If Shane Mosely had remained a Lt. Weight or Jr. Welter?

I think he beats Johnston, Castillo, Floyd, Corrales, Tszyu, Hatton and Cotto, so assuming he does all that he probably ends up higher ranked than what he is right now.

If we're honest, what did his move up in the higher weights really earn him? A couple of wins over DLH, one of which is highly disputed and a victory over a faded Vargas? Doesn't offset what he could have done at the lower weights.

Definitely a case where weight jumping was the wrong move, even though it seemed like a good idea at the time...

 

question is....could he have stayed at that weight? Cotto basically had to move up.....if he hadnt he would have been so weak that he could not have bene successful long term (as you get older it takes mroe out of you to stay at a artifically lite weight).

 

I also question his ability to be able to make weight for a long time.

Financially he probably made the right move and remember he took roids, so without them he may never of had the career he has had anyway.

 

Shane was never staying at LW, he weighed 160 in the ring for some LW fights, he was always heading directly to Welter.

The really interesting fight is Tyszu at 140 around 2000, I think Mosley is all wrong for Tyszu but it would be interesting and a hell of a fight. If he hangs at 140 until 04 when Mayweather moves up he'd be facing a much better Mayweather in his prime, he'd be better too but he doesn't have the technical skill to compete.

 

Shane was at that point a natural welter. Beating an undefeated (besides the Trinidad robbery) Oscar DLH at the time was a bigger win than anything Floyd or Pacquiao have ever done to be honest, in terms of single wins. Being the major draw, fighting DLH was better than beating a hot 140 champ in Cotto or an unpolished infighter like Hatton.

Floyd would have been a great win, but he wasn't drawing as much as Oscar at that point and there have been numerous debates as to who avoided who at welter.

 

Boxers typicaly move up in weight due to the fact that they can no longer make the weight they have been at. Being that he can still make 147 and fight at a top level at 39 is very impresive. He has not fought at 140 on the championship level. He skipet the light welterweights and moved into the welterweights.
The better question might be "what if Mosley never moved to 154 from 147.
Had Mosley decided to stay at 147 and not fight De La Hoya a second time.
He would have to recover from his losses to Forest.
Mosley is 38-2
2003-12-13 vs. Ricardo Mayorga. W Regains WBC 147 Championship.
2004-04-10 vs. Cory Spinks W
2004-09-04 vs. Miguel Angel Gonzalez W
2005-02-05 vs. Zab Judah W
2005-05-14 vs. Cosme Rivera W
2006-01-07 vs. Carlos Manuel Baldomir W
2006-07-22 vs. Arturo Gatti W
2006-11-04 vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr L Loses WBC 147 Championship.
2007-02-10 vs. Luis Collazo W Regains WBC 147 Championship. Mayweather moves to 154 to fight De La Hoya.
2007-12-08 vs. Floyd Mayweather Jr L Loses WBC 147 Championship.
2007-11-10 vs. Miguel Angel Cotto L Loses an atempt to gain the WBA 147 Championship.
2008-09-27 vs. Ricardo Mayorga W
2009-01-24 vs. Antonio Margarito W Wins WBA 147 Championship.
2009-06-13 vs. Miguel Angel Cotto W Wins WBO 147 Championship.
2009-11-14 vs. Miguel Angel Cotto W
2010-03-13 vs. Manny Pacquiao W.
Mosley is the curent WBO Welterweight Champion with a record of 51-5-0.
His next fight is posibily Andre Berto for the WBC wlterweight championship.

 

Mosley actually said after his Winky Wright fight he didn't think he could make 147 again but then again it was probably partly that there were no fights at 147 at that time. Funny enough he agreed to fight Pacquaio at 142 a couple of years ago

BTW I don't think Mosley beats Spinks, Judah most likely yes, although 2005-6 Judah was pretty good

 

Mosely was linked with Balco labs, and had to testify in court. It is likely he used substances to increase his muscle mass, which is a reason why he did not stay at light weight or jr welter.

 

I believe the time period for this was post DLH-Mosley 1, in preperation for their rematch

 

Moving up earned him huge dollars ... however he was fighting out of his weight class most of his career ... he could have stayed at 135 - 140 and been an all time great ... he was an exceptional lightweight and dominated his division ... he would have done the same at 140 ...

 

I can see him splitting fights with Spinks and Judah.

 

a substantal stay at 140 was probably the missing key in him beign higher regarded.I think he would have fit in well there.

At lightweight he was a weightcutting chancer who beat up on faded, undersized fighters and limited splinter-title challengers.Stayed about as long as he could have imo.