Shane Mosley: “With a win over Canelo Alvarez I will then have the world title and I can definitely do a rematch with Cotto or a rematch with Mayweather”
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - The most recent edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio featured an exclusive interview with former three division champion Sugar Shane Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KOs), who is scheduled to challenge WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez (39-0-1, 29 KOs) on May 5. Mosley spoke about his upcoming fight with Alvarez and also discussed his future while providing opinions on the current landscape, including his views on the upcoming Mayweather-Cotto and Pacquiao-Bradley fights. Here is a complete transcript from that interview:
JENNA J: Let’s move things over to our final guest of this week’s show. He’s a returning one making his eighth appearance to On the Ropes Boxing Radio. We’re joined once again by the former three division world champion Sugar Shane Mosley. How’s everything going today Shane?
SHANE MOSLEY: I’m doing very well. I’m doing very good.
JENNA: Alright well Shane, let’s talk about the big news involving you that came out just this past week. You’ll be facing off against Saul Alvarez on the May 5 under card of Cotto versus Mayweather. How do you feel about the fight?
MOSLEY: Yeah I’m looking forward to the fight and it should be a good one.
JENNA: Okay so Shane, what do you think about the chance you’re getting to face a young champion like Saul Alvarez?
MOSLEY: I’m very excited and very happy that I’ve been given this opportunity. I’m looking to seize the opportunity to get myself another belt, to get back into contention, and fight these fights that I know I want to fight.
JENNA: Shane, so far with what you’ve seen from Saul Alvarez, what do you think about him as a fighter?
MOSLEY: My thoughts on Canelo Alvarez, I think he’s a great young up and coming emerging champion and future Hall of Famer hopefully. I know he’s been training very hard and will try to win the fight.
JENNA: Now Shane, do you think Golden Boy Promotions is giving you this opportunity because they feel that maybe you’re not the same fighter that you used to be?
MOSLEY: I don’t know what their motives are, but I know basically Golden Boy Promotions and I think they’re a great promotional company and I’m happy to have the opportunity to get into the ring and fight with a young warrior like Canelo Alvarez.
JENNA: Okay but do you think they might be underestimating you to put you in with such a young champion like Canelo?
MOSLEY: I don’t know if that really matters whether they are underestimating me or not. The only thing that matters to me is getting into the ring and getting the victory.
JENNA: Okay well Shane, let’s talk about the last time we saw you in the ring. You had the chance to meet up with the pound-for-pound number one guy in the world at the time, Manny Pacquiao, and for whatever reason things did not go your way that night. Why do you think that was?
MOSLEY: Well there are a lot of things that people don’t know. Before I fought Pacquiao I had a bad Achilles, or I popped my Achilles in January, early January. I had the fight down and I thought maybe I could weather the storm, but I had to fight him in May. Some people, the doctors kept telling me, don’t even walk until May with that type of injury. But I was able to fight Pacquiao and go twelve rounds. When I was in the corner with Nazim Richardson and I was telling him, “You know what’s wrong, I can’t move”. He knew what I was talking about, but he was saying, “I know you got it in you! Keep going! Keep going! I know that have the Achilles that popped”. I was telling him I had blisters on my right foot and my Achilles is popped on my left foot and he knows what’s going on with me. That’s why he kept saying, “I know you got in you! Just go out there and keep going because you got it in you!” So I said alright and I just kept going, but I was very badly hurt in that fight. I was very badly wounded. I wasn’t 100%, but this time unfortunately for Saul Alvarez I will be 100% and it will be a different fight.
JENNA: So Shane what you’re saying is the reason you were unable to get off with your shots was because of your Achilles injury?
MOSLEY: Yeah. Being that me throwing punches would have left me open if I would have tried to come to Pacquiao and tried to step forward, when you have a bad Achilles we all know that you can’t spring off your feet as fast as you want to. So I was a step behind Pacquiao and I underestimated Pacquiao’s power. I didn’t think that he would be able to knock me down, and he was able to. Me trying to just throw punches and throw caution to the wind would have been a bad idea, so I had to use my experience and get through the fight, which I did.
JENNA: Shane you mentioned getting through the fight. At one point you did ask your trainer to stop the bout. How bad was the pain for you to feel like you could no longer continue?
