Boxing News Boxing News
This week, it has been announced by Golden Boy Promotions that Mexican starlet Saul Alvarez will be making the fourth defence of his World Boxing Council Light-Middleweight title against the veteran American and former three weight World Champion Sugar Shane Mosley at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas on the 5th May.
Alvarez’s defence against the 40 year old Mosley will also feature alongside Mosley conqueror Floyd Mayweather’s challenge for the World Boxing Association’s11 stone belt against Puerto Rican icon Miguel Cotto on the same bill.
On first appearance, these two fights that have been announced so far on the bill can appear in some quarters to be an four-man tournament of sorts, with a possible unification match in the pipeline between the winners of these two world title fights to take place later this year.
Although if Mayweather is victorious in his fight against Cotto and wins the WBA title, any subsequent bouts will have to be delayed until later in the year as Mayweather is yet to serve a 90 day prison sentence for assaulting his ex girlfriend Josie Harris, who is also the mother of his two children. However, it remains to be seen exactly how much of this prison sentence Mayweather will actually serve.
In meeting Mosley, the 21-year-old Alvarez faces his toughest test in his 40 fight professional career to date, although Mosley has been a mediocre 2-2-1 in his last five fights which has included two wide points losses at welterweight to both Mayweather and Manny Pacquiao.
Also there has been only one knockout in his last five bouts, a stoppage against the disgraced Mexican Antonio Margarito in January 2009, which was the last victory in Mosley’s glittering 55 fight career which has seen him capture six world titles at Lightweight, Welterweight and Light Middleweight.
He still has the necessary experience and power to give Alvarez a hard night at the Grand and Mosley has lasted the distance in all seven of his losses, having never been stopped.
Another factor that could influence the odds making in Mosley’s favour is his impressive record against Hispanic fighters.
Mosley holds wins against Nicaraguan mad man Ricardo Mayorga with a last second knockout, a dominant points win against Luis Collazo, two stoppage wins against Fernando Vargas along with two points wins against Oscar De La Hoya, who’s Golden Boy Promotions will be promoting these fights on the 5th May.
For the 21-year-old Alvarez, the contest presents a potential opportunity to make a statement in the pound for pound rankings by defeating a ring legend in the shape of Mosley and possibly even become the first man to stop Mosley.
Should he achieve this, Alvarez will then grab the mantle as the next big Mexican star once the three kings of Mexican boxing – Erik Morales, Marco Antonio Barrera and Juan Manuel Marquez – have the final bell rung on their own glittering careers.
Despite his youth, Alvarez has shown great maturity in the ring with superb shot selection, switching effectively and smoothly between head and body in his attacks and is a terrific finisher when he has his opponent in trouble as he demonstrated against Kermit Cintron in his most recent fight.
While Mosley will be the sentimental favourite in this clash, Alvarez will be the clear betting favourite and will be likely to take a dominant points victory or even stop Mosley late, but perhaps the grand old stager could spring one last surprise on us and upset the starlet Alvarez.
