Saul Alvarez vs. Shane Mosley Preview May 5
Former world champion Shane Mosley of America will get a chance to win another title on May 5 when he challenges Saul Alvarez for the Mexican’s WBC Junior Middleweight Championship at Las Vegas’ MGM Grand Garden Arena. This is a classic matchup when it comes to boxing as Alvarez is the young, rising star while Mosley is hoping to regain his former glory with one last title shot before hanging up his gloves.
Alvarez will be a definite favourite entering the fight, but Mosley has the experience and power to stop the young champion in his tracks. It’s definitely a great matchup in name and on paper, but some fans feel Mosley’s still in the game to collect a few more huge paycheques. He lost wide decisions to Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Manny Pacquiao recently and in between managed only a 12-round draw with Sergio Mora. The 40-year-old did land a right-handed haymaker on Mayweather in the second round of their 2010 bout and staggered him, but failed to follow up on it.
The unbeaten Alvarez likes to stay active and has fought 40 times already even though he’s just 21. He’s got an impressive record of 39-0-1 with 29 KOS and has quickly become one of Mexico’s most popular boxers. He’s 5-foot-9 and has a 71-inch reach. Mosley’s almost twice the champion’s age and after starting his career with 38 straight wins now has a 46-7-1 record with 39 KOS. He’s won just eight times in his last 16 contests, but has taken on the top fighters in the world. Mosley’s about the same size as Alvarez as he’s 5-foot-8 with an identical 71-inch reach.
Alvarez has won his last three bouts by knockout over Ryan Rhodes, Kermit Cintron, and Alfonso Gomez. Mosley’s last win came back in 2009 when he stopped Antonio Margarito in the ninth round. It’s possible that Alvarez is overrated at this stage of his career though. He’s fought some decent opponents, but nothing like the steady list of challenges Mosley’s faced over the years. This fight might provide some answers, but if he wins critics will call it a just victory over an old man.
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Mosley’s taken on the best the sport has to offer and losses to Pacquiao and Mayweather could very well be losses to the top two pound-for-pound boxers in the world. The outcome of this fight will depend on Mosley’s motivation and reason for taking it. If he’s just in it for a payday it’s going to be another loss on his record. If he truly wants one last kick at the can, it should be an entertaining and interesting battle. .
Prediction
Fighting at 154 lbs. might help Mosley since his last few bouts have been at 147. He still has a good right hand and his experience should count for something. Alvarez is a good fighter, but not a great one as of yet. Still, it’ll be a surprise if he loses his crown to an aging Mosley. Look for Alvarez to keep his belt by unanimous decision.
Odds
Sportsbook 5dimes.com has the latest odds of Alvarez retaining his title at -900 with Mosley pulling off an upset at +900. The odds of the fight going over 9.5 rounds are -300 and of going under 9.5 rounds at +250. Visit 5Dimes.com to bet on the fight and don’t forget to use 5Dimes marketing code AF0002879 when opening an account to get a bonus of up to $520.
Saul Alvarez betting • Shane Mosley betting