Winky has an eye for fights that pay

Monday, Nov. 22, 2004 | 9:45 a.m.

Now that Winky Wright has twice beaten Shane Mosley, he's aiming for the megafights -- and the megabucks.

"I'm from the 'hood, and it's time to get paid," Wright said after winning his rematch against Mosley on Saturday night at the Mandalay Bay Events Center.

For Wright, that could entail moving up from 154 pounds to middleweight to take on undisputed champion Bernard Hopkins next year. Or it could mean remaining at super welterweight for a bout against Oscar De La Hoya.

Hopkins and De La Hoya, who earlier in the day announced a new business partnership under De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions banner, were in attendance Saturday as Wright retained his WBC and WBA belts by 12-round majority decision.

But what Wright covets most, he said, is a lucrative bout with Felix "Tito" Trinidad, the former champion who returned from an extended layoff in October, stopping Ricardo Mayorga at Madison Square Garden.

"I want Tito," said Wright (48-3, 25 knockouts), a native of Washington, D.C., who lives in St. Petersburg, Fla. "Tito! And I want to fight him soon. I want Bernard, too. I want the best. I want the biggest fights that are out there. But I want Tito first."

A match against Trinidad would indeed carry a big payday for Wright, who turns 33 Friday but has fought in relative obscurity for most of his career. Wright reportedly earned about $1.6 million for Saturday's fight, while Mosley's total take was more than $3 million, thanks in part to his contract with HBO.

"I've only got one big-market name (Mosley), and I've already fought him twice," Wright said. "Anyone else out there who wants to call themselves the best, don't you think it's time for them to step up?"

Wright gave credit to Mosley for exposing him to the big-time when he agreed to terms on their March bout that unified the 154-pound championship. Wright even said he would not rule out a third fight with Mosley.

A former champ in three weight divisions, Mosley (39-4, 1 no-decision, 35 KOs) made Saturday's fight a more competitive contest than the first meeting, in which Wright scored a one-sided unanimous decision.

Judge Hubert Earle scored the rematch a draw, 114-114, while Duane Ford and Tom Kazmarek had it 115-113 for Wright.

The Sun scored it 116-112 in favor of Wright, awarding the champ each of the final four rounds.

"Without Shane giving me the first fight, we wouldn't have had this fight," Wright said. "Oscar and all the rest talk the talk, but ... without Shane, I'd still be fighting on ESPN in West Virginia somewhere."

Mosley, who fired his father Jack as trainer after the first fight and employed the services of Joe Goossen for the rematch, was able to stand toe-to-toe with Wright for much of the evening, but he again had trouble contending with Wright's dangerous jab.

"He's got a nice, straight stiff right hand," Mosley said of Wright, a southpaw. "I thought I did enough to win the fight, but the judges said Winky won, so he retains his title. You move on to the next fight."

The best round was the fifth, which provided the indelible image of the fight: Wright with his hands down at his sides, daring Mosley to bring it; Mosley responding with a combination of open, uncontested punches capped by a heavy right hand to the chin.

It was a sequence that brought many in the crowd of 8,103 to their feet and re-energized Mosley as well -- although Wright had the best of it in the early rounds, the fight was dead even after eight. Ultimately, though, the picture told a larger story: Mosley came at Wright with everything he had, and the champ absorbed it, barely flinching, without staggering.

"I just wanted to show that I felt good," Wright said. "Shane had thrown a big punch overtop, and I just wanted to show him I was feeling good. He threw some good punches, and I took them. It just goes to show I've got a great chin."

Although his fighter is 1-4 with a no-contest in his past six bouts, Goossen said he was encouraged by Mosley's performance.

"I think anyone who wrote Shane Mosley off will have to reassess that," Goossen said. "I can't wait to get Shane Mosley back in the gym and back in the ring again -- against a right-hander."

The odd man out in the speculation game -- at least for now -- could be the IBF champion at 154 pounds, Kassim Ouma.

The subject of a feature story in the latest issue of Esquire magazine, Ouma (20-1-1) is trying to raise his profile inside and outside of boxing, and figures a title fight against Wright would go a long way toward that end.

"I would like to fight him tomorrow," Ouma said. "If he wants to be undisputed champ, he's got to have all the belts, right? That means he needs to fight me."

Late Saturday night, after Mosley finished chatting with reporters and well-wishers, he and Ouma embraced.

"You're the champ; you'll get your opportunity," Mosley told Ouma.

A fight against Ouma, however, would not command the purse a matchup with Trinidad or Hopkins would.

"Ouma definitely deserves a shot, but like I said, it's a money chase right now," Wright said.

Judging by Wright's reaction to his name, another fighter who will likely have to wait in line for a shot at Wright is Kofi Jantuah, a super welterweight based in Las Vegas who has a record of 28-1 and is hankering for a major title bout.

As Wright was talking about possible opponents at the postfight news conference, a Jantuah supporter yelled out, "Kofi!"

Looking genuinely befuddled, Wright replied, "Kobe?"