Sugar Shane Mosley: “For All The Fans: Make A Big Stink About The Fight And Tell Mayweather, ‘Put Up Or Shut Up.’”
 Part 2 Of An Exclusive 2-Part Interview By Coyote Duran (June 14, 2007) Doghouse Boxing
After over 50 minutes of interview transcription with Ms. Jin Mosley, a 20 minute conversation with her husband, former pound-for-pound king, Sugar Shane Mosley would seem far too simple to type in comparison, wouldn’t it? Well, it isn’t so much the time invested in laying out an interview for the world to read as it is the impact and content you hope to deliver as the writer conveying the message. One’s not more fun or tedious than the other but different in what his or her respective personalities represents.
Whereas Jin Mosley has much more candid approach to facing the press and her contemporaries, her husband elects to remain lower-key and adherent to his own perennial style of social meshing, which in itself flies in the face of the common practice of building up one’s self as a fighter with an arsenal of trash talk.
Time and time again, Mosley, 47-4 (37), despite the acclaim and the accolades (IBF lightweight title, WBC welterweight title, WBA and WBC super welterweight titles and The Ring Magazine World Junior Middleweight Championship), quietly calculates his next move while staying busy all the while. Whether it’s assessing his job in promotions alongside longtime friend/former foe Oscar De La Hoya, considering who his next opponent may be in what could be one of his final (if not ultimately final) fights or grooming his oldest son for a career in the fight game of his own, the last prominent fighter in the world to wield the legendary moniker, ‘Sugar’, Shane Mosley always has something going on. If this means saying goodbye sooner than some of us wish in order to further benefit the sport he adores, then it’s his decision to make, but know this: Shane Mosley loves his job no matter what capacity he serves it in.
Shortly after speaking to his wife/advisor, Jin, I had the opportunity to chat for a bit with Mosley and he filled me in on everything from why the promotional end of boxing comes so easy for him, the state of the welterweight division’s best players, if boxing really needs saving or not and why it doesn’t matter what circumstances he challenges Floyd Mayweather Jr. under.
Read on, Howlers for part two of Doghouse Boxing’s special exclusive two-part Mosley Family interview.
Sugar Shane Mosley: Hey, how ya doin’?
Coyote Duran: I’m doin’ great, Shane, how are you?
Sugar Shane Mosley: I’m doin’ good! I’ll bet she (Shane’s wife, Jin) gave you quite an earful! (Coyote’s note: Incidentally, after our discussion, Shane asked me that since I had spoken to Jin so long and then him, if I was actually going to type out everything I recorded. I think he thought I was full of it when I told him, “Of course!”)
Coyote Duran: Yes, she did. Shane, it’s been four months since you beat (former WBA welterweight titleholder) Luis Collazo. In watching your ex-foe/friend/business associate Oscar De La Hoya in what was arguably the biggest fight of his career against Floyd Mayweather Jr., could you feel the fight bug just biting away at you?
Sugar Shane Mosley: Yeah, I mean, even when I was at the fight, you know. I felt it. I really wanted to get in there. I really want to get in there right now and just fight. I’m ready for another fight. Even when I went to Puerto Rico, sparring
around with Oscar, I felt good. I felt very sharp. I was like, “Wow, I can go and fight now if I wanted to.
Coyote Duran: After beating Collazo, you were given the ‘designation’ of being the WBC’s ‘ interim’ welterweight titleholder. Are you still considered that at this point?
Sugar Shane Mosley: You know, I never even really considered that. I mean, my thing is, I can fight any of these guys. I’m one of the guys that draws a lot of revenues along with Oscar De La Hoya. He draws a little more than I do…well, a LOT more than I do. I’m probably either the second or third that draws a pretty good crowd. So, I mean, I just wanna get in there and fight the best fights that people wanna see. I think the match-up between me and Floyd Mayweather is probably the best match-up.
