Shane Mosley did not fare well when stepping in with opponents standing six feet tall, and there was one towering all-time great that “Sugar” would have steered well clear of altogether.
One of the finest lightweights of the 1990s, Mosley’s ambition carried him through to welterweight and super-welterweight, where he secured the defining victories of his career against Oscar De La Hoya.
Those triumphs were life-changing, but a year before the rematch Mosley ran into the 6ft Vernon “The Viper” Forrest, a fighter who had previously beaten him at the 1992 Olympic Trials.
In 2002, Forrest battered a man widely regarded at the time as the world’s best boxer, scoring two knockdowns en route to a points victory that ended Mosley’s two-year reign as WBC welterweight champion.
The rematch proved closer, but Forrest again prevailed to make it 3-0 against his rival. Eight years later, Mosley fought to a drab draw with another six-footer, Sergio Mora, at super-welterweight.
So when the topic of fantasy match-ups arose, ‘Sugar’ was asked how he would have fared against the formidable, big-punching 6ft 1in “The Hitman” Thomas Hearns. His admission was refreshingly honest.
“I wouldn’t want to fight him. I’d rather fight Sugar Ray Leonard and [Roberto] Duran than fight Tommy Hearns.
“Tommy Hearns back then… 6’1”, 6’2”, long arms and the way he used to land. No.”
Mosley, who stood 5ft 8½ins, was only half an inch taller than Pipino Cuevas — the man Hearns demolished with a thunderous right hand to win his first world title, the WBA welterweight crown, back in 1980.