MOSLEY: I just told you what happened. Do you want me to repeat it? What happened was I told Nazim to stop the fight because he knew that I had a bad Achilles and that I couldn’t move. I told him, I said, “I can’t move, so you know what I’m talking about”. But he said, “No! You got it in you, so keep going!” Because my Achilles was popped I couldn’t move to my left, and I blisters and a cut on my right side. So I couldn’t move and I was at very much of a disadvantage, but I just kept going.
JENNA: Alright well Shane, now that you feel that you’re 100% ahead of this fight with Alvarez, what things do you think you will need to be able to do to be successful in your return to 154 pounds?
MOSLEY: I think that I need to make sure that I’m in great shape, make sure that I’m able to punch very hard and be very fast, and I know that I have a lot of experience. I’ve been fighting longer than Alvarez has been alive. So I think that I have a pretty good advantage over Alvarez, even though his advantage is being younger. Actually you know what’s funny? What’s funny is my son is the same age as Alvarez. My son is 21 and Alvarez is 21. That should be pretty interesting.
JENNA: Alright well Shane I’m also on the line with my Co-Host and Producer, Geoffrey Ciani.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hey Shane. It’s a pleasure to have you back on the show.
MOSLEY: Thank you! Thank you I appreciate it.
CIANI: Shane when people think about your big victories, they talk about your fights with De La Hoya and your fight with Margarito, but one of your most underrated victories I think was your fight with Luis Collazo, where a lot of fans were counting you out and you kind of surprised the boxing world with how impressive you were. Do you think you can put on that same type of performance against Alvarez and surprise fans in the same way you did with Collazo?
MOSLEY: Hopefully I can put in a better performance than I did with Collazo, even though Collazo was a great performance and he was a great young fighter, and prospect, and I think world champion. But I think for this fight I should be able to put on an even better performance and just make my name even bigger. Every time people keep counting me out, and here I am I’m coming right back! I’m just excited to be able to get this opportunity to fight a young tiger like Canelo Alvarez.
CIANI: Now what did you think about Alvarez in his last performance, his victory against Kermit Cintron?
MOSLEY: Well I had the opportunity of working with Kermit Cintron and I knew his mindset. I knew where he was at mentally. I think Alvarez got hit with a lot of shots by Kermit Cintron, and taking nothing away from Kermit, but like I said mentally he wasn’t there. He was afraid of Canelo. I know if Kermit can hit Alvarez with that many shots that I’m going to be able to hit him with a lot of shots, and I hit a little harder than Kermit.
CIANI: Alright now Shane, when Alvarez fights for a young guy he tends to get a little gun shy at times, where he doesn’t fight with a lot of youth and energy and he is kind of more like a poised veteran inside the ring. Do you think he will come out and be uncharacteristically more aggressive in his fight against you being you’re now 40 years old?
MOSLEY: I would like for him to fight aggressively, but slowing the fight down to a more experienced pace—I’ve been in the ring with a lot of different fighters, but slowing the pace down will only hurt him. So I would expect him to try and pick up the pace, and that might hurt him too as well, because I’m looking to have a great night May 5 against Canelo Alvarez.
CIANI: Okay Shane. The main event on the card you’re fighting in is of course the fight with Mayweather and Cotto, two former opponents of yours. Having been in the ring with both of those guys, what do you think about this fight?
MOSLEY: I think it’s absolutely a great fight. I think Miguel Cotto, a lot of people underestimate his jab and underestimate his punches and stuff. I think Cotto is a very good opponent for Mayweather. I mean like everybody else I would have loved to have seen him in there against Manny Pacquiao, but if you had a second fight Miguel Cotto is definitely a great fight for him. I think it should be an interesting fight.
CIANI: Now continuing with Cotto, one fight I always wanted to see a rematch for was your fight against Miguel. For whatever reason that just never came to be, but at any point did it ever seem like that rematch was going to become a possibility for you?
MOSLEY: No it didn’t, but I’m looking forward to that match too as well. A rematch with Cotto would definitely be great! You know with a win over Canelo Alvarez I will then have the world title and I can definitely do a rematch with Cotto or a rematch with Mayweather.
