear.

Joseph gave Robinson’s gloves a quick wipe on his shirt and backed off. There were a full two minutes left in the round - an eternity for a shaken fighter.

Described by one writer as being elated but incredulous to the upturn in his fortunes, the blood rushed to Ohio sharpshooter’s head, as he stormed after Robinson. Ripping hooks and right crosses, all intended to finish matters on contact, Bell’s punches became a little looser and wider. Robinson immediately back pedaled, desperately ducking and dodging the frenzied attack before holding on tight when Bell got too close.

The fans were on their feet, urging the underdog on. With Robinson in full scale survival mode, Bell’s chased. With a little more composure, Bell might have been able to capitalize further, but slowly Robinson became steadier, and a little surer, and when the final bell rang was not just surviving, but gamely firing back.

Photo courtesy of Antiquities of the Prize Ring

Trying to capitalize on the events of the previous stanza, and test Robinson’s resolve, Bell (pictured firing a left as Robinson ducks) came out intent to keep the pressure on. Having rediscovered the composure that eluded him during the frantic push to end matters moments earlier, Bell mixed his attack nicely, using his jab, and going hard to the body.

Robinson tried to re-establish himself in the fight with his jab and keep the action as a comfortable distance, but Bell’s pressure was unyielding. Shaking off whatever Robinson threw; he kept coming forward, and just before the round ended, landed another hard left hook. The punch shook Robinson, but there was no time to follow up.

The next two rounds were also carried by the determined efforts of Bell, who kept shuffling forward, letting his hands go while never taking a backwards step. He once again managed to stagger Robinson, this time near the end of the fifth round with a right cross to jaw.

With a third of the fight in the books, Bell had a clear upper hand – however a slight shift of momentum took place in the closely contested sixth. Robinson managed to bloody Bell’s nose, which bled freely for the rest of the bout. Still Bell had his moments, and just before the bell, landed a grazing left hook, followed by a clean right hand.

Then came the decisive seventh round.

After being forced onto his back foot for much of the fight, Robinson went on the attack. He met Bell head on, and unleashed his full repertoire of dazzling offensive skills, including a relentless hooking assault to the body. Those whip like hooks, digging into Bell’s midsection, finally cracked the Ohio man’s resolve to not move backwards. Sensing his chance, Robinson drove Bell into the corner, where a left right combination late in the round buckled Bell’s knees and had him holding on.

When Bell left his corner out for the eighth, some of the fire appeared to be gone, but he still came out pressing the attack. Softened up and a little slower, but still willing and determined, he was easy pray for Robinson’s punishing counters, and soon was being hammered all over the ring. At one stage, the besieged Bell slipped to the canvas after ducking to avoid a left hook.

In the ninth round, Bell used his jab to good effect, and managed to back Robinson off a little with two hooks to the body. It was only a momentary respite however, as Robinson quickly resumed his assault, and Bell continuously got the worst of the exchanges.

Finally, in the eleventh round, after landing several damaging hooks, Robinson followed up a double left hook combo, with a crunching right hand. The barrage sent Bell toppling to the canvas.

Bell struggled to his feet at the count of 8, but by all accounts, looked a thoroughly beaten man, and Robinson went all out for the finish. He battered his unsteady rival all over the ring, but when the bell rang, Bell was still on his feet.

The twelfth was a one sided barrage.

Just about everyone in the Garden felt Robinson would finish matters, as he unloaded his full arsenal on the exceedingly game, but near helpless Bell.

Robinson wailed away in a bid for the knockout, ripping hooks and right hands to the body and head, as he sent his tottering opponent staggering all over the ring. Through it all, Bell somehow stayed upright. He clutched and grabbed and used his jab as best he could to fend Robinson off, prompting one reporter to refer to Bell's amazing survival act as a miracle of ruggedness.

Coming out for the thirteenth, Bell’s face was a gory mess. His lower lip and nose swollen and bleeding, and his eyes puffy from the pounding he’d received. Robinson looking fresh by comparison was not completely unscathed, sporting cuts around both eyebrows.

Barely able to maintain his footing through the previous three minutes, most expected Bell to resume his survival tactics, yet he discarded the jab and grab of the previous round, choosing to crowd Robinson on the inside, while winging hooks to the body. There was nothing sharp or precise about what Bell could muster, but it was stirring, gutsy stuff that brought the crowd to its feet, and won him the round on the scorecards of many ringside observers.

Bell followed up his effort of the thirteenth, by continuing to bore in and swing away, while Robinson responded with the more precise return fire. Opinions were split on who won the round, with some preferring Bell’s haphazard aggressiveness to Robinson’s accurate counters.

