Montiel beats Hasegawa; Mayweather-Mosley Prediction

In a mild upset, Fernando Montiel knocked out reigning WBC Bantamweight Champion Hozumi Hasegawa in the 4th round. Montiel, a fantasy league free agent, was dropped by Andrew's Sweet Chin Music prior to this bout, with Andrew retaining Hasegawa on his roster. In an era of partial-champions, Montiel has proven himself as THE champion at bantamweight. The loss moves Sweet Chin Music to 4-2-1.

Tonight, Floyd Mayweather (40-0) and Shane Mosley (46-5) fight for the legitimate claim to the welterweight title. Both men seem highly motivated for this fight, which will establish the future direction of the sport. If Mayweather wins, especially in dominant fashion, there will be high demand from the public that he get in the ring with Pacquiao. If Mosley wins, he'll likely have to give Floyd a rematch, but a fight against Pacquiao would again be the best thing for boxing.

Mayweather struggled with Oscar De La Hoya, winning only by split-decision. In that fight, Floyd was mostly defensive and was occasionally bullied against the ropes. Will that be the case tonight? Shane owns two victories over De La Hoya, as well as a brutal knockout of Antonio Margarito. Is Shane capable of bullying Floyd? Absolutely. I will go on record as saying that Shane Mosley has a better offense than Oscar De La Hoya. In fact, Mosley's offense will likely be the best Mayweather has ever seen.

Mosley has struggled with skilled boxers in the past. He dropped 2 decisions to Vernon Forrest and 2 more to Winky Wright. Shane has a tendency to get wide with his punches and to get popped with straight shots. Unfortunately for Shane, this is Mayweather's game.

My prediction: W 12 Mayweather. I would be shocked if this doesn't go the distance. Floyd is too good defensively and Mosley is too tough. I see the fight developing mostly in the center of the ring, with Mayweather landing occasional sharp shots - jabs and left hooks. Mosley will likely work the body and may have occasional success with the right hand. Big rights by Mosley are the only wild card in this fight. If he lands enough of them, we could see an upset. But I doubt that the defensive skills of Floyd Mayweather will let him down. Floyd has never even had swelling on his face after a fight. He'll see Shane's shots and block them. He'll land sharp hooks and his good jab. He'll be faster and smarter. I think we'll see roughly a 117-111 type of score. I just hope that Mayweather's victory is based on his own skill and sharpness and not on Mosley's decline.