CIANI: Alright Shane, you brought up a moment ago that you would have preferred to see Pacquiao and Mayweather square off. But Pacquiao now has a different fight of his own and he’ll be taking on undefeated Timothy Bradley. I’m just curious what do you think about this one?
MOSLEY: Hey I think that’s a great fight as well. Timothy Bradley is a young warrior. The only concern is if Timmy can take Pacquiao’s punches. If Timmy can take Pacquiao’s punches it’s going to be a great night of fighting. If he can’t, because Timothy is very aggressive, then Pacquiao is going to win obviously. But if Timothy can take his punch pretty good and can weather the storm, they both have the same amount of energy, they throw a lot of punches, and it’s going to be an exciting fight. I can’t wait to see that fight just to see how Timothy fares. I think Timothy is a great fighter and I think the world of him. I think he’s a good fighter, a great fighter I should say. So I think all of the matches are good leading up to the next big fight.
JENNA: Alright well Shane we just have a couple of more questions before we let you off the line. Boxing fans now are starting to suggest that Manny Pacquiao is on the decline based on the fact that in his fight with you he had some trouble dealing with you turning him. He looked less effective, and then in his following fight with Marquez he struggled quite a bit and some people arguably felt that he lost. I’m curious do you think he’s on the decline?
MOSLEY: No I don’t think he’s on the decline. I think there were certain things that I did in that fight that Marquez used, and there were certain things that Marquez did in his fights before I fought Pacquiao that I used that kind of nullified Pacquiao’s punches if you will. But I don’t believe he’s going down or anything. I just think when you’re a skilled fighter a lot of times you start figuring them out, especially with Marquez. Marquez fought the guy three times and started figuring him out. I’m sure if I fought Pacquiao again it would be a whole lot different. I would be 100% and I won’t be just out there fighting. With this fight right here with Canelo I’m going to show different things that wasn’t the Sugar Shane that everybody was used to seeing. When they see this fight, when I do what I do, then I can move on to the next fight. In the next fight I can start where I want to be at. I have confidence in that! I have confidence that I’m going to win the fight and I’m confident that it’s going to be a spectacular night.
JENNA: Okay well Shane, your last two losses are against the top fighters pound-for-pound in the world today. But if somehow in your fight with Saul Alvarez you come out on the losing end, do you think that might be a sign to you that you should think about hanging up the gloves?
MOSLEY: I really don’t think I’m going to lose. I don’t have any doubt in my mind that I’m going to win this fight pretty good. But yeah, I mean if that was to happen depending on how it happens because anything can happen in the ring, but depending on how it happens yeah maybe I’ll start thinking like that, start thinking about hanging them up or whatever. I just believe that a fighter like Alvarez shouldn’t be really on my level. But like I said he’s a great young fighter coming up, and hopefully he’ll be able to win titles again after the legend guys leave out. He’s still young.
JENNA: If you do win the fight with Alvarez, do you think you’ll actually stay up at 154 pounds or will you move back down to 147 for the right opportunity?
MOSLEY: You know I think that I would probably stay at 154. It looks to be my weight if you will. I’m not sure, though. After the fight I’ll know.
JENNA: Alright now Shane earlier in the interview you mentioned that Canelo is the same age as your son. I’m just wonder what’s the progress been like with your son Shane Mosley Junior and him developing as a fighter?
MOSLEY: Well right now we’re in camp training to go the Nationals in Colorado Springs, and if he wins that, that can enable him to go to the Olympics.
JENNA: Alright well Shane I’m down to my final question for you. You have a lot of fans out there and a lot of people who have followed you throughout your career. Is there anything you would like to say to them?
MOSLEY: You know as usual I would like to thank my true fans for being great fans and for following me throughout my career and everything, and just for being great fans and being positive.
JENNA: Alright well Shane, it’s been an absolute pleasure having you once again return to On the Ropes. I thank you for your time and I’m looking forward to your fight with Canelo.
MOSLEY: Thank you. I appreciate it.
CIANI: Thanks Shane. Best of luck on May 5.