While both men were running on fumes heading into the fifteenth, Robinson hadn’t absorbed close to the same amount of punishment, and had a little more snap in his shots. He again seized control of the battle, catching Bell repeatedly throughout the round. He just didn’t have enough left in the tank to amp up the power on his punches, and couldn’t put Bell into further duress. As the two exhausted fighters battled to the final bell, the appreciative crowd roared their approval.

The crowd applauded, as the two fighters received congratulations from their camps, while awaiting the official result. In the minds of most observers, there was not much doubt over who the winner was, but as with all competitive fights, there’s still a palpable tension in the air while the scores are being tabulated.

“I’m the champ, George.” Robinson said to Gainford as they stood in the corner. Gainford warned him not to be so certain.

After a few minutes, the cards were handed to ring announcer Harry Balogh, who read the verdict.

Referee Joseph and Judge Arthur Schwartz both had Robinson ahead by scores of 10 rounds to 5, while Judge Jack O’Sullivan had Robinson in front by 8 rounds to 6, with one round even. Loud cheers greeted the unanimous decision, although a few scattered boos could also be heard.

The ringside press was in complete agreement with Robinson winning the decision, and with the sentiment that Bell had performed courageously in defeat.

As congratulatory cries rang down from the balcony, tears welled up in Robinson’s eyes.

He’d finally done it. The king now had his crown.

- Andrew Fruman e-mail
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Sugar Shane Is Back!

by Lee Payton

Sugar Shane Mosley assured himself a place in the Hall Of Fame last night at Staples Center with a shockingly brutal thrashing of the consensus top welterweight in the world, Antonio Margarito. It was the kind of complete beating that left many wondering if the now former champ would ever be able to fight on this level again. Even with everything Mosley has accomplished during a glorious career, his 9th round TKO of the game Mexican may go down as his greatest achievement.

Margarito was supposed to be too young, too strong, too active and too tough for the old man, who was coming off an uneven performance against Ricardo Mayorga, in which he saved the evening by scoring a last second (literally) knockout. At 37 yeard old, it seemed to most like the end was near for the fearless pro from Pomona. He was up against some heavy odds and there were many that were actually fearing for his health going into the fight. Mosley showed that not only is he the better athlete, but also the more powerful man.

He did things to Margarito that most thought would be impossible. Part of the fight plan was obviously to use his edge in strength to bully Tony around in the clinch and force him back to break up the forward momentum that Margarito depends on. It also messed up his rhythm, and was the main reason why he could never get close to throwing the amount of punches he needed in order to win the fight. In my opinion, Shane had already won half the battle by implementing this strategy. The rest was up to Shane's fists.

The vast gap in overall speed and power decided the winner on this night. Mosley consistently beat Margarito to the punch with quick jabs and powerful overhand rights that bounced off his head. Whenever The Tijuana Tornado was able to get inside, his work was erased by bombs that got a reaction from the crowd.

Shane was so dominant that you could make a case for him winning the first 7 rounds. Margarito bravely came forward, but ate something huge everytime he got something going. By the 6th, the lethal shots to the body that Shane had been whacking him with, were starting to show. He had been softened up enough that his thick legs were starting to sag and his spirit began to dwindle. He was clearly getting more than he expected from the old timer.

To his credit, the scrappy Margarito came out for the 7th and may have taken it, but he was still being punished with powerful blows that snapped his head back violently. Something had to give eventually.

It was more of the same in the 8th round until Margarito started to grind his way inside, with just over a minute to go. Shane seemed annoyed at the little spurt and responded with a vicious right to the ribs that doubled Margarito over. Sensing that he had a wounded man in front of him, Mosley's killer instinct kicked in and he went for the finish.

At this point, the Mexican fighter could no longer defend himself, as he was blasted with a series of overhand rights. With 10 seconds left in the round, Mosley pounced on his prey again, landing a couple of perfect left hooks to go with three hard rights that put Margarito down. He rose on rubber legs and walked drunkenly back to his corner.

In these desperate moments, Antonio Margarito showed what kind of mans he is. He begged his corner not to stop the fight with him on his stool. They reluctantly honoured his request and one terrifying assault later, his night was finished. Sugar Shane had done the impossible.

With this monumental win, Mosley grabs another title belt, guarantees himself a place in Canastota, moves up on the pound-for-pound lists, and sets himself up for some lucrative opportunities in the future. Big money fights with Miguel Cotto, Ricky Hatton, Manny Pacquiao and maybe even Floyd Mayweather, are now serious possibilities.

