By Manuel Perez: With MMA breathing down the neck of Boxing, I think it’s high time that clinching be disallowed in professional boxing because it’s taking away from the sport. If professional boxing is to compete with Mixed Martial Sports, boxing has to follow amateur boxing and prevent clinching tactics that are used to prevent an opponent from punching. Amateur boxing has long been smart on this subject, prohibiting clinching because they knew that it took away from the sport and kept punches from being thrown.
Shane Mosley
Margarito Temporarily Suspended
By Jim Dower: In a bit of bad news for Antonio Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs), the word is that his license to fight has been suspended by the California State Athletic Commission as of Wednesday due to a plaster-like substance was found on his hand wraps just prior to his fight with Shane Mosley on January 24th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. Along with Margarito’s license, his trainer Javier Capetillo has also been temporarily suspended until the investigation has been completed.
Margarito Wrap Gate
By Manuel Perez: Let me go on record by saying that I see Antonio Margarito being cleared of the wrap gate controversy that surrounds him at this time. Margarito is a true warrior and would never resort to adding hardened substances like plaster of paris to his gloves to get an added advantage. This guy is a straight shooter and wouldn’t lower himself to this level just to get an edge in his fights.
Cotto’s Stock Increased With Mosley’s Win
By Matt Stein: If there’s anyone whose stock was increased this past weekend, it was Miguel Cotto (32-1, 26 KOs), who with his previous 12-round unanimous decision over Shane Mosley in November 2007, has to be seen as the fighter to beat in the welterweight division. Cotto, 28, may have lost by an 11th round TKO to Margarito in 2008, but he fought him incredibly tough and he did it by not clinching constantly in the manner that Mosley did in beating Margarito.
What’s Next For Mosley?
By Manuel Perez: New WBA welterweight champion Shane Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) must feel like a little kid in a big candy store since winning the title from Antonio Margarito with an upset 9th round TKO on Saturday night at the Staples Center in Los Angeles. With the decks stacked against him, the small 5’9″ Mosley pulled off the upset by using his natural advantage in hand speed along with a strategy which included a lot of clinching to defeat Margarito.
The Welterweight Division: Confused?
By Peter Howells: On the back of an amazing display from ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley to topple Antonio Margarito from the top of the Welterweight mountain, I’m left wondering.. Is anyone else confused about who the best in the division truly is? Anyone who believed Light-heavyweight king Joe Calzaghe’s words when he said that boxing is dying, only has to look at the Welterweight scene to know that simply is not true. I truly believe that the array of talent around the Welterweight division makes it one the most exciting divisions ever which is great when you consider the state of our Heavyweight division at the moment.
Sugar Shane So Sweet as Margarito Slips The Ring Climbing To The Top
By Simon Hirst: So ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley rolled back the years and told Father Time he isn’t ready to retire just yet in an emphatic win over Antonio Margarito. Mosley dominated the first in almost every aspect and fully deserved the knockout victory after coming out of the shadow that fought Ricardo Mayorga. It does leave boxing in an interesting position as many people finally rated Margarito as a top pound for pound fighter and Mosley as a fighter waiting to be put out of his misery.
Mosley’s On Top Right Now: Can He Stay There?
By Dan Ambrose: Right now, Shane Mosley is sitting pretty having just beaten Antonio Margarito to win his WBA welterweight title with a 9th round TKO on Saturday night, and that’s got to feel good for the 37-year-old Mosley, who many boxing experts felt was on the downside of his career. Mosley showed his old speed and power, hurting Margarito in both the 8th and 9th rounds and knocking him down once in each round until the fight was stopped when Margarito’s corner threw in the towel as he was absorbing punishment against the ropes in the opening of the 9th.
What Could Have Margarito Done Differently To Defeat Mosley?
By Matt Stein: Getting beaten is one thing, but the way that Antonio Margarito lost to Shane Mosley, losing by a 9th round stoppage and losing every round, was far worse. There’s no question that Margarito used the wrong game plan against Mosley, and lacked a plan B to use when he discovered early on that he was having problems with Mosley’s superior speed. Rather than change tactics and come up with something different, Margarito seemed to keep pushing forward as if he was under the impression that he would simply wear Mosley down in the same way that Antonio wore Miguel Cotto down in defeating him by an 11th round TKO on July 26th, 2008.
Why Mosley Beat Margarito
By William Mackay: “Sugar” Shane Mosley fought would many people could consider to be the best fight of his long 16-year career in battering World Boxing Association welterweight champion Antonio Margarito and stopping him in the 9th round. Mosley’s hands were like lightning proving to be much too fast for the ponderous Margarito to handle in the fight. The fight might as well have been stopped in the 1st round, because Mosley was much too good for Margarito and superior in almost every facet of his game.