Coyote Duran: Since joining Golden Boy Promotions in an executive capacity, has it become more difficult to picture yourself in a ring competitively?
Sugar Shane Mosley: No. By me going in the ring..I mean, all the time, I feel competitive. I feel like I’m the best fighter out there. I can’t see anybody in my weight class beating me at this point. At this point in my career, the way I train and work out, the way that I go to different gyms and move around with different guys, you know, I feel superior to a lot of guys and it’s not really that hard. I’m just excited to wanna get back into the ring and fight.
Coyote Duran: When I interviewed Oscar De La Hoya last year, he mentioned to me that since becoming a promoter, he’s learned so much about how screwy the business can be, just to summarize. Since becoming part of the Golden Boy fold, in your administrative capacity, have you learned anything about the business of boxing that you didn’t know went on while you were strictly just fighting that might’ve freaked you out?
Sugar Shane Mosley: Well, you know I have to learn as I go along because I had different promoters like Cedric Kushner and I had more power with, like, Gary Shaw. Because in leaving Cedric Kushner, I was very much involved in the business part of it, even back with Cedric Kushner. I knew what was going on. The attorney I had back in the day, he was a younger attorney and he wasn’t really as experienced and we kind went along together in these different meetings and stuff like that so I could understand what was going on with the rules and this and that. So, I had a bit of a head start over a lot of these fighters nowadays.
Coyote Duran: Was it strange to serve as Oscar’s sparring partner after defeating him twice?
Sugar Shane Mosley: No not at all. I mean, it was nothing for me to go down there and work with Oscar. I’ve always done it, even when we were younger. When he went to the Olympics in ’92, I was one of the guys sparring with him. Back when we were kids, 14, 15 years old, he was going to the junior nationals; I was the guy sparring with him, helping him for that and he won that. So, it was nothing for me as a friend to go out there and help him out, you know? I wasn’t going out there to try to show him up or anything. I was going out there to strictly help, you know, and the things I would see, if he needed the help, I would tell him. He’s a good fighter. He’s a good listener and he’s perfected some things so he did very good in his fight (against Floyd Mayweather Jr.). I thought he won. I don’t know. The judges had their way.
Coyote Duran: Mayweather claims that unless De La Hoya grants him a rematch, a rarity for a titleholder, or in Mayweather’s case at welterweight, a genuine champion, to pursue a challenger, then he’ll retire. Do you think he’ll keep that promise and is this somewhat frustrating for you since you have him in your sights now?
Sugar Shane Mosley: I don’t think that Mayweather is ready to retire now. Maybe he might take a ‘leave of absence.’ But I can’t see him retiring at this moment. I don’t know. He might be ducking and dodging, trying to pick his fights and the fights that he wants to fight. The only real fight that he really has is myself.
Coyote Duran: In facing Fernando Vargas in two of your last three fights, you were pretty comfortable at junior middleweight after a short stretch before facing Luis Collazo in your welterweight return. There are numerous possibilities for your professional future, one being Floyd Mayweather Jr. With him owning The Ring Magazine World Welterweight Championship and now the WBC super welterweight strap, there’re two weight classes to choose from, if he saw fit to sign to fight you. As this point in your career, Mayweather or not, do you see yourself staying at welter and if Mayweather does accept a fight with you, what division would you feel the most comfortable challenging him at?
Sugar Shane Mosley: It doesn’t matter which weight it’s gonna be at. I believe I’m the bigger person anyway so it can be 154 or 147. He’s probably gonna enter the ring at 150 and I’ll enter the ring about 156.
Coyote Duran: I think the prize is better at 147. If you do get the itch to stay at welter, Shane, do any of the other alphabet titleholders like the winners of the upcoming Antonio Margarito-Paul Williams or Kermit Cintron-Walter Matthysse bouts appeal to you as possible future opponents?