37 year old welterweights are not supposed to be able to do what Shane Mosley just did. Margarito earned his reputation as one of the toughest guys in the sport, and Shane made him look rather ordinary. What you have to remember about Shane is that he is a gym rate. He lives a healthy lifestyle and is extremely competitive. 37 for him is 32 for most fighters because of his professional approach to boxing. He's a true throwback who would be right at home in any era.

On a personal level, January 24, 2009 will go down as the most satisfying night of my boxing life. Holyfield's taming of Tyson was special in it's own way, but I was too young to have witnessed The Real Deal's entire career. I first saw Shane in 1997 and he has been "my guy" ever since.

It hasn't always been easy. There was a period of time where his magic seemed lost, and I've had my fill of people trying to convince me that he was over the hill for the last few years, but Sugar Shane never stopped working so I never stopped believing.

When all is said and done, Shane Mosley will be remembered as a very special fighter. It's his rare combination of determination, grit, discipline, fighting spirit and athletic firepower that makes him one of the most accomplished and respected warriors of his time. And he's on top of the world, once again.

- Lee Payton e-mail
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Predictions For Margarito vs Mosley

You can expect fireworks when current champ, Antonio Margarito takes on former 3 division champ, Sugar Shane Mosley at a sold out Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. The Tijuana Tornado is a solid favourite to come out on top, but the older man should not be counted out. He's got his own set of advantages over the hard-charging Mexican, and will be looking to make them count in what should be a real battle of wills.

A few of The Boxing Bulletin's writers chose to weigh-in with their thoughts on this significant welterweight showdown, and the result was an interesting mixture of opinions.


Mosley brings a lot of things to the table that will trouble Margarito. He can match Tony in toughness and strength while having a significant advantage in speed. It really comes down to how much Shane has left in his legs for 36 minutes of warfare.

I expect Shane to come out blazing and take the early rounds. Margarito will work his way back into the fight and I see it even after eight.From there both men will dig deep into their unlimited reserves. I really want to pick Mosley as i can see him winning this, but I think age will leave him just short in the championship rounds. Margarito by UD. 7-5 or 8-4 in another excellent welterweight fight.

-Mark Lyons


Margarito will win this fight by UD. I see a score of 9-3. This is really a battle between a grinder and a fast handed slugger. Neither guy has one punch power and both guys have anvils for chins. But it seems obvious that Margarito will win due to his volume punching and his ability to move forward continually. Shane can only fight in spurts these days and when he does he can be effective, but it won't be enough to win many rounds even if the fight is quite exciting. If we're really lucky this might turn into a body punching extravangza. Unless fame has softened Margarito up, I don't see how Shane wins this fight. And I will say Margarito has the kind of style that requires absolute dedication for it be successful, but I don't think he'd risk losing the fame he worked so hard to build up.

-John Vaci


I've always been a Mosley fan. I've cheered for him in all of his fights and will cheer for him again on Saturday night. Only this will be the first time I'll go in thinking he's got almost no chance. He just doesn't have enough left to keep the fight where he needs it to be. He's still got hand speed, but it's one at a time speed, and his legs won't carry him the way they'll need to. He's in with an opponent that brings the kind of relentless intensity that can make an older fighter show his age. As the rounds go by, he'll start getting bullied to the ropes, and he'll slowly get worked. It won't happen immediately, but as the grind of the fight moves into the later rounds, we'll see the battle become gradually more one-sided. I think Shane is tough enough to see the final bell, but he's not winning.

-Andrew Fruman.


I'm going with Sugar Shane, and not just because he's been my guy for over 10 years now. I think he can win this fight. Fights are not fought on paper, but I think some are minimizing Shane's advantages while blowing up Margarito's. The fact is, he's fighting a guy who matches him in many of the key ares Tony can usually count on having the edge, like chin, strength, determination and size. That leaves him as the guy who throws more punches, but I think Shane will stand his ground, which has always messed with Margarito's output.

Tony is a come forward fighter, and if you can disrupt that with the threat of speed and power, as well as clinching here and there, you've have won half the battle. I see Shane's athletic advantage as the decider. He has a pretty potent, offense himself. I see this fight as offense vs offense between to hard men. In this case I'll take the sharper, faster, harder hitter, who can mix it up a bit with some defense.

Mosley guts out a tough fight. His speed and more memorable power shots are the difference to the judges who award him the close decision win. Shane goes 2-0 at Staples.

-Lee Payton Read more!

