Shane Andre Mosley vs. Arturo Gatti

There was a window of time, around 2000-'01, during which this was a fight that was actually on the radar as possibly forthcoming. It was probably nobody's most desired match-up for either competitor and never had some collision-course air of inevitability, but it was mentioned a few times by journalists and Gatti himself.

I think a victory for SSM goes without saying here, whether you're talking about turn of the millennium at welter or the mid to late 90's at either light welter or lightweight. I don't think even the most ardent Thunder fans would dispute that. Just patently different levels of class; "very good and great" being the more charitable interpretation (or "decent and very good" if you take a dimmer view of both).

I think it would have been a hell of a war, though. Arturo was hungry in that comeback period after his stretch of three consecutive unavenged losses (to Angel Manfredy and Ivan Robinson x2). His most lopsided defeats, moreover (as well as the grueling and legacy-making Ward trilogy, which, although epic, was absolutely career-shortening and prime-decimating), to DLH and PBF, were still in the future. Shane was also red-hot and undefeated, with his own humbling series of setbacks (going 0-4 against Viper and Winky - both, in fairness, natural 154lbers - in just under three years) looming ahead.

They had three common opponents - which is actually short of my expectations, considering their parallel rises through both the weight classes and regular prominent featuring on television:

1. Jesse James Leija: retired in 9 rounds by Mosley in 1998, and knocked out in 5 by Gatti seven years later.
2. Oscar de la Hoya: Mosley outpointed him twice, via SD in 2000 and UD in 2003, between which DLH beat Gatti by TKO5).
3. Floyd Mayweather Jr.: Gatti was retired on his stool in 6 rounds to drop his WBC super lightweight title in 2005, and Mosley lost a UD in a non-title affair five years later.

I guess the question is how many rounds would Gatti have bagged, and would he see the final bell? Hard to say on both fronts. Mosley's power did carry up but wasn't the same awesome destructive force at 147lbs as it was below. Willy Wise had been knocked out thrice already when he fell victim - but then, as counterpoint, Wilfredo Rivera had fought some high-profile matches and never been stopped (except once, against DLH, and on a cut no less), and while he ultimately succumbed he was just thirty seconds away from the final bell and had given SSM a fair bit of difficulty. Was he a better fighter than Gatti early days at WW?

 

How long would it take?

Is ten rounds enough time? (bearing in mind that it only barely was, versus Rivera)