INDIANAPOLIS, July 19 (UPI) -- Shane Mosley, who waited 10 years to avenge a loss, has even more to prove Saturday night when he faces unbeaten WBC welterweight champion Vernon Forrest.
Mosley (38-1, 35 KOs) had established himself as one of the best pound-for-pound fighters in the world when he met Forrest for the first time as a professional on Jan. 26. At that time, many people did not even remember that Forrest (34-0, 26 KOs) defeated Mosley in the 1992 United States Olympic Trials.
But in the second round at New York's Madison Square Garden, Forrest stunned Mosley and most fans with a pair of knockdowns. From that point on, he dominated en route to a unanimous decision to capture the belt that Mosley had won from Oscar de la Hoya in June 2000.
What Mosley needs to do better is find a way to neutralize the jab of the 6-foot Forrest. While Mosley was hurt from a head butt that he felt was not accidental, he also had trouble dealing with Forrest's size advantage.
While Forrest did not record a knockout, he did continually attack Mosley and did enough to enter as the favorite for the rematch. Forrest also dropped Mosley for a third time in the 10th round, when he connected with a powerful right cross that dislodged the former champion's mouthpiece.
Forrest had an August 2000 fight against Raul Frank ruled no contest after an accidental head butt in the third round. In the rematch last May, Forrest scored a convincing decision to capture the IBF welterweight title. He then registered a fourth-round technical knockout over Edgar Ruiz last August before defeating Mosley.
Also on Saturday, Eric Harding (21-1-1, 7 KOs) takes on Antonio Tarver (19-1, 16 KOs) in a light heavyweight bout. Harding handed Tarver his first defeat in June 2000 before suffering a 10th-round technical knockout against undisputed champion Roy Jones Jr. Tarver has won two fights since the loss and is a possible opponent for Jones.
