Ringside by Felipe Leon & Francisco Salazar
Photography by Chris Cozzone
If the victory over Puerto Rican sensation Miguel Cotto was the birth of a boxing superstar, then his fight against Shane Mosley, last night at the sold-out Staples Center, downtown Los Angeles, was Antonio Margarito’s baptism by fire.
Outclassed by Mosley and losing nearly every round, Margarito lost his claim to the welterweight throne when he was stopped 43 seconds into the ninth round, in a lopsided clash for his WBA welterweight belt.
Mosley (46-5, 39 KOs) took the lead early in the first with hard left uppercuts from the inside and straight right hands from the outside. At first, Margarito (37-6, 27 KOs) only smiled as he continued forward, throwing off balanced punches that missed more than they landed.
