By Dan Ambrose: Shane Mosley (49-9-1, 9 KOs) will be fighting WBA interim welterweight champion David Avanesyan (21-1-1, 11 KOs) this Saturday night in an important match to determine an opponent for the winner of the June 25 fight between WBA welterweight champion Keith “One Time” Thurman and Shawn Porter.
If victorious on Saturday against Avanesyan, Mosley, 44, says he won’t fight Porter if he defeats Thurman. Mosley and Porter are good friends and have worked with one another frequently in the past.
Mosley says he will fight Thurman if he gets past Porter because he’s never worked with Thurman before, However, the guys that Mosley says he wants after the Avanesyan fight is Miguel Cotto, Floyd Mayweather Jr, Manny Pacquiao and Juan Manuel Marquez.
Mosley has already fought and lost to Cotto, Mayweather and Pacquiao. He’s not fought Marquez in the past though.
Mosley and Avanesyan will be fighting at the Gila River Arena in Glendale, Arizona.
“I would never fight Shawn. I would fight Keith Thurman. I’ve never worked with him, and it would be a good fight,” Mosley said to Michelle Phelps. “I would fight the other younger guys because I need to win a world title and put myself back on top. But the fighters that I want – Cotto, Juan Manuel Marquez, Floyd Mayweather, and Manny Pacquiao if he’s still around – Those are the type of fights I want. Those are the super fights and the bigger fights, and I’m ready to fight those fights. I’m going to take the world title from this guy [Avanesyan], have the belt, and be the champion and do my thing. As far as fighting Shawn, that’s like my little brother. We’ve worked together all the time. We’re like a family. It’s something I don’t need to do. I can go over and fight Cotto in a big fight. I can fight Marquez in a big match. I can go over and fight Floyd in a big match,” said Mosley.
The odds are probably not good for Mosley to get a crack at any of those big names he’s mentioned above. Mayweather and Pacquiao are both retired now. Mayweather is plotting a comeback fight against UFC star Conor McGregor because it’s a fight that would be an easy one for him and it would pay him a lot of money. Pacquiao was just elected into the senate in the Philippines, and it’s doubtful we’ll ever see him again inside a boxing ring.
If Pacquiao does return, it would likely be for just one fight against a star like Mayweather or Saul “Canelo” Alvarez. Mosley is not a big star in the sport right now. He’s not a big PPV guy, which would seem to disqualify him for another fight against Pacquiao. Mosley lost to Pacquiao in 2011 by a 12 round decision. It looked like a glorified sparring match with both fighters touching gloves before and after the rounds ended. Mayweather beat Mosley in 2010 by a 12 round decision. Cotto narrowly beat Mosley in 2007 by a 12 round decision.
Of all the stars Mosley mentioned, he could have a slight chance of getting a second fight against the 35-year-old Mosley if he defeats Avanesyan and Thurman in back to back fights. I think it would take victories for Mosley over those guys for him to have a chance of fighting Cotto again. I don’t see Mosley as having any chance of facing Mayweather, Pacquiao or Marquez.
Instead of Mosley talking up fights against Cotto, Marquez, Mayweather and Pacquiao, he needs to focus on his fight with Avanesyan. If he loses that match, then he can forget about anything.
Mosley’s last win over a world contender was three years ago against Pablo Cesar Cano in 2013.