MOSLEY: Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you.
by Geoffrey Ciani (Exclusive Interview by Jenna J & Geoffrey Ciani) - The most recent edition of On the Ropes Boxing Radio featured an exclusive interview with former three division champion Sugar Shane Mosley (46-7-1, 39 KOs), who is scheduled to challenge WBC junior middleweight champion Saul Alvarez (39-0-1, 29 KOs) on May 5. Mosley spoke about his upcoming fight with Alvarez and also discussed his future while providing opinions on the current landscape, including his views on the upcoming Mayweather-Cotto and Pacquiao-Bradley fights. Here is a complete transcript from that interview:
JENNA J: Let’s move things over to our final guest of this week’s show. He’s a returning one making his eighth appearance to On the Ropes Boxing Radio. We’re joined once again by the former three division world champion Sugar Shane Mosley. How’s everything going today Shane?
SHANE MOSLEY: I’m doing very well. I’m doing very good.
JENNA: Alright well Shane, let’s talk about the big news involving you that came out just this past week. You’ll be facing off against Saul Alvarez on the May 5 under card of Cotto versus Mayweather. How do you feel about the fight?
MOSLEY: Yeah I’m looking forward to the fight and it should be a good one.
JENNA: Okay so Shane, what do you think about the chance you’re getting to face a young champion like Saul Alvarez?
MOSLEY: I’m very excited and very happy that I’ve been given this opportunity. I’m looking to seize the opportunity to get myself another belt, to get back into contention, and fight these fights that I know I want to fight.
JENNA: Shane, so far with what you’ve seen from Saul Alvarez, what do you think about him as a fighter?
MOSLEY: My thoughts on Canelo Alvarez, I think he’s a great young up and coming emerging champion and future Hall of Famer hopefully. I know he’s been training very hard and will try to win the fight.
JENNA: Now Shane, do you think Golden Boy Promotions is giving you this opportunity because they feel that maybe you’re not the same fighter that you used to be?
MOSLEY: I don’t know what their motives are, but I know basically Golden Boy Promotions and I think they’re a great promotional company and I’m happy to have the opportunity to get into the ring and fight with a young warrior like Canelo Alvarez.
JENNA: Okay but do you think they might be underestimating you to put you in with such a young champion like Canelo?
MOSLEY: I don’t know if that really matters whether they are underestimating me or not. The only thing that matters to me is getting into the ring and getting the victory.
JENNA: Okay well Shane, let’s talk about the last time we saw you in the ring. You had the chance to meet up with the pound-for-pound number one guy in the world at the time, Manny Pacquiao, and for whatever reason things did not go your way that night. Why do you think that was?
MOSLEY: Well there are a lot of things that people don’t know. Before I fought Pacquiao I had a bad Achilles, or I popped my Achilles in January, early January. I had the fight down and I thought maybe I could weather the storm, but I had to fight him in May. Some people, the doctors kept telling me, don’t even walk until May with that type of injury. But I was able to fight Pacquiao and go twelve rounds. When I was in the corner with Nazim Richardson and I was telling him, “You know what’s wrong, I can’t move”. He knew what I was talking about, but he was saying, “I know you got it in you! Keep going! Keep going! I know that have the Achilles that popped”. I was telling him I had blisters on my right foot and my Achilles is popped on my left foot and he knows what’s going on with me. That’s why he kept saying, “I know you got in you! Just go out there and keep going because you got it in you!” So I said alright and I just kept going, but I was very badly hurt in that fight. I was very badly wounded. I wasn’t 100%, but this time unfortunately for Saul Alvarez I will be 100% and it will be a different fight.
JENNA: So Shane what you’re saying is the reason you were unable to get off with your shots was because of your Achilles injury?
MOSLEY: Yeah. Being that me throwing punches would have left me open if I would have tried to come to Pacquiao and tried to step forward, when you have a bad Achilles we all know that you can’t spring off your feet as fast as you want to. So I was a step behind Pacquiao and I underestimated Pacquiao’s power. I didn’t think that he would be able to knock me down, and he was able to. Me trying to just throw punches and throw caution to the wind would have been a bad idea, so I had to use my experience and get through the fight, which I did.
JENNA: Shane you mentioned getting through the fight. At one point you did ask your trainer to stop the bout. How bad was the pain for you to feel like you could no longer continue?
