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Re: Just another one of Wacko's Drunken Round by Rounds: Mosley vs Collazo.
This is from the New York Times. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/10/sp.../10boxing.html
Thought you might like to read it.
LAS VEGAS, Feb. 9 — The assortment of tattoos crisscrossing Luis Collazo’s upper body are difficult to miss when he steps into the ring. Even Collazo is not sure how many tattoos he has. He stopped counting at 30.
“I got the first one when I was 17,” said Collazo, a 25-year-old former Golden Gloves champion. “Over the years, it became an addiction. I’m not done yet.”
Collazo (27-2, 13 knockouts) hopes to leave a different mark Saturday night, when he faces Shane Mosley (43-4, 37 knockouts) for the World Boxing Council welterweight title at Mandalay Bay Events Center. This is the opportunity of a lifetime for Collazo after Kermit Cintron backed out of the fight in January because of a contract dispute.
It has been a long journey for Collazo, from Brooklyn’s Starrett City Boxing Club, where he began boxing at 12, to the glamorous Mandalay Bay Casino, where his image and Mosley’s appear on billboards to promote the fight. Beating Mosley, a three-time world champion, would be the signature moment in Collazo’s career. It would be an upset that would undoubtedly lead to greater exposure and bigger paydays.
“Critics have me as the underdog, but I’ve been waiting for this all my life,” Collazo said Thursday, scoffing at the Las Vegas oddsmakers who have made him more than a 3-1 underdog. “It’s exciting. I’m enjoying the moment. I’m young, I’ve got great hand speed, I’m hungry and I’m determined. I can’t wait. I don’t have anything to prove. I’m just going to do what I do.”
Collazo has a history of capitalizing on his opportunities. He defeated José Antonio Rivera in 2005 to win the World Boxing Association welterweight championship, taking the fight on two weeks notice after Thomas Damgaard pulled out with pneumonia.
But defeating Mosley on short notice poses a greater challenge. Immediately after signing the contract, Collazo left Brooklyn and headed for Hollywood, Fla., where he trained intensely for five weeks, sharpening his skills and shedding weight. Between fights, Collazo’s weight can approach 170 pounds, but at Friday’s weigh-in he was 147. “We were running, bike riding, swimming in the morning, then coming into the gym at two in the afternoon,” said Nirmal Lorick, the trainer for Collazo. “We also did Pilates classes for two weeks. When you’re young, you can work like that. It was a good camp. Making the weight wasn’t a problem.
“Shane’s going to see a younger version of himself, a young Luis Collazo,” he added. “I have a lot of respect for Shane. “He’s a future Hall of Famer, and anybody who doesn’t believe that needs to check their head. But this is Luis’s time. He wants to make a name for himself.”
Collazo lost his W.B.A. title last year when he dropped a controversial 12-round decision to Ricky Hatton. Many at ringside believed Collazo had won, and his strong showing made him a viable opponent for Mosley.
Fighting in a main event in Las Vegas on HBO is nothing new for Mosley, whose impressive résumé includes two victories over both Oscar De La Hoya and Fernando Vargas. Although he complimented Collazo on his style and hand speed Thursday, Mosley also made it clear that he expected to win.
“I’m just too good right now, too sharp,” said Mosley, who knocked out Vargas in the sixth round last July. “I was motivated by watching Collazo’s tapes. He’s good. But I haven’t felt this good in a long time. I’m ready for anybody who jumps into the ring with me.”
Collazo views things differently, and the fight raises interesting questions. Is Mosley, 35, still the fighter he once was? Will Collazo’s left-handed style cause problems for Mosley? Will Mosley, who has fought at 154 pounds since 2003, be negatively impacted by dropping down to 147 pounds?
Nothing about Thursday’s news conference seemed to faze Collazo. He sat quietly wearing sunglasses and listening to music through headphones while Lorick traded barbs with Mosley’s trainer and father, Jack Mosley. Collazo leaves the trash talking to others. He clearly feels the most comfortable in the gym, where he earned a reputation in New York by winning the Golden Gloves 147-pound novice division when he was 16, and the open division at 18. Collazo qualified for the 2000 Olympic trials, but a thumb injury prevented him from competing for a spot on the United States team.
With only 13 knockouts in 29 fights, Collazo relies on speed more than power. He will also count on his elusiveness. He said that a host of friends and family members would attend Saturday’s fight, hoping that his next tattoo would come at Mosley’s expense.
“I’m not only faster, but more accurate,” Collazo said. “Mosley’s a great boxer, but I believe I’m bringing more to the table right now. I’m not intimidated. I’m ready.”
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Originally Posted by miles
Wacks I'm dealing with family adversity too, your not alone bud 
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