Fighters, trainers and promoters will say just about anything to hype a fight. At a recent press conference to promote his September 18 HBO PPV bout against Shane Mosley, Sergio Mora dropped these lines:
“I pay homage and respect to Shane. The word “great” needs to be earned and the two people that have earned that title are Oscar and Shane. Shane’s a gentleman and a warrior in and out of the ring. However, I have to pay homage to myself. I have a lot of qualities that have been overshadowed. I feel it’s my time now.”
Paying homage to future Hall of Famers Shane Mosley and Oscar De La Hoya is fine. But paying homage to yourself? That’s as conceited as it gets. Maybe Sergio was on a roll and couldn’t help himself in using the word “homage” once more in reference to himself.
Confidence is key in the fight game, but Sergio Mora has taken it to a new level by paying tribute to himself. I understand if he feels like he’s being discredited by the fans and media. But Mora showed nothing but vanity by attempting to honor himself and displayed more arrogance than credibility.
Sergio Mora won The Contender reality series in 2005 and also captured a world title in the 154-pound division by defeating Vernon Forrest. He has compiled a career record of 22-1-1, 6 KOs. He’s a slick boxer that can take a punch.
Self-promotion is part of the boxing business. But a tip for Sergio Mora: tributes sound a lot better when they come from other people.
