Shane Mosley vs Ricardo Mayorga

In something of a homecoming fight, Shane Mosley produced a knockout with one second remaining to defeat Ricardo Mayorga in the 12th and final round at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, on September 27, 2008. Mayorga was knocked down twice in the closing seconds, the second fall leaving him flat on his back as referee David Mendoza stopped the contest at 2 minutes 59 seconds. Until then, it had been an awkward, uneven match in which Mosley had struggled for long periods to impose his superior speed and technique.

The contest was made at light-middleweight, with the vacant WBA Inter-Continental title at stake. Both men weighed 153½ pounds. Mosley entered with 44 victories and five defeats, having lost a close unanimous decision to Miguel Cotto in his previous appearance. Mayorga’s record stood at 28 wins, six defeats and one draw, and he had revived his career by taking a majority decision over Fernando Vargas. Golden Boy Promotions and Don King shared the promotion, and HBO televised the fight. Mosley was fighting in his native California for the first time since 2000.

Mayorga began with his usual mixture of aggression, awkwardness and provocation. He threw long right hands from unconventional positions, crowded Mosley after punching and used his greater physical strength whenever the pair came together. Mosley attempted to answer with single power punches but frequently lunged from too far away, allowing Mayorga either to smother the attack or catch him as he came forward. The Nicaraguan’s punches lacked refinement, but several reached their target because Mosley had difficulty judging the distance.

The same pattern continued through the second and third rounds. Mayorga beat Mosley to the punch with lead rights and then leaned upon him in the clinches. His rough methods and showmanship appeared to irritate Mosley, who abandoned his jab too readily and tried to answer with wide blows. The result was untidy boxing, with Mosley falling inside after missing and Mayorga making the most of the physical exchanges. Mayorga appeared the heavier puncher during this period and took an early lead.

Mosley began to settle in the fourth. He stopped pursuing Mayorga in straight lines, judged the challenger’s advances more carefully and started placing the overhand right over Mayorga’s low left hand. Short hooks and occasional body punches followed when Mayorga remained within range. Mosley continued the improvement through the fifth and sixth, no longer allowing Mayorga’s mannerisms to dictate the contest. His punches were shorter and more accurate, although he was still working mainly in single blows rather than the rapid combinations associated with his best years.

The middle rounds belonged largely to Mosley. In the seventh and eighth, he landed several solid right hands and moved away before Mayorga could reply. Mayorga continued to throw the lead right and occasionally found the target, but much of his work was wild or smothered. Mosley’s jab, though not used consistently, helped him establish the distance and prevented the Nicaraguan from rushing forward quite so freely. There were no knockdowns, and neither fighter was in serious difficulty, but Mosley was gradually collecting rounds through the cleaner punching.

Mayorga remained troublesome during the ninth and tenth. He was still willing to throw from unexpected angles and continued to rough Mosley up at close quarters. Mosley landed the more accurate blows but rarely put more than two together, leaving Mayorga opportunities to answer and keeping the scoring closer than the difference in clean punches suggested. Mayorga’s activity impressed at least one judge even though many of his blows missed or struck Mosley’s arms and gloves.

Mosley increased his authority in the 11th. A hard right hand near the end of the round struck Mayorga in the mouth and sent blood into the air. It was the clearest indication that the accumulation of accurate punches was beginning to affect him. Mayorga returned to his corner upright, but he was tiring, and his movements had slowed. Mosley, aware that the verdict remained uncertain, came out for the last round seeking an emphatic finish.

For most of the 12th, Mayorga appeared likely to reach the final bell. Mosley continued to press and worked more urgently to the head and body, but the Nicaraguan absorbed the punches and attempted to answer. With approximately 15 seconds remaining, Mosley broke through with a rapid attack and sent Mayorga down on his hands and knees. Mendoza counted while Mosley waited in a neutral corner. Mayorga rose unsteadily and was permitted to continue with only a few seconds left.

Mosley moved directly upon him. As Mayorga lifted his hands, Mosley stepped inside and delivered a short lead left hook to the jaw. Mayorga fell backwards and landed heavily on the canvas. Mendoza immediately waved the contest over as the timekeeper recorded 2:59. There was no need to complete a count. The final blow had arrived so close to the bell that the contest would otherwise have passed to the judges.

Mosley was leading on two cards when the stoppage occurred. Tony Crebs had him ahead 107–102, and Nelson Vazquez scored 105–104 in his favour, while Pat Russell had Mayorga leading 105–104. HBO’s unofficial scorer Harold Lederman also favoured Mosley by 107–102. The two knockdowns would almost certainly have given Mosley a wide final round had Mayorga survived, but the scorecards became immaterial when Mendoza declared the knockout.

The official punch figures supported Mosley’s greater accuracy. He was credited with landing 144 of 397 punches, while Mayorga connected with 73 of 588. Mosley landed 99 power punches to Mayorga’s 68, despite throwing approximately half as many. Those totals explained both the closeness of some rounds and the physical difference at the finish: Mayorga was busier but wasteful, whereas Mosley’s cleaner blows accumulated until the last attack finally overwhelmed him. Mosley's performance hadn't been polished, but the ending was exact and conclusive.

I never thought this was vintage Shane Mosley. He was 37, coming off the defeat to Miguel Cotto, and Mayorga made him look uncomfortable for long spells. Ricardo was crude, but crude does not mean ineffective. His long right hand, physical strength and rough work inside broke Mosley’s rhythm early. You cannot prepare neatly for a man who rarely does anything by the textbook.

Mayorga had already wrecked Vernon Forrest’s plans and had just beaten Fernando Vargas. Supporters watched him because he was unpredictable, both before and after the bell. Mosley was the proper fighter, quicker and technically superior, but he made hard work of proving it. He lunged, fell into clinches and spent too much time looking for single shots. Once he settled down, his timing and accuracy gradually took over, although the fight remained close enough for one judge to have Mayorga ahead after eleven rounds.

The finish showed the difference in class. Mosley hurt him, put him down, then remained composed enough to land that short left hook with one second remaining. That was not luck; it was a seasoned fighter recognising that Mayorga’s legs had gone and finishing the job correctly. Mosley was poor by his own standards, but poor versions of great fighters still find ways to win. Mayorga made the contest awkward. Mosley made the ending conclusive.