I recently was afforded the opportunity to speak to future Hall of Famer and former 3 division world champion, ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley. Mosley, now 43, is looking towards the next chapter of his career, that of being the trainer. In this interview Shane talks about how he got into the sport, and not being selected to the Olympic team. Mosley also talks about winning his first world title, and shares his thoughts on meeting a prime Oscar De La Hoya in the ring. Additionally Shane talks about Mayweather vs. Pacquiao finally happening. Here is what Shane Mosley had to say.
Robert Brown: I would like to know how your relationship with boxing started and why you choose boxing as a profession, could you give us the background?
Shane Mosley: I got into boxing when I was 8. My mom actually made me go to the gym with my dad who had been an amateur boxer. When my dad taught me to throw my first punch, I was hooked. I loved that it was a 1 on 1 sport.
My problem in school was I would fight with the other kids if we played any sport: football, basketball, soccer, and dodgeball, whatever! because they never worked as hard as me. They didn’t take it serious. I take everything I do serious, I want to win. So I loved boxing from the beginning because I didn’t have to depend on anyone. If I won or lost it was up to me, and I don’t like to lose.
Robert Brown: Despite being an amateur standout and being regarded as one of America’s best bets to win a gold medal, you failed to make the Olympic team. How much of a regret was it to not make it to the Olympics and would your career have been even more successful if you had?
Shane Mosley: I would have loved to go to the Olympics, but their point system wasn’t designed for a boxer like me. I don’t just want to win; I want to knock my guy out. I don’t want to “win” on paper by playing safe and gaining cheap points on some arbitrary scale. I’m a fighter. I want to fight your ass to the mat, that’s why the fans love me. I don’t know if that would have made me more successful in my career. My career has been one of the best out there. So either way I am happy with what I have done.
Robert Brown: Talk to us about winning your first World Title against Phillip Holiday what are your memories of that fight.
Shane Mosley: It was my first big fight. I was ready, I worked hard, so hard I remember the pain, the sore body, the loneliness of training so many hours alone. I go into my own world before any big fight, but that was my first world title so I was ready, blood sweat and tears, and victory. That’s all I remember.
Robert Brown: After dominating the lightweight division, you moved up to welterweight to fight Oscar De La Hoya who was considered untouchable at the time and you achieved a stunning upset, what are your memories of that fight?
Shane Mosley: I remember going into it knowing I was going to win. I wasn’t about to let anyone beat me. I had beat Oscar as a kid at like 13 in the amateurs. I grew up with him. I wasn’t scared of Oscar, I knew I would beat him. He won the Gold in the Olympics and he got some people behind him that pushed him out in front of me. But he was never better than me, just better represented. In boxing that is probably more than half the battle.
Robert Brown: The second fight against De La Hoya, the decision was highly contentious. Looking back, do you have any doubt that you won that fight?
Shane Mosley: You know, it was a close fight. If you go off the points alone, it was close. If you were there, it was clear I won. There is something about fights that you can’t see through the TV screen. People who have gone to one understand that the most. There is energy, an ebb and flow. A boxing match is different than MMA or karate or some shit. It is a brawl, but it’s also a chess match.
Sometimes you can only FEEL the intensity and FEEL who is winning when you’re there in person especially in a close fight. Especially when the camera is cutting from angle to angle showing what they want and replaying what they want. People don’t realize how much the commentators can sway their opinion of what is happening and who is winning. Watch a match on mute, then watch it with sound, you will see what I mean. If more fans tried that, they would know how they were being played sometimes.
Robert Brown: Mayweather vs. Pacquiao is finally happening, what are your thoughts now the fight is here?
Shane Mosley: I think it will be a good fight. To be honest, I don’t think people are going to see the fight they think they are going to see. This fight has been blown WAY out of proportion. I mean, Marquez just knocked ‘Pacman’ out, and Mayweather easily beat Marquez. I get styles make fights, but Marquez and ‘Pacman’ are not that different in style.
It’s not going to be explosive, not like Oscar and my fights for example, where we were brawling. Neither of us played it safe, we fight. Not all fighters are like that. Some box –which is part of the sport, just more the boring part. So if Mayweather out “boxes” Pacquiao, and Pacquiao can’t catch him then you’re in for a boring fight. Although, now that Mayweather has Alex Ariza, he may have that unknown strength Ariza gives his fighters so Mayweather might be looking for a KO, you never know.
Think about it though, what are the fights people remember? What are the fights you remember? Who was it? Why was it an amazing fight? Did it have you out of your seat? Did you talk about it for months after? Why? Most of those answers are going to be about fighters who go for the KO, and never give up, who were the underdog and won, or were just a plain beast like Tyson. No one remembers the fights where one fighter runs around the ring and wins on points. So yeah a win is a win, but ‘best fight ever’? I don’t know about that one.