Sugar Shane Can Win, And Here's How... Part 2

by Lee Payton

Shane Mosley will attempt to make history this Saturday night, when he enters the ring with relentless Mexican fighting machine, Antonio Margarito, who is seen as the #1 welterweight in the world. The Tijuana Tornado is in the middle of a scary prime, and he is a prohibitive favourite to prevail, but Sugar Shane has never backed down from anyone.

In part 1, we examined the last time these two men were between the ropes. We also touched on their fighting reputations, and came to the conclusion that this fight will be something new and could be something special. In part 2 we'll take a closer look at how they stack up against each other and discuss some of the intangibles that Shane might be able to take advantage of on fight night.

© 2008 Ray Kasprowicz

Now for the physical ingredients. Here is a list of some important categories, and who I think holds the edge in each.

Age- Advantage Margarito. He's 30 to Shane's 37. Not much can be argued there. I'll just say that Shane is a dedicated prize fighter, who is always in shape. Tony is a similar kind of gym rat, but he has taken more than his share pf punches over a hard career, and you never know when that can show up.

Size- Even. Some would say that Antonio is bigger, but I disagree. Sure, Mosley boiled his body down to lightweight, but he was really a welterweight during his reign. Both are 147 lbers who have dabbled in the jr middleweight division. They are also basically eye to eye.

Power- Mosley has the bigger single shot. Margarito can also punch, but not quite as hard.

Hand Speed- Mosley, without a doubt.

Foot Speed- Mosley again, though he plants his feet most of the time these days.

Body Punching- Margarito goes there more often these days. His commitment to the ribs may bring out some of Mosley's best work downstairs.

Chin and Durability- Even. There is titanium in the jaws of both men.

Output- Margarito. Though I don't think he'll be allowed to get to the number he prefers as often as he has in the past.. I trust that he'll throw more punches than Shane in every round, or close to it.

Stamina- Margarito throws more punches so I'll give it to him. Both have done great work late in fights.

Defence- Mosley. Fitting that this category is listed last, as both warriors are offensive-minded fighters, but Shane can slip slower shots when he wants to so the edge goes to him. It's quick fighters that have hit him most in the past.

The score is 4-4-2. The fight looks a lot closer than Shane getting beat up and stopped late now, doesn't it?

Sometimes you can correctly pick a winner by recognizing what the fighters typically depend on to win, Then you can decide whether they are likely to find what they are looking for this time around.

Margarito depends on being bigger, stronger, tougher and not only outworking his opponent, but being the much busier fighter. It also helps if the guy can't take his punch over the short or long haul.

In this case, he's not bigger, stronger or tougher. Those are a wash. He will be the busier fighter, but as we covered earlier, Shane can do some things to keep him from achieving his desired activity level, like taking advantage of clinches, getting off first, and moving here and there to set up pot shots. In order to negate the flashier fighter's best work, I think Tony probably wants to be throwing about 90 punches a round, and I just don't think he'll get there in 6 or more of the 12 rounds this time. His opponent is a very tough customer, so erasing a solid lead with a stoppage will probably not be an option. He's going to have to start and finish fast this time.

Mosley depends on being faster than his opponent. These days, he needs their cooperation in there as well, because his mature legs don't like chasing movers. He prefers to bite down and fight it out, so quick cuties also annoy him. He's at his best against slower guys who will either stand in front or come to him all night. The tricky part is that Antonio Margarito comes as hard as anyone in the sport and too much pressure can bring out age in a hurry.

It looks like Shane's speed might be the telling advantage, so far.

Some would insist that Margarito is a better fighter in close and Mosley would be playing into his hands by standing his ground, but I think he can take advantage of some of the openings Tony leaves when he goes on the offensive. When he lets go, he typically does it with both hands and because of this, his face out there to be hit. If Shane stays in there, he can line up bombs that should wow the judges and those in attendance. There really is a lot of time and space to launch between those punches and the older man should still have the speed to get there.

The fact that Shane actually has a real boxing guy heading up his corner for this one could also boost his chances of pulling off the upset. Naazim Richardson knows his boxing and was the lead man for Bernard Hopkins when he undressed both Antonio Tarver and Kelly Pavlik. I'm sure that they studied enough tape and have come up with a realistic fight plan that the two believe in.

Mosley may also be the hungrier fighter that night. He wanted to make this fight more than Margarito did and it's been awhile since he was on top. He's intensely competitive, so I expect him to lay it all on the line. I expect both men to be at their best.

