Sunday, February 09, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

NO DECISION: Mosley gets headache

Ex-champion does little to boost his value; fight stopped after collisions with Marquez

By KEVIN IOLE
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Shane Mosley, right, defends against a punch by Raul Marquez on Saturday. The fight was waved off in the third round because of cuts around Marquez's eyes. Photo by Amy Beth Bennett. Raul Marquez talks with Shane Mosley after their fight was declared a no decision. Referee Kenny Bayless ruled that cuts around Marquez's eyes were the result of head-butts. Photo by K.M. Cannon. Shane Mosley, who has been discussed as a possible opponent for Oscar De La Hoya, might have cost himself a big payday with a disappointing performance Saturday at Mandalay Bay. Photo by K.M. Cannon. Trainer Jack Mosley, left, said a punch caused a second cut to Marquez, not a head-butt. Photo by K.M. Cannon.

Shane Mosley came to Las Vegas and took a $4.25 million gamble.

The former welterweight champion didn't do much Saturday to support his case that he deserves more money for a proposed fight against Oscar De La Hoya.

Mosley's bout, before a crowd of only 4,942 at Mandalay Bay, was stopped at 2 minutes, 41 seconds of the third round when his opponent, Raul Marquez, was cut around the eyes and could not continue. Referee Kenny Bayless ruled that both cuts were caused by head-butts.

Because the fight didn't go four rounds, it was ruled a no decision.

Mosley said he would have to consult with promoter Barry Frank about a course of action in regard to a De La Hoya fight.

But Top Rank president Bob Arum, who promotes De La Hoya, said Mosley no longer is in the picture. Instead, the focus now is a rematch against Fernando Vargas, Arum said.

"I had to wonder why I would want to pay a guy $4.25 million when he hasn't won a fight in a year-and-a-half and he fought like that," Arum said. "Let me reiterate that there is no deal. Barry and I had agreed, and it was there for Shane to accept. He didn't, so there is no deal. I'm going to talk with Vargas."

Mosley was a lopsided favorite Saturday despite the fact that he was coming off back-to-back losses to Vernon Forrest and hadn't won since knocking out Adrian Stone in the third round on July 21, 2001.

Saturday's bout was fought at close range. Mosley, making his debut at 154 pounds, seemed willing to test his strength against Marquez, who had fought his entire career as a junior middleweight.

Because Mosley is right-handed and Marquez left-handed, their heads were leading, and began clashing as early as the first round.

Marquez, who has cut frequently in his career, suffered a gash along his right eye in the second round as the fighters bumped heads after exchanging punches. In the third, Bayless ruled that another head-butt caused a deep gash near Marquez's left eye, forcing the fight to be stopped.

Mosley's father and trainer, Jack, said the second cut was caused by a punch.

"Shane hit him with a right hand and he quit," Jack Mosley said, angering Marquez.

Marquez, who hadn't faced a world-class fighter since losing to Vargas in 1999, made Mosley work and was pleading for a rematch, though that appears unlikely to happen.

"The guy who was supposed to look sensational here was Shane Mosley, not me," Marquez said. "The guy who had to look great (was him) and the guy who was supposed to cut real easy from a punch was me, but that's not what happened. You said I was done, that I had nothing left in the tank. Well, did I show something? Did I look done?"

No matter who was to blame for the cuts along Marquez' eyes, there is no doubt that Mosley did little to enhance his value for a De La Hoya fight. He failed to sell out an arena that had been scaled down to hold fewer than 6,000 people, and he couldn't stop a fighter many thought was finished.

Frank said Mosley must decide if he wants to fight De La Hoya for the amount that was offered.

"I'm quite certain there is no more money there," Frank said. "Just standing here and saying, `I'm not going to do it,' is not going to change anybody's mind. I'm sure De La Hoya has a lot of options, as does Shane. Shane's might not be as profitable as Oscar's, but he has options."