Boxing: 4-27 thru 5-5

[H2O Man]

2. Alvarez vs Mosley

I didn't like this fight, from the moment that I heard it had been scheduled for the Mayweather undercard. And I haven't changed my mind since.

Shane Mosley made his pro debut in 1993. He won the lightweight title in 1997, and defended it with ten straight knockout victories. That was his prime. He capped it off by moving up two weight classes, and defeating Oscar de la Hoya for the welterweight crown in 2000. When he beat Oscar in their second fight, three years later, it was evident that Shane's physical skills were beginning to decline. From that time on, Mosley would rely on his intelligence and great physical strength more and more.

Mosley would drop two fights to both Vernon Forest and Winky Wright; Vernon had beat him in the amateur ranks, too, making it an example of how certain styles own others (Mosley could beat fighters who beat Vernon, though; with Winky, it was really a matter of size: Wright was a super middleweight/ light heavyweight who could drop down to junion middleweight for a weigh-in, and was just too big for Shane.

Let's look at Shane's fights since late 2007, when he lost a decision to Miguel Cotto. In September of 2008, he struggled with Ricardo Mayorga -- actually being physically man-handled -- before pulling off a 12th round kayo. Four months later, he won a spectacular TKO in 9 over heavily-favored champion Antonio Margarito (in the dressing room before the fight, Mosley's trainer discovered that Margarito's wraps were being "loaded&quot .

But it's been down-hill since then. Shane took a beating in May of 2010, at the hands of Floyd Mayweather. While Mosley did land two hard punches early in the bout, Floyd would showcase his new tactic of standing mid-ring or moving forward; his punching accuracy was much higher than anyone Mosley had ever fought. It was apparent that Mayweather could have stopped Mosley in the late rounds, had he wanted to. But the curious prefernce of Floyd was to spank Shane, grinning at his total superiority in that ring.

For months later,osley drew with Sergio Mora. With no disrespect to Mora, who is a good journeyman fighter, it was clear that Mosley -- then undergoing an expensive divorce -- was fighting for the money. In his prime, Mora would have had problems surviving as one of Mosley's sparring partners.

Then, a year ago, Mosley lost a one-sided decision to Manny Pacquiao, being decked along the way. While there is certainly no shame in losing to PacMan, there is a price to absorbing 12 rounds of punishment from him. Manny, too, could have TKOed Shane -- but he didn't want to humiliate him (unlike Floyd, who enjoyed humiliating Shane while torturing him as a cat does a mouse).

Old former champions, looking for a pay-day, rarely do well by coming off inactivity to meet a larger, young lion. Alvarez, 21, is a big, very strong kid. While he obviously doesn't have the experience of Mosley, his promoter has brought him along well. Unlike fellow countryman Julio Cesear Chavez, Jr., who has a record bloated by stiffs and much smaller opposition, "Canelo" has been impressive in coming up the ranks. For example, in September of 2010, he knocked tough, durable ex-champion Carlos Baldamir out cold -- Baldamir fell face-forward to the canvas, always a sign of extreme punching power.

My son believes that Shane probably has enough left in the tank to win a decision over his younger foe. While that is a possibility (probably a slight possibility), it is still evidence of the ugly side, or brutal nature of this sport. Boxing is a "hurt" sport .... and even if he does somehow win, Mosley will take serious physical punishment in the ring. And while he is still faster on his feet than Alvarez, I do not think he will have faster hand speed: this kid has a vicious left hook, and he can land it to the body (re: liver) or the head.

All old fighters have a common experience: they can see an opening, but not have the reflexes to pull the trigger; and they can see a punch coming, but lack the ability to get out of its way. Those punches Shane sees coming will hurt more and more, as the fight progresses. One he doesn't see could very well result in Mosley being counted out for the first time in his career.