With all that said, I'm going on record as picking Shane Mosley by very close decision, though I do think a draw is a very real possibility. It might even be worth throwing a few bucks on. I don’t believe that he is as far gone as many others, nor do I think Margarito is just going to overwhelm him. Suggesting that there might be a knock out or a stoppage seems almost preposterous, in my opinion. This is a 12 round fight if ever there was one.

When all is said and done, Sugar Shane Mosley will have earned a decision over the top welterweight in the world by fighting his fight. He's not going to stick and move or stink out the joint by holding excessively. It's not in him. He's going to make his weapons matter most on this one important night. It will be close and hard-fought, but Shane will have put just enough sugar in Margarito's gas tank to beat him to the finish line.

Lee Payton
prodigious1@hotmail.com
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Sugar Shane Can Win, And Here's How... Part 1

by Lee Payton

Sugar Shane Mosley has won world titles at 135, 147 and 154 lbs, he’s a future hall of famer, and was once regarded as the best fighter in the world, but when he takes on Antonio Margarito, he'll be facing the number 1 welterweight as a heavy underdog. Bookies have set the line as high as 4-1 against Shane, based mostly on his age (37) and the fact that he lost a close decision to Miguel Cotto, who was just stopped in 11 rounds by the Tijuana Tornado.

I have a few problems with the conventional wisdom surrounding this particular fight and so I am going to try to present a strong case for a Mosley victory on Jan. 24.

Photo © Ray Kasprowicz

Boxing fans often make the mistake of looking at the fighters' most recent battle and picking a winner based on who looked better. It's not a terrible general rule, but there are many things to consider before one can really determine how significant that factor will be.

For instance, was it a case of a bad style match-up? Was it a case of the challenger being better than he was on any other night? I also think that it's quite important to remember that these guys are human beings and therefore it is impossible for them to be 100% all the time or look like gold every time out. Fighters have off nights.

Let's look back on the last time these two were in a ring and see if we can find anything that directly relates to this fight.

Margarito was in the fight of his life with Cotto and was obviously inspired for the long-awaited occasion. He used his advantages in size and durability to walk down the Puerto Rican star until his man had nothing left. It was a massive win and he deserves all the acclaim he has received for fighting his heart out like that. Still, that style might suit him better than Shane's considering Miguel was moving back all night, only stopping to defend himself. Cotto allowed Tony to get into his rhythm by doing his work and then going off to the races again. It must have done wonders for Margarito's confidence to have taken his opponent's best and then be chasing him again a second later.

Shane will almost certainly stand his ground more and try to use his speed to get off first in order to mess with that rhythm. Another way Shane can break up the forward momentum is by clinching after he gets off, or whenever he is feeling uncomfortable. The two bodies will be coming together naturally quite a bit because of the styles anyway. It's up to the old man to take advantage of them, like his partner, the even older Bernard Hopkins, has done in his later years.

One more advantage Mosley has over Cotto is durability. He is a much more difficult guy to hurt, and has proven his granite chin throughout his career, only being in real danger one time in 50 fights. Tony will not be able to stun the iron man from Pomona with the same type of stuff, which makes a stoppage extremely unlikely.

Now let's have a gander at Shane's last fight. He engaged in a sloppy little slugfest with Nicaraguan former welterweight champion, Ricardo Mayorga. The two swung big between periods of inactivity and it was surprisingly even through 11 rounds. Then, in the last minute of the 12th, Mosley broke through with some slamming shots to the jaw of his wild adversary that finally put him down. After taking an 8 count and rising, Mayorga was knocked flat by a single left hook, one second before the final bell.

It was a memorable finish to a forgettable fight. Most fans expected the classier fighter to toy with the flawed brawler before blasting him out, and when it didn't happen, Shane had to be finished. No consideration given to the awkward style match-up, or to the idea that El Matador had actually got himself into decent shape.

I think assuming Mosley will lose based on those two fights is a mistake because none of the 4 fighters mentioned are anything alike.

Mayorga is unconventional, deceptively quick and swings for the homerun with every shot.

Margarito is conventional, relatively slow, and usually throws in combination.

Cotto is quick of hand and foot, can fight attacking or countering and keeps his hands high on defence. He got the decision over Mosley using tools that the Tijuana Ticker-Tester doesn't have.

Shane has fast hands and usually wins fights with power punching and athleticism.

So can we all agree that their most recent fights have nothing to do with this one, other than to state that Margarito is indeed closer to his prime? Great!

Tomorrow I'll analyze the physical tools each fighter brings to the dance, determine who holds what specific advantages and what it all means. I'll also be going on record with a prediction.

Read Part 2


Lee Payton
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