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Crossroads Crossed - Both Fighters Win
SUN February 26, BUSTER PARIS -
The big back story or the behind scenes scuttlebutt about this fight was that both “Sugar” Shane Mosley and Fernando “El Feroz” Vargas were at a crossroads in their careers. Both fighters were (and maybe still are) considered to be on the downhill side of their vocation and whoever wins this fight will go on and still be a professional prize fighter while the loser – well – in two words – will not.
The crossroads fight took place on Saturday – February 25 2006 at the Mandalay Bay Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada and I for one could have never predicted that the bout would end with the careers of both fighters not only being beautifully intact, but there being some new found respect for both men and some nagging questions getting answered – you really couldn’t have asked for a better result.
The fight was genuinely exciting and had plenty of action. The exchanges were old school in that they were rough, tough and all heart. Most of the battle was strongly fought head to head with both fighters landing big powerful blows. Vargas would land the harder and more solid punches – he had the heavier hands. Mosley would be the faster and flashier fighter – his fists blazing with snap and purpose.
Here are the highlights as I saw them:
Round one opened with a violent feeling out process. Mosley’s mitts were constantly trespassing on Vargas’ body and Vargas would just keep moving forward, cut off the ring and land one or two shots to Shane’s three or four. At the end of the round you see some swelling on Fernando’s left eye. I felt that Mosley won this round. (Mosley 10/Vargas 9)
Rounds two and three were pretty much identical. Fernando would be the aggressor and solidly trudge forward throwing one bomb at a time while Shane would answer with two to four of his own. Most of the exchanges were on the inside as both were head to head - where they would be for most of the fight. At the end of the third Vargas’ left eye looked even more swollen. The thought was there that that eye might be a factor in the fight. Both rounds I gave to Shane. (M 30/V 27)
Rounds four, five and six were practically the same and all for Vargas with the fourth being his best round. These three rounds saw Fernando continuing as the aggressor, constantly moving forward throwing big hard shots mostly one at a time, but not in that ‘washed up - looking for a one punch knockout’ kinda way.
They would remain head to head slugging it out and it would be to Fernando’s advantage. He would also start landing his left more often in these rounds and was beginning to fight in a way that Shane simply couldn’t answer to. Mosley’s output had slowed down and he looked to be getting tired. Both fighters would tangle up and trade on the inside slamming away at each other. I gave these three rounds to Vargas (M 57/V 57)
Round seven was a very close round - pretty much dead even with both fighters doing what they do best - Fernando was landing the harder punches, but still one at a time, and Shane would come back with two or three fast snapping counters. They were still head to head most of the time and slamming away at each other. Tough round to score, but Vargas would land a sweet three shot combination and that gave him the seventh – and as he walked back to his corner that eye was looking mighty swollen and again you had to wonder how long before it closed up and what would happen then. (M 66/V 67)
Rounds eight and nine were Mosley’s – the ninth was close, but it belonged to Shane. The eighth opened with Shane landing an enormous right hook exactly where he wanted it to – on the increasingly swelling left eye of “El Feroz” Fernando’s eye is looking horrible. “Sugar” would be all over that eye for these two rounds, at times creating a beautifully solid body attack only to return to the left side Vargas’ face. It’s doubtful Fernando can see out of it at all now. (M 86/V 85)
In between rounds nine and ten a small meeting takes place on the ropes with Mark Ratner (Nevada State Athletic commission), the ring doctor and referee Joe Cortez discussing Vargas’ eye – at this point Fernando’s corner should have said something to him to indicate that there’s the chance this could be stopped. His eye looked like a mud slide or collapsed roof – or like his forehead was taking over his eyebrows turf – it looked absolutely horrid and his corner should have stressed a sense of urgency so that Fernando could have exploded into the tenth round as if it were his last…which it was.
Round ten - the clinchiest round of them all. Vargas was holding on to Mosley and Shane was trying to break free – there were some exchanges - and around the halfway point of the tenth Shane flurries all over Fernando’s head and Joe Cortez has seen enough, steps in and stops the fight.
“Sugar” Shane Mosley wins with a tenth round TKO.
The fight was much better than I anticipated. I actually thought that it would be an eleventh round TKO for Shane, but for entirely different reasons. I thought Vargas just wouldn’t have anything left in the tank. I thought he’d be a slug starting in the middle to end of the eighth round, take a beating in nine and ten and then the fight would get stopped in the eleventh with Vargas unable to hit back and dead on his feet.
Thankfully for all concerned it didn’t go that way – and after all is said and done both fighters won something here.
The fight that was supposed to be a crossroads turned out to be an exciting and reviving match with each fighter answering some questions about where they’re at and what’s next for this latest, but probably short, phase of their careers.
One of the biggest questions facing Vargas going in to this fight was is he a shot fighter. Well – on this night he was active, moving forward and still had gas in the tank at the end. During his post fight interview he seemed somewhat tired, but hey - he’d just been in a fight and he was “better” than he was after the Javier Castillejo bout (08.20.2005) where he seemed almost brain damaged and exhausted.
However – I think Vargas is where everyone thinks Erik Morales is and depending on who Fernando fights next I think he has two to five fights left in him.
Moving up to Middleweight (160 lbs) or even Super Middleweight (168 lbs) will be good for him as far as his natural weight goes – 154 is too difficult for him now. If he does go to Middleweight as planned then he should definitely avoid fighting Sam Soliman and Winky Wright. Soliman’s just too damn fast for him and he simply doesn’t stand a chance against Winky.
For Mosley – the biggest questions facing him were can he still take a punch and is he still fast – well as we saw – he can and he is. Granted he’s slowed down a bit, but he’s that good that he had those nanoseconds to give and his proven power of chin will do great at Welterweight (147 lbs).
Sugar has more sweetness to give and more fights left in him, but again it depends on whom he fights at 147. He mentioned Floyd Mayweather, but I’d like to see him fight a couple of the other Welterweights first – like - Kermit Cintron, then either Corey Spinks or Zab Judah. Then if successful face off against Antonio Margarito – then on to Pretty Boy Floyd.
I think he’d beat Cintron, Spinks and Judah…not 100% on the Margarito fight though – I’d need to noodle that one some more – and as far as Floyd goes – no one beats Mayweather at 147. Not gonna happen.
Buster Paris can be reached at: bparis@talkingboxing.com - and always enjoys receiving your thoughts, comments and questions
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