MOSLEY: I just told you what happened. Do you want me to repeat it? What happened was I told Nazim to stop the fight because he knew that I had a bad Achilles and that I couldn’t move. I told him, I said, “I can’t move, so you know what I’m talking about”. But he said, “No! You got it in you, so keep going!” Because my Achilles was popped I couldn’t move to my left, and I blisters and a cut on my right side. So I couldn’t move and I was at very much of a disadvantage, but I just kept going.
JENNA: Alright well Shane, now that you feel that you’re 100% ahead of this fight with Alvarez, what things do you think you will need to be able to do to be successful in your return to 154 pounds?
MOSLEY: I think that I need to make sure that I’m in great shape, make sure that I’m able to punch very hard and be very fast, and I know that I have a lot of experience. I’ve been fighting longer than Alvarez has been alive. So I think that I have a pretty good advantage over Alvarez, even though his advantage is being younger. Actually you know what’s funny? What’s funny is my son is the same age as Alvarez. My son is 21 and Alvarez is 21. That should be pretty interesting.
JENNA: Alright well Shane I’m also on the line with my Co-Host and Producer, Geoffrey Ciani.
GEOFFREY CIANI: Hey Shane. It’s a pleasure to have you back on the show.
MOSLEY: Thank you! Thank you I appreciate it.
CIANI: Shane when people think about your big victories, they talk about your fights with De La Hoya and your fight with Margarito, but one of your most underrated victories I think was your fight with Luis Collazo, where a lot of fans were counting you out and you kind of surprised the boxing world with how impressive you were. Do you think you can put on that same type of performance against Alvarez and surprise fans in the same way you did with Collazo?
MOSLEY: Hopefully I can put in a better performance than I did with Collazo, even though Collazo was a great performance and he was a great young fighter, and prospect, and I think world champion. But I think for this fight I should be able to put on an even better performance and just make my name even bigger. Every time people keep counting me out, and here I am I’m coming right back! I’m just excited to be able to get this opportunity to fight a young tiger like Canelo Alvarez.
CIANI: Now what did you think about Alvarez in his last performance, his victory against Kermit Cintron?
MOSLEY: Well I had the opportunity of working with Kermit Cintron and I knew his mindset. I knew where he was at mentally. I think Alvarez got hit with a lot of shots by Kermit Cintron, and taking nothing away from Kermit, but like I said mentally he wasn’t there. He was afraid of Canelo. I know if Kermit can hit Alvarez with that many shots that I’m going to be able to hit him with a lot of shots, and I hit a little harder than Kermit.
CIANI: Alright now Shane, when Alvarez fights for a young guy he tends to get a little gun shy at times, where he doesn’t fight with a lot of youth and energy and he is kind of more like a poised veteran inside the ring. Do you think he will come out and be uncharacteristically more aggressive in his fight against you being you’re now 40 years old?
MOSLEY: I would like for him to fight aggressively, but slowing the fight down to a more experienced pace—I’ve been in the ring with a lot of different fighters, but slowing the pace down will only hurt him. So I would expect him to try and pick up the pace, and that might hurt him too as well, because I’m looking to have a great night May 5 against Canelo Alvarez.
CIANI: Okay Shane. The main event on the card you’re fighting in is of course the fight with Mayweather and Cotto, two former opponents of yours. Having been in the ring with both of those guys, what do you think about this fight?
MOSLEY: I think it’s absolutely a great fight. I think Miguel Cotto, a lot of people underestimate his jab and underestimate his punches and stuff. I think Cotto is a very good opponent for Mayweather. I mean like everybody else I would have loved to have seen him in there against Manny Pacquiao, but if you had a second fight Miguel Cotto is definitely a great fight for him. I think it should be an interesting fight.
CIANI: Now continuing with Cotto, one fight I always wanted to see a rematch for was your fight against Miguel. For whatever reason that just never came to be, but at any point did it ever seem like that rematch was going to become a possibility for you?
MOSLEY: No it didn’t, but I’m looking forward to that match too as well. A rematch with Cotto would definitely be great! You know with a win over Canelo Alvarez I will then have the world title and I can definitely do a rematch with Cotto or a rematch with Mayweather.