Sugar Shane Mosley: Well, I mean, I was looking to fight Kermit Cintron before Collazo and actually, Kermit Cintron was my first pick and Collazo was the second, so I don’t know. Maybe there will be a fight with Kermit Cintron that I can take. I don’t know at this point but like I said, the only real fight that I really wanna take will probably be the one with Mayweather. And that’s so people can know that I’m the best fighter. I really wanna put that impression out there. I want people to know when I leave the game, that I’m the best in this era.
Coyote Duran: Speaking of leaving the game, Shane, and I’m not certain if you’re feeling divergent of this statement or not but Jin mentioned to me that after your next fight, you’d be finished with the game. Anything to add to this?
Sugar Shane Mosley: I mean, it’s a good possibility. I’m thinking that there’s nothing else for me to really do in the game. My son has taken an interest in boxing and he probably wants to try for the 2012 Olympics. So, I’ve been training him a lot. We’ve been doing a lot of sparring and stuff. So, hopefully, he can make it to the 2012 Olympics. And other than that I have also another kid that we promote; ‘Billy The Kid’, Bilal Dib, 16-0 (9), he’s 21 years old and, hopefully, he can be fighting for a title real soon, the world title ion November as well. So, I’ll try for a double-whammy. And I also spar with him a lot.
Coyote Duran: Having faced and defeated Luis Collazo at welter, you opened the eyes of many fans who thought Collazo would’ve at least given you a more difficult go. How do you compare the current crop of welterweights like (WBO welterweight titlist Antonio) Margarito, (IBF welterweight titlist Kermit) Cintron, Williams and even Floyd Mayweather Jr. to a talented contender like Collazo?
Sugar Shane Mosley: Well, I honestly think that with Collazo’s style, he would probably beat a lot of the welterweights. You know, I even thought that he was a harder fight for me than Kermit Cintron. And I told him, I didn’t wanna fight a southpaw; I didn’t wanna fight a young southpaw like Collazo. But he seemed to be the only option out there and you know me. I’m willing to fight anybody. So I took the fight. Him against Kermit Cintron, you know, I might have to go with Collazo with that one (Chuckles) and him against (WBA welterweight titleholder Miguel) Cotto, I might be leaning a little bit to Collazo myself again just for the styles match-up again. Him and Zab Judah? Maybe Zab might be a little fast and might give him some problems. I think more speedier guys like himself, like Collazo, gives Collazo problems. I think that guys that are a little slower can’t outmove him or outbox him. It’s kind of like he did with (The Ring Magazine World Junior Welterweight Champion) Ricky Hatton and outboxed him a little bit. Those type of fights are real good fights for Collazo.
Coyote Duran: It’s arguable that you made your most indelible mark on the sport at 135 pounds, winning the IBF strap. After making a few defenses, you skipped junior welterweight totally to explore 147 and eventually wound up at 154. As profound as your namesake Ray Robinson who was best at welterweight but made his bones as well at middleweight, where does the possibility to venture up to 160 pounds lie in your eventual future, if the Mayweather fight doesn’t come about?
Sugar Shane Mosley: That’s great. Like I said, it wouldn’t matter to me what weight class it is. They could say it could be 160. I don’t care because I know I’m bigger than Mayweather. He’s not as big as me. It doesn’t matter what weight that it happens.
Coyote Duran: But if Mayweather is not a factor in your future, with all the junior middleweights that go straight to (Undisputed Middleweight Champion) Jermain Taylor, why do we not hear so much about Shane Mosley meeting Taylor someday?
Sugar Shane Mosley: I don’t know if I wanna weigh 160 as far as fighting Jermain Taylor. I’m talking about just fighting Mayweather. Mayweather can what he wants to say on the record. I know I’m bigger than Floyd Mayweather. He’s little. He’s really a 150-pounder (at the most). That’s what I mean when I say that it doesn’t matter what weight. Mayweather can say 175. Me AND Mayweather. I don’t care! (Both laugh)
Coyote Duran: In looking back at your career, Shane, was there ever a fighter you didn’t pursue or might’ve had the opportunity to face but didn’t that you wish you had?
