This was a weekend filled with great action all the way around, starting of course with the huge PPV battle between Floyd Mayweather and Shane Mosley. But there were plenty more big fights as well, in divisions from cruiserweight down to bantamweight, with hot rising prospects, returning champions, upset wins and more, so settle in and take a look at all of the notable action from the past few days.
Mayweather Outclasses Shane Mosley
Mayweather surprised probably everybody in the arena, including Shane Mosley, when he decided to be the aggressor in the fight, utilizing his superior speed and timing to leave Mosley without an option for how to attack effectively. Mosley did have one shining moment, badly stunning Mayweather and buckling his legs in the second round. However, after that Mayweather was only more focused and engaged, and he pelted Mosley with straight right hands all throughout the evening. Mosley was tired by the middle rounds and never was able to adjust or mount another attack.
The final scorecards were a resounding 119-109, 119-109 and 118-110, which means that Mosley at most won two rounds in the entire bout. If you gave him two, it was the first two, and after that it was all Mayweather. You can read our full recap and round by round blog for Mayweather vs. Mosley.
Montiel is the Top Bantamweight
In a very intriguing bout in the bantamweight ranks, longtime champion Hozumi Hasegawa was slated to face division newcomer, but sturdy champion himself, Fernando Montiel. Hasegawa’s plan to outbox and out-skill Montiel for 12 rounds worked great, until round 4, when Montiel landed some thudded shots and was able to pile on the pressure until the referee stopped the bout with just one second remaining in the round. A rematch is likely lurking in the future, but for now Montiel reigns atop of the bantamweight ranks. Another intriguing contest will be held in the division in a few weeks, when champion Yonnhy Perez meets undefeated prospect Abner Mares.
The Ghost Makes a Strong Return
Robert Guerrero made his return to the ring, scoring an 8th round TKO win over Robert Arrieta. It was Guerrero’s debut at the lightweight ranks and his first fight since last August when he won the IBF Super Featherweight title. Guerrero vacated that title and halted his schedule as his wife was battling leukemia and undergoing ultimately lifesaving procedures. Congratulations to Guerrero on the successful return but more importantly on the positive signs that his wife has been showing. He’s eager to get a fight against the winner of the Marquez vs. Diaz bout.
Watch out for Saul Alvarez
The Mayweather vs. Mosley undercard was rightfully bashed as being completely devoid of major, intriguing contests. However, boxing fans were treated to an extended glimpse of undefeated 19 year old Mexican welterweight prospect Saul Alvarez. Alvarez cruised past his toughest challenger to date, Jose Miguel Cotto, eventually forcing a referee stoppage in the 9th round as he lined up monster straight rights one after the other without return fire. Alvarez is already 32-0-1, against mostly light opposition, after turning pro at the age of 15. (By his count he actually has 44 or 45 pro fights). Alvarez has power in both hands, a great looking left hook to go along with a quick, sturdy jab and good technical skills all the way around. He’s a name we will certainly be hearing more from in the near future.
Marco Huck Retains his Cruiserweight Title
Marco Huck toppled the ever-tough Brian Minto via 10th round TKO, after previously putting him down to the canvas on three occasions. Huck is now on a 10 fight winning streak, including three defenses of his WBO Cruiserweight title, since the lone set back of his career to Steve Cunningham in 2007. With Cunningham unable to land any big fights as of late, perhaps a rematch is in order.
Super Middleweight Prospects on Shobox
Showtime played off their Super Six tournament by offering a slate of three super middleweight contests on their Shobox card this Friday night, including a handful of undefeated prospects. Marcus Johnson stayed undefeated and handed Derek Edwards his first loss, winning a wide unanimous decision and displaying superior speed, power and all around technical ability. Don George survived a tough fight and remained undefeated against Oumanu Adama, riding a 7th round knockdown to a UD win. The card opened with the only knockout of the evening, as Edwin Rodriguez KO’d Kevin Engel via a body shot in the sixth.