CIANI: Alright Shane, you brought up a moment ago that you would have preferred to see Pacquiao and Mayweather square off. But Pacquiao now has a different fight of his own and he’ll be taking on undefeated Timothy Bradley. I’m just curious what do you think about this one?
MOSLEY: Hey I think that’s a great fight as well. Timothy Bradley is a young warrior. The only concern is if Timmy can take Pacquiao’s punches. If Timmy can take Pacquiao’s punches it’s going to be a great night of fighting. If he can’t, because Timothy is very aggressive, then Pacquiao is going to win obviously. But if Timothy can take his punch pretty good and can weather the storm, they both have the same amount of energy, they throw a lot of punches, and it’s going to be an exciting fight. I can’t wait to see that fight just to see how Timothy fares. I think Timothy is a great fighter and I think the world of him. I think he’s a good fighter, a great fighter I should say. So I think all of the matches are good leading up to the next big fight.
JENNA: Alright well Shane we just have a couple of more questions before we let you off the line. Boxing fans now are starting to suggest that Manny Pacquiao is on the decline based on the fact that in his fight with you he had some trouble dealing with you turning him. He looked less effective, and then in his following fight with Marquez he struggled quite a bit and some people arguably felt that he lost. I’m curious do you think he’s on the decline?
MOSLEY: No I don’t think he’s on the decline. I think there were certain things that I did in that fight that Marquez used, and there were certain things that Marquez did in his fights before I fought Pacquiao that I used that kind of nullified Pacquiao’s punches if you will. But I don’t believe he’s going down or anything. I just think when you’re a skilled fighter a lot of times you start figuring them out, especially with Marquez. Marquez fought the guy three times and started figuring him out. I’m sure if I fought Pacquiao again it would be a whole lot different. I would be 100% and I won’t be just out there fighting. With this fight right here with Canelo I’m going to show different things that wasn’t the Sugar Shane that everybody was used to seeing. When they see this fight, when I do what I do, then I can move on to the next fight. In the next fight I can start where I want to be at. I have confidence in that! I have confidence that I’m going to win the fight and I’m confident that it’s going to be a spectacular night.
JENNA: Okay well Shane, your last two losses are against the top fighters pound-for-pound in the world today. But if somehow in your fight with Saul Alvarez you come out on the losing end, do you think that might be a sign to you that you should think about hanging up the gloves?
MOSLEY: I really don’t think I’m going to lose. I don’t have any doubt in my mind that I’m going to win this fight pretty good. But yeah, I mean if that was to happen depending on how it happens because anything can happen in the ring, but depending on how it happens yeah maybe I’ll start thinking like that, start thinking about hanging them up or whatever. I just believe that a fighter like Alvarez shouldn’t be really on my level. But like I said he’s a great young fighter coming up, and hopefully he’ll be able to win titles again after the legend guys leave out. He’s still young.
JENNA: If you do win the fight with Alvarez, do you think you’ll actually stay up at 154 pounds or will you move back down to 147 for the right opportunity?
MOSLEY: You know I think that I would probably stay at 154. It looks to be my weight if you will. I’m not sure, though. After the fight I’ll know.
JENNA: Alright now Shane earlier in the interview you mentioned that Canelo is the same age as your son. I’m just wonder what’s the progress been like with your son Shane Mosley Junior and him developing as a fighter?
MOSLEY: Well right now we’re in camp training to go the Nationals in Colorado Springs, and if he wins that, that can enable him to go to the Olympics.
JENNA: Alright well Shane I’m down to my final question for you. You have a lot of fans out there and a lot of people who have followed you throughout your career. Is there anything you would like to say to them?
MOSLEY: You know as usual I would like to thank my true fans for being great fans and for following me throughout my career and everything, and just for being great fans and being positive.
JENNA: Alright well Shane, it’s been an absolute pleasure having you once again return to On the Ropes. I thank you for your time and I’m looking forward to your fight with Canelo.
MOSLEY: Thank you. I appreciate it.
CIANI: Thanks Shane. Best of luck on May 5.
MOSLEY: Thank you. I appreciate it. Thank you.
