By Bradley Yeh 

Shane Mosley has never been one to accept the status quo and believe that the operational standard need not be questioned. Dangerously explosive within the ring, Mosley has tasted boxing’s successes without allowing himself become tainted or intoxicated from its often widely adopted powers.

There's class in that.

Not everything is about popularity, fame and preserving the “O”, particularly if the truth is what you want your deserving fans to really know; Mosley takes risks that don’t measure up with the reward lines that conventional boxing management thinks along - Mosley rematches close fights to remove the doubt, whether there appears a way to easily win or not.

Not everything is about money for Mosley; Mosley agreed to be De La Hoya’s sparring partner for the Mayweather fight - that’s unique for a top-class fighter these days.

Imagine asking pretty boy to be a “prep-mule” for another fighter.

So please, let us not be told that Cotto is the more determined fighter here as some are suggesting.

The tangibles with predicting Cotto & Judah can be easily seen to present more mental gymnastics than De La Hoya vs. Pretty Boy Floyd Mayweather anyway.

With Cotto, you have the fighting enthusiasm and confidence that only comes from a successful young pro-boxer who knows how to bludgeon and knock the consciousness clean out of competitors - all combined with a polite concealed demeanour.

Aside from the hair, only Cotto’s icy-cold gaze hints at the warrior resolve residing within. Unlike Mosley though, after listening to Cotto talk it’s as if you’d never get to know the complete reticent Cotto - no matter how often he was interviewed.

For the most part Cotto is a search and destroy fighter, whose mechanical style has to a large extent been authorised by the fact that he rarely fought guys that equal both his strength and speed. Remember; Only a few years back Cotto’s typical size advantage (when actually stepping into the ring) was seriously questionable from his opponent’s point of view - even by today’s professional fighting weight drained standards.

Cotto was literally a light middleweight when stepped into the ring to fight Corley in their light welterweight showdown, and a similar circumstance favouring Cotto happened for the Malignaggi fight.

I'm not saying Cotto isn’t worthy or that he can't fight. No not at all.

But if Malignaggi could punch like Torres the Malignaggi vs. Cotto fight may have been a different story with an ending made for New York - but Malignaggi can't punch like Torres as it appears that his mouth isn’t willing to load share the available energy any given point in time. So I won't go there for that reason. Another reason is, I can't fight and I may run into the Malignaggi one day.

Donned with the much-vaunted “sugar” moniker that once belonged to the great Ray Robinson; Shane Mosley is a veteran-fighting machine programmed to win through the deployment of high-energy-fluid-like-manoeuvres overlayed with freaky speed.

Mosley is as experienced as any modern day boxer that came onto the scene after Archie Moore can be, and I challenge anyone to inform me of a style or strength that a boxer can possess that Mosley has not yet encountered and handled in a manner that one could be proud of and entertained with. Mosley is all class, both in and out of the ring.

There’s no doubt that Cotto is great athlete either, but Mosley redefines the word “sportsman”. You won't see him grabbing anyone’s nuts to win fights. However, unlike some of the foundation that Cotto’s professional fame rests upon, Mosley is prepared punch above his weight and has done so, but with mixed results.

Perhaps more fitting when discussing the term “sportsman” though, Mosley almost always accepts rematch offers. Talk about treat everyone the same, and do unto others and all that fluffy stuff.

By conventional standards, (in an age of managed and manufactured fighters), Shane Mosley appears to gauge both success and threat differently from most; there's not many guys that would offer rematches to opponents (Vargas) to remove the perception of chance, and, to win hearts of the boxing purists that know the real deal - all after they have (honourably but publicly) failed in all their previous big rematch attempts (Wright & Forrest).

Much can be said about Mosley, and most has already been said, and a lot of people have picked Cotto over him hoping that Mosley gets old overnight.

But whilst Mosley is older, he is also more than just a clean liver in a thirty something body throwing its arms around in a square ring over 12 rounds in hope of a few lucky dollars.

Suffice to say that as a small lightweight, Mosley brazenly elected to move north, up through several higher divisions in a single successful move to defeat Oscar De La Hoya in the welterweights during the year of 2000.

It was Mosley’s first fight as a welterweight.

It was a sensation that has still not been forgotten, as up until that juncture in De La Hoya’s golden career, where Mosley stormed over him, Oscar appeared both shiny and invincible.

Like Cotto, back in those days Oscar too, have been a little guilty of fighting with what could be described as an unfair weight advantage.

