Victory was even sweeter for Sugar Shane Mosley the second time around.
The American boxer came on in the late rounds Saturday night to beat Oscar De La Hoya in a close but unanimous decision for the second time in three years. His win at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas gave Mosley the World Boxing Council and World Boxing Association super-welterweight titles.
Mosley was the faster fighter, beating De La Hoya to the punch and staying away from the left hook that De La Hoya used to knock out his last two opponents. De La Hoya was leading on two scorecards and even on a third midway through the fight, but Mosley won the last five rounds on two cards and the last four on a third.
De La Hoya said he planned to hire lawyers on Monday to investigate the decision. But Marc Ratner, director of the Nevada Athletic Commission, said the result was not out of line. He called it "a judges' decision," and said there was nothing to protest.
The fight may have cost De La Hoya more than championship belts. He vowed before the bout to retire if he lost again to Mosley, who took a split decision from De La Hoya in June 2000.