Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley posed for a big crowd at the press conference to announce their fight at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
Both Antonio Margarito and Shane Mosley declared in a conference call with boxing reporters on Thursday that they are both fully prepared to square off against one another on Jan. 24th at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.
The two will battle for Margarito's World Boxing Association 147-pound title in a fight that promises fireworks. Even in a down economy, fight tickets for this one are red hot and it is an eagerly anticipated match by boxing fans.
Bob Arum was also on the call and declared there "wasn't much left for me to do" as the Staples Center was essentially sold out. Arum said that by the time next Saturday night rolls around all seats will be filled and that there will be plenty of Hollywood celebrities in attendance.
Each fighter spent about half an hour fielding a variety of questions.
Mosley's new trainer, Nazim Richardson, spoke first. Asked for his comments about what it has been like to train Mosley after working for years with his best known client, Bernard Hopkins, Richardson said there wasn't a lot of new tricks that he could teach Mosley. Richardson said that Mosley's knowledge of the game "was exceptional" and that Mosley already knows all of the ins and outs of the sport. Richardson said he was acting more as a guide to Mosley to point things out to him that he can do - or maybe do better.
Mosley, who had been trained for his entire life by his father Jack until parting with him recently, said that he still speaks to his father on a regular basis.
"I just spoke with my father yesterday," said Mosley, a titlist at 135, 147 and 154 pounds. 'Sugar' Shane claimed that he does talk strategy with his father and that he advises him to do many of the same things that he and Richardson have been working on throughout training camp.
Mosley said that he is fully prepared for everything that Margarito will bring to the table. He said that he has been fighting against Mexican-style fighters his entire life in the gyms of California. Mosley said that his style is much like that of the Mexicans and he referred to his own style as that of "a California fighter."
In a couple of surprising comments, Mosley said that he will not back away from the hard-charging Margarito and that he is going to attempt to control the pace of the fight with his experience, hand and foot speed. He said that he plans on testing Margarito's body and that he will be concentrating on getting his own shots in on Margarito and not what Margarito will be attempting to do.
Mosley also believes that he understands how to fight Margarito and negate his style better than Miguel Cotto did. Mosley said although Cotto did well early in that fight - he had a "mental breakdown" later on that led to his 11th round TKO loss.
Mosley told me that although he is going forward with his career "on a fight-by-fight basis" that his long range plan may be to fight another "four or five years" or until he is 41 or 42 years old. Mosley claims the reason he wants to continue is that he feels as though he is in exceptional physical condition and that as long as he continues to feel as strong and effective as he currently does, that he will forge on.
Margarito, for his part, was all business. Speaking in Spanish through his manager and interpreter Sergio Diaz, the 'Tijuana Tornado' said he is fully prepared for what will happen on the 24th and that he is sure of victory.
Before he fought Miguel Cotto, Margarito took a moment to soak up the atmosphere of the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
Margarito pointed out that he has been boxing since he was eight years old and that everything he has been working for throughout his life and boxing career has led him to meeting Mosley in a sold out Los Angeles arena.
"I'm just thinking about Shane Mosley," said Margarito. "He's a very experienced fighter and he's been a great champion and I'm not underestimating him. I put in the work in the gym and I have what it takes to win and. I'm ready to put on a good show for all the fans."
January 2009
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