Helms interviews Mosley
Written: February 6, 2007Sugar Shane Mosley is one of the hardest hitters in the history of the sport of boxing. He has been an IBF (International Boxing Federation) Lightweight boxing champion as well as the WBC (World Boxing Council) Welterweight, WBC Light Middleweight and WBA (World Boxing Association) Light Middleweight champion. He has compiled a career record of 43-4-1, with 37 wins by knockout.
Gregory Helms is the WWE Cruiserweight Champion, holding his title for over a year now, making him the longest reigning champion in the history of SmackDown. His career has spanned from his days in WCW to his current history-making in WWE. In WCW, for a short time, Gregory Helms was known as Sugar Shane Helms.
Mosley and Helms are the newest installment of WWEs Superstar to Superstar.
Helms: I heard a rumor that Jeff Lacy [known as Left Hook] was actually going to change his nickname after your fight with Fernando Vargas, because of when you knocked him out with that left hook. Now, Feb. 10, on HBO, you will fight for the WBC Welterweight Championship. I know there was a problem with another fighter and that someone is stepping in as a replacement. How much does that change your game plan and your training strategy when someone is put in last minute?
Mosley: It changed the whole strategy because the guy who Im fighting now is a southpaw, hes a pretty slick southpaw, so I had to get ready for that southpaw look. You could say they are equal in abilities, but their style is different.
Helms: How big of a problem do you think he is going to pose?
Mosley: You never can tell until you get in the ring. Ive only fought two southpaws in my professional career, so I am going to have to adapt to his style. Im doing really well in my sparring, so we will see when I get in the ring.
Helms: Thats cool man. Now, personally one of my favorite matches that I had, I had to take on like nine guys at a time. That was at No Way Out 2006. I am going to just guess but maybe, possibly, beating Oscar De La Hoya in 2000, was that your best fight?
Mosley: I think so I think that was the fight that defined me and my career, where people got a chance to see that I really meant business, and that I was a real fighter. To fight De La Hoya and to win was a great accomplishment.
Helms: And you defeated him in a rematch, not many people have one win over Oscar De La Hoya, much less two. Youve held lightweight, welterweight and junior middleweight titles. Me being the WWE Cruiserweight Champion, I feel like I am better than all the other cruiserweights. Ive held my title longer than anyone in the history of this championship. Let me ask you this, how do you want boxing fans to see you, because Im in a dilemma now. Do you want them to see you as the top boxer in your weight class, or do you want to be seen as a great pound-for-pound fighter in any weight class?
Mosley: I want people to know my style of boxing and my skills can be the best in any weight division.
Helms: The De La Hoya fight was the fight where people began to see how good you really are. Do you feel like that lack of recognition gives you an edge? Does it allow people to underestimate you in any way?
Mosley: I think so, I wasnt really getting respect and people doubted me when I stepped into the ring with Oscar. Even today when I hear people say oh hes getting older, I just want to prove people wrong. It has been my lifelong goal to prove people wrong. I am too competitive; I dont know how I will ever walk away from the game. I feel like I have another five years in me, at least.
Helms: I would definitely say your fight against Vargas was one of the best Sugar Shane Mosley performances that I have seen. I havent seen all of them, but I have seen a lot of them. You looked really sharp and really tight in that fight, do you agree?
Mosley: I do. Me and my father went back to old school stuff we used to do. A lot of drills with the bag, a lot of hard work, and it showed in the fight. My punches were sharper, crisper. I was on my toes, had more bounce in my legs.
Helms: So you just knocked him straight out of the division. I heard you might be working with De La Hoya to prepare for his fight with Floyd Mayweather Jr.
Mosley: I might help him out. If they need me to do a couple rounds here and there, I can do that.
Helms: Cant find a better training partner than you. What do you do in your down time, when you arent out beating people up?
Mosley: I like to play a lot of basketball. I actually play in the NBAE League out here in L.A., with Ice Cube, Justin Timberlake, the list goes on. Its a league for athletes, actors and entertainers. I play on the Cleveland Cavaliers team with Brian McKnight. What is good about it, you feel like you are in the NBA, we have to wear all their official merchandise. I also love to snowboard. I am not supposed to, but I love it.
Helms: That is cool man. Now the reason they got me to do this interview, my middle name is Shane, and I wrestled in WCW before it was bought and I came to WWE. There was another wrestler named Chavo Guerrero in WCW with me, and we are both huge boxing fans. For some reason he started to call me Sugar Shane backstage because of you, and someone ended up calling me Sugar Shane on air. I was known as the Sugar Shane of wrestling for a short time. Of course, all credit to us being fans of you and your style.
Mosley: Thanks, man.
Helms: The smaller guys kick just as much ass as the big guys.
Mosley: Yes we do, we are faster.
Helms: Well Shane, good luck on Feb. 10 with your fight, I will actually be in L.A. Feb. 18 for our No Way Out pay-per-view at the Staples Center, so I hope by then you have your fourth championship around your waist. My money is on you. Good luck, champ.
Mosley: Thank you.
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