leftcoastsports

Did you see the fight last night? Sugar Shane Mosley, LA native and former welter-weight champ came roaring into the ring to fight Antonio Margarito, also an LA native but billed as a son of Mexico.

Mosely at 37 and dealing with massive personal and professional issues that would have caused anyone else to be distracted was a 4-1 underdog.

Margarito, the clear favorite in the arena as well, had come away with a career defining victory just 6 months prior against Miguel Cotto. He became the welter-weight champ after that bout after giving Cotto, the big favorite to win, a beating he had never had.

With Mosley straining to make weight to avoid a DQ on weigh-in day, the swirling controversy surrounding his divorce, the revelations about his 2003 steroids admission and his change in trainers, Mosley with 7 years on this opponent turned back the clock.

But perhaps a big reason for that was the removal of a plaster of paris-like substance that was adhered to Margarito’s hand-wrap material. It was caught pre-fight by members of Mosley’s entourage and the boxing commissioner in LA confirmed the facts.

It now gives new meaning to the words, “hands of stone”, which had previously been applied to Roberto Duran, great champion of 30 years ago. Duran achieved it legally. Margarito now faces disciplinary action as well as questions about his brutal fight against Cotto and whether he ever deserved the championship belt at all.

Antonio lost his reputation as well as his championship on Saturday night.

Trackback URI | Comments RSS