Sugar Shane Eyes Possible February Showdown With Kermit Cintron!!!

Miami- The year of 2006 has been very intriguing for the boxing world in general, but perhaps one of the most notable figures in that equation was phenom “Sugar” Shane Mosley who continues to silence all of his critics as he eyes supremacy on top of the sport once again. As recent as two years ago many viewed him as “washed up” after two stunning defeats at the hands of Vernon Forrest. To their surprise he would bounce back harder than ever, capping it all off with a tantalizing victory over Fernando Vargas, showing exactly what role he figures to play in the future of boxing, mainly the welterweight division. As you look at his past, his level of competition jumps out at you when you remember the epic battles between he and the likes of Oscar De La Hoya, Fernando Vargas and Vernon Forrest, which is a major difference in opposition when compared to the still somewhat raw Kermit Cintron. Cintron has always been known to be a fighter with powerful hands, but his opposition had apparently never tested his heart…That was until he ran into the hungry, heavy hitting Antonio Margarito in spring of ’05. Prior to the fight, Cintron was viewed as the potential new face of Puerto Rican boxing following the tutelage of Felix “Tito” Trinidad, Hector “Macho” Camacho, and a host of others; However, since the end of this fight, the list of skeptics and doubter’s have multiplied. To his credit, it should be noted that a hand injury requiring surgery prior to this bout led to a 9 month layoff and the “rust” effect probably had a little to do with the performance overall, but in the grand scheme of things, it was given no sentimental value as his reputation has not quite been the same. Since the stunning one-sided loss, he has employed the services of Emmanuel Stewart, arguably the best overall trainer in the game to assist him in making technical changes and so far it has payed off. He has shown not only the perinneal power associated with his name for years, but also an ability to counter with defense and effectively pick his shots and mix them up as needed. If this showdown does take place, it will truly test everything about the “new” cintron, as he will be expected to deal with a much quicker target than he’s used to; Both offensively and defensively. As talks between the two camps (Golden Boy Promotions and Main Events) continue, updates will follow. Stay tuned.

About Tim Starks

Tim is the founder of The Queensberry Rules and co-founder of The Transnational Boxing Rankings Board (http://www.tbrb.org). He lives in Washington, D.C. He has written for the Guardian, Economist, New Republic, Chicago Tribune and more.

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