Jack Mosley Is Back

LOS ANGELES – Jack is back.

No, not Nicholson, but Jack Mosley.

During the Shane Mosley and Fernando Vargas press conference to kick off their rematch, it was announced that Jack Mosley would be back in the corner with his son Sugar Shane Mosley.

“I’m glad to be here,” said the elder Mosley before the Los Angeles area media at the Westin Bonaventure Hotel on Tuesday afternoon. “Shane and I are going to kick it off again.”

It was only six years ago that Jack Mosley was hailed as the “Trainer of the Year” after guiding his son to victory over Oscar De La Hoya at the Staples Center in 2000. A year later it was downhill as Sugar Shane lost twice to Vernon Forrest, won a controversial decision over De La Hoya, then was soundly beaten by Winky Wright.

That’s when the younger Mosley decided to make a change and opted for Joe Goossen to train him for the rematch against Wright. Though he still lost, it was by a close split-decision.

The next fight Mosley was looking for another trainer when Goossen would not move from his traditional training camp in Van Nuys to Big Bear Lake, where Mosley has a cabin. In stepped John David Jackson. But now Jackson is training Bernard Hopkins for his upcoming June 10 bout against Antonio Tarver.

“There are some scheduling problems,” says Shane Mosley (42-4, 36 KOs).

So who are you gonna call?

Jack Mosley, that’s who.

“It’s a tremendous pleasure once again,” said the gentle and soft-spoken father who also trains a heavyweight, middleweight and welterweight. But not one fighter is within a mile of the talent of his own son Shane. “I think the world will not be disappointed.”

The younger Mosley had decided to part because he believed his father was too engaged in extracurricular activities such as music producing and other things. Not any more.

“My father is hungry again,” said Shane, 34, looking back at his father. “I don’t want anybody else coming to my camp.”

Though Mosley won by technical knockout because of a large plum-size bump on the head of Vargas, the scorecards showed a very close fight that could have gone either way had the fight gone the distance.

“I thought I clearly won the fight,” Mosley said.

Vargas, cool, calm and collected, had that slight smile as a he talked that implied he knows something his opponent doesn’t know: “I was winning that fight.”

The Oxnard fighter known as “El Feroz” promises a different fight come July 15 at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas.

“I’m not going to say what I’m going to do, but I know I’m going to win,” Vargas (26-3, 22 KOs) said.

Mosley shakes his head at the thought of Vargas being able to mount an attack to beat him.

“I want to make sure the world knows I’m the best fighter out there,” said Mosley, dressed in a killer tan-colored suit that made him look more movie star than boxing champ. “I think my father is a very good trainer and I’m going to be in the best condition possible.”

Vargas said he detests the mountains for training.

“There’s no scientific proof that altitude training helps,” Vargas, 28, said. He’ll be preparing for this fight in Las Vegas.

The Oxnard fighter had pined for a fight against De La Hoya but not any more.

“That was before. I’m not even thinking about that,” said Vargas, adding that he didn’t even watch De La Hoya destroy Ricardo Mayorga last Saturday. “This is the fight I’m focusing on.”

After thinking a few seconds. Vargas added.

“He barely beat me when I had one eye, let’s see if he can beat me with two healthy eyes,” Vargas said.