Shane Mosley returns to pay-per-view this Saturday, four months removed from his thorough beating at the hands of Floyd Mayweather Jr. Mosley’s next opponent, Sergio Mora, is no Floyd Mayweather Jr. But just who is Sergio Mora and how did he find himself in the main event of a pay-per-view opposite a future Hall of Famer?
Most will recognize Sergio Mora (22-1-1, 6 KOs) from his stint on the first season of the boxing reality series The Contender. Mora would go on to win the tournament, and a subsequent Finals rematch, over Peter Manfredo Jr. But that was in 2005.
It took Mora three years to capitalize on his Contender fame, securing a world title bout against light middleweight champion Vernon Forrest. Mora upset the champion with a majority decision and earned his first world title in June of 2008. Despite dropping the belt back to Forrest in the rematch, Mora elevated himself beyond the contender level.
Perhaps overrating his worth, Mora spent a lot of his post-Contender years in and out of fight negotiations. He turned down a seven-figure payday against then-middleweight champion Jermain Taylor in 2007, citing the proposed Memphis location as being too close to the champion’s home of Little Rock, Arkansas.
Mora also found delays when proposed fights with Kassim Ouma and Kelly Pavlik had to be canceled due to injuries. The inactivity allowed Mora to lose his Contender momentum and slip from the public’s radar. Mora has only fought seven times over the last five years. Two of those seven were world title bouts with Vernon Forrest. The other five are as forgettable now as they were when they happened.
Now signed to Golden Boy Promotions, Sergio Mora hopes to secure the big fights that eluded him years ago. Mora has always paid close attention to the business side of the sport, so the pairing with Golden Boy is a promotional match made in heaven. There is no better role model in the sport for Mora than fellow Mexican American and Golden Boy founder Oscar de la Hoya.
Sergio Mora, however, needs to create his own identity. So just who is Sergio Mora? A former world champion. The Latin Snake. A businessman. An opportunist. Or perhaps we won’t really know who Sergio Mora truly is until his bout with Shane Mosley is over.
The fight with Mosley this Saturday is Mora’s chance to prove that he belongs amongst Golden Boy’s inner circle. That he’s no longer a Contender. That he’s a skillful warrior and not a carefully managed reality star. There is no better time than the present to start making a name for yourself.
Shane Mosley is coming off of the worst loss of his career. Sugar Shane is looking for a rebound. Pairing Mosley against Mora on the weekend after Mexican Independence Day is the only chance to draw interest for what would otherwise be a very ordinary matchup. There is no doubt that Mora would fall into the good graces of a very loyal Mexican fanbase with a win over the battle-tested Shane Mosley.
If the 29-year-old Mora wants to make a name for himself, it starts Saturday. Show the public that you can hang with the very best and respect will be earned. A new identity will be forged.
