The fight is loaded with intrigue and role reversals, as Mosley, once a top name and fighter in the sport of boxing, was, at one point during purse negotiations, reduced to waiting for an opponent that many had avoided.
 
Named “Fighter of the Year” in 1998, Nice Guy Mosley is a former lightweight, welterweight, and junior middleweight champion, as well as a leading ambassador for the sport of boxing.
 
His opponent, Antonio Margarito, is currently enjoying the pick-and-choose privileges a name fighter deserves. For a fighter like Margarito, who has had much of his career void of big fight paydays, the satisfaction must be immense to finally be in a position to control both his career’s direction and opponents.
 
Mosley, conversely, had his boxing ticket punched as a member of the 1992 Olympic boxing team and as the owner of an amateur record consisting of over 250 victories. Making his professional debut on February 11, 1993, Sugar Shane Mosley scored a 5th round KO over Greg Puente.
 
Margarito did not enjoy the luxury of instant name recognition which is typically afforded by Olympic prominence. At 30 years old, Margarito has been boxing for 15 years. Antonio began his pro career in 1994, and earned a record of 9-3 in his first 12 fights.
 
Literally thrown to the wolves as a boy, Margarito the man would eventually amass an 11 year, 26 fight winning streak as a welterweight. His winning streak occurred during a time in his career when both Mosley and Mayweather turned down reported offers of $8,000,000 to face Margarito. Antonio was considered the most feared/avoided fighter in boxing until dropping a unanimous decision to Paul Williams on July 14, 2007.
 
Shane Mosley never had the same problem securing big name opponents that Margarito did. Mosley became a world champion for the first time in 1997, defeating Philip Holiday for the IBF lightweight title. Shane would remain undefeated until facing Vernon Forrest for the WBC welterweight title on January 26, 2002, loosing a unanimous decision. Mosley also lost an immediate rematch to Forrest in July, 2002.
 
Notable wins for Shane include a pair of victories over Oscar De La Hoya (2000, 2003), and Fernando Vargas (February and July of 2006).
 
Shane’s five defeats have occurred against three well-known, elite fighters: Vernon Forrest (January and July 2002), Ronald “Winky” Wright (March and November 2004), and Miguel Cotto (November 2007).
 
Shane and his father/trainer Jack Mosley cite “power boxing” as the reason for Shane’s prolonged prestige. Power boxing is simply the utilization of a fighter’s excellent conditioning, coupled with a high punch output.
 
Saturday night will be a golden opportunity for Margarito to lay his hands on a former name opponent who was directly responsible for Antonio’s delayed stardom.
 
Margarito’s first title shot opportunity arrived in July, 2001. Margarito was scheduled to face Daniel Santos for the WBO welterweight title, but the fight was stopped at 2:11 in the first round, due to a cut suffered by Margarito. The rematch with Santos would occur September 11, 2004, for the WBO light middleweight strap. This bout would also be stopped due to a cut above Margarito’s right eyebrow.
 
Margarito first became welterweight champion when he earned the vacant WBO welterweight title, defeating Antonio Diaz with a unanimous decision in March, 2002. Over the course of five years, Margarito would defend his title 7 times, against opponents including the dangerous Joshua Clottey and the overmatched Kermit Cintron.
 
Margarito suffered his first defeat as a welterweight in over ten years when he faced the phenomenon Paul Williams. Margarito would again regain a title strap when he dismantled Cintron for a second time in their April, 2008 rematch. Margarito would go on to abandon the belt in order to make a fight with Miguel Cotto happen.
 
Margarito’s clinical destruction of Miguel Cotto in July, 2008, served as a reminder to all of us as to why Antonio had been ignored and avoided for so long by the top fighters in the game. Taking Cotto’s best shots, Margarito pressed the action, chasing and beating Cotto from corner to corner, eventually earning an 11th round TKO in a classic and brutal styles match up.
 
Mosley continued his career after a November, 2007 unanimous decision lost to Cotto with a September, 2008 bout with Ricardo Mayorga. In what was a surprisingly even fight, Mosley appeared tired and without his usually quickness while eventually scoring a thrilling last second knockout against Mayorga.
 
A common opponent exists in Antonio Diaz (45-5-1, 29 KOs). Mosley got to Diaz first, scoring a 6th round TKO in November, 2000 in defense of Mosley’s WBC welterweight title.
Diaz would suffer a TKO in the tenth round against Antonio Margarito in 2002; a loosing effort for the vacant WBO welterweight title.
 
For “power boxing” to be effective, conditioning and speed are essential, and at 37 years old,
doubters can wonder how much Shane has left.
 
It can be expected that Margarito will be taking the fight personally against an opponent who never gave him an opportunity for earlier fame. His resentment is understandable; for most of his career, Margarito has been an elite fighter idle in his prime. Most name fighters would consider facing Margarito a poor career move, despite the $8,000,000 return.
 
Lou DiBella said that if the fight between Margarito and Mosley were made, someone could be arrested for manslaughter. Despite the match up being well overdue, both Margarito and Mosley are class individuals and athletes, and both come to win.