Sore loser. Envious as Malignaggi and Khan.
Pacman should have KTFO of you.
But Pac’s a gentleman.
If you’ve said something similar prior to your fight with Pacman, he will surely KTFO of you.
WBO WBC IBF should instead spend their resources to make sure this fight is clean. Floyd hires conditioning coaches who he accuses of using drugs, one who is ped convicted. demands drug testing agency of his choice – and has been mind conditioning that he has been knocking out sparmates. this gay is 40 yrs old – will he do a marquez – MOST LIKELY.!
Floyd must be conditioning the minds of people where his strength is coming from, like ‘Rocky movies chopping wood. but in reality his video was kinda sloppy and the strength he will have just in case mus t come from Ped’s nothing else as his onyl chance he belives is to ko manny and he can’t beat him by outboxing him as manny will outwork him..
We are not worried about Ariza, It’s the hiring of one more strength and conditioning coach who is famous in turning Marquez into a Superman , That’s a sign that Floyd
Likes to win at all cost. So now Doping Agencies all over the World are watching and taking notes of
Floyd’s shape and form everyday until the day after the fight. Spy network are probably in place and documenting the processes . How we wished that a Supert Fight like this are not blemished by illegal
Substancs developed and meant to be used illegally .
The consequences is Huge when found positive. And the personnels involved will be prosecuted by the fullest strength of the law.
How can The Boxing bodies allows someone convicted in the Doping illegalities to be near Boxing Professionals? Is there any laws that prohibits this kind of experts banned from even associated with this outfit ? Wish the Fans have any Answer. All we have are the promise that there will be an even Playing field.
Floyd is “smart”, ” self-preservation ” , this are te word Floyd in suspecting Manny of doping and making excuses why avoiding Pacquiao for six years.. Huh…oh no way he said , his head all of a sudden became bigger and knocking out people bigger in size….Oh …no …Floy is smart!
When Pacman fought Brandon Rios, Ariza was Brandon’s Conditioning coach. Where is that unknown strength you are talking about?
rios absorb more punishment..thats the effects of peds also. rocknroll
Ariza didn’t make Pacquiao won belts. Pacquiao and Roach did.
Shane, I remember when you got knock down by Manny (the little man you’re referring to in another article) during your fight, you ran around the ring the whole night after that. Manny was trying to be explosive I remember but, he looked like he was shadow boxing cause you were running. Go watch your fight with Manny again so you’d know what I mean. But you are still one of the best P4P for me though. 😉 Anyway, we got your point Shane.
And Floyd, as fans of either of you boxers, we are happy that you are now getting into the ring with Manny and fight him. However, please don’t be bore (potshots, clinching and running) us and hear out Shane and BE EXPLOSIVE during fight night. This is how Boxers gets remembered on a fight. But please, not the kind of explosiveness during your fight with Victor Ortiz. Cause that was not a gentleman’s win.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yWWS0qreNOQ
Both his fights with Pacquiao and Mayweather aren’t real so don’t get overblown. It’s ok, he is a lot bigger than they are, anyway. He just needs good payday.
moseley is a PED user so he should not talk against any boxer. mosely is already down-the-hill fighter so he should shut up.
I never expected Shane to be a hypocrite. He knows that Ariza is used as a “front” when in fact, Heredia the PED chemist is “in the picture”. And Ariza is just a strength conditioning coach and not a chemist. Come on Shane, don’t try to imply your insinuations because you’re not looking any better. You were not a “clean” athlete so you have no authority to say these things. The difference between you and Pacquiao? Pacquiao, with his knowledge, would not resort to “cheating” to win whereas you, with your knowledge, would be desperate to win by resorting to “cheating”. Sorry, but the truth is like a double-edge sword. Pacquiao deserves to be defended.
B I N G O ! ! !
For your guidance, the Marquez that Mayweather beat was not the same as the Marquez who knocked out Pacquiao. Floyd who fought a blown up lightweight could not even knock him out. Now, if Floyd manages to knock out Pacquiao, you know what time it is. As far as i know, Pacquiao has always displayed a better chin than Marquez in the past.
Shame Mosley thinks he’s pretty slick in the ring… He’s a con man.
He wants to be friendly-friendly touching gloves b4 & after each round, a love tap here & there, to hopefully soften u up or get u relaxed. THEN he’ll try to chop ur head off.
Shame got LUCKY vs. a dehydrated Margarito. Even without his cement bricks, a properly trained MargoCheato would’ve cremated Shame Mosley
Mosley should move on with his life and forget about his loss to Pacquiao. He should be real. Whatever he says, one thing remains: he is not in a class with the Pacman. Now on the fight between Pacquiao and Floydie Jr. my prediction is Floydie Jr will quit after getting hit by a Pacquiao devastating combinations. He will not answer the next bell because he is too proud to be KO’d. His pride and cowardice will make the fight result to TKO and not a KO.