It’s interesting to note that prior to that welter weight move Mosley made, whilst contemplating Oscar’s credentials; even then as a lightweight Mosley’s confidence was so high that he was not deterred by the fact that Oscar had previously defeated Quartey, slaughtered Chavez, squeaked past the brilliant Whitaker, damaged Carr and destroyed Hernandez.

All were all significant champions in their own rights.

Did I mention Mosley measures danger differently?

To be fair though, it was most likely Oscar’s close fight with Trinidad in 1999, (particularly Oscar’s fading behaviour within the late rounds), that ultimately confirmed Mosley’s suspicions that within Oscar resided a slight weakness that could be highlighted and perhaps exploited by Mosley’s then electrifying supercharged speed.

Mosley now sees similarities in his match-up with Cotto.

Unlike his fight with De La Hoya in 2000 though, Mosley is now of course heading south back down to welterweight for Cotto. So, the weight should now be in his favour. Yes there has been a welterweight homecoming party already with Collazo, but no doubt Mosley feels that the southward migration alone is enough to offset the fact that his age is at the opposite end of boxing’s well publicised longevity yardstick.

In Cotto Mosley sees a younger man requiring very little provocation before the openings will present themselves for his speed and experience to easily capitalise on. When conducting the pre fight peer review Mosley sees a “Rican” that says he’s ready, but also a “Rican” that has been hit (Ndou, Corley). A “Rican” that can be hit (Malignaggi, Torres). And one that when hit, has yet to be hit by someone that can finish (Judah).

No wonder Mosley finds it easy to smile in the face offs.

Whilst to some extent this is all may be true, mostly though Mosley sees Cotto as a potential world title belt that can be placed on the bargaining table to lure Floyd Mayweather into the ring for a big time Golden Boy style cash carnival to symbolise the closing of his stellar career.

Not just for the money though. But also because Oscar would prefer to live his dreams of beating Mayweather through another (business partner) than not live them at all, and Mosley is just the “sportsman” to do it for him (if possible) and be paid for it.

But before we celebrate Shane Mosley further let’s be fair to Cotto and say that for all Mosley’s strengths, and judging him at the championship level; Mosley too has some weaknesses.

In desperation Shane throws wide hooks predictably, and the speed that has allowed that predictability to escape without consequence has now marginally eroded to the point where Mosley’s “desperation hooks” are the perfect catalyst to depend upon for Cotto’s well timed explosive gifts that are usually sent air mail - yes Cotto knows that timing beats speed. So does Judah. And let’s not kid ourselves that Mosley’s hands are faster than Judah’s.

No doubt Mosley is more game and willing to take chances with the use of his speed than Judah? Yes. But, is he faster than Judah? No.

Furthermore, Mosley has little “serious single shot firepower” (is there another kind you ask) to concern most upper tier competitors with - particularly those competitors that thrive on furious exchanges that test a fighter’s confidence, perhaps even his willingness to gamble with the stamina normally reserved for the late night action.

Young fighters like Cotto.

Staying with the Mosley critique a little longer; Mosley’s feet sometimes betray the potential of his dazzlingly fast hands, as often they're too preoccupied with the escape plan – all those evasive fast movements - when occasionally it’s time to remain planted to the floor in order to deliver raw left and right hand horsepower in “serious FO quantities”.

Finally; Mosley’s balance is at times less than ideal when moving quickly - particularly when frustrated - a condition that Shane also has difficulty in concealing.

Cotto suffers from neither of these issues significantly. Actually a case can be made that he perhaps subscribes to some of the given alternatives too heavily.

And that’s why this match up is good news.

As all the advantages of each guy, can be seen to interlock and (if used correctly) nullify the disadvantages of either man.

But you can go on forever with the comparisons of skills and experience. Where will it get you in the end when you finally realise the fight is fought on the canvass, not on paper? Perhaps, if you're lucky, you win a few bucks with the easy odds. Perhaps not.

When you strip the insulation back to the conductor with the analysis; you're ultimately presented with the fact that Mosley presents a new and unique challenge to Cotto, but that Cotto presents nothing that Mosley hasn’t seen or negated before.

From this comes the fact that Mosley has several options to win, and that Cotto must (predicably) come forward and deliver (enough) power to discourage (or KO) Mosley if Cotto is to be the winner.

Why can't Cotto do that you ask when Oscar, Forrest and Wright all did? (Please don’t seriously suggest Oscar lost the second fight to Mosley). The fight is a hard call when you explain it like that isn’t it?

Perhaps the answer to this question why lies in how Cotto comes forward.

Ever seen a monkey rush a banana? In a zoo I mean. Those hairy hands are usually at the height of the banana with a controlling cerebral influence that would make Homer Simpson appear “genius-like” when in the vicinity of a pizza.

Let’s get one thing straight; Cotto is no defensively minded fighter. No way.

Furthermore he doesn’t come forward and present the complexities that Forrest, Oscar, or Wright do. Cotto is easy to hit and doesn’t hold a shot well.

For all intensive purposes it appears as if Cotto’s defence is offence.

And whilst the old catchcry “the best defence is offence” may sound heroic and great when trainers (who have had less fights than those they advise) shout it out in crowded boxing gyms, the reality is that an approach devoid of defensive options leaves you with no alternative when you get sparked out and really have someone on your case that knows how to win.

Brendan Ingle, who surely must be one of the cleverest trainers in the world, once said, “excellent offences can only come from a great defence”.

I believe him. If you don’t, then you're only half the fighter you think you are.

Cotto fell in love with punching far too long ago for that all that evasive, duck and weave fluffy stuff. You can tell from his style that he thinks it eats into the valuable time that could otherwise be spent separating opponents from their consciousnesses.

Hell, I bet Cotto even hates the fact there’s a minute’s break between boxing rounds. He probably also despises the ruling that a referee can save an opponent.

Cotto has a pretty good left hand and even Mosley admits this. Is it better or faster than Oscars? Probably not and let’s not forget that Mosley was reasonably successful in not getting hit with too many decent left hooks for the entire fight when he fought Oscar - both times.

And Oscar’s left hooks then, were probably as good as they get.

During both fights with Oscar, Mosley cleverly avoided one of DeLa Hoya’s most serious weapons via the sensible utilisation of distance, facilitated with his extraordinary reach. This quietly announced to DeLa Hoya that he would be too open for Mosley’s left hand body attacks and his right cross counters, should DeLa Hoya reach, (but miss) with an attempt at a long left hook.

Mosley’s resistance to square up and present a large target during both fights with Oscar also assisted in diffusing and closing down one of the best left hooks in the welterweights – De La Hoya's.

Take away Cotto’s left hook and what have you got?

No banana milkshake at the MSG for Miguel is my bet. Aside from Mosley’s age and the potential for him to be hurt early in the fight, there’s no good reason why Mosley can't do this to Cotto.

There's also a monkey see monkey do train of thought that says you need a good left jab to beat Mosley, and because Cotto doesn’t appear to have one, Cotto won't win.

That’s not necessarily true in my opinion, as just because Forrest attributed his win to the left jab, doesn’t really mean that’s the golden punch for others. Forrest has a different style to Cotto anyway and I'm sure Cotto didn’t become an Olympian by not having an excellent jab, particularly with the amateur points system the (sad) way it is. (Besides, Forrest attributed his success against Mosley to the left jab so close after the actual fight that it’s questionable whether Forrest really had recovered in time to fully understand and contemplate all the ways his comments would be construed by writers over the ensuing years).

Cutting to the chase; if Zab Judah’s punch resistance were better than it is, Judah may now be smoking cigars and writing rap songs about Cotto’s downfall, as almost all of the other ingredients were there for Judah to upset Cotto in his last fight.

Mosley should have no such issue with his punch resistance holding a few shots from a guy like Cotto; which can be said to represent the beginning of any circumstance that would otherwise be the end for Mosley had he not already successively demonstrated his ability to remain undeterred when his bell is seriously rung.

Yes, after trading shots with Wright, Oscar and the heavy handed Vargas, it’s probably fair to be confident that as result of his tenure in the heavier middleweights with top class operators, there's a high likelihood this weekend that Mosley’s punch resistance will probably be better than Cotto requires it to be.

But what of Cotto’s?

And whilst both boy’s age and power differences will factor into this fight, the outcome won't necessarily centralise around those coefficients.

More so, this fight’s mass will gravitate around the centre point duality that simultaneously describes both Mosley’s inability to be tagged easily and Cotto’s inability to avoid it.

I believe that this fight is more about what Mosley can take away from Cotto, rather than what Cotto can give.

If Cotto can adapt and get used to the idea that he won't win by KO, I think this fight could easily be a draw. However I am also picking Mosley to win.

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