Mosley wins rematch
From correspondents in Las Vegas
September 14, 2003
SHANE MOSLEY captured the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association super-welterweight titles with a stunning unanimous decision over favourite Oscar de la Hoya.
All three judges scored the fight 115-113 in favour of Mosley.
"I won by power and speed and most effective shots," said Mosley, who registered his second-straight win over de la Hoya. "I had the more powerful punches and was a lot stronger than he was."
De la Hoya thought he had won the fight at the end of the 12th and final round as he climbed the ropes and raised both hands over his head.
Floyd Mayweather, de la Hoya's trainer, blasted the judges' decision and said de la Hoya fought a perfect fight.
"These old judges are blind and senile. Clearly Oscar won the fight." said Mayweather.
"He got a little tired in the tenth and eleventh but he picked it up in the 12th. I don't know what he has to do to win a fight."
Mosley looked surprised as the judges' scores were read out and many in the crowd booed the announcement thinking that de la Hoya had won easily.
"Maybe my style is little difficult for him," said Mosley. "I was a lot stronger than the first time I fought him. He is a great warrior I take my hat off to him."
De la Hoya started strong, dominating the early rounds before sustaining a cut near his right eye in the fourth round from an accidental head butt. But the judges obviously felt de la Hoya faded in the later rounds and that Mosley took over.
De la Hoya was looking to avenge the earlier loss - the only indisputable loss of his illustrious career.
"I am not disappointed," said de la Hoya. "I was keeping him at a distance. It was a hard fight."
Mosley was a 2 to 1 underdog going into the fight and his guaranteed purse of $6.85 million paled in comparison to de la Hoya's purse of $25m.
Mosley, 32, wanted to win this fight to prove his first victory over de la Hoya three years ago was no fluke and re-establish himself as an elite fighter.
Mosley started slow but fought much better in the second half, especially from round nine on.
De la Hoya had the edge in punches-that-connected 36 percent to 26 percent and jabs 26-12. But Mosely landed more power punches 41-36.
Mosley rose to 39-2, with 35 knockouts. De la Hoya dropped to 36-3, 29 KOs.
Mosley beat de la Hoya in a split decision three years ago in Los Angeles for the WBC welterweight title.
But he has fought unknowns and suffered some setbacks since his stunning first win over de la Hoya.
De la Hoya said earlier he would retire if he lost to Mosley.
Former heavyweight champ George Foreman didn't agree with the decision.
"This is terrible. This is not what boxing is supposed to be. De la Hoya won," said Foreman from his ringside seat.