Sugar Shane Mosley: No, not really. I fought just about everybody when you go back to the lightweight days. I think my most devastating knockouts have been in the welterweight division. If you look at all the tapes of some of the welterweights that I fought, the best knockouts have been in the welterweight division.
Coyote Duran: Let’s talk about the family, Shane. Your wife Jin has been far more than a mere support system as your manager. As acerbically outspoken as she can be in a pre-dominantly male-run sport, she’s always looked out for your best interests at heart. Is she still giving you the business regarding when she feels it would be ideal for you to hang up the gloves?
Sugar Shane Mosley: Ah, no. I made that decision. When ever I wanna hang up the gloves, I’m gonna hang ‘em up. Whenever I don’t have the passion for the game and I feel there’s nothing more to do, then I’ll hang up the gloves. It has to be determined by the following: Once I hang ‘em up, then that’s it. There’s no way to come back because that’s when you start getting hurt. If you come back to fight guys that have been training consistently everyday, you just can’t do it.
Coyote Duran: Jin had mentioned Little Shane, like you had said, aspires to go to the 2012 Olympics. Do you and your pop (Jack) ever jokingly argue or fight over whoever might mold Shane Jr. better?
Sugar Shane Mosley: No. Me and my father have different styles in training. I think that my father would help a lot. My father’s more of the conditioning type of trainer where I’m more technical at different things like different moves with the feet and the way you throw your shots; where you place them. My father is more quick, fast, power, speed and overwhelming the opponents with a lot of activity. So when you put those together, Shane should be able to be very, very good.
Coyote Duran: Despite the hype for the Mayweather-De La Hoya match and the media stating that it was ‘the fight that would save boxing’, in your opinion, Shane, do you honestly think boxing needs saving today?
Sugar Shane Mosley: You know, I really don’t know. I think that in boxing, promoters need to get behind the fighters more; to introduce them more to the world (fans and spectators) to let them know exactly who we (fighters in general) are when we do get to the ring. And as a result we (all fighters) can make more money. I think that not enough people are introduced to the fighters, the great fighters that come on and fight. They’re good guys. They’re good guys. These are fighters that the fans should know already instead of guys that just fight. The fighters are only known by the writers that follow boxing and the people that follow boxing instead of the people that don’t follow boxing. For example, I don’t follow UFC. They (Mainstream sports fans) always mention (Former UFC light heavyweight champion) Chuck Liddell and (UFC light heavyweight champion Quinton) ‘Rampage’ (Jackson). I’ve never even seen them fight! I don’t know who competes. I’ve watched a couple of times. I know one guy, ‘Rampage’, because he’s used my gym to train one time. But other than that, these other guys (Mixed martial arts competitors), I don’t really know ‘em. I watched one fight before and there was a lot of grappling and holding on the floor.
Coyote Duran: Doesn’t speak to you, does it, Shane?
Sugar Shane Mosley: I can’t watch it. If I wanna see some holding,…I turn from fights, from regular boxing matches if I see fighters holding like that.
Coyote Duran: You’ve probably never seen a whole John Ruiz fight then, have you?
Sugar Shane Mosley: Yeah, just watch John Ruiz fight. (Both laugh) I can’t, I just can’t sit there and watch guys holding.
Coyote Duran: Anything you’d like to put out there for the loyal Sugar Shane Mosley fans out there before we go?
Sugar Shane Mosley: The thing that I’d like to say is keep watching. I love the fans. Just put out there that Sugar Shane wants Mayweather. For all the fans: Make a big stink about the fight and tell Mayweather, “Put up or shut up.” He’s gotta come see me.
Coyote Duran: Thank you, Shane. I really appreciate your time.
Sugar Shane Mosley: No problem, man! Thank you!
Huge thanks again to Jin Mosley and major thanks to Sugar Shane Mosley for his time in engaging in this discussion for Doghouse Boxing.
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