Shane Mosley vs Meldrick Taylor?

Mosely was an offensive dynamo below 147, crisp volume puncher with excellent stamina and a heavy body puncher with an piercing jab. I feel that Mosely can hurt Taylor and not the other way round. It will be close but that power delivered with elite level speed will be a big factor, especially as Taylor loved to throw long combinations (5-6) within the pocket, he could be caught.

What about the simple fact here that Mosely is the bigger man here? He is taller and has 5 inches in reach. Plus better Mosely has great chin and decidedly more power with only slighter lower speed than Taylor. I think all this adds up to a very hard fight for Taylor.

 

Mosley would knock Taylor out.

 

Meldrick "too fast" and "just... better" than Shane? Or even "too busy" for Shane? I am not sure. I think a lot of people tend to over-estimate pre-Chavez Taylor and under-estimate pre-Forrest Mosley. Speed-wise, true, Taylor may have had the fastest hands I've seen, but Mosley's is not too far behind. Likewise, Taylor was the busier fighter, but Mosley pre-de la Hoya (and in stretched during the de la Hoya fight itself) was also a very active fighter. As for technical proficiency, I was not too impressed with either. Both Taylor and Mosley were technically flawed fighters who fooled folks into thinking they were great technicians, in part because they were so fast and flashy.

As for myself, I would slightly favor Mosley. Whereas I concede the stuff you mentioned in Taylor's favor (though not to the degree you imagine), Mosley had heavier hands and took punches better. Those things, combined with Mosley's excellent body-punching at the lower weight incarnations, may enable him to break down Taylor - possibly earlier than Chavez did. Conversely, folks who troubled Mosley were either big punchers who intimidated Mosley (Taylor sure had the bigger heart) or bigger, stronger guys who imposed their physicality on him (Forrest or Winky, for instance), and Taylor doesn't fit the bill.

 

Forrest and Winky beat him more because they were naturally bigger and awkward guys who maximized those two things, rather than they were "good boxers" (not saying they weren't good boxers, but size and awkwardness were more determinative). Floyd was naturally similar in size as Shane, but Shane was really past his prime at that stage obviously. For the record, I'd favor Shane against Floyd if they met when the fight was first discussed supposedly (before Shane moved up to 147).

 

Which Shane are we talking about? The lightweight Shane was a very active fighter; the one-punch headhunter emerged really only after the first de la Hoya fight.

 

Pretty much my view. It almost seems like a lot of folks never seen Shane fight before the de la Hoya fight.

 

if taylor doesn't stand in front of him and trade like he did with Chavez I think he takes it
but if he abandons the plot and just starts going to war mosley will eat him up

 

Mosley had quick feet and hands himself, knew how to cut off the ring, and he had first-rate jab - at least at the lighter weights. So even in a more tactical fight, I am not sure Taylor wins. And don't forget about the withering body attack. I get the sense that Mosley would break Taylor down eventually.

 

this.

 

that is a fantastic, insightful a.nalisis

 

I'm going with Mosley.

 

I got Meldrick at 140

 

Shane just had too much firepower for Mel.

Mel's chances would be enhanced if he boxed safely, but we all know the Philly in him wouldn't allow for that.

It would simply come down to Taylor being unable to damage Mosley, and Shane's power and body punching eventually wearing Taylor down.

Mosley TKO 11.

Great fight though.

 

Meldrick at 140 and Shane at 147..

 

Shane never fought at 140 so its speculation.

If we're assuming he maintains the same level at 140 as he had at 135 and 147, he wins.

Mosley is actually underrated. I think people forget how good he was from 98-01.