Roberto Duran VS Shane Mosley at 135

Not more than three or four beat Roberto at 135 and Shane isn't one of them.Roberto UD
Shane in a fifteen rounder that is somewhat close.

 

tough fight to predict, but I'm still going with Duran by mid round TKO.

 

A Mosley TKO? No wonder they want to ban this "Meow Meow" ****.

 

This would be a great fight, but I can only really see one outcome. Duran basically matches or exceeds Mosley's every attribute. Both are brawlers specialising in taking apart other brawlers/boxer-puncher types, so there's no obvious stylistic aspect that sticks out as being significant. If anything is worth talking about, it's that Mosley can at best hold his own with the best on the inside, but certainly isn't a proven specialist in that area like the man he's facing, who would inevitably take the fight there and rack up the points. Duran is just the classier, smarter boxer with the much superior defence, better timing, accuracy and experience in more or less every department, as well as the edge in power and chin. Duran gets the best of the heavy exchanges from range and crowbars his way inside, and Mosley conducts most of the fight on the backfoot en route to losing a clear decision.

 

Duran was just on another level at 135, really. One of my favourite moments: Watch at 0:20 seconds below as he dodges a blazing four-punch combination and spins his man around like a rag-doll before unloading with his own shots. The opponent? ATG Lightweight De Jesus, no less. I'm a Mosley fan, but he never did anything so impressive despite facing decidedly poorer opposition than that.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NtuoN_NEHNI[/ame]

 

Shane Mosley is one of the very few lightweights in history that I wouldn't bet against in a Duran bout. I may take other fighters against him, but his style is not ideal for Duran to handle. Not even a little.

First things first. There is a myth that has been perpetuated about Duran. It says that he "had trouble with boxers" and it took root after Leonard II, a fight where Duran was pushing 30, fighting 12 lbs over his best weight, and came in below optimum condition, to say the least. Compared to 5 months earlier, that Duran had legs of stone.

The point is this...

Leonard's difficulty against Duran was rooted more in his fists than in his legs. A lightweight Duran could handle boxers, though he -like any other fighter- could be expected to have difficulty catching guys who ran like their trunks were on fire. Duran respected punchers. As much as he'd have you believe he didn't, the fact is he did. Leonard could punch. That made Duran think twice and it is also why Montreal was so close.

Shane probably punches harder than Leonard. He is at least as fast, and his disposition would force Duran to dig deep and rely on his smarts because Shane would take at least as many exchanges as he lost in a toe-to-toe. Shane also had the kind of physical strength that Duran would have to respect as well.

Duran could be the favorite here -but not based on his usual advantages. He would not be the stronger man, he would not be the puncher here, and he would not have the faster hands. Hell, he may not even be the more aggressive man here. Better chin? Don't be so sure of even that.

Duran's advantage is in one place. His intelligence and experience. Would it be enough? I'm not 100%.

 

I'd say Duran is definitely the stronger man at 135. Mosley had trouble shoving off Philip ****ing Holiday. More power, too.

 

Arguably the greatest LW in history vs the most overrated LW in modern boxing:think

 

Mosley's handling the Monzon-like Margarito should give you pause. And when he fought Holiday, he was likely sick. It doesn't sound like an excuse because he won. More power? I'm not certain.

The bottom line, Duran can NOT count on his usual physical advantages against Shane.

 

That sounds more like some sort of monstrous uber ray Robinson your describing there, and not the Shane Mosley i ever saw.

I think Mosley is the one that needs to worry about respecting power here.He's the one that never properly learned to integrate his offense with his D and will be taking heavy flush punches quite consistently if he fights is usual bout.I don't think he has the technical chops to make any edge in athleticism or power(i tend to see that as fairly equal)really come into play.

 

Who's talking legacy? Look at the styles. Look at what both fighters bring to the table. And Shane is a great fighter and though he wasn't icing dragons as a LW, neither was Duran. The later part of their resume unveils how great they are. Duran is greater. But styles make fights.

 

Uber Robinson...?

Shane's hands were faster than Duran's at LW, even if you allow that his strength, power, and chin were comparable. Duran respected power and speed kills. Shane was not quite a technician at LW, but lets not forget that much of that is because of his competetive nature. He loves to fight. I see Duran being forced to respect that.

Name another LW that Duran faced that brings as much athleticism to the ring as Mosley.

 

Exactly, which why I believe Shane Mosley has no chance. Sure he's faster, so was Leonard we know how that turned out. This so called destructive power that shane had was nonsense, their is no way he comes close to stopping Duran who had a chin made out iron. Anyone can look good against Golden Johnson and 5'3 John Brown, Duran's comp at the weight is lightyears better than Mosley's it isn't even debateable. Duran's legacy was sealed before even got into the ring with Sugar Ray by having the 2nd greatest reign at the weight next to the great Benny Leonard.

Shane basically is going to try in jump in with hooks and straight right hands and he has never had a jab worth a damn. He's going to be right in range for Duran and he won't be the one coming forward for the majority. Once Duran's brilliant feints and body shots start taking effect Shane will be right for the picking. Duran in 12.

 

Mosley was quicker at welterweight (early 147lbs days), IMO. Very noticable difference in handpseed as well. Part of the reason was that he was a huge lightweight who had to boil himself down to make the weight. Hence the reason his hands became quicker after he made the two weight jump and fought the likes of Rivera, Wise, De La Hoya, Diaz, Taylor, etc. He fought at his natural weight. Mosley even said himself years later that he was always a welterweight who fought as a lightweight. Not only did Mosley's hands become quicker, he was also a far more effective and well rounded fighter after opting for welterweight.

Shane Mosley has always been a quick fighter, no matter what weight he's fought at during his career. But becoming bigger doesn't mean you become slower. Most of the time, yes, not with Mosley though.