Suger needs to be sweet

Mosley knows what's at stake in rematch with Forrest

INDIANAPOLIS (AP) -- Shane Mosley wants revenge, and the WBC welterweight title he lost. Vernon Forrest is out to prove his upset victory over Mosley last January was no fluke.

On Saturday night, they'll play it again in a 12-round title fight rife with high stakes -- and hard feelings.

Their respective camps squared off Thursday in a lively pre-fight news conference, with Mosley's corner men accusing Forrest of fighting dirty in their Jan. 26 match and Forrest's people of being sarcastic in thanking his opponent for providing another "easy fight."

"We didn't give Vernon a chance to feel the wrath of Shane's punches the first time, but he'll feel them this time," said Jack Mosley, Mosley's father and trainer. "He's laughing, but he's going to feel them Saturday."

Both were unbeaten when they fought six months ago at Madison Square Garden.

Mosley, 30, of Pomona, Calif., held the WBC crown he took from Oscar De La Hoya and was riding a 38-fight winning streak. Forrest was a 7-1 underdog despite his 33-0 record.

But Forrest, 31, of Atlanta, dominated almost from the start, overpowering Mosley with his size and reach advantage. He knocked him down twice in the second round -- the first knockdowns of Mosley's career -- and won a unanimous 12-round decision.

Neither has fought since.

Mosley, cut by a first-round head butt, didn't blame it for his loss initially. He has since said the blow caused him to see stars for the next eight rounds, hindering his performance.

When Forrest's manager, Charles Watson, spoke Thursday about Forrest's superior technique, the older Mosley jumped back up to the podium.

"The techniques you guys used in the fight weren't techniques," he said. "Hitting low, holding throughout the fight. You won't be able to head-butt and hit low Saturday. The refs are going to knock that stuff down, believe me."

Forrest, who sat laughing at the dais, his eyes shielded by a hat drawn low over his eyes, would not talk about either fight, choosing instead to thank the promoters.

But co-trainer Ronnie Shields said the butt was an accident.

"Vernon went in, threw a right to the body, Shane went down and they hit heads," Shields said. "Both of them got hit."

The camps' mutual bitterness was reflected moments later, when Forrest's other trainer, Al Mitchell, said: "I want to thank Shane for another good payday and another easy fight."

Forrest will make about $3 million, Mosley $2.7 million.

Mosley, who lost to Forrest as an amateur at the 1992 Olympic boxing trials, is hoping for a better performance in their third meeting. On Thursday, he promised "the best Sugar Shane Mosley you've ever seen."

The bout at Conseco Fieldhouse, which had sold 13,000 tickets as of Thursday, will be televised by HBO.

 

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