Shane was one lucky guy…as Pacquiao said after the fight…I could’ve easily KTFO him but he was a good guy and he was one the great boxers I admired!
This is like Mosley countering to Mayweather: “Floyd, you too are on ‘ROIDS” lol:))
Ariza is just the front man. Its memo heredia.
The devil takes care of its own. Ariza is now being taken care of by Floydie Jr. to learn a lot about Pacquiao!!!
What unknow substance Shane??? Weren’t the who tested positive using PEDS?? LOL!
R A N D O M T H O U G H T S
1. its gonna be rough sailing for pacquiao since his team to this very day hasn’t made an issue out of the referees cheating for floyd by allowing him to HUG & GRAB his opponents everytime he gets in trouble. none of team pacquiao to this very day has brought up the topic of floyd’s EXCESSIVE HUGGING or its other permutations grab, hold, snag, clinch and grapple. you have to realize by now it’s how floyd plans to win. RUN UP POINTS, en den HUG PACQUIAO when he’s about to do him damage rendering him NEUTRALIZED.
REFEREE MUST BE COMPELLED TO ENFORCE QUEENSBERRY RULE #2 – NO WRESTLING OR HUGGING ALLOWED!!
they need to PRE-EMPT and keep repeating this point to mass media till their ears splits and explodes.
2. expect floyd to go for a K O especially if its true as many suspect is the reason floyd hired chemical memo to his team, otherwise he still runs up points for a UD. FLOYD WILL THROW PERFECTLY TIMED, FULL POWER RIGHT HAND LEADS ALL NIGHT then jump back, but if he sees paq in trouble will bravely follow-up. it’s a page out of marquez’ KO win v paq. the power may have been PEDed but the technique was studied and practiced well and long. it was a technique that was as beautiful as it was simple, beat him to the punch.
3. which is why floyd’s not gonna be using his JAB TO THE BODY lest he goes down the same way hatton did the 1st time with a “right hook, go under” which is also a beat opponent to the punch.
4. floyd’s got a great right uppercut and can extend himself backwards against the rope to avoid a head shot kya pde obrkiliwa dto.
5. all talk dismissing floyd’s power were just that to get him to sign the fight contract. now all bets are off that paq is going to walk through floyd’s punches as floyd is expected to try and establish respect early much like jmm does that he may maintain distance and engage only as he sees fit.
6. dpat ke pk pra ciang kngkarot pra mkdkt lagi sa blndsde ni puge. piste. lol. dun cia dpt prti sa likod(bulagsidenipuge) lundaginniayungbulag nipogi.
7. hluan nimo ng obrkliwakamay 3-4x bwt ikot. pmpalito, kse unang ngddip yung ulo mo. pansinin nyo kpg nagmmitts sla wlang ilag para dun kaya kpg bnato lagi sapul. prang ung nolook ke jmm or yng konipaulwilliams pro bkit ayaw gmtin.
okay ga? snbukn ko s googletrans, fail. pro pag trinanslate ng pnoy wala rin. bka ke pak pa gmitin. lol.
OOOHHH !!! SHANE, YOU’RE NASTY MAN !!!
IT IS NOT RIGHT THAT A RUNNER IS ALLOWED TO GRAB AND HUG
a fighter who chases him all night to deliver mayhem and is frustrated by such REPEATED VIOLATIONS and needs to reset after wasted effort, while the referee does not do his job:
1st/2nd Offense – WARNING
3rd/4th Offense – POINT DEDUCTION
5th/6th Offense – DOUBLE POINT DEDUCTION
7th/8th Offense – DISQUALIFICATION
I CALL IT CHEATING FOR THE RUNNER IN THIS CASE FOR FLOYD !!!
QUEENBERRY RULE #2 – NO WRESTLING OR HUGGING ALLOWED.
1st/2nd Offense – WARNING
3rd/4th Offense – POINT DEDUCTION
5th/6th Offense – DOUBLE POINT DEDUCTION
7th/8th Offense – DISQUALIFICATION
NO WAY FLOYD WINS THIS FIGHT IF THE RULE WILL BE APPLIED.
yet you don’t hear any of the geniuses in TEAM PACQUIAO make a stink out of it to preempt cheating that will be perpetrated by the referee on fight night May 2, 2015.
SUGAR “SHAME” MOSLEY. I remember you stank up the joint when you ran all right after feeling the power and getting floored by PAC. You ran scared and wanted to quit. Now you’re talking nonsense about peds, when everyone knows you’re the one who has tested positive in PEDS before. What a shame. WHAT A TRUE SHAME FOR A SOURGRAPING BITTER MAN LIKE YOU. WHAT A LOSER. Tsk.