" SUGARMAN.. NOT TOO SWEET ."
SHANE MOSLEY v JOSE LUIS CRUZ.

No doubt about it, "Sugar" Shane Mosley is a complex , suspicious type of guy. Not since the time i interviewed my boyhood hero, "Marvellous" Marvin Hagler had i been left with a feeling like this.

Like Hagler, he gave me the impression that he was thinking about the next question that was going to be asked instead of the one being asked. He was there but not there, thinking about where he should be, when he wasnt.

Yesterday, when i watched his ten round, junior middle weight against the tough but limited Mexican, Jose Luis Cruz, i got that feeling all over again. Mosley looked as if he was bored, and wanting to be somewhere else, when he wasnt.

Mosley[ W41 [KOS 35] L4 ] showed the skills which shot him to million dollar superstar status, fighting the likes of De La Hoya, Vernon Forest, and "Winky" Wright, but he wasnt the same Mosley i loved to watch.
For Cruz, [ W32 [27kos] L1 D2 ] this was a big name step up for him, and he tried to give all he had, in his limited punching arsenal , but it was never going to be enough to beat "Sugar"

From a distance, Mosley looked impressive. Speed, great combinations, and footwork, and "all new improved defence"
Firstly, Mosley looked so fast against Cruz, because Cruz was so slow.
When he threw his hooks, it was like he was swatting a fly at a barbecue, and Mosley saw every punch coming, so he could easily position himself to avoid everything Cruz threw at him, making his defence look improved.

No doubt about it, "Sugar "won unanimously over the ten rounds.
In the ring interview he was asked if he thought he fought well. He replied " it was tough." " i thought i fought better than last time" Then he was asked if he was ready for some of the big names in big fights, like Antonio Margarito, Zab Judah. He replied, with a non convincing " yes im ready "

For me, i believe Mosley is bored with boxing, has made millions of dollars, and gave us , the fans, great, great fights. One thing is for sure, he will be back. He has joined forces with "Golden Boy Promotions" and Oscar didnt sign him up to fight too many Jose Luis Cruz's.

Victory photo courtesy LV Review Journal © K.M. Cannon