On Saturday, 27th September 2008, at the Home Depot Center in Carson, California, Shane Mosley and Ricardo Mayorga met for the vacant WBA Inter-Continental Welterweight Title. The event was promoted by Golden Boy Promotions and Don King, with David Mendoza as the referee. Airing on HBO World Championship Boxing, Mosley entered the ring with a record of 44-5-0, while Mayorga held a record of 28-6-1. Both fighters weighed in at 153½ lbs.
The early rounds were characterized by Mayorga's aggression and showmanship, as the Nicaraguan fighter landed powerful right hands from long range and roughed up Mosley in close quarters. Mayorga's tactics appeared to unsettle Mosley, who lunged in with wild power shots and struggled to avoid Mayorga's punches. However, Mosley adapted and found his rhythm in the fourth round, taking control by timing Mayorga with overhand rights and occasionally following up with hooks and body shots.
Mosley maintained his momentum in the seventh and eighth rounds, landing solid right hands while avoiding Mayorga's attempts to beat him to the punch. Although Mosley managed to connect with single power shots in the late rounds, he threw few combinations. Despite Mosley's growing dominance, Mayorga continued to occasionally land lead right hands.
In the penultimate round, Mosley demonstrated his power with a right hand that left Mayorga's mouth bloodied. Entering the final round, Mosley wasted no time in knocking Mayorga down onto his hands and knees with less than a minute remaining. Mayorga rose unsteadily, only for Mosley to deliver a decisive left hook that sent Mayorga crashing to the canvas. The referee waved the bout off, declaring Shane Mosley the winner by knockout at 2:59 in the twelfth round.
