Sugar ‘Shane’ Mosley is content in the knowledge that he proved his pugilistic greatness, although – as he explains to Boxing Social’s Luke G. Williams – he does have one regret…
The greatness of ‘Sugar’ Shane Mosley is beyond dispute.
In a storied 23-year pro career, the California native won world title belts in three weight classes and, before his maiden pro defeat against Vernon Forrest in 2002, was regarded by many sound judges as the best boxer in the world, pound-for-pound.
Elected to the International Boxing Hall of Fame at the first attempt as part of the class of 2020, Mosley’s official induction will unfortunately have to wait until next year after Covid-19 ensured the cancellation of this year’s festivities in Canastota.
Mosley, now 48, learned of his induction via a phone call from IBHOF executive director Ed Brophy while at Big Bear Lake, the famous training camp in California, which has long been a second home for the former lightweight, welterweight and super-welterweight champ.
“It’s a great privilege,” ‘Sugar’ Shane told Boxing Social as he reflected on his induction, alongside Bernard Hopkins and Juan Manuel Marquez among others.
“You know, when I was a kid I trained to become a great fighter. I wanted to reach the top and be recognised as one of the greats. Getting into the Hall of Fame is a great accomplishment. It’s gonna be a great occasion.”
A landmark occasion such as induction into the IBHOF provides an obvious opportunity for self-reflection and contemplation and Mosley kindly obliges when prompted by Boxing Social to pinpoint the most memorable moments in his meritorious career.
He firstly plumps for the August 1997 night that he first became a world champion by dethroning long-time IBF world ruler Phillip Holiday via a unanimous points decision at the Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut.
South African Holliday entered the contest boasting a perfect 31-0 pro ledger and six successful title defences, while Mosley – in 23 previous contests – had only heard the final bell once.
Despite this deficit in professional experience, Mosley insists he never doubted he would triumph.
“I remember when I stepped into that ring I knew this was my big moment. My big chance to win the world title. My first title attempt, my first shot. I wasn’t gonna lose. I remember as I got to the ring I knew that night was gonna end with me becoming the world champion.”
Unsurprisingly, it is Mosley’s June 2000 welterweight world title split decision victory against Oscar De La Hoya that he nominates as the most memorable occasion of his career.
“The first fight with De La Hoya is definitely when the world got to see how great of a fighter I was,” he said. “I’d come from lightweight all the way to welterweight and people were able to see that I wasn’t just a world champion, but that I was a great fighter as well.”
A fierce competitor, who even after 61 prize-fights seemed reluctant to finally call it a day in 2017, Mosley insists that the foundations of his successful career were forged in childhood.
“The key to my success has always been having the right attitude,” he explains. “Even when I was a kid, I always wanted to win and I did all the things I could to make sure I was going to be on top and be victorious – not just physically but mentally as well.
“That developed from within. Ever since I was about five years old I was always the kid that wanted to win and had to win.
“When I turned about eight and I came to a boxing gym I was excited and knew I was going to be one of the great ones because although I was fairly small as a kid, all the other kids were bigger than me, but I was the best when we did football, or kickball or basketball or whatever it was.
“I was always the top guy even though I was the smallest. So when it came to boxing and I was now able to fight guys of my size and my weight, there was no way that anyone could beat me! That was my mentality even at eight years old. It was just something that was inside of me.
“I loved boxing because it was a one-on-one sport. When I played team sports I would get mad at the other players on the team for not playing as well or trying as hard as I did.
“But when it came to boxing it was one-on-one and I could only blame myself. I couldn’t blame anybody else, and I knew that. It was reliant on me if I was going to win – no matter what. That was my mentality as a kid and throughout my whole career.”
Mosley is still deeply connected to boxing, having trained Ivan Redkach, his son Shane Jr and Youtuber Jake Paul among others.
He also continues to passionately support the causes that matter to him, among them animal rights, car safety and combating domestic violence.
“Yeah, you know it’s important to use your fame for good,” he stressed. “I love animals and I’ve been a vegan now for about a year or so. I don’t want to eat any animals. Although it’s for health reasons as well.”
Talking of health, one can’t help but notice that Mosley’s voice noticeably slurs when he speaks. A consequence, many believe, of a career that went on too long and wound down somewhat anti-climatically with just five wins in his final 12 pro contests.
Mosley, though, is not a man for regrets.
Well, apart from one.
“[If I could change anything about my career] I probably wouldn’t have got married [in 2002],” he chuckled. “It was a distraction. [Not getting married] might have prolonged my boxing career a little longer but you know things happen.
“That’s life and life struggles. Life happens, we live and we learn.”
He paused for a beat, and added, with reassuring certitude: “I’m a